JBrown
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2012
- Messages
- 91
- Reaction score
- 5
- Location
- United States
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
I am by no means a professional, if anyone approached me to do a wedding or portrait session I would have to turn them down. However, I have recently discovered the expensive hobby of photography and my entrepreneurial side demands I make a return to buy more equipment . I had been toying with this idea and got some decent business cards and a Zenfolio website setup ready to tackle the world! I figure the total $125 is a pittance for potential earnings across the year and dove headlong this labor day into my first sales experiment.
I discovered there was a motor cross track nearby and went out with some friends to take some photos while they rode. I'm out on the track taking photographs and literally have riders stopping to get business cards. I take a break between race sets and have people coming up to me asking if I am going to put the pictures up if they are for sale etc. I was shocked, I thought I would have to be the annoying salesman handing out business cards to people begging for business. I was wrong, people were so happy that I was there and they had a opportunity to even buy photos. Apparently there has never been a photographer at the track except on race days which most people aren't involved in.
So I hand out some business cards and tell them photos will be up by the next day. I get the photos up and I'll be damned if I don't sell $200 worth with a profit of $125 with more sure to come. The photos are good IMO, but its on entry level gear (t3i 55-250 cheap lens). I became curious how many other untapped markets there are that photographers don't even bother with. Granted there's no way I'm quitting my day job, but the thought of financing my hobby through this method is appealing. I'm sure ill be referred to as the "Craiglist or FB" photographer, but that's ok. I had a blast taking great photos of normal people enjoying their hobby and giving me a chance to enjoy mine. I feel I offer a great service, I am out there anyways and if you want to buy some photos here is the website. If they don't buy a single one, no big deal.
Anyone else have this experience? From reading this sub-forum I got the impression the photography world was over saturated with everyone owning a DSLR. So far that doesn't seem to be the case.
I discovered there was a motor cross track nearby and went out with some friends to take some photos while they rode. I'm out on the track taking photographs and literally have riders stopping to get business cards. I take a break between race sets and have people coming up to me asking if I am going to put the pictures up if they are for sale etc. I was shocked, I thought I would have to be the annoying salesman handing out business cards to people begging for business. I was wrong, people were so happy that I was there and they had a opportunity to even buy photos. Apparently there has never been a photographer at the track except on race days which most people aren't involved in.
So I hand out some business cards and tell them photos will be up by the next day. I get the photos up and I'll be damned if I don't sell $200 worth with a profit of $125 with more sure to come. The photos are good IMO, but its on entry level gear (t3i 55-250 cheap lens). I became curious how many other untapped markets there are that photographers don't even bother with. Granted there's no way I'm quitting my day job, but the thought of financing my hobby through this method is appealing. I'm sure ill be referred to as the "Craiglist or FB" photographer, but that's ok. I had a blast taking great photos of normal people enjoying their hobby and giving me a chance to enjoy mine. I feel I offer a great service, I am out there anyways and if you want to buy some photos here is the website. If they don't buy a single one, no big deal.
Anyone else have this experience? From reading this sub-forum I got the impression the photography world was over saturated with everyone owning a DSLR. So far that doesn't seem to be the case.