Just-in-Time Learning

Episode 194 - Just-in-Time learning

The Transcript page - https://photographysidehustle.com/194

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Transcript

Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones, and this is a belated episode 194 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.

So, you might have noticed that I haven’t put out any episodes for a few weeks. Well, I’ve been busy, very busy. The lease on the commercial property we rented came to an end, and we moved the business into our home.

We thought it would take a week, but it took way longer. Anyway, to get everything done, I decided to quit all my online time, and that included the podcast.

I have to say it was nice not having to write every week, and it did cross my mind to stop doing it altogether. I realised I had turned into a podcaster, and taking photos had been pushed out of my life.

Anyway, three weeks ago, I took photos at a 3-day Sportsman and RV show and got paid for it. It was great to be out taking photos, although the first day was spent blowing off the cobwebs and getting to know my camera again. It felt great to be walking around with a camera. 

So, from now on, I’m going to give myself time to get out and do what I love best, and I’ll be putting out podcast episodes whenever I can. I know that at the moment, I can’t keep up with doing weekly episodes, but maybe in the future, I will. 

Thank you to everyone who reached out and checked to see if I was okay. I answered the first few and then decided to stop using social media altogether. So, if I didn’t get back to you, I apologise.

Right, the subject of this week's waffle is just-in-time learning.

This is something that I have always done. Learn just what you need to take the next step.

I was listening to a Pat Flynn podcast episode about just-in-time learning. He teaches online business techniques and has a huge following. I think this subject is important for all photographers to understand.

It’s not an in-depth business framework or anything complicated. 

Your aim is to make money as a photographer, and you want to get to that point as quickly as possible. Many people think they need a qualification or have to master everything there is to know in photography.

You don’t. 

A large percentage of the people who contact me ask what they should do next. What is the next step they should take? My answer is to start charging money for your work. They can take above-average photos, and they are worried about not understanding something they don’t even need. What they need to learn is how to offer their services for money.

Back in 2021, a guy contacted me and asked me to look at his portfolio. He said he would start charging as soon as he had learned how to use a flash and taken a few editing courses. He shot street-style black-and-white portraits, and they were great. 

I think he was using the extra education steps to delay charging for his work. All he needed to do was be more selective about the images he included in his portfolio. He took really cool-looking headshots but also photos of the subject crossing the road, which didn’t work. It was such a small thing to learn. Just post the headshot photos. 

Let’s say you want to shoot kids' Ice Hockey; all you need to know is which lens to use and what settings work in that rink. You don’t need to learn how to use a flash or how to take real estate images.

You might already have the correct lens and know your settings, but are having trouble making sales. So you need to find where the parents are hanging out online and join the community. You could also print flyers and hand them out at the rink, or do what I did. I taped some posters up on the wall near the changing rooms when I was shooting. That’s what you need to learn. 

If you’ve just got a camera, you must first learn how to use it in Manual Mode or Aperture Priority.

Your next step is to learn how to shoot the niche or genre you are interested in.

Next, figure out who your potential customers are and learn to sell to them.

The trick is to learn only what you need to get to the point of selling your work. Avoid anything that isn’t absolutely needed.

Once you start making money, you can think about trying other genres and different techniques. Again, only learn as you need it. 

Photography can be very confusing, with different techniques and a massive amount of equipment to choose from. Just-in-time learning will allow you to be more targeted and get your business up and running faster.

There are professional landscape photographers on YouTube who wouldn’t know how to take photos at a sporting event. Why? Because they only need to know how to take landscape photos to make money.

You need to become more efficient and use just-in-time learning. Get to the point where you can make money as quickly as possible.

I did portraits and weddings before I knew how to use a flash. Did my images improve when I started using a flash? Yes, but I had a year of making money and improving my technique.

My early work wasn’t great, and even if I had used a flash from the beginning, that wouldn’t have changed.

I needed to spend time improving a step at a time. Later, when I learned how to use flash, my quality improved again, allowing me to charge more for my work.  

Customers don’t want to know how many qualifications you have or a list of your skills. All they want to know is if your portfolio looks good and if they can afford your prices.

A big part of just-in-time learning for photographers is getting out there and taking lots of photos. Every time you sit down to edit your images, is another step forward.

Okay, that is my take on just-in-time learning for photographers.

I’ll be back soon with more waffle.

Talk to you soon, bye.