S2E8: How To Find Your Voice & Unlock Your Potential w/ Jonathan Canlas

The ARC Creative Podcast: Educating + Inspiring Creatives to Excel as Artists, Entrepreneurs & Humans.

You may know Jonathan Canlas as the owner of The Find Lab, his film photography, or other various passion projects. Jon believes in the power of selling prints, quality over quantity, and getting back in touch with your ‘why’ behind photography.

Jon has had a 20-year career and is well versed in everything from business and marketing to curation, pricing, digital files, and throat punch images. Today Jon is here to let you into his world and provides tips on how you can sell more prints and become better at your business.

There is no longevity in your career until you have a voice and images that set you apart, and to Jon, the only way to do that is by pointing your camera at things that make you tick, not just pay the bills. Your images have the power to change the world if a print of JPEG is put in front of the right person, and it is only by bettering yourself as a photographer that you can find your voice and become part of something bigger than yourself and the business.

A source of inspiration, great quotes, and a no-bullshit attitude, Jon is a master to learn from and the key to utilizing your own unique access. What do you find most inspirational about Jon’s perspective? Join the conversation in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• The importance of stepping away and looking at your photos with fresh eyes
• Focusing on the power of walking away with a photo that is worth printing
• Why you should stop giving away your digital files and how to price accordingly
• How to start curating and deliver a few select photos instead of too many options
• Ways to unlock your potential and do more than what you are being paid for

Quotes

“I’m constantly trying to document now so that things aren't missed.” (6:46)

“Watching a piece of paper that is blank, and you put it in its water, and within 10 seconds, boom! Like magic, there is an image. I don't know anyone in the world, I don't even care if you are into photography or not If I show that to you you’re like ‘Woah that’s cool’.” (12:45)

“I’m not in the business of being pretty, I am in the business of making money.” (35:30)

“There's a reason I have been in business for 20 years. Its because I don't give away the farm, I’m not constantly running a marathon, running from client to client to ‘get a drink’.” (41:54)

“It's not our responsibility as photographers to archive for our clients online, for them to be able to just see it. I give it to you and it's your responsibility to do what you are going to do with it afterward. I am not a hosting service, I am a photographer.” (44:18)

“If you want to be able to create images that are throat punchers, you have to know what you want to say. And you are not going to figure out what you want to say just by showing up to the same gig over and over again and just repeating it.” (47:40)

Links

Jonathan Canlas Photography

theFINDlab Website

Find Meaning In A Box

Follow Jonathan on Instagram

ARC Techniques

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

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Sachin Khona

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