We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Seth Talkington. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Seth below.
Hi Seth , thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
To be successful in any career choice you should first have the right attitude. The “work” part isn’t as much work as you’d think, but more so of a process to be learned in achieving the “happiness” that we seek within our careers. Whether it be financial or cliental mistakes, be sure to forgive yourself but also learn to avoid repeating those same mistakes. You should always be willing to try something new (as long as it doesn’t intrude on your morals). Believe in what you’re doing so that you may make the right investments in yourself, if you don’t it won’t work out. Get used to being uncomfortable because it comes with your growth, especially when trying new things or being thrown into something you’ve never done before. Also, reach out to any support (friends/family/colleagues) that you may have and if you don’t have any support then create support (applies to being uncomfortable). Believe, go through the motions, keep going, celebrate the small achievements, learn from your mistakes, and be the help that you were given or that wish you had been given.
Seth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m Seth Talkington, and I’m a photographer. I’m currently 28 years old and was born and raised in Austin, TX. I attended Texas State University and graduated with a BBA in Marketing in December 2017. After college I worked in the Healthcare industry, working as a medical biller. I honestly hated the job. I was good at it, but I always knew there was more for me to achieve outside of healthcare, especially since I had the desire to apply my marketing degree within the music industry.
At the beginning of 2019, I worked for a music management company where I worked as a part of the tour marketing team. I often had to create posters for bands on tour but would need to get content from our photographer who at the time, was the in-house photographer responsible for the bands’ photography. After several helpful discussions with him, I picked up my camera and started shooting again.
Fast forward to 2022: I’ve accumulated a wide range of photographs from landscapes, urban, real estate, events, and studio portraits. I currently work as a concert photographer for local bands in and around the Austin area on the weekends as well as working with Austin Artist Spotlight and The Brodie Studios as a content creator, where I shoot photography and video for musicians and bands. In November I finished up with my first band tour on the west coast from San Diego through Seattle, with a band named Souls Extolled. I’m currently in the process of getting studio production experience so that I can begin creative directing.
Creating my own website to display my portfolio, sell prints, and client scheduling is in the works for 2023. The end goal for 2023 is to have my photography business set up where I can solely be a full-time photographer without having to rely on my position in my current career for financial support.
My diversity within the subjects of my photography from working with a wide range of clients from event, wedding, music, and real estate photography and my eagerness to learn more within my field has opened up doors to additional clients and companies that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with. I wouldn’t compare my work to other photographers since many photographers have a select shooting style, but where I differ is, I’m a people person first and a photographer second. Building healthy relationships with your clients comes first. I’ve had clients come back to me after using different photographers because of how comfortable I made them while delivering the content they desired.
I enjoy what I do and the freedom that it grants me. I’ve found over the last three years as I’ve improved as a photographer, that I’m more of a “people person” than I had known before. Having the ability to get the shots that your clients want as well as the ones that they didn’t know they would like comes with the understanding of how to direct and communicate with each client. For example, if you’re shooting portraits with a client that you’ve never worked with before, it’s always important to make them feel comfortable and relaxed. The best photos are taken when the client feels most like themselves. It’s your responsibility as a photographer to direct the client if they don’t already have their pre-shoot ideas/poses planned out beforehand. Believe in your value enough to know when to cut off potential and/or established clients that aren’t appreciating or valuing your time. Find out your own way of how to handle your customers with the utmost respect possible. Rescheduling is something I allow for occasionally since I know life can happen at any time, but within that understanding, I could still be liable to suffer financial loss, so I recommend that a cancellation/rescheduling contract be created and implemented. Know your value: don’t overcharge and don’t undercharge. Create priced bundles and packages that meet your and your client’s time constraints as to how much time it takes for you to edit those photos. The best advice I can give you is to go ahead and jump in the deep end. If you want it enough the universe will reward you. Ask for help along the way and make sure to help others.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
It was in 2019 that I thought of being a full-time photographer. I had been shooting portraits of my friends throughout the city with a Nikon D90 from 2010 when two of my friends asked why I hadn’t been charging for my photography services. At the time, I didn’t know how to shoot RAW but only shot in automatic mode with a few tweaked settings, so I never saw my work turn out the way I wanted it to look. Nonetheless, my clients (friends) were happy with the pictures. Additionally, my editing from 2019 was non-existent compared to now in 2022. It wasn’t until 2021 when I upgraded my camera and learned how to shoot RAW (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) that I started volunteering my services for free. My first gig was shooting for a podcast called Eazy Doez It, from taking pictures of the podcast I was later asked to take pictures of public events, and from the event photography I was asked to shoot maternal, engagement/wedding, fitness, lifestyle, and skate photography. At this time, photography was still a hobby for me, but then people began to ask how much I charged to take pictures and that’s when I decided to start creating a picture bundle package where I could profit from my work.
Shortly after charging for my services, I was called by the owner of The Brodie Studios, Taylor Ramsey, to see if I would be interested in coming on as their content creator for live music recordings. I took the opportunity which then led me to meet Taylor Ramsey’s business partner James Epp, who is the owner of Austin Artist Spotlight. James asked me to shoot photography and videos for the artist that came into the Brodie Studios performing live recordings, and I happily accepted his offer. From there, I was introduced to a handful of artists that requested me for their concert photography. Soon after, I was asked to be the band, Souls Extolled’s, full-time photographer. I would end up going on a west coast tour with them from San Diego to Seattle. Now, I am currently waiting for 2023 shows to begin.
At present, I’m in the works of getting a job with a production services company. I have the time and skills to financially make it on my own. In 2023 I will be a full-time photographer.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients is split between friends/production crew, referrals from already established clients, and working in a recording studio where I get to meet musicians needing photography. Instagram has helped display some of my work, bringing a few clients in, but nothing compared to the new clients I’ve gotten from word-of-mouth and firsthand communication. My best advice is to be a part of as many projects as possible without draining yourself of all of your energy; you will meet new people who may ask you for your services which allows you to continue your client growth.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: SethTakesShots
- Twitter: SethTakesShots
- Other: Vero: SethTakesShots
Image Credits
Seth Talkington