First graders playing musical chairs

When we were younger we used to play musical chairs.

The game starts with any number of players and a number of chairs one fewer than the number of players; the chairs are arranged in a circle facing outward, with the people standing in a circle just outside of that. A non-playing individual plays recorded music or a musical instrument. While the music is playing, the players in the circle walk in unison around the chairs. When the music player suddenly stops the music, everyone must race to sit down in one of the chairs. The player who is left without a chair is eliminated from the game, and one chair is also removed to ensure that there will always be one fewer chair than there are players. The music resumes and the cycle repeats until there is only one player left in the game, who is the winner. When down to the last two players the chair may be moved as long as the music has stopped before the chair has been touched.

In the early rounds people are excited that not only they got a chair when the music stops, but their friend did as well.

What does musical chairs teach us?

• To stay in the game requires you do be on your toes and paying attention to the music, the chairs and everyone around you.
• Alliances are often formed between friends. You will find that often friends will help one another and force you out.
• There can only be one winner of this game

Musical Chairs is a fun game to play, because rarely does the same person always win. There is a certain amount of serendipity to this game.

Photography is a profession in a Red Ocean

When you look around yourself as a professional photographer and you notice that there is more and more competition each year you are experiencing a game of musical chairs, but in this game the number of people is growing and the number of chairs is the same or maybe less.

I can tell you from personal experience this is not a fun game to play. It isn’t a game at all when after so many rounds you find yourself not winning at all because the odds are too tough.

Where are the Blue Oceans for photographers?

Unfortunately, blue oceans are largely uncharted. The dominant focus of strategy work over the past twenty-five years has been on competition-based red ocean strategies. The result has been a fairly good understanding of how to compete skillfully in red waters, from analyzing the underlying economic structure of an existing industry, to choosing a strategic position of low cost or differentiation or focus, to benchmarking the competition. Some discussions around blue oceans exist. However, there is little practical guidance on how to create them. Without analytic frameworks to create blue oceans and principles to effectively manage risk, creating blue oceans has remained wishful thinking.

Kim, W. Chan; Renee Mauborgne (2004-12-16). Blue Ocean Strategy: How To Create Uncontested Market Space And Make The Competition Irrelevant (p. 5). Harvard Business Press. Kindle Edition.

Picking the right instrument early can help you get a college scholarship in music. The reason is simple–less competition.

If you wanted to major in music and decided to be a voice major, the number of scholarships verses the number of students applying is like going to Las Vegas and playing the slot machines.

However, if you were to pick an instrument like viola, bassoon, oboe or french horn for example the odds are more like playing cards with your friends at home.

One way to separate yourself from all the other photographers is photographing subjects that time wise cannot be done after normal business hours.

The first place I find hobbyist dipping their toes into the profession are those subjects where they can do this without conflict of work.

Here is a quick list I have of places many people can enjoy shooting after work:

• Concert Photography
• Weddings
• Sports
• Nature

Everyone of those subjects in my opinion is over crowded with photographers. Those photographers who are successful have done so by choosing a strategy of low cost (free) or differentiation or focus, to benchmarking the competition.

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Zack Arias was one of those photographers shooting concerts and not making enough money to leave his day job at Kinko’s. He was also helping shoot as a second shooter at weddings with his friend. Both of these allowed Zack to have a job to pay the bills.

Zack however looked around and noticed everyone was giving these bands free photos of them playing in concert.  Zack saw little room for any way to make a living doing this, yet this is where he was most motivated.

Zack noticed most of the local bands didn’t have any good publicity photos and good photos for CDs. Two things collided for him at one time, he decided to use an off camera flash to photograph a concert and his creativity for finding a blue ocean.

With one camera, one lens and one off camera flash Zack went after a blue ocean. He sent letters to those bands he researched that most likely had enough money to afford paying him for quality poised band photos.

He offered them a free session if they contacted him within 30 days. Zack shot many of those bands and found himself in a blue ocean.

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Keith Ladzinski is another photographer who has found a blue ocean in photography.

I met Keith Ladzinski through my friend Dave Black.  We were looking for a photographer to help connect with some of the younger students at a conference. Dave said Keith is your guy.

Keith was first a kid who loved skateboarding and rock climbing. He started to photograph his friends when they were out doing some of these cool moves.

You are not going to find a pool of photographers who are willing to climb the side of a mountain with their bare hands and while up there photograph their friends doing the same thing.

Keith was able to separate himself from the crowd due to access. There were two things that gave him access to these sports: 1) he was one of them and 2) they trusted him.

Today you are very likely to pick up a magazine that has rock climbing or skateboarding and find Keith’s byline below the photo.

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Dave Black is another photographer who was able to separate himself from the pack of sports photographers to become one of the most premier sports photographers of the industry.

Before becoming a photographer, Dave was a gymnast. He and his brothers were all world class gymnasts. 

After college Dave was coaching and doing photography of his students.  His brother was working with the Olympic committee in 1980 and asked Dave to come and help them with the photography to promote the US Olympic Gymnast team.

It was Dave’s knowledge of the sport that help separate his photography from the competition. Dave knew the gymnast routine so well that he would be able to anticipate the exact moment that showed the athleticism and art of the moment. I forgot to mention Dave majored in art. Can you see this all coming together for Dave?

For a gymnast to do well on the world stage they practice over and over a routine to where it is all muscle memory when it comes to the performance. This work ethic is what separates Dave even today from all the competition. Dave was the first person to show up at the Kentucky Derby each day. He was there when the trainers would arrive and there when everyone left.

Dave showed up at the Augusta National Tournament the same way catching the lawn crew at sunrise preparing the course each day.

Dave’s Blue Ocean was his knowledge of the sport and the understanding of preparation. He is so well prepared that he can isolate the moment that will capture the beauty and excitement in a way not seen before.

Strategy for a Blue Ocean

• Be the expert in a subject to help separate you from the pack
• Get access to something difficult for everyone to access
• Photograph subjects that hobbyist cannot because of their day job
• Once you find a Blue Ocean–Look for another because your competition will follow you.