For those of you who have been following me for a while, you know this subject is near and dear to my heart. Content trumps craft. What a picture says (content) is so much more important than how it was created (craft).

Photographers obsess about talking tech. But here's a little secret I learned a long time ago in my career - customers don't care about the technical merits of a photograph. As a matter of fact, most could care less. What is infinitely more important is the emotional value of a photo. What it says. How it feels. How it resonates. How it speaks.

Again, content trumps craft. It's that simple.

I'm not 'anti-technical'. Talking tech to each other is a legitimate part of our collective learning. But as a group, I feel sadly that we have become unbalanced. We're putting the emphasis and spotlight on how a picture is made, rather than what it says. And this, in my opinion, is as shortsighted as glorifying cookware...rather than appreciating the taste and presentation of the food itself. Or looking under the hood of a new car...rather than acknowledging its smooth ride. You get my point. Content trumps craft.

It's cool to talk tech with your photo buddies. But for heaven's sake, change up the vocabulary and tone when you're talking to customers. Customers don't care what f-stop, shutter speed or lens you used. Or even why. What customers want to know is not how the image was created, but will the image work for their needs. Think emotions and feelings.

I know you just can't help bragging to your colleagues about your execution skills. Again, that's fine. Do it. But when you're face to face with a customer, put the tech talk away. Convince them that you know how to make emotional connections with your imagery. When you start to speak their language, they'll start to speak your language - sales!