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ADVICE
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LEE MASSEY
Flessland is a photographer at Fargo-based Spotlight Media, the publishing company behind Fargo INC!, as well as the owner of his own photography and videography business, Paul Flessland Photo. He does wedding, product, editorial and commercial work.
Question
Along with partner Kit Grove, Massey started Media Productions more than 40 years ago, originally as a high-quality audio production studio. The business eventually evolved into a full-service media production company, providing video, audio and event services to clients on a local, regional and national stage.
Answer
PAUL: Being a photographer and videographer, I've struggled at times figuring out how to properly value my work. Do you have any advice for putting a price tag on my services?
LEE: "If there are people in your market
PAUL: My business is relatively young, and I sometimes question whether I should be establishing a niche or if I should just take any business I can get?.
LEE: "If you're shooting weddings
doing the same thing that you're doing and you want to be able to get some of that work, you have to be competitive within the market. So certainly look at what other people are charging. And then, if you have created a niche, if there's something that you feel you're a little bit better at, let's say it's photography of pets – or whatever it is – if you're doing that kind of work and it's very unique and it's the kind of thing that you feel you can charge a little bit more for, maybe you can do that. Maybe you can charge more for it. If it's the kind of thing where you're offering a specialty that other people aren't offering, you can maybe charge a little bit more for it if you do things a little bit differently. Where if you're offering the exact same services, you have to be pretty competitive, price-wise."
and you really hate shooting weddings, you're going to hate your job. But if you are shooting product photography for an industry or business and you really enjoy that, you're going to love getting up and going to work every day. So I would say base that decision more on what you're passionate about. I can't think of anything worse than getting up every day and doing something you don't like. "If you find you're really good at it, if you find that it's the kind of thing that's unique (Continues on next page) 55
CULTURE
PAUL FLESSLAND