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06/29/2006 04:48:36 AM · #1 |
Photography has become my real passion. I'd love to make a career out of, as i'm sure would alot of people.
I'm asking for advice on how to get yourself set up really.
The main areas i'd like to get into are wedding photography, photojournalism and events, and others.
How did you get started? How do you create a working relationship with your local papers?
Did you take a loan out and literally just start your business from scrath, or did you progress into it?
Is it best to get some photography qualifications? There is a photographry degree which can be donoe part time, is it worth it?
What are any must do's, and mustn't do's?
My situation is that i'm buying a house with my girlfriend very soon, so happy, and so would need a steady(ish) income coming in a month,
so i'm thinking i would keep a part time job going, just to cover the bills.
Just general advice and tips and cautions to help me along.
This is still an idea in my head.
Thanks people, i massively appreciate it.
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06/29/2006 05:05:59 AM · #2 |
I am not in it as far as many, but things have slowly progressed. I have only been doing photography for 2 years so far, so it isnt much! Here is my photography story...LOL
Around 2 years ago I started receiving a lot of positive comments from family and friends on pictures I took of my kids. I was just a casual shooter, only taking pics for my family photo album with no huge intent on making them great pictures. That is when I jointed Shutterpoint. I wanted to get feedback on my pics from people who were NOT family or friends. From there, things took off! Within a month or two, I was hooked. I purchased a dSLR. Within a couple months I was doing studio portraits with my Redneck Studio...LOL (Shop worklights)
About 18 months ago, I was at dinner with friends from my soccer team. It came up that I did photography and one of the girls from another team asked me for my card. A couple days later, she called saying she was the editor for a few local magazines and they wanted to 'hire' me to do some shoots. Last year, I did a shoot a month or so for them.
We moved here to Guam in December. With some of the profits from selling our house in Florida, I purchase my 20d, L lenses, and my Alien Bees studio lighting.
Things are slowly starting to take off here........word of mouth is HUGE in photography. One good portrait session can turn into many referals. A friend of my husband's saw my pics and refered me to the island newspaper. They contacted me to do freelance for them. I also saw an ad in a local magazine looking for freelancers and will be doing work for them. Because of my surgery on my legs, that has been delayed a month but I can't wait to get started.
Not sure if this is what you are looking for in an answer, but I thought Id offer it anyways. I don't call myself a pro but hopefully someday I'll be comfortable with the word. I am just taking it one step at a time and trying to learn as much as I can! :)
Jenn
edit for grammar
Message edited by author 2006-06-29 05:10:48.
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06/29/2006 09:12:11 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by Kerm:
Photography has become my real passion. I'd love to make a career out of, as i'm sure would alot of people.
I'm asking for advice on how to get yourself set up really.
The main areas i'd like to get into are wedding photography, photojournalism and events, and others.
How did you get started? How do you create a working relationship with your local papers?
Did you take a loan out and literally just start your business from scrath, or did you progress into it?
Is it best to get some photography qualifications? There is a photographry degree which can be donoe part time, is it worth it?
What are any must do's, and mustn't do's?
My situation is that i'm buying a house with my girlfriend very soon, so happy, and so would need a steady(ish) income coming in a month,
so i'm thinking i would keep a part time job going, just to cover the bills.
Just general advice and tips and cautions to help me along.
This is still an idea in my head.
Thanks people, i massively appreciate it. |
My one tip for you would be to pick one of those areas of photography and specialize in it. Photography businesses don't tend to survive when the photographer is trying to do a little bit of everything. If your customers come to you because they know you are an expert in a certain area of photography they will come to you for that willing to pay top dollar and the word of mouth will be generated at a much higher rate.
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06/29/2006 10:01:03 AM · #4 |
If you need a steady income in a month, get a job.
Perhaps you can get a job working for a paper or wedding photog, but many of those jobs are part time or freelance - so the money comes in spurts and there are dry periods - photography is seasonal.
As Jennifer's post shows, if you read between the lines - it's networking that got her into the biz and adds to her money. That can work well but wihout it you have to spend money to get customers - advertising.
I decided to get into photography professionally for many reasons, but it took 6 months to make the first dollar. And $8000 in investment - no including some things (i've had home businesses before so all the office stuff i had, and i had a computer and PS, etc). I have anohter 2-3 grand to spend to be basically equipped. Then I can begin upgrading lenses... I am trying to buy stuff as i go, but it doesn't always work out that way - so some debt is inevitable. Once you have debt (or need the income) you HAVE to have jobs and money coming in. If you have no debt and it's part time, well, then a month with no income is not a big deal (as in janueary and february)
80% of my biz is weddings, the rest HS portraits or pets. I've shot some events for non-profits, so that means i make no profit LOL.
Each type of photography has it's positive and negative points - fairly easy to get weddings, BUT there is a lot of work and stress and you need backup equipment for everything and there are no do-overs. HS seniors are very profitable, but you ahve to have sales skills and marketing is expensive and you have lots of established competetion. Portraiture is a wider audience, but to do much business at it takes lots of advertsing or lots of time to get known. The PJ stuff I have no idea on as I don't do that end of it. I see lots of folks doing little schools (pre schools, dance schools) and sports (team photos, etc) and that seems like something you can break into, but you need excellent organization, no real creativity involved and a helper is almost mandatory (great if your wife or kid can help - cheap labor!)
Remeber that 50% of 'business photography' is business - filing, accounting, marketing, sales, etc.
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06/29/2006 01:09:09 PM · #5 |
Great advice everyone.
It's funny what you said specialk0783, because i've read and been told from other sources that it's best to try and get into 2 or 3 areas, so as not to 'put all your eggs in one basket' sort of thing.
I think maybe part/full time job and photography as much as i can on the side is the best way to start out?, minimising the risk somewhat.
I don't think we have Sports teams shots, or HS seniors shoots in the UK really. And to manage portraits i'd have to have a studio really wouldn't it?
Thanks again guys and gals, and if anyone else wants to throw some advice my way PLEASE do!
Cheers.
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06/29/2006 01:17:28 PM · #6 |
Depends on where you are, but here in this part of hte US (and most places) HS senior portraits are big biz ($400-900 avg per student) for what, 2 hours time? No album to put together... Some are down outside some in a studio.
For protraits, i've done pet ones on location with a groomer at his shop. Some people here go to the person's home.
Each type of photography is different - some wedding and most PJ and all stock is observation- you watch and shoot. Portraiture and some wedding work is posed - a whole nuther type of photography that makes you think AND talk at the same time - you have to be engagning and personable and fun while getting the shot.
Diversification is certainly good, but you gotta watch as some things don't go together well - we had a video rental and jewlery shop here for a while - not a successful mix apparently.
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06/29/2006 02:34:54 PM · #7 |
I've noticed a lot of photogs here in AZ now put on classes and do educational photo outings for a fee. I've seen fall color outings, night shooting outings...
That's the route I'd go as weddings and portrait work does not excite me and I enjoy teaching others. If I were to go pro It would be selling my work and teaching others how I do it. That's if I were good enough that people would actually want to pay me...
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06/29/2006 05:43:57 PM · #8 |
Ben,
I think you are right...get a full time job and start out with your photography on the side. That is exactly what I am doing. You never know, you might be surprised at how fast things take off. Your work is very good. |
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06/29/2006 06:09:33 PM · #9 |
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06/29/2006 06:38:05 PM · #10 |
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07/05/2006 07:36:08 AM · #11 |
Hi,
Here's my story. Im not a professional, but Ive made enough in 8 months to buy myself a 350D and have enough saved for a few lenses.
About 18 months ago (Feb 2005)I bought my first ever camera to take on my honeymoon. When I had printed them off when we got back a few people commented on some of my landsape shots. I though nothing of it and carried on going out and about where I live taking pictures as a hobby.
It got to a point where my wife finally "allowed" me to have one of my photo's framed for our house (it was a "beach-scape"). When we took the print to our local gallery for framing they were really impressed and asked if I had a portfolio.
Since then I have supplied the gallery with prints of local landscapes
which they frame and sell (I then get a % of the sale price).
As this orginally started out as a hobby (I already have full time job) - it has been amazing for me.
Obvioulsy, I hope to take this to the next level soon. Just need to decide on the my next "move".
I have also set up my website //www.tjmaher.co.uk
Obvioulsy, I would love to become a full time photographer. But it seems that you need to do weddings or work for a publication etc. My interest is Landscapes so it looks like Im going to stuck in my 9-5 for a while longer...
Best of luck!!!!!
Tim
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07/06/2006 05:12:55 PM · #12 |
Well, so you want to make money...
On paper, I have turned a profit! $441. Not a bad paycheck for 6 months of work, huh? LOL
Income minus expenses = profit. Staying in business is often an matter of cashflow as much as profit though. On a cash basis, I am still in the hole some $1700 - balances due on weddings not yet shot.
What's neat is i'll soon hit $10,000 in sales for the year!
As for costs, 69% is for equipment of some kind - camera, CF cards, backdrop, computer monitor, printer, etc.
It's kind of fun to see the numbers, the percentages. All those things i learned back in college in accounting class i can now apply!
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07/06/2006 05:17:33 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
On paper, I have turned a profit! $441. |
Way to go, Chris! Glad to see you're heading into the black! |
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07/06/2006 05:36:53 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by alanfreed:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
On paper, I have turned a profit! $441. |
Way to go, Chris! Glad to see you're heading into the black! |
Next year should be the year! It takes a while to get started and this year it's buying equipment - i wasn't gonna do a studio but did, and that has consumed a couple of thousand dollars easy. So with less equipment to buy next year I can spend more on advertising!
It's true about numbers - you can make them say whatever you want them to say. If i take the equipment i bought that will last several years (as the IRS will make me do) and spread it out, then I am rather profitable, more like $4400 i should think. But i am working hard at being debt free - and that's a cash flow killer.
I'd like to call a meeting and blame the accounting dept, or fire the financial planner - but it seems I wear all the hats! So I guess it'l be a short meeting with no resolution, huh? :P
Message edited by author 2006-07-06 17:37:29.
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07/06/2006 05:48:51 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
I'd like to call a meeting and blame the accounting dept, or fire the financial planner - but it seems I wear all the hats! So I guess it'l be a short meeting with no resolution, huh? :P |
Yeah, those hats get stacked up pretty high when you work alone. I wanna fire everyone on my staff. They are all lazy bums :-)
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07/06/2006 06:04:40 PM · #16 |
Lots of good advice.
Listen to the people like Prof Fate who have actually started their own photo business and are doing it systematically.
You can make a photographic living like me by coming at it from the other side of the fence.
My career in advertising and my families hobby of cat showing and breeding required me to shoot a lot of photos. I moved from film to digital and bought what ever I need to get the job done. I didn't enter photography for any reason other than necessity.
Everytime I bought my new gear I already had a financial return figured out. I never bought photo equipment because I got all steamy over the new gear....I needed it to finish a job.
My latest camera gear is the best you can buy in 35 mm because I signed on to do a job that needed the equipment. I did the job and I paid for the gear before the credit bill came in the mail.
There are lots of people who love photography more than me, are more artistic and have prettier portfolios.
That doesn't make money.
Good business sense, the ability to sell and getting the job done right and on time makes money. Once I got a reputation as a "Reliable" commercial photograper with a portfolio of solid work I got more business than I needed.
My advice. Get the work first and buy what you need to get the job done. This may mean a slow start at first but it will lead to a huge business later on.
Message edited by author 2006-07-06 18:08:14. |
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07/06/2006 06:09:55 PM · #17 |
Just gonna post this link for anyone interested in doing wedding photography.
David's Bridal Vendor Partners
I've recently discovered thier vendor program. They are a large chain and that support could make a huge difference in your success as a wedding photog.
Personally, I hate shooting weddings, but the money is too good for me to continue to keep ignoring it. I can learn to love it... LOL.
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07/06/2006 06:13:28 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Just gonna post this link for anyone interested in doing wedding photography.
David's Bridal Vendor Partners
I've recently discovered thier vendor program. They are a large chain and that support could make a huge difference in your success as a wedding photog.
Personally, I hate shooting weddings, but the money is too good for me to continue to keep ignoring it. I can learn to love it... LOL. |
well, it's not THAT bad, it's just a little tiring is all.
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07/06/2006 06:16:32 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by wavelength:
well, it's not THAT bad, it's just a little tiring is all. |
Bridezilla is nothing. It's the MOM of Bridezilla that can turn your day to poop quickly.
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