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In Their Own Words - part 2 of 1 2

by Neale James Published 01/10/2013

Neale considers that the biggest challenge he and other professional photographers face these days is a straight commercial one. "Not that long ago professionals found themselves getting agitated by newcomers to the industry, but found solace in the fact that many of these new names were not necessarily displaying great creative talent," he says. "That's just not the case now. I'm amazed by the flow of new and exceptionally good talent that's emerging. In straight commercial terms the 'under cutters' are now showing as much incredible expression as some of those who have been in the industry for a lot, lot longer.

"Of course this is all fantastic news for clients who may not have the budget to afford an experienced 'big hitter,' but there is the possibility of professional implosion when those who are new to the game find they can't sustain a viable business long term as market forces have been forced to spiral down by their own actions. It's a catch 22 situation. So this is the challenge that is currently making commercial life a little more difficult but, as I heard in a movie once; "It's the difficult that makes the business so interesting."'

Sharing the Knowledge

Given Neale's assessment of the market, he could, perhaps, have been forgiven for keeping his original ideas to himself and trying to make some mileage out of them rather than share them with the opposition. However, that's not in his nature, and he sees instead the value of integrating with his fellow professionals, sharing his thoughts and networking with them, and this was very much the reasoning behind his recent decision to sign up to the SWPP again after a 10-year absence.

"When I was originally a member I didn't really mix too much with other photographers, for no other reason than I was still fresh at that time," he says. "It's a decade later now, and much of my friendship circle has something to do with photography. Friends who were previously not photographers are now pros! So by being a member I gain the kinship, and that's what I like the most."

Now that he's a member again Neale is aiming to become fully involved, and one of his first actions has been to sign up to deliver a Masterclass at the Convention, and he'll be giving delegates the full low-down on how he manages and markets his audio/pictorial packages in his early Sunday morning session.

"I'll be going into all the reasons why I made the decision to marry my documentary photographs with sound," he says. "Sound is such a potent force when emotionally connected with a photographic genre such as weddings. I think the two work so well together. In the past sound has always been the domain of videography, but I think it doesn't need to be solely connected with the moving image. I shoot up to 80 weddings a year and nearly half my clients show interest in my Photofilm product.

It's become a strong glue for my marketing streams, and it's a dynamic that's kept my order book full despite the most biting recession in recent history."

Neale will be enjoying the chance to mingle with fellow professionals, to receive feedback about his approach and to hear about the ideas of others in return. He's also got a few workshops himself that he'll be planning to get along to. "I'm definitely going to get along to see Kevin Mullins present his workshop," he says. "He's a friend of mine and I've really enjoyed watching him grow, while using kit that's new to the professional arena, such as the Fuji X-System. There are quite a few other speakers I want to watch as well, many of whom are slightly newer to the industry, and it should be an amazing opportunity."

More information: www.nealejames.com

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1st Published 01/10/2013
last update 09/12/2022 14:55:20

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