Complaining is easy. Executing is hard.
I think at this point I’ve heard every complaint there is for not creating great photography or not selling your work. Let’s recap.
- I don’t have a good enough camera
- If only I had a F1.8 blah blah blah expensive lens
- If only I lived in a more exciting location
- If only I had a home studio
- If only I had that new camera
- If only I had a full frame camera
- If only I had that mirrorless camera
- If only I could afford expensive vacations
- If only I lived in the country
- If only I lived in the city
- If only I went to photography school
- If only the POD featured my work
- If only I showed up higher in the search engines
- If only I could write better
- If only I was better looking
- If only my friends were models
- If only I had a cute dog
- If only I got started earlier
- If only there wasn’t so many competitors
Blah, blah, blah. Come on already. If you are not executing a plan to improve your photography and improve your photography sales in this day and age, then I’m sorry, you are just being lazy.
At no other time in history has it been so easy to learn about photography – for free and to learn how to sell your work.
At no other time in history as it been so easy to bring your photography to the market and promote your work.
At no other time in history has the market for fine art photograph or stock photography been so open to so many people.
At no other time in history has it been so easy to learn, improve, create and sell your work.
Seriously, with digital photography there is no need for a darkroom full of smelly chemicals or the need for special equipment or the costs of film, paper and chemicals. At not other time in history can someone rapidly improve their skill quickly because of digital photography.
The Internet provides all the information one needs to learn and get feedback on their images. Online classes such as CreativeLive provides professional level instruction for free or little cost.
Online market places from Ebay to Etsy to Pixels to Fine Art America etc provide simple access to buyers of artwork. Stock agencies provide any image supplier from professional to amateur access to the professional image buying market.
Sure you can complain that you haven’t found overnight success and the competition is fierce but when was it not? Artists have always had to hustle and work there way to the top one step at a time. We’re not digging ditches here. We are creating imagery. Of course there will be a lot of competition. At some point you just have to realize it ain’t going to be easy and you have to work harder and smarter than your competition.