I've been contemplating a photography business for a while now, and would like some advice. I created a website, set my prices (not too high but not crazy low so people wonder), and am trying to get the word out via word of mouth, a Facebook page and more.
Many people have said my photos are great and that I should go into business, but no one seems to want to hire me. =( If you've been successful at starting your own business, please share with me how you've done it. I truly love photography and would love to make my hobby a little profitable if possible. (The money can buy more lenses and 'toys' for my camera...what's better than that? Right?)
Thanks in advance for any tips you can share.
Oh, one more thing...I'd also love to sell some of my photos. Do you sell them as prints, or downloads? What's the best website to showcase them? Again...any advice is welcome.
i would love info on selling photos too... my advice for breaking into the business via several professional friends is to start with fam and friends and go word of mouth...have your prices set, but maybe offer a discount to those first few(either on your session fee or disc price or add a free print etc) my close friends business has skyrocketed over the last year and she did some of these things when starting out. she also went to local dr offices and was able to post some of her prints there with her contact info....good luck!
i don't know anything about selling photos, but i do have friends who have started photography businesses. like @4stories suggested, start with family and friends, and word will spread from there. if you (or your family/friends) are a member of any organization, like a church, or mom's group, or anything like that, that's a great place to start. one of my friends shot a bat mitzvah, and the family was happy with the photos. so they referred the photog to all of their friends (who happened to have similarly aged jewish kids) and now he's cornered the market on bar/bat mitvahs in the area =P same thing happened with another friend who now shoots all the birthday parties of kids from his church. he just recently started getting wedding gigs from church also.
good luck!
Sounds like you're in the PB (Portfolio Building) stage. Run a couple of model calls / competitions on Facebook, giving away free sessions (with a set number of prints) to the winners - this will create interest, allow you to guage interest, create WOM, and give you some actual client images to display.
But, first things first - get insurance. I'm not talking about your equipment (though you should do that too), but rather Public Liability Insurance. You do not want to lose your assets because someone trips over while you're taking their photo. Likewise, ensure you are registered as a business. You don't want the tax office knocking on your door. As much as it costs, it is the only way to ensure it doesn't end up costing you everything. When I started my own business, I registered and obtained insurance before I published my website etc - yes, it is an outlay of cash, but it is an investment in yourself. You can't afford not to do these things. If you just plan on getting some cash jobs without doing anything legitimately, you are running huge risks to you and your family.
Personally, I sell prints. If people want digital files (except for commercial shoots where the end product is a digital file for media) they pay me a heck of a lot for them. But, that's not to say everyone should do that.
Before anyone asks - yes, I do have my own motivation for encouraging people to do things legitimately. Hobbyists who illegally do jobs for cash at a greatly reduced rate slowly but surely are destroying this industry. It not only makes it hard for pro photographers to justify their prices (prices that are set to cover things like insurance and, at the end of the day, feed our families), but it cheapens photography itself - it devalues it in the minds of many of our clients.
@4stories@christiq@jinximages
Thank you all so much for the great advice! I love the little hints and tips you shared. Going via word of mouth seems to be the best route to take. I appreciate all your wisdom, thanks again for taking the time to share with me. =)
@interludephotos kim is there a photoclub in your area? most of my photo shoots i have gotten through connections and networking... getting your name out there... taking pix of local events and submitting them to your newspaper/ i have gone more the artist route -- applying and getting grants... also photo contests... also good resource is the annual photographer's market ... my library always has a copy if you don't want to buy.
best of luck to you!
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good luck!
But, first things first - get insurance. I'm not talking about your equipment (though you should do that too), but rather Public Liability Insurance. You do not want to lose your assets because someone trips over while you're taking their photo. Likewise, ensure you are registered as a business. You don't want the tax office knocking on your door. As much as it costs, it is the only way to ensure it doesn't end up costing you everything. When I started my own business, I registered and obtained insurance before I published my website etc - yes, it is an outlay of cash, but it is an investment in yourself. You can't afford not to do these things. If you just plan on getting some cash jobs without doing anything legitimately, you are running huge risks to you and your family.
Personally, I sell prints. If people want digital files (except for commercial shoots where the end product is a digital file for media) they pay me a heck of a lot for them. But, that's not to say everyone should do that.
Before anyone asks - yes, I do have my own motivation for encouraging people to do things legitimately. Hobbyists who illegally do jobs for cash at a greatly reduced rate slowly but surely are destroying this industry. It not only makes it hard for pro photographers to justify their prices (prices that are set to cover things like insurance and, at the end of the day, feed our families), but it cheapens photography itself - it devalues it in the minds of many of our clients.
Thank you all so much for the great advice! I love the little hints and tips you shared. Going via word of mouth seems to be the best route to take. I appreciate all your wisdom, thanks again for taking the time to share with me. =)
best of luck to you!