Need advice on beginning first year

kitkatdubs · May 3, 2016

For those veterans in the business, what was your first year actually charging like? Was it slow? Did it take a long time to build up a consistent client base? I just launched my website in the Bay Area. My husband did some marketing- got 30 clicks to my website and only two inquires. Any advice for a newbie starting out? I've been working for free for the past 9 months building up my portfolio.
Here's a link to my website! Any feedback is welcome!!!

www.kaitlynrosephotography.com

calamityjane · May 11, 2016

You won't break even over a year so don't expect to. And please don't work for free - you damage the entire photography business when you do that.

manaheim · May 11, 2016

Don't work for free.
90% of a photography business is BUSINESS.
10% or less is the actual photography.
The average salary for a photographer is 25K. You can quite literally be more successful and make more money working 32 hours a week at McDonald's.
You are one of about 80 billion people trying to start a business in photography. Certainly, try like hell to be successful, but do not delude yourself into thinking that you're 30 clicks ... or even 3,000 clicks away from success.

KmH · May 11, 2016

$25,000 is close to the low end ($21,000 a year), but that is right where a lot of retail photographers are - the low end.
Once established and having a good, broad, and solid repeat customer base a retail photographer having a very well run retail studio can make substantially more.

Fewer than 15% of professional photographers make more than $50,000 a year. Most of those making more than $50,000 a year have their business in a major city that has a high demand for a photographer services - Top 10, in order - NYC, LA, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose.

There is a lot of competition, it takes lots of marketing, lots of self-promotion, lots of networking, and a fair measure of luck to get established.

Derrel · May 13, 2016

I just posted this in this same sub-forumn, to abee's thread about her first year. I thought it might be something to consider for your business. I looked through your site tonight, so I have a good idea of who you are, saw your portfolio, site, and prices. Keep in mind--this post was written for a different photographer, but both of you are just starting out, and working in the same genre--child and family photography. Good luck in the new business!
******

This is a pretty crowded genre, with many,many low-priced practitioners and it is a very well-understood genre, with a huge number of people offering very much close to identical work--thanks to Flickr, 500px, Facebook, Pinterest, and so on, and so the customers have a very good idea of what they want their baby pics to look like, and they have the ability to on-line shop and compare. My suggestion: do NOT put prices on your web site, which will eliminate people shopping your site just based on price: get them to call you on the telephone, where you'd better be able to hook them, and book them.

Over the last couple of years, I've perused maybe sixty such people' sites. and most have prices on them, very detailed prices. The problem is, the majority of the site owners/photographers have work that does not line up with the prices they have, it seems, copied from local competitors. SO--why would anybody book anything when the work is not as good as the work of a better, but identically-priced competitor?

Unless your work is simply **outstanding**, you will be beaten out for booking by people who have a better site, or better portfolio, or better sales materials. Ergo...SKIP the prices, and get people to CALL YOU, so you can hook 'em and book 'em.

beagle100 · May 13, 2016

calamityjane said:
You won't break even over a year so don't expect to. And please don't work for free - you damage the entire photography business when you do that.

dammit, I've now damaged the entire photography business
Maybe I'll go do some damage in the golfing business this weekend

vintagesnaps · May 13, 2016

The thing about free photo sessions is that people are probably glad to have just about anything they're given for free. To charge I think work needs to be at the same skill level as established pros in the area to charge the going rate and be competitive.

What I see on your site is that you have good ideas but I see inconsistency in exposure/white balance, issues in framing (cutting people off), etc. I think it helps to try to notice details before you release the shutter. There are some lovely photos, and I think it could help to make sure make sure you're getting what you want in the picture every time and keep practicing technical skills like getting proper exposures to support your vision.

As far as marketing you could try American Society of Media Photographers or PPA and watch for webinars etc. They also provide info. on licensing, pricing, contracts, etc.

KC1 · May 13, 2016

It's rare for a business to be in the black after a year, most are in the red for 2-3 years after opening, and many don't get into the black for the first 4 years.
If you are still losing money after 5 years, you need to re-evaluate or close shop.
The SBA allows you to be in the red for the first 4 years when they provide funding for a start up, but they will expect loan payments to commence in the 5th year.

KmH · May 14, 2016

IRS considerations related to if the IRS will consider your endeavor a business or a hobby.

. . . The IRS presumes that an activity is carried on for profit if it makes a profit during at least three of the last five tax years, including the current year . . .
. . . If an activity is not for profit, losses from that activity may not be used to offset other income. . .
For further information: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p535.pdf

Countless people have started what they considered a business, taken federal income tax deductions related to that business, not made a profit in 3 of the last 5 years, and had the IRS classify their endeavor a hobby. At that point the IRS disallows deductions taken in prior years as business deductions.
With the notification those deductions have been disallowed is a bill for back taxes now owed.

The moral of the story is, make sure you understand the federal and state tax situations.

table1349 · May 14, 2016

vintagesnaps said:
The thing about free photo sessions is that people are probably glad to have just about anything they're given for free.

Boy ain't that the truth. A McDonald's happy meal is the perfect example. They give your kid a cheap nothing toy. The kid plays with it all of five minutes and then that toy ends up on the floor under your feet. Those kids were thrilled when they pulled that toy out of the box though.

tirediron · May 14, 2016

gryphonslair99 said:
vintagesnaps said:

The thing about free photo sessions is that people are probably glad to have just about anything they're given for free.

Click to expand...

Boy ain't that the truth. A McDonald's happy meal is the perfect example. They give your kid a cheap nothing toy. The kid plays with it all of five minutes and then that toy ends up on the floor under your feet. Those kids were thrilled when they pulled that toy out of the box though.

Actually, not always the case. My Veteran's Portrait Project meets a LOT of suspicion; "what's the catch?", "why are you giving something away free?", "no one gives stuff away..." and in fact, I suspect it might even go better if I charged for the sessions but that would, for me, defeat part of the purpose.

That said, it's okay to offer work at no cost, but you need to do it correctly. "Hi Friend/neighbour/whomever... I was wondering if you could give me a hand. I'm trying to figure out a new pose/lighting plan/test a lens and I need a person/people to stand in front of my camera for a little while." "Sure, if you can have a couple of files if anything turns out."

This changes the dynamic and instead of you giving something away, they're doing you a favour by posing.

vintagesnaps · May 14, 2016

Sure, for a charitable cause that someone wants to support it's not unusual for photographers or artists to donate time or photos/artwork. Or doing a limited amount of work in trade, if it's a trusted friend or family member that you really do just want to try out a technique and give them a few photos.

But it isn't necessary to have all that many photos for a portfolio for the amount of free work that many people seem to be doing. And periodically the portfolio will have additions and older work removed so photographers usually work it out to add to the portfolio from current jobs. All the freebies and the underpricing is helping to put photographers out of business.

manaheim · May 14, 2016

I don't do anything for free. I do plenty of things at a 100% discount, and the people I do that for get an actual photo agreement that I ask them to sign and it shows the usual fee and the 100% discount.

beagle100 · May 14, 2016

vintagesnaps said:
All the freebies and the underpricing is helping to put photographers out of business.

the photography business is not like being a dentist, engineer, architect, etc.
Photographers are going out of business because (shocking news !) everyone now has a camera !

tirediron · May 14, 2016

beagle100 said:
the photography business is not like being a dentist, engineer, architect, etc. Photographers are going out of business because (shocking news !) everyone now has a camera !

Mmmmmm... for the most part, photographers aren't going out of business. Fauxtographers (who never should have been in business to begin with) are going out of business.