Bought a camera? Know how to push its button? Awesome! You are a real photographer now, let the money roll in! Umm… Not so fast! Unfortunately, nowadays many people seem to think it’s easy to become a photographer. Buy a camera, take a few birthday photos of your relatives, charge them, and you’ve started your own enterprise. But even your relatives won’t hire you if you are not serious and professional about it. That’s why many business ventures in photography are short-lived.
But you can do it differently if you’re wise enough not to follow their path and start with the proper business mindset. Here are the first baby steps you need to take to transform your photographing passion from a simple hobby to a profitable business.
Invest in Equipment
We’ve already talked about the essentials for equipping your own studio. You can start from there and piece by piece create your personal studio with more complex gear. Just don’t go for the cheapest option and always try to get the best quality equipment as long as your budget allows it. The gear you choose will reflect on the quality of your photos. And remember, every piece of equipment will be different. Therefore, study it thoroughly by making a few test shots before you put it to use.
Make Yourself Stand Out by Offering Printing
Typical photographers offer only the digital version of their creations, leaving it up to you whether you want to print your photos or not. And the truth is, most of the times customers get inevitably disappointed later on when they print their beautiful memories themselves because in most cases they ruin them with too much grain and bad printing paper. So save them the heartbreak and make yourself stand out from the crowd of photographers by offering your printing services. Many people will turn to you especially for this reason. Keep in mind that most of the clients will want an impeccable large print of their portraits and wedding photos, so know that there are many quality large format printers specially designed for that matter. Moreover, many up-and-coming photographers looking to make an impact use large format printers for their first art exhibition to make their photos look as good as possible.
Constantly Work on Yourself
Never stop learning! If you want to invest in education, there are many renowned colleges of art and photography. Moreover, in the modern world of today, there are many online courses that can help you learn just what you need. And don’t stop there. Be constantly hungry for the latest developments in the photography industry. Engage yourself in constant experiments, discover your shooting style and philosophy and start learning more about that. It’s better to focus on one field like black and white or event photography and become a master at it, rather than trying to do everything at once and be average in everything. Definitely something worth considering.
Embrace Networking and Social Media Presence
Joining an existing photography business will enable you to work and learn along side experienced photographers. These people can show you how things are done and introduce you to different client bases. The right contacts are necessary for every business to thrive. Then, after you’ve gained the needed experience, you can open your own studio. My tip is to invest in high quality photography gear and not to spend much money on flyers and advertisements just to get the word out that you’re the new photographer in town. With the amazing possibilities of social media today, all you need is to invest some time in creating the perfect online ad. Your own Facebook page and an Instagram account are the best and fastest ways to promote yourself. Make sure you post quality material that is sure to be shared, and people will soon start flocking to you to make their special moments last forever.
