If you have a passion for taking photographs, then you may be considering turning this passion into a business that you can actually make a living from, but like starting any business or something you’ve never done before, you probably don’t know where to start and how to make it work.
In this post, we’re going to share some simple tips with you to help you start your own photography business.
Invest in quality equipment
In order to take great photos, you need a great camera, and when you’re planning to start a business you’ll need to invest in quality equipment that enables you to perform your job to a professional standard. Things you’ll need to get started aside from a camera will include a tripod, somewhere to store your equipment when you’re not using it or when you’re moving from job to job. You’ll also need a computer with editing software so that you can edit and touch up images for your clients after each photography session.
Decide on a niche
Most photographers focus on a specific niche, such as a newborn photographer, wedding photographer or even a travel or Hotel photographer. There are many different routes you can take with photography that allow you to focus on the things you’re truly passionate about. If you’re interested in multiple areas of photography then you can definitely combine some of these, and should play around with some different types so you can see what you really enjoy doing.
Identify your ideal clients
Once you know what niche you’re going to focus on, then the next step is to identify and find clients within that niche who would need your services. For example, if your focus is on travel photography, then your ideal clients may be hotels and resorts, travel magazines, airlines, or even travel bloggers.
Build up your portfolio
Since photography is obviously a very visual profession, then having a strong portfolio of work that can demonstrate your skills to potential clients is a must. Although it can seem like a catch 22 situation to try and build a portfolio when you don’t have clients, and get clients when you don’t have a portfolio to show them. However, many photographers will offer a few free or very low cost sessions when building their portfolio with the agreement being that in exchange for the sessions that the photos will be used to build a portfolio. Also, if you’re a landscape photographer, for example, then you can just shoot your own pieces to build up a portfolio. Once you have a good collection, then it’s a good idea to have a website where these can be displayed.
Create your marketing plan
The success of all businesses depends on good marketing, so making sure you create a solid marketing that is reflective of your goals for your business. You don’t have to try every single marketing strategy out there, but picking a few that will help you build a name for yourself and start attracting clients is what you need.