We are excited to be featuring Kirk Voclain of Kirk Voclain Photography. He is a great photographer with great advice making your photography business a success!
I’m serious, I’m silly, I love photography and I love golf…..did I mention I love GOLF? WELL… in case you have not heard…I love playing golf! I have a daughter who I love….but not as much…..OK….I love my daughter even more than I love golf….and even more than all of that…..I love my wife Tammy!!!!
When did you first realize you wanted to be a photographer? When I was 8 years old and I was reading the back of the Kellogg Corn Flakes box and it said save up your box tops and get a camera! So I had my mom buy the same brand of Corn Flakes and I saved up my box tops and I got a camera and started taking pictures!
How would you describe your style? I photograph mostly HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PORTRAITS…and I would say that the style of those is a fashion style.What’s in your gear bag?
- Canon 1DX
- Canon 1DMIII
- Canon 1DMIIIS
- All Canon Lenses
- 70-200
- 28-70
- 14mm
- 105mm
- 300mm
- I use ProFoto Lighting (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ProFoto)
- Gitzo Tripod
- Think Tank Bags
- And a zillion other thing……but in the studio…one of my “SECRETS” is the Denny MFG background and their 4×6 soft box….it is so awesome!!!!
One lens you can’t live without? 70-200….if they were to recall and cancel that lens and force me to give it back I would stop photographing and go get a job flipping burgers at McDonalds! 😀 😀 😀
How did know when the right time to start charging? OK…OK….forgive me for being so cynical…….but if you are not charging you are doing this for a HOBBY….and please…..leave the PRO work for the PRO’s…..don’t go photograph someone’s baby or a high school senior and not charge!!!
YOU are literally taking money out of another, fellow comrade’s, mouth. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT????LOOK…I’m all about the COMPETITION!!!!! I love it….I thrive on it….I NEED IT…..but even I cannot compete with FREE. If you are a part-time “anything”…..would you be willing to let me do your job for FREE? What if you are a nurse….how about I do it for free for a while? What do you think the Hospitals will do with your job? What if you sell cars, I’m going to do it on ZERO commission for a while…..and so on and so on. Do not GIVE away photography!!!!! Charge for it if you want to be a PRO!!!! I have always CHARGED for what I do.
How much did you charge for your first session and how much are you charging for the same type of session now? That wedding that I did when I was 15, I charged $99. That same wedding today would cost you $6500
How did you market yourself when you started out? I have never really marketed myself in the common sense of the word. I am a huge believer in WORD OF MOUTH!!! Thus….I give people a fantastic product and a fair price and I let them market for me.
We are going to play a game… name the first person that comes to mind when you think of…
·Newborn photographer: Wendy Lake
·Wedding photographer: Kevin Jairag
·Most inspiration person: Bruce Hudson
Did you go to school for photography or were you self- taught? If self-taught, what helped you the most? Self taught and seminars and such. The most learning I have ever had is from the Pro4uM. YES…I own the Pro4uM…but as such…I have to read almost every post. And there are literally MILLION (we are about to hit our 2 million post mark in a few months). When I created the Pro4uM, that is when my learning really, really sprang into action. The Pro4uM is now 18 years old….and as AWESOME as ever!!!!
What has been some of the hardest things to overcome in your business? I’m an old FILM guy….and transitions from FILM to Digital was no cake walk!!!!!
Do you have any tips for photographers just starting out? YES…and this is very, very important….it is the single biggest reason I am successful today. When I was a young man and my father asked me if I was “REALLY” going to be a Professional Photographer, he asked me if I knew the 3 secrets to being successful? I said no…so he sat me down and proceeded to tell me the 3 secrets…..and I’m going to share them with you now:
SECRET NO. 1: Get the money.
SECRET NO. 2: Get The Money!
SECRET NO. 3: GET THE MONEY!!!!!
He said to me…if you can do that, you can be successful!!! I would like to add a 4th and 5th secret that I have found over the year to help out and they are:
SECRET NO. 4: Stay out of debt.
SECRET NO. 5: STAY OUT OF DEBT!!!!!!
IF you can do those 5 things….you can be a very, very, very successful photographer!
If for some reason you couldn’t be a photographer what do you think you would be? A Comedian
What’s the best lesson in photography (business or shooting) that you’ve learned so far? Treat the customer the way you want to be treated and you will have a customer for life…..and that goes for both business and shooting!
What are your thoughts on…pricing, flash, lifestyle photography, props?
Pricing: DO NOT DO PACKAGES!!! Price everything different the same way you get it from the lab.
Flash: Learn it….read your instruction book and you will be a much better photographer for it.
Lifestyle Photography: Ahhhhhhhh???? What the heck is that?
Props: Only use them if they make the customer better…never use a prop in a way that the prop looks better than the customer.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write them in the comment section below.
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