I’m not allowed to post pictures, so I posted a link to the site that triggered this post.
I have shared this on Facebook and on my blog. I feel like I have a duty to warn fellow photographers about a trend I see. If this is against the rules, I apologize. I’m just tired of seeing people getting taken for a ride. This screenshot below is just 1 example that I’ve seen most recently.
https://www.elevateyourphotography.com/coaching
I see many things advertised recently in the photography space from marketing hustlers offering marketing coaching for exorbitant prices, like for $1000 an hour. The guy who runs this always has clients booking with him.
Just to let you know where I’m coming from, I did my master’s work on teaching young autistic people skills using YouTube. I designed studies around self-directed learning using YouTube for future researchers to pursue, and I’ve given presentations on the potential for YouTube in learning art, specifically photography because that’s how I did it.
I promise you, there is nothing, absolutely nothing substantial that you can learn in ONE HOUR on any topic. Much less worth $1000 an hour. For the money you’re spending here, you can sign up for a community college class on marketing. They’re out there. They have perfectly qualified and credentialed teachers.
The people running these coaching programs aren’t credentialed in business in any way. Their entire schtick is, “Learn how I became really successful and you can be successful too.”
That’s doesn’t help anyone. There are many reasons why someone can become successful, and those reasons may be useless to anyone else.
I see this in wedding photography too. Marketing hustlers telling you how to book 3 clients a month with their programs. I’ve seen fellow photographers talk about “once I get into this marketing program I should be fine.” NO! You won’t be fine just because you gave money to some coach.
Any thoughts?
Just booked the mentorship for 3 years. Hope he can explain me how to use my coolpix since all my money is gone
It’s “Rich dad, Poor dad” for photographers. The material does nothing except tell you to “teach” your own class/write your own book on how to be super successful.
Having pirated a youtuber masterclass here and there, the utility of these classes often range from okay to terrible
Most of them are not good teachers, and you can often tell when they omit certain things to keep you from “figuring it all out” and therefore not needing any more of their products
It really depends what you buy… I bought Michael Woloszynowicz’s online class for like $60… and I’ve improved my editing soooo much.
The course was 16 hours long and yes some parts of it were not necessary but the editing part (the longest part) taugh me some high level editing technics…
On the other hand, I bought another class from Elizabeth Wiseman and i was really desappointed…
I also bought Lara Jade’s “business of photography” and it was 50-50… Some advices were really too basics and some advices were absurd for low level photographers.
I bought like 4 or 5 courses and except for Michael’s that was great and Elizabeth that was desappointing, I didn’t feel cheated.
My opinion : For the basics of photography go on youtube, there’s plenty enough to become a good amateur. If you want to become pro, then it’s more complicated to find a very high level course that isn’t too basic. I haven’t found anything yet that is high level enough for me so I’d advice to go and assist professionals for free and try to learn from them.Dude’s not bad, but you might want to toss a NSFW warning on that link.
Same thing happens to me on every platform everyone promises to increase engagement by 1000% their all scams
people actually pay for this? LMAO
One thousand pounds for one hour? Is that over zoom too? Wow!
Really…wow. He’d have to Cartier-Bresson re incarnated.
$999 for one hour, wow.
I mean seriously, tbh i didn’t read the rest of your post i couldn’t concentrate. Is this marketed to bored billionaires who happen to pick up a camera?
Had you not linked to that i wouldn’t have believed it.
It’s like the rate mps use for businessman as access to power.
I didn’t parcels where i get 51p for each delivery.
It’s all part of the American hustle culture.
Either by taking advantage of gullible people or beng a gullible person and falling for every ‘easy money’ scheme out there.
The term ‘you gotta spend money to make money’ has become the credo of both scammers and people with FOMO.
I have deep concerns about it for young naive people. It’s very exploitive and manipulative. However, I’m not sure how to stop people from being stupid. If we had a way to do that, we wouldn’t have war, famine, or homelessness. People are dumb.
But I do agree with you wholeheartedly. These influencers and coachs are the worst. Everything they teach can be learned for free from YouTube or a book from your library. Even a cheap Udemy class. If you’re going to spend money like that, go to school and get a degree and have something to show for it. Stay away from anyone that uses words like “gig” and “hustle”. Fuck me I am so fucking tired of hearing gig and hustle. It is so fucking cringe.
That’d get you two acting lessons from Carl Weathers!
Yeah, what you really gotta do to get good photos is spend all your money on gear instead
According to Rule 1:
- No Image Link Posts
Posting images is only allowed as self-post using the photo as an example for the discussion, to either begin a conversation about aspects of the example or to ask a photography-related question. The image should be used to support an overall broad and nonspecific topic/question rather than the focus of the post.
Seems to me like an image post would be perfectly acceptable in this case
I tried to upload it but it wouldn’t let me so I just linked the site instead.
I like this PSA for sure. haha.