"Not all independent professionals are new to self-employment. Bill Straus, whose last name rhymes with "boss," has been a self-employed photographer since 1978. He called himself an independent contractor in the early days and is still comfortable with the term. He also answers to "business owner."
Straus grew up thinking he would work for his father's structural steel business, Straus Steel. He graduated from Lindsey Wilson College and Western Kentucky University with degrees in business administration, without realizing at the time that he would use this education for his own company. "Not a lot of people who go into business on their own have that background," he said. Straus learned to establish business practices and fee structures "that would allow me to continue to stay in business." He had taken pictures of his dad's projects in the commonwealth and surrounding states, and thought he'd like to shoot sports as well. "I found that people wanted to use the pictures," he said. "It grew from there."
On his way to self-employment, Straus was a stringer for the Lexington Herald-Leader, shooting photographs of college football games on weekends. He also sold sports photos to teams, publications and television stations. At one time, TV stations were the largest user of still photography in the country, and Straus even took a full-time job as a still photographer at a TV station in town. Then he spent about a year with an advertising design agency. By the late '70s, he struck out on his own, expanding a small base of clients into a more diverse group of commercial and equine clients. He had a goal to photograph every major sporting event by the time he was 30. "Okay, I had to adjust the goal past 30," he said. He has photographed the Indianapolis 500, two Sugar Bowls, three Final Fours, and several SEC tournaments and Triple Crown series. Wimbledon awaits.
His interest in sports led him to become a referee, a hobby he's continued since college. Although he has retired from high school football and baseball, he still referees boys' and girls' high school basketball games. "Officiating has been beneficial," he said. "It's a great opportunity to work on people skills and decision-making skills."
Well-known for his Thoroughbred and equine photography, Straus also enjoys shooting general advertising and public relations work. "I like the variety," he said. Subjects have included the Queen of England, space shuttle launches, political candidates, banks, law firms, the airport and numerous corporations. News and sports photography is very competitive, but in the Lexington area "we're quick to recognize and admire a good picture someone has made," he said. "There's a spirit of cooperation here as opposed to larger markets."
Every profession has slow periods. "Some are seasonal and expected, and then at other times they're seemingly random," said Straus. "We are all subject to lean times no matter our profession." He has learned to work through cash flow (and ebb) challenges by striving for a variety in the mix of clients he has.
Straus has certainly seen technological changes in his career. Nikon used to make three different camera bodies; now there are around 70. "I moved into digital photography a bit later than most," he said, citing 2002 as the year he abandoned his dark room for the computer. "It was always fun to take a piece of white paper, expose it to light from the enlarger, put the paper in the developer tray and see an image magically appear," he said. Clients are no longer charged for film and processing, but for post-production time. "They pay me for the shoot and to prepare selected images for their use."
Is Straus worried about the proliferation of digital cameras putting professional photographers out of work? Not a chance. "Never hire an electrician when you need a plumber," he said. He explains the analogy by saying a company might have someone on their staff who likes playing with numbers, but they're still going to hire an accountant. "People will hire a professional photographer, hopefully me, because of the quality of work and the expertise to announce, promote or sell something for them."
One of the sayings among photographers is, "You're only as good as your last picture." Straus's goal is to make that picture one of quality "so someone wants another one." And because it is the skill of the carpenter, not the hammer, that provides the quality, he does have a tip for amateur photographers who own a digital camera.
"Don't stand people up next to a wall," he said. "That's what the police do."
Learn more about Bill Straus Photography, Inc., online at www.billstraus.com.
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