Have you ever purchased a car? From a dealership? All the run around they do, the "let me take this to my manager" BS, and the "hey, what do you want to spend per month for this little honey..." makes me cringe. I am a marketer, and that stuff makes me laugh. But it...

I know that being a professional photographer should be a bed of roses, a magical place where unicorns and rainbows are interspersed between the Bentleys and mansions. A place where creativity is simply something that everyone has in spades, and no one is ever without...

Two old sayings people like to throw around a lot without really listening to what they are throwing around; "The devil is in the details" means pay very close attention to the minutiae... it is where the challenges will be hiding. "Don't sweat the small stuff" means...

As a commercial and advertising photographer, one of the most important responsibilities you have is to be in control of your shoot. It can mean the difference between a very successful shoot and one that gets by. (Keep in mind there are no failures - it isn't an...

One of the challenges of commercial photography is that you are obligated to hit a home run every time your number comes up. You are the clean up hitter, or the "go to" guy when the team needs a guaranteed win. It can be a little stressful at times. Like standing on a...

You know, it really is too short for most things. Life. Four letters, and yet it means so much to our very souls. One of the things I loved about being a photographer was all the amazing people that I got to meet. I photographed the guy who invented the mechanical...

Back when I was first starting out in this business, I shot nearly every day. Maybe for an hour or two, maybe only for a few minutes. When I wasn't shooting, I was in the darkroom developing film, making contact sheets or printing. Lots of printing. There was a lot to...

Have you ever heard someone say this? "They're not paying me enough to do my best work." Possibly some variation of that? What a terrible, awful, self-defeating way of doing anything. It's an amazingly stupid, self-absorbed sense of entitlement that brings nothing but...

... it knows what the heck is going on. That place deep inside you where you just know something is not right. Listen to that feeling. It is right more than it is wrong. Now I know that your head will be arguing with you the whole time. There is a reason for that is...

I am a pretty strict believer in loyalty. I live it and I demand it. Not in harsh, 'kingly' sort of way, but more of a gentle 'I am way too busy for your call' way. I can list loyalty as one of my strong traits. I may sometimes be loyal to a fault. I have always felt...

... is different - depending on what lens you choose. Choose wisely. One of the joys of photography is being able to use a different lens for a different perspective. Something very far away can be brought 'closer' by a long (telephoto) lens. We can add depth to a...

  Gear envy takes two major forms; 1. "I can't do what I want with this crummy gear." 2. "I can't believe that guy/gal has such great equipment when their work sucks so bad." Actually envying someone by what their gear collection is - "I so wish I was him, I...

(This is an ongoing series that I am writing for the month of December, 2014. After nearly 40 years in this business, I have learned a couple of things. I am sharing that knowledge here.) What is "self-sabotage"? It is the premature destruction of a talented...

  In photography, as in most things in life, there are moments when you hesitate for reasons you may never know. Those small hesitations can be driven by fears, or unknowing, or simply because you had too many beers and are partially paralyzed from playing some...

Not only can you not please everyone, you shouldn't even try. Why? Because all those "anyone's" can't even agree what they like anyway. The first seven or eight years of my photographic career were spent trying to figure out what "they" wanted to see. Should I have...

When I first started I met a photographer who was what I call a "prima-donna", or asshat in today's world. He would rant and rage while shooting. All of his assistants would cower as he belittled them, humiliated them and treated them less than anyone should ever be...

There is nothing better than a great partner. Finding someone who fills in those blanks in your business acumen can be a life saver. Whether it is a rep, or a second shooter/first assistant, or a full business partner, working with someone who helps you stay focused...

Starting today and for the duration of December 2014, I will be making one post per day on ideas and thoughts I have had about this business of photography. And it is directed toward the professional practice of commercial photography. I have been kicking around in...

Gettin’ Skinny and Lovin’ It I bet you're wondering if this will be about a new diet program, and how I am slimming down and getting to be a lean mean fighting machine. And it is… sorta. It’s a diet of all things photography. I am moved out of the big studio I share...

One of the most under-rated and least mentioned genre of commercial photography is Industrial/Corporate. It isn't sexy, and models don't flock to the studio after hours. The travel is usually not to some awesome resort or fancy hotel, but rather to out of the way...

I have always been a ‘commercial’ photographer. While that included some wonderful editorial and fashion along the way, the bulk of my income was from good old commercial photography. Photographs made for advertisements, brochures, product sheets, illustrative uses...

Proud to announce the arrival of the Summer 2013 Project 52 Pro Yearbook. If you would like to purchase a hard copy, it is available at cost at Blurb. PROJECT 52 PROS SUMMER 2013 YEARBOOKbyDon Giannatti | Make Your Own Book If you would like to download a free screen...

Photo of the author by Mike Eller Even More Advice for the Aspiring Professional Photographer. These days a lot of people seem to be offering advice in the area of becoming a full time professional photographer. Some of those folks like Greg Heisler, Jay Meisel, Gail...

The subject was money. And the assignment was for a brochure cover for a financial services company. Layout was included, but optional. The important thing was to not be totally cliche' about the image, and also not to succumb to a boring shot. This is a most...