Hey, today we're going to dive deep into the world of professional photography. Aspiring photographers often focus solely on capturing amazing images, but today we'll explore why that's only a fraction of what successful photographers do. In this video, I'll uncover the secrets that separate the pros from the amateurs and reveal valuable tips to help you build a sustainable career in photography. Every short hit, a professional photography insight that you get here on YouTube is important, so please soak in all that you can. Number one, you've heard me say this before, specialization. Successful pros know that specializing is crucial. Let me show you how specialized I am. Imagine you're a magazine from New York and you have a subject you're profiling in Toronto. You don't know any shooters here so you turn to Google. You type editorial, portraits, Toronto. What do you see? Steve Cardiff, photographer. I get magazine assignments like this probably once a month. This is the power of specialization. Number two, investing in quality equipment. Your gear can significantly impact your ability to make money and save money in the long run. Consider investing in reliable equipment, especially if you shoot events or weddings that can't be recreated. Having two camera bodies, by the way, is a thing. A backup body can be a lifesaver in critical moments and even allow you to venture into video work. I have one full frame pro rig that I've been using for doing all the heavy lifting, but I just invested in two mirrorless bodies, which will help so much with my multi cam 4k setups by YouTube videos, shooting thumbnails when I need to have my R5 in my hand. Having a camera body with dual card slots also can safeguard your data and prevent data loss disasters. The R5 has dual card slots. One CF express super fast card that I use to write up to 8k raw video and a super fast SD card slot that I use for all my pro photo shoots. When I'm shooting stills only, I have my data writing to both cards. Remember, investing in high quality memory cards is worth it for the safety of your work. There's only two reasons to invest in equipment. Number one, I buy gear that makes me money or two saves me money. Number three, running your photography business like a pro. Successful photographers treat their passion like a full-fledged business. Don't undervalue your skills. Charge what you're worth. Be consistent with your pricing and have set prices for various types of shoots. Early in my career, I set a minimum look through fee or the lowest rate that I would accept to pick up my camera. You also have to have a minimum fee that you set for yourself and promise yourself not to shoot for less. It's not just your time that they're paying for. It's your creativity, then your gear, your computer, your software, and all of the technical knowledge. All of that stuff costs money. By the way, this part's hard to take, but you'll likely fail in this business if you race to the bottom with your prices. It's okay to be too expensive. I'd rather be too expensive than be to budget choice or the low-cost alternative. What's the most important is that you get good enough, so you can charge the type of rates that won't have you competing with the hacks in the first place. You can be the best in your category, the best in your town, the best in your city. Number four, you don't know what you don't know. We can't concept the scope of the things that we don't know. There's so much information out there about how to be a pro. The ones that know the most about this photography business usually win. Take courses if you need to. Get a coach, get a mentor. Every successful photographer had another successful photographer guide them. Sometimes it's called being an assistant, sometimes it's called being an apprentice. Photography school and self-learning can only take you so far. Speaking to someone that is currently doing what you're trying to do is the path at least resistance. We can't even concept the scope of the things that we don't know. Admitting that we know nothing is the beginning of understanding. I've been doing this for 30 years and I still learn every single day. Turning photography into a full-time profession requires immense dedication and effort. It's a lifelong journey. It's not a sprint and it's never over, but we can't have fun with it. We can turn it into a game. If you've turned your photography career into a game, wouldn't you play harder? Here's a bonus for making it this far. To truly succeed, you have to make your work desirable and exclusive. Emphasize the originality of your photography, making it something not just everybody gets to have. By doing this, you increase your photography's value and you create a sense of rarity. By the way, the quality of your work has to match. It can't be just all style and no substance. Those in the know can see the difference between high quality content and forgettable. Your understanding of professional level work versus the stuff that everyone else is doing is kind of crucial. That only comes from research. It helps if you get your photography inspiration from places that go beyond Instagram. By the way, if Instagram's the main place that you look at photography, you're missing the boat. Don't get me wrong. There is photography inspiration to be found on Instagram, but seeing it on a phone screen isn't how work is supposed to be viewed. Open be hands on the big screen. Search your niche and see what working photographers within your specialty are sharing in their portfolios. It'll be an eye-opener, I guarantee it. Equally important, the energy, experience, and professionalism of just working with you should also be invaluable to your clients. There is a way that you can be more than just a great photographer. You can actually be an experience. This last point, it's actually it's so big that it deserves its own video. The last tip, the most powerful one of all, the double thank you moment. If you don't know what a double thank you moment is and how important it is for your career, you need to watch this video next. I get into double thank you moments. Thanks for watching. I'll see you on that one.