Feeling a Little Lost...

[JayLynn]

Ok, so here is the deal...
I LOVE photography, and have had an interest in it since I can remember. I think it would be amazing to start a business that would be successful and still be able to love what I'm doing and not get frustrated with it.

And now here is the problem...
I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to business stuff, no idea how to get started, and no idea if I actually have talent to be successful and be able to provide for what my clients want. Plus on top of it all, I'm a broke college student so I can't really put any real money into anything yet. I have done a couple of little sessions with family and friends and put together a Facebook page (it's always on Facebook isn't it :er, but like I said, I have no idea what I am doing.

It would be really awesome if anyone had any feedback, or any helpful tips that they could give me, or even if anyone wanted to check out what I have on the page and let me know what they think about them. I haven't had any schooling or any type of teaching and only do what I feel looks acceptable and what I enjoy.

 

[cgipson1]

And now here is the problem...
I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to business stuff, no idea how to get started, and no idea if I actually have talent to be successful and be able to provide for what my clients want. Jamie Lynn Photography | Facebook

Interesting that you would post the above, and yet still have this "Quality photography at reasonable prices. By Appointment Only." on your Facebook page! $80 to $85 for a FIVE HOUR SESSION? Whoa..... That is "interesting"!

What are you taking in College? Business? Photography?

If you post some of your images here.. you will get some answers on the images.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...forum-functions-pictoral-guide-using-tpf.html

There are several threads here on starting a photography business.. and all that entails. Taxes, Licenses, Insurance, Contracts, Release Forms, etc..... search and you will find them. You will also find some kind hearted souls here that will probably try and help you.. but only if you are serious, and want to learn.
If you are shooting without contracts and insurance, please be careful... it only takes one angry person to put you in a world of hurt. If you are charging, and not paying taxes on what you earn.. that is a big can of worms also.

Personally, based on your images, I don't think you should be charging yet. Good luck!

 

[raider]

start with a business plan and a huge business loan. of course. love and a camera is not the way or a good reason to start a business.

 

[Overread]

If you don't know where you're going and haven't the money to invest then starting up a business will be hard. You might well want to try an internship/apprenticing/secondshooter etc... with an already established photographer or photography company. That gives you a bit of growing space to further your craft, learn some of the ins and outs of professional working.

 

[AgentDrex]

So, I looked through your photos at failbook (I deleted my failbook account about a month and a half ago). You seem to have, at the very least, people skills.

I cannot, for the life of me, get anyone to stand still in front of the camera. As soon as I try to take photos, they put their hands in their face or just flat run away. I know I'm not all that good at portraits but how am I supposed to get practice if they don't let me take photos? I've been lucky to get a few people to stick around long enough to take a photo of them.

None of them are good like yours though. I mean, yours still need some work. I saw some slight motion blur and a LOT of tilted photos (if thats what floats your Lake Superior boat) but overall, you have the talent, just need more practice. You are definitely going to need to go through and edit out the grammar/spelling mistakes on your page. You could be the most professional photographer out there and get no work based simply on the fact that there are misspellings and grammatical errors.

I wish you luck. You have a gorgeous area to shoot in. How many shots have you done in the Rose Garden in Leif Erikson Park?

 

[tirediron]

Here's my $00.02 (Before taxes) worth. Don't worry about the photography aspect of it just yet. In fact, just put the camera down and leave it alone for a while. NOW, pick up your local campus newspaper, and look for any and all night courses/adult-ed seminars etc on business ed, entrepreneurship, etc. While you're doing that, put together your resume and slog your butt around to every photographer in town and ask/beg/plead for a position as an "Intern" (Trade slang for "unpaid slave") or, if you're really lucky as a [very low] paid second-shooter. Learn the business that way.

 

[KmH]

A photography business is way more about business knowledge and skills than it is about photography knowledge and skills.

The first step to starting a photography, or any other kind of, business is to do the research necessary for writing a solid business & marketing plan.

If you fail to plan, plan to fail.

Get started for free, right here - Starting & Managing a Business | SBA.gov

You can also tap into the free, Service Corp of Retired Executives at www.score.org.

It would be better if your life long interest had been business.

I started a photography business, so the business could support an expensive hobby I had.

 

[orljustin]

Ok, so here is the deal...
I LOVE photography, and have had an interest in it since I can remember. I think it would be amazing to start a business that would be successful and still be able to love what I'm doing and not get frustrated with it.

Why do you have "to start a business" just because you "LOVE" photography? You can "LOVE" a hobby. Why does everything think because they like to snap pictures, suddenly, they need to "start a business"?

 

[fsquare]

Ok, so here is the deal...
I LOVE photography, and have had an interest in it since I can remember. I think it would be amazing to start a business that would be successful and still be able to love what I'm doing and not get frustrated with it.

Why do you have "to start a business" just because you "LOVE" photography? You can "LOVE" a hobby. Why does everything think because they like to snap pictures, suddenly, they need to "start a business"?

Because doing what you love doesn't end up feeling like work. Why should she do something she isn't happy doing just to make a few bucks?

Where i disagree with her is having to start a business from it. Start working for a studio or for another photographer and learn the trade as well as the business side of it. Pick his or her mind as much as you can and then move on from there.

 

[orljustin]

Actually, doing "what you love" does tend to end up feeling like work, because it is work.

 

[Bossy]

Why do you have "to start a business" just because you "LOVE" photography? You can "LOVE" a hobby. Why does everything think because they like to snap pictures, suddenly, they need to "start a business"?

Because Mom and Pop say that her pics are phenomenal and therefore she should make milllions of dollars from it. Slightly sarcastic, but mostly true. However that doesn't mean someone can't grow from that point.

 

[tirediron]

Actually, doing "what you love" does tend to end up feeling like work, because it is work.

True, but not nearly so much as doing work that you don't like to do does!

 

[chuasam]

had to share

In truth, being a professional photographer is like 90% of the time looking for clients 5% of the time shooting (if you're lucky) 5% in post production. That's what it feels like anyway.

 

[rub]

Focus on your schooling now, take business courses at night, find an internship (even in small towns you can) and let your craft grow. I don't think your images are at the level they need to be to start charging, and I say this because thats about the level I was when I started charging and it was a mistake. Find your photographic "voice", work on your business skills, and in 3 years come out guns blazing and blow everyone away. By that time all the businesses who are starting just like you without the experience and business sense will be long gone.

 

[imagemaker46]

had to share

In truth, being a professional photographer is like 90% of the time looking for clients 5% of the time shooting (if you're lucky) 5% in post production. That's what it feels like anyway.

Love it.

Yep that's pretty close. A lot of people "love" photography and have been told that they are a "talented" photographer and they "should" do it for a living. These are same people that aren't photographers and don't understand, or know how difficult it can be. If you love to do something, learn everything you can about it, take courses, not just in what you want, but also business courses. Loving something doesn't mean that you will be a success at it. I know lots of very skilled photographers that are working as photographers and just getting by, are they successful photographers, depends on how you define success. Is it, at the end of the month having no money in the bank, but all the bills paid? That's how a lot of the "successful" photographers I know are living. Oh and they love photography as well. I know photographers that hate the job they are doing, but are making good money, they wouldn't quit to freelance, as they like the steady cheque. They are successful just not lovin' it.

Just learn as much as you can and see where it takes you.