How to Fight Imposter Syndrome

Episode 177 - How do you get those perfect real estate photos?

The Transcript page - https://photographysidehustle.com/177

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Transcript

Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones, and this is episode 177 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.

Before I start, I want to ask for your input. I’m looking into adding more courses and maybe a membership where I can coach. I want it to be a community of photographers who are on the same business journey. If you think this is something you would be interested in, add your email to my list, and I’ll keep you informed. 

You can sign up on the home page over at PhotographySideHustle.com. This is just to see if there are enough people interested in joining before I move forward.

Okay … 

This week’s episode is about overcoming that awful feeling of being an imposter when you are starting out. I have been thinking about this all week after Rob Pearson asked this question in the Facebook group.

“ How do you get over imposter syndrome?

I’ve been doing photography mostly as a hobby and a small side job here and there for senior photos, or family shoots for about 10 years now, maybe a little more. I usually charge a very low price for a one-hour shoot, mostly because I feel that I’m not on the same level as other photographers, and I’m not doing this as a full-time job. I’ve recently upgraded a lot of my equipment to more professional, but I still feel like I can’t charge as much as other photographers. What has been the best way any of you have overcome this imposter syndrome? “

My initial response was to raise your prices and ignore all the other photographers, which would definitely work. 

When you think about raising your prices, there is always a degree of fear. What if I can’t get any bookings? My work isn’t good enough, and no one will pay that much.

Seth Godin
 A couple of days ago, I remembered an interview I watched with Seth Godin from a few years back. Seth is a marketing master. If you are interested, he has a podcast called Akimbo, where he talks about everything business-related. 

Anyway, one thing that he said was that cheap prices are a way to stay scared.

So when we think about raising our prices, we don’t because of fear—fear of someone telling us our work isn’t as good as another photographer's, fear of being found out, fear of failing to get any bookings.

Low prices are the last refuge for a marketer who has run out of ideas.

If you are in that position right now, we need to get you out of it.
Quality
The aim is to get to the point where you say, “My work costs a lot, but it’s worth even more.”

The best way to do that is with the quality of your work. I know Rob said he doesn’t think his work is as good as other local photographers. But I would guess it is not far off because, for years, he has been shooting and getting paid for it.

If his work sucked, they wouldn’t want him to shoot for them. They would hire another photographer.

If your photos are average quality, you can easily charge an average amount or more, not the lowest prices in town. 

Full Package
When people give testimonials, they not only talk about the quality of your work; they also mention your personality and work ethic.

So, your photos are only half of the equation. How you work with the client and your efficiency are equally important. Turning up on time, being polite, and producing the photos as promised are half the battle.

I follow a YouTube photographer who will remain unnamed. He has been shooting commercial product photos for big money, but the market has dropped slightly over the last two years.

So, he has decided to start shooting studio portraits to attract commercial clients. I looked at his first portraits, and I have to say they are average. Nothing special. 

But this guy has an agent who will get him bookings with clients that will spend $20,000 and above for him to take photos of models for them.

He doesn’t suffer from imposter syndrome. He just gets on with it, gives the client exactly what they want on time, and expects to make lots of money.

If he were unprofessional, he wouldn’t get many more bookings.

There’s a really good photographer in my area that doesn’t tick all the boxes. Her work is way above average, but she is always late getting the photos ready and delivered. She has missed appointments and refused to give the deposit back. I know this because I read her Google feedback. 

Before I read all the complaints I couldn’t understand why her work was so good but her prices were so low. The complaints are the reason.

So, think about your last few sessions. How did you work with your customer? Did you get on well with them? Were they pleased with your photos?

If everything went well, you can stop feeling like an imposter. You are ticking all the boxes and can start charging what you are worth. 

Yes, you’re expensive, but the quality of your photos, together with your work ethic and personality, are worth much more.

So, the next time you feel like an imposter, think about how good you are with your customers and the remarks they make when they see the photos. Then, dismiss your imposter syndrome and get on with your business.

Right, I hope that helps you if you are in the same situation as Rob.

Okay, if you think you might be interested in joining a membership, show your interest by adding your email to my list on the home page over at photographysidehusle.com

I’ll keep you up to date with how it’s proceeding. Hopefully, there is enough interest.

That’s it for this week. If you need help with anything, you can find me in the Facebook group, Messenger, Instagram, or Threads.

I’ll return next week with more waffle. Bye.