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Can you make a living doing photography full-time? Is it even possible anymore?
Let’s talk about this, because on one hand I hear some bloggers I follow saying, “You can do it if you just follow your dreams” and on the other hand I hear from a lot of photographers who are considering throwing in the towel and giving up on the idea of doing this professionally.
So what’s the final verdict?
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We just moved to a new state about 400 miles away from our old town, which means we get to completely re-start our photography business in a brand new place with no word-of-mouth or brand recognition.
In some ways, it feels a lot like starting from scratch. But instead of being discouraging, I’m really excited about it. This gives us a chance to re-define who we are and to do things “right” from the very beginning.
So I thought I’d share the process we’re going through as we move our business. So let’s jump in. [Click to read more]
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They get a camera, start a Facebook page, and start shooting their friends and family for little or nothing in the hopes that they can “test the waters” before actually getting legal.
Not only are they putting themselves at a great financial and legal risk by doing this, it’s simply not possible to “test the waters” and see if it’s really going to work.
This is because people are not going to take your business seriously until YOU take your business seriously.
So how much does it actually cost to start a photography business and do things right? What do you really need to start a photography business the right way and start getting real, paying clients through the door right away? That’s what I’m going to walk you through in this post.
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I love spreadsheets, paying bills, tracking expenses and making sure my forms are all properly filed with the IRS.
If you’re like the 95% of the rest of the world, that stuff drives you up the wall or it scares you so bad that you try to avoid it at all costs. And you think people like me are crazy!
I may be crazy BUT I am going to show you how easy it is to get organized and take care of the financial side of the business.
In fact, over the next three weeks we’re going to cover the basics of getting your business money organized so that you never have to stress out about it at all.
No more last-minute scrambling to update your books, no more stress, and no more worrying about getting everything organized at tax time or forgetting something important. It will change the way you run your business. So let’s jump right in and get all your ducks in a row.
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Like many people, I became interested in photography and the business just sort of fell into my lap.
While we’ve come a long way since then and I was able to leave my day job to do photography full-time, I made several mistakes when starting out that I wish I could go back and do differently.
These mistakes are easy to avoid if you are aware of them, yet it seems like almost all new photographers make them.
Here’s 5 common mistakes to avoid when starting a photography business. [Click to read more]
This week’s post is a guest post from Rachel Brenke.
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It is super exciting to get a new prop, lens or spend money on education but there are a few areas that small business owners sometimes overlook.
Safeguarding your business through insurance policies is a major one.
You may as well be playing the lottery with your livelihood, clients and self confidence when not carrying the proper insurance policies.
While you should always consult with an insurance agent to make sure you have all the coverages you need, here are some of the main things you need to consider and purchase when getting photography business insurance. [Click to read more]
Think back to when you first started your business. Why did you do it?
Personally, I started my photography business because I loved making people happy with photography. I loved how they got all emotional when they saw the photos I was taking of their children and thanked me profusely for capturing that time in their lives.
It feels SO GOOD when people are praising you, and when you know you did something they could not have done themselves, especially when that something is as meaningful as preserving memories of their most cherished people and moments for a lifetime.
Then to make money on top of that? Sounds like a dream business. [Click to read more]
No, it’s not by buying some expensive marketing package or showy website.
Those artistic & vintage photoshop actions that you love? They won’t get you there either. In fact, you’ll probably ditch them in a year or two. Trust me. Just like that “amazing” shirt you picked up awhile back that was so cute then, but is so very wrong for you now.
The things you need to guarantee your business will be a success cannot be bought in any store. I promise that if you have all these things, you will most certainly “make it”.
Can you guess what these things are?
[Click to read more]
This guest post was written by Molly Michel of m three studio.
First and foremost, Jamie did a great job explaining how your gear matters, but not as much as your skills and own artistic input in creating great photos. If you missed that discussion, please click over and read that first. I agree with her whole-heartedly.
I’m not much of a gear head – you won’t find me eagerly anticipating the next new lens release. I find what works for me and then I am doggedly loyal to that. I also am a huge fan of efficiency and not being cluttered – so I pare things down to just what I need and don’t carry around a lot of extra gear. [Click to read more]
By far the most common question we’re asked by people who are starting a photography business is what camera gear we use for shoots.
Let’s just get this out of the way. It’s not about our camera gear. It’s about our vision, our understanding of how to use our gear to get amazing shots, and it’s about light. You can buy yourself the most expensive camera you can find and you’re still not going to take amazing photos if you’re shooting in auto mode.
That being said, [Click to read more]
It takes money to make money.
That being said, some things will make you more money and get your business off the ground a lot faster than others. You’ll find that some purchases end up being a waste of money, and when you’re first starting out it’s easy to make those regrettable purchases.
So here’s a list of the Top 8 Essential Things to Buy When Starting a Photography Business.
