Hollenbeck's book covers all bases from writing a business plan to negotiating prices for use of photos. I suspect that anyone who follows his advice from day one "in the business," will achieve far more success than they would by just winging it. Fortunately, all the business advice is served up with a wit and brevity that make learning it an enjoyable exercise. Knowing that he has been exceptionally successful in his own professional life lends weight to his suggestions. Hollenbeck and his wife are one of the most successful teams working in the area of Travel and Editorial photography. Their book "Great Travel Photography" is a great companion volume.

Not to try covering the whole universe of making money with a camera, but there are two additional books I would recommend. Rohn Engh has a couple of books that would, with the Hollenbeck pair, form a great basic library for anyone interested in a photographic career. They are, "How to Sell and Resell Your Photos" and "Sell Photos.Com."

Thanks,

Bill Halley

21 of 21 found the following review helpful:


Realities of the Photographer's Profession !  Jan 10, 2001 By Laurie C. Dove "photodove"
An absolute necessity for the serious photographer considering the prospect of photography as a financial reward in addition to creative expression. Within the pages of this book, I found an inspiration as well as a reality check. Past the "Glamour & Glitter" visions most associate with the title of "Photographer" lies the realization of the need for good sense business practices & procedures. Too be a success at any business one must learn what it takes to conduct that profession & do it well. That is just what this book will provide you. An arsenol of information from the basic requirements of technical knowlege to sales & marketing yourself & your images. Up-to-Date resources & techniques. This is one of the most practical books on the business of photography I have purchased & studied and recommend anyone interested in starting a career as a professional photographer should include this book within their reference library. Do yourself a favor, READ THIS BOOK IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SUCCEED! Mr. Hollenbeck...THANK YOU for OPENING MY EYES !

10 of 10 found the following review helpful:


Eye catching title, but...  Apr 18, 2009 By Timothy Millea "Photography Rulez"
..."Big Bucks Selling Your Photography" was not at all what I expected from the title. However don't get hung up on that! The subtitle on this fourth edition nails the book contents. "A Complete Photo Business Package for all Photographers" is a more apt title and this book does deliver that.

This book is geared towards anyone who is thinking of getting into photography as a full-time business but knows nothing about this business. If you have been researching photography as a business for some time a lot of this material will be familiar. If you are successful in the photography business you are already applying the contents of this book. For the rest of you contemplating photography as a business this book may change your mind. However, if you seriously want to consider this field of business then read the book.

If you want to go to the meat of "Big Bucks", marketing and selling your photos, start at chapter 9 and finish the book out. More importantly though not as exciting to read (Lawyers, IRS and CPAs! Oh my!), the first part of the book covers the back-end of the business. Cliff Hollenbeck, like most photographers, is not a CPA nor a Lawyer. He's not a Marketing Agent nor a Stock Agent. He's a successful photographer! Therefore you're not going to find much depth on these subjects, but the subjects are covered and Cliff tells you where to find the expertise.

If I were to summarize "Big Bucks" in one line it would be - Familiarize yourself with the whole business, concentrate on producing images and your creativity, and leave the business side to the experts.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:


My review is from 2009 and is for the book released this year.  Jul 12, 2009 By Kirk Tuck "Kirk Tuck"
We'll have to wait and see if the recession of 2008-2009 changes all the paradigms of marketing and selling photography. None of us know that yet. But this book, published in 2007 delivers straightforward advice that can be useful to professional photographers at every level.

Here's the deal: This is the first book I've seen from Amherst Media that isn't chocked full of color photographs. In fact there's not a photo in the entire book and that's quite okay with me. It leaves more space for a full set of business forms in the back and pages crammed full of advice on how to undertake doing the business side of photography.

With this book and a few solid books on technique you should be able to test the waters of the photography industry.

Cliff is from the advertising and editorial side so much of the book's content is aimed at these markets. The book is less useful to senior shooters and wedding shooters.

All in all, a good reference guide for people running photo businesses for advertising clients.

7 of 9 found the following review helpful:


Simple, but strong message...  Dec 08, 2000 By Michael S Elliott
I found "Big Bucks..." to be a practical and straight forward lesson in how to maximize your opportunities as a photographer. The key theme that I was left with was as a photographer, I am not taking pictures as much as selling pictures. This and the fact that basic business skills are what make or break a photographer is hammered into the reader. I loved Cliff's way of proving a point through a real life example or story.

All photographers should read this book!

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