"If they can't afford to pay a 30% deposit, they won't be able to afford to pay you 100% when the job is done." Brilliant!

Here’s my two cents: get a camera, learn everything you can about it from a technical perspective and then become one with it. As you do that, look at great photographers you admire. That’s it. It’s no different than picking up the guitar, learning the craft of it and then listening to your favorites for inspiration.

I used to take photos for weddings, no more . Now i take scenic photos for myself and place on porcelain slates . Thankyou for your simple logic . The studio lights i have are 38yrs old i replaced the guts with leds and use home made dimmers . After you explanation of expensive lenses now i know whats controlled by the lenses verses the cheap ones . Thank god this is only part time .

I use to do this professionally (not a big shot but I did ok) 4-5 figure paydays + lodging and travel paid. All this advice is on point and real life. There are a few things I did differently but you can’t go wrong here. Bravo on this video. 1. Yes general purpose zooms are needed. Nifty 50 is not your first lens lol. 24-70 f/2.8 and the 24-105 f/4 made most of my money. 2. I use to do 50% upfront deposits and estimated gas/lodging/food covered. - BUT, there are times when hourly is smarter, back then my rate was $75-100/hr. This sounds too low, but I’m charging for getting to location, shoot, thinking, planning, post process and all calls/meetings. Sometimes this works better. 3. Buy used, and rent when you can. I bought my Pro Photo lights and power pack for 50% off, and it still runs today. Best wishes to everyone watching.

Deposit, suddenly thinking about my best client. He insisted of paying 100% at front. Did several assignments for him, only had 1 time he wanted to reschedule (2 days in front). I didn't ask for more money because of the trust we had in each other, so sometimes I think it's better to just take the hit and keep the trust and retain him as customer. 😁

Love the term "Mobilization Fees"

You should tell your clients your deposit and refund policy up front so there's no surprises if they do cancel.

I've been told by many photographers I need this lens and this camera body, etc, etc. I've been using a Canon Rebel T5 (1200d) for 6 years. The lenses I have are 18-55mm, 55-250mm, 75-300mm, 50mm F1.8 ii, 85mm F1.8, and the Rokinon 14mm F2.8. The majority of my gear has been pre-owned. My camera body was factory refurbished. I am now looking to finally save up for a new camera body. I'm still getting great photos with my gear but I think it's time I finally get a camera body that has more advanced features.

The deposit talk was insanely useful, even though i don't work in photography, you can apply that in many cases, if you're a professional, and people recommend you to others because of your work, there's nothing to worry about asking for a 30% deposit, and when things get complicated, it's better to lose a bit and keep your image clean, that to piss shitty customers off.

Working with what you have is purely ADAPTIVE. New technology doesn't equate to better results, it's our eyes, perception, and vision that needs upgrading. As for primes, it's basically individual preference, and one needs to plan every shoot to have sufficient time to do things.

i love this all. i recently upgraded from my old rebel t6i to a canon m6 mark II because i figured that since i was doing a lot more video work, i could use the 4k recording, slow motion, improved low light performance, and lighter body for using with a smaller gimbal on the go. i still have my t6i for when i want a dslr for photo work, because the 24mp sensor is excellent and nothing beats a real viewfinder. having a variety of gear is awesome for what i do

Wow this is incredible! 2 years of photography and businesses classes 15 minutes, thank you so much!

If an LED light uses active cooling, then you need to regularly clean the heatsink in it.

I'm finally taking the leap to do photography for an income. One question that keeps popping up in my mind is what do you do when your shoot is supposed to be outside but the weather ends up being bad that day? I would think most people would be ok with rescheduling as they wouldn't want to be standing in the rain, snow or -20 degrees. What if they use that as an opportunity to cancel to have their deposit returned? Should a photographer always have a backup plan/area to shoot indoors on that day? Obviously a wedding would go on no matter what.

Great advices. In a world filled with clickbait this guy is explaining nuances and that's awesome. For example, I would tell beginners to try exclusively using a 50mm equivalent so that they think more and more carefully about their composition and perspective, but to a more advanced person who is just getting into doing say, event coverage, they will need to lower the artistic pursuit at times and just use the zooms because it's more important to get the shot, no matter how bad.

I agree 👍..I updates my EOS R for the CANON R5..for more in focus shots with action and bird/animal photography..plus the animal AI autofocus and 45 megapixels...that was a worthy upgrade. With the EOS R I was not hitting but a small percentage of my action shots. It's a Great Portrait camera...but does NOT FOCUS fast!!

I’m not a pro. I came to photography late in life. I bought a D750 with new lenses but I decided to see what the old stuff was like. I bought a D700 really cheap & 3 push pull lenses. I love them. The D700 is a pleasure to use & the 35-70 f2.8 is beautiful. And they’re cheap. I’m not upgrading while I can get real value for money with old equipment. Thanks for your video’s they’re very helpful

Regarding your first point: Well, I bought the RF 28-70 f/2 and shortly after the RF 100-500 f4.5-7.1 and they truly do everything. Low light, portrait, sports, wildlife, Landscape, even macro (100-500 can focus very close). Wide angle to super tele. My GAS has been satiated.

Problem with working with other photographers, is that every photographer is ego tripping and only goes out alone....

I cannot stress how underrated this channel is! This video really goes against many KZfaq photography gurus' advice and I appreciate that. Also loved the advice on deposit as it is something I struggled with in my photography side hustle. Keep it up and I'm definitely going to continue subscribing to your e-learning courses.

Great advice as usual!

Collecting a deposit is the best advice. I have always collected at least 30% to 50% prior to the start of shooting, then the rest of the payment prior to releasing the final images. I have only one customer that I do not collect a deposit from as he always pays 100% of the fees upon my arrival at the location.

Great Great advice Andrew, I felt so assured and confident in moving forward in this journey, thanks. Keep the knowledge booming man.

Hey Andrew and your entire crew good job on explaining and putting all the information.. Thank you!

Great advice and info…again! I’m sharing this video with all of my photographer friends, new and old. Thank you.

in my country they call this "Daging" which mean your videos has Content that no one tell, a "secret recipes" of industries. Thanks, A Lot!

the deposit segment was really helpful especially doing some work preshoot so you can keep some of the deposit is really smart advice especially so you don't get sued.

40 years in the business and I agree with you 100% on every point. Beautifuly and easily communicated too.

A fantastic video. Jam packed with advice which are more than fair. Appreciate your time and thought process in making such a helpful content as always.

Nice photography introduction. Now I know I need lots of lenses...

I bought a 5d mark 3 as my first digital camera and a couple of sharp high end lenses. One or two lenses can honestly cover so much. I've had a 24-70mm and a 70-200 2.8. I use the telephoto for portraits tbh. I still heavily use my mark 3 and lenses, never upgraded. Photography is expensive, but starting off expensive is honestly not even that bad of an idea.

One of the best advice on KZfaq! Keep it up..

Absolutely amazing sharing in such a short span of time, didn't know this channel from Malaysia until it pop up in my recommendations. Subscribed!

I think this is the first video I watch on your channel, you are great man and have an amazing team! I hope one day I can create some great of my own

Gotta say... I miss so much having smart and honest content creators on my feed. And you guys are really making me think I'm watching the right video

You are great man! Great content thank you.

Goodness... brilliant video and succinctly put. If only photographers would heed your advice!!! For years I have advised those who ask about the business side of being a photographer. They never believe me when I tell them that successfully being in business doing photography is not about taking photos - this should be a given! To earn a living in photography you MUST value your time; you must learn to run a business; you must learn to sell yourself and therefore your abilities and photos. If you do not 'get it' abut running the business or selling, then you will not be a very happy photographer. You may well be the best photographer that has ever been, but if you don't, or are unable to, let people know that you are the very best that has ever been then you will always be the poorest photographer that has ever been! I never ask for a deposit - these are refundable! I ask for a booking fee and this booking fee is actually part of the whole fee, and (as you correctly put it) I work for the client way before the day of the shoot so I am earning that fee from the start. ALSO, again as you say, it is vital that the client knows that you are beavering away for them way before the event even starts. Great video and I trust that all take note.

This is absolutely brilliant. Subscribed!

Best advice I have ever heard. As a person who is reluctant to do photography for business even though I want to do it, these tips and advice are gold to me. Thank you!

I mainly use vintage lenses and vintage cameras because that’s the type of work I do but I also use adapters on vintage glass to use them with modern cameras

Loved this video. Especially when you touched the topic on deposits. Its true that the first year, I did not require my clients to pay a deposit and learned the hard way of why I needed to do that. Anything you added on to that was a valuable insight to me. Thank you for sharing.

I agree. Being the best photographer out there won't mean anything unless you can manage the business end. Posting nice photos on Instagram isn't marketing.

Just found you and this was a very useful and informative video, Thanks! from a new subscriber!

What I like is how you retain some of your deposit by starting some preliminary work before the client cancels the job. Great idea and I'm going to share it.

Thank you so much Sir!! Gold!

Im not in this part yet. But I’ve listened through the whole video. I’m an aspiring photographer that wants to be better. I have some small gigs here and there and I’m loving it. Specially when the clients are happy. This will help me in the future! Thanks guys! Keep the vids coming!

This Helped me A Lot! Thank You!

Thank you so much for your advices! They're all good. And the last about business, I have never heard anything like that. It really put some idea seeds in my brain 🧠. Thank you!

Always love your videos

I'm a professional photographer, mainly working at incidents like road accidents, fires etc. I can't afford the time to change lense and I don't want to change lenses when it's raining, or smoke suddenly comes my way. Also I hate lugging a lot of stuff when at a scene. So the EF 28-300 mm is the only lens I use for that work.

Such solid advice! So well explained! Thank you

Love this channel very informative!! Thanks

Must watch video for all photographers.

First time watching this channel and I already love this guy!

Thanks for the update

Great advice, glad I found your channel.

Focus on my hand… (snaps) brainless! I love that.

Andrew once again giving *advice you won't find elsewhere! THANKS!*

Thank you for the great videos. I've learned so much over the years from them. You and your team are doing a great job. Giving a "SHOUT-OUT" to "Andrew" from Southern California,,, "YOU DA' MAN" !!!

As for Zoom vs Prime I generally say get zoom lenses first. I say this because I think it's good to have certain lens ranges covered. Once you have those ranges covered for the shots you take. Then I say invest into some good primes preferably in the 1.2 or 1.4 range. Although there are some great prime lenses in the 1.8 & even F2 range(canon 135mm F2). Also if you need specialty lenses such as a Macro or Tilt Shift etc.. then of course invest in those things. But it all depends on what you're shooting. If I shot sports & wildlife.. a 600mm Prime is out of range pricewise for most early in their career photographers.. but a 3rd party(Tamron or Sigma) 150-600 is definitely feasible to even save up for. And even proprietary brand such as Canon, Nikon & Sony have options in a price range for their 100-400 or 100-500 etc. I often get more of a 'wow' factor from primes. But I currently have more zooms than primes.

I always enjoy your videos!

As always, great advice! Zoom lenses have come a long way, and I gotta have mine. Hard to imagine you've been doing this for 8 years, now (with long hair), and I apparently left my first comment 5 years ago (with he same perfect hair I have today). Time sure flies when learning is fun! I've learned TONS of great stuff (like breaking the flash sync speed without HSS). I didn't believe it, but you sure proved it. Thanks for all the great work you and your team have done over these years. Did I miss your 200K subscriber giveaway? I'll take a new Hasselblad. Thanks!

I’ve heard people saying that EyeAF is cheating, yet it makes composing the shot much better. For people doing portraits, it’s not a bad choice. Not saying DSLRs are automatically crap, but the technology is getting better and worth thinking about upgrading to.

3:38 - I feel attacked. Hahaha. Great advice.

I have watched 100s of videos on this subject but wish I'd found you earlier. I have learnt more in the last 2 weeks than all the other videos and am getting great results from your tips.thank you very much

Thank you Very well said

The only caveat with not returning a deposit is how close to the shoot- if they cancel a week out, that's one thing. If they cancel 48 hours out, (like you said), no, that's a no refund, regardless of the amount of prep work. As you said on the front part of the deposit, they are booking your TIME- and if you blocked out time, that's time you aren't booking other clients... Which means, you need a reasonable amount of time to get other work. So, I think refunding (partially or fully) when you are a comfortable timeframe out is good- however, last minute cancels (which I would consider NLT 72 hours before), nope, you booked my time, I can't refund. (Though I do agree that one should keep a log of the prep work- and have a disclaimer about the deposit refund policy in the booking agreement/contract.)

Great video! Thanks!

Great advise, I don't intend on doing this type of photography but I find it extremely useful.

Thank you for the learnings!

Oh wow.. very good content. Very wise and practical advice!

Great advice, keep up the good work.

Excellent advice, thank you Andrew.

Thank you for the wonderful advice

Very good, as always… 🙏🏿

wow Andrew I must say this information has really been helpful!

Good teacher ! Respect Sir

The *mobilization* fee idea always works! 😂

Hello, wondering what you guys thinking about keeping money for losing other works you could have potentially down but turned down due to client booking. If a client cancels your booking and you return his deposit, would you recommend to keep a part to make up for rejecting other work you would have potentially down on that day ? Or for example before the start mentioning that for cancelling a shooting shortterm ( 2 or 3 days prior ) a 20% of the deposit will be help due to short time cancelation?

Very useful advice. Good video. 👍

Thank you, great Advise .

very nice sir, well said

Awesome video. Thanks a lot.

Great info!

Wonderful content, could listen this guy chat for days

hi Andrew and team..... Nice topic to share with professionals and non professional.. good practicle advice for personality development. .. Much needed topic.. you have good team and I think one of them will lawyer who make you sharp enough.. Andrew watch your video ... you are moving a bit more.. ... what you say ... stay blessed...😎😎😎

thanks for the great advice...

Very good points!

Very good advices. thnx

I really like this topic sensei!

12:45 GRACIAS, it's just what I needed to hear

great advice. been taking pictures for 6 years now and i secured the trinity zoom lenses for my system and a 35mm prime. im happy and satisfied. i use fujifilm btw

Love your teaching style. Clear and concise. I'm not even a pro photographer

Very sound advice. Good video.

Excellent video. It says " You need to be a good-businesman, besides being a good Photographer."

Straight and to the point.

Outstanding

Great insightful video.

The most valuable information was on the deposit. Thanks for posting

very well said