Over in my Big Project posts I’ve been talking about the fundamental importance of developing a personal vision/style. The whole point of that project is to deliberately (and with professional help) think through exactly what my style is, and build everything about my around that – from the way I market myself, to the way I conduct business. It’s obvious that without defining your vision, it’s hard to market yourself effectively to your potential clients. What wasn’t as obvious to me, until very recently, is that that style definition is also what allows you to negotiate project pricing effectively.

Ever since I started shooting professionally I’ve hated pricing my work, as does every photographer out there, I’d imagine. No matter how much you research what the market rates are, how many scenarios you run in fotoQuote, how many other photographers you consult, in the end it always feels a little bit arbitrary. After all, any pricing is just a matter of what someone is willing to pay for a product or service. As a result of that slice of arbitrariness, I’d enter negotiations sheepishly, because I couldn’t confidently convince myself why I was asking the price I was; it felt like a best guess, not a true measure of value.

That changes when you have a clear understanding of your photographic vision. When you know and can verbalize the value that you are able to deliver to a client, it’s much easier to assign a tangible number to it. You know why the client contacted you specifically, and you believe in your ability to deliver. When you can speak your vision you can explain clearly to a client why you’re worth the amount you’re asking and not be reduced to a commodity to be purchased at the lowest possible price.

Turns out that knowing yourself and being true to that isn’t just the core of creative discussions; it’s also the core of negotiating.