Maria Piscopo

Business Trends
Copyrights, Model Releases, And Contracts: What Every Photographer Should Know!
Maria Piscopo  |  Jul 16, 2013  |  First Published: Jun 01, 2013
“Imagine that you shoot something ‘fine art’ or ‘personal’ that you yourself think no one will ever want to use commercially.

You don’t bother to get a release…”

There are legal issues that concern all photographers—copyrights, contracts, and the law concerning privacy rights (model releases). In this article we’ll go over these matters with a panel of experts in the field, but of course not every issue can be covered completely, so I’ve included a host of web resources for further exploration and education.

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Business TrendsPro Techniques
Professional Associations: Are They Right For You?: The Benefits Of Membership
Maria Piscopo  |  Jun 28, 2013  |  First Published: May 01, 2013
I have always been a big supporter of joining and participating in professional groups. The growth of my career as a photo rep, teacher, and author all came from joining and participating in groups that brought together like-minded individuals. For photographers looking to enhance or initiate their careers there are numerous professional associations worthy of attention.
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Business Trends
The Real Deal On Fine Art Photography: Where Creativity Meets Sales And Marketing: An Interview With Mary Virginia Swanson
Maria Piscopo  |  Apr 30, 2013  |  First Published: Apr 01, 2013
Gallery exhibit openings, fine art collectors calling, fine art book sales—all of these are every photographer’s dream for their personal work. Some even dream of fine art photography as a career. While creating art photography is one topic, selling the work is quite another. For as many high-tech changes as there have been in the art field (selling prints online!) there are still traditional marketing techniques such as research and print presentation that can make a difference. For this year’s focus on fine art we talk with an expert in the field, Mary Virginia Swanson.
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Business Trends
Portrait Photography Marketing: Portrait Photography Marketing
Maria Piscopo  |  Apr 16, 2013  |  First Published: Mar 01, 2013
The world of portrait photography is defined by its differences—all potential clients, whether they are individuals, families, or professionals, are different people with different imaging needs. There is a difference in style and approach in making commercial, professional, and social (family) portraits. Commercial clients have something to sell or someone to influence; consumer clients have something or someone to remember. And, at any point in time, a photographer’s style may be so strong or special that it transcends these categories and enters the “fine art” field.
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Business Trends
The State Of Stock Photography Today: Is It Still A Viable Route For Earning Income With Your Images?
Maria Piscopo  |  Mar 07, 2013  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2013
Since my first explorations of the stock photography industry, there have been many changes and upheavals in the business. In this column, I hope to sort out some of the most important changes that have occurred. One is the relationship of the photographer and the stock agency and the changing nature of the agency business itself. Indeed, many stock agencies are now called stock distributors since they no longer work as agents to “represent” photographers. For photographers, there is an even higher degree of specialized subject knowledge and/or access to a subject required for a reasonable sales return on the work.
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Business Trends
Marketing Your Work: What Works In Today’s Photo World
Maria Piscopo  |  Jan 10, 2013  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2012
In my workshops and classes the most common concern is about marketing and getting business. It’s a sign of the times, and folks are asking: “Everything seems different these days in the photography business, what should I do?” My first and foremost answer is to have a business plan and then work that plan. It is simply not enough to put up a website, send out a few mailers, and see what happens. The best advice I can offer is to study up on creating and implementing a marketing plan and make the effort as important as learning and improving your craft.
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Business Trends
Can You Make It As A Travel Photographer?: Working Pros Reveal Market Realities
Maria Piscopo  |  Dec 18, 2012  |  First Published: Nov 01, 2012
Technology and availability of “good enough” images has seriously cut into the income potential of professional travel photographers. Even though the lure of travel photography is still ever present in the minds of many photographers, the question needs to be asked—can you still make money shooting travel in today’s marketplace? The answer is “yes…and” due to the qualifiers today’s market has placed on this field of photography. Yes…and you may need to seriously look at stock sales. Yes…and you may want to add value and sales by becoming a writer as well as a photographer. Yes…and you may need to consider adding professional services like video capture to your business plan.
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Business Trends
The Greeting Card And Calendar Industry: Hidden Markets For Your Photos?
Maria Piscopo  |  Nov 09, 2012  |  First Published: Oct 01, 2012
One of my favorite topics is helping you find ways to make money with your photography. Greeting card and calendar clients seem “hidden” only because most photography marketing articles usually focus on the bigger and broader markets like advertising, editorial, or even weddings and portraiture. But the “paper products” companies are still publishing, even moving into e-cards, and they still need images. I will confess, surrounded as I am by photography and photographers, I am still a Gold-Crown-card-carrying Hallmark club member!
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Business Trends
Making A Difference: Working With Nonprofit Organizations
Maria Piscopo  |  Oct 10, 2012  |  First Published: Sep 01, 2012
“Doing Well by Doing Good” is how you might describe the subject of this column. It’s one of my favorite topics—photographers working for nonprofit organizations and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and finding a way to both make a living and make a change in their community. Whether it is local or global, photography has always been used to advocate for social change. There are many local and international communities and organizations you can serve.
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Business Trends
Staff Jobs For Photographers: On The Payroll For Pictures
Maria Piscopo  |  Aug 14, 2012  |  First Published: Jul 01, 2012
Yes, there are staff jobs for photographers! Not as talked about as those who earn their living working freelance, this career path proves to be still viable today. The seven photographers interviewed for this column have a variety of job titles and work for a broad range of companies, including newspapers, big corporations, educational institutions, and hotels/resorts. Though they work in very different environments, it was interesting to me how much they have in common. As I learned, you will find that just being a technically competent photographer is not enough for a staff photography job. Also, make note of their employers’ use of freelancers. You’ll find that freelancing (working as a stringer) is one path to a staff job.
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