How to start a....?

[Kimsue98]

I am an amateur photographer(brand new!). I took some pics of my cousin and my best friends family and everyone is telling me to get paid at this. I really feel like I have a creative eye. My question is "How to start a business?!" First, do you jump right in and offer prints only? or do you offer a CD? I am afraid I am to "new" to start out w/ a session fee and print prices. However, I don't want to give away my work on a CD. Please help! I have read through the threads and really couldn't find one that was geared toward starting out! I have checked out my local competition and know their prices but just don't know if I can start out at their level. How do photographers start? Input is much appreciated!

 

[Johnboy2978]

It's kind of a tricky question with many different caveats. First off, I'm not a "pro". I have a FT job in a completely different field and stumbled into photography as a hobby about 6 years ago. To date, I haven't really put myself out there and tried to live off of the lens, but have thought about it very strongly at times. I've done several jobs, weddings, some seniors, some family and child portraits, etc. that have paid for all of my toys. I now have enough gear that I could feasibly open a studio from the jobs I've done but I am short on backgrounds etc. When I say gear, that includes redundant gear that you would need if you market yourself as a pro including multiple bodies, flashes, etc in the event that something fails. I think this is really a business that grows or fails due to word of mouth. If you have a good product, word of mouth will continue your business. Your ability to market yourself and function as a sales/business man/woman will continue or sink your business. You success as a business will depend 85-90% on your business skills and 10-15% on your photog skills.
Prints or CD? I've done both and really just prefer the CD route. If I were really in a FT business, I would do prints only probably, but doing it on the side, I just want to do the job, edit the work, deliver and move on. I really don't want a relationship with them which does limit your $ some as well as furthering your business. As for fees, there's a lot of different theories and you really need to just decide what works best for you. Some charge more up front and less on the back end, it's up to you. Another thing to consider is having someone to back you up in the event that you can't fulfill your obligations to the client. Consider a booked wedding and you are in an accident and can't make it to the venue. You're business could be failed overnight if you don't deliver and have someone to cover the event in your absence. It's things like that which are out of my control that has made me not pursue this as much as I'd like.
I guess that's a start to answering your question. It's a pretty broad question and others will weigh in as well.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

There are many things that should be considered when starting a business, whether it's photography or selling cookies. Contact your local city/state government and find out what permits or licences you will need. Maybe talk to a banker, accountant to find out the best way to set up your business and collect/pay your taxes, insurance etc.

As for the photography part, you need to figure out the type of shoots you want to do and the market of clients that you want to work for/target. Figure out your business plan and how you want to structure you prices & products.

And of course, you need to decide if you think you are ready to take on the responsibility of doing something on a professional level. Do you have back-up gear, in case something breaks or just stops working? Do you really know what you are doing?....and so on.

If you want to jump in a start doing it...more power to you. But someone might read your post and see it as...
"I just got my driver's license and my mom says I'm a great driver. How do I get into NASCAR?

Your best bet may be to get as much experience and education as you can, then asses if this is something you want to start a business in.

 

[MichiganFarts]

My wife wanted to send out Christmas cards, so she asked me to take a pic of our family. I didn't really want to, 'cause I knew this would happen. I'll take five minutes, do a snapshot, my wife would rave about how great it was...then I'd go downstairs and resume watching my football game.

Later on, everyone she sends it to will say how great it is because I actually know how to use PS enough to put together "Merry Christmas" text, the first holiday clipart I can find on my comp, and a little gradient in the background Then, they'll say I should go into business doing it.

Can't even count the amount of times I've heard this coming from people that know I love to shoot photographs, based off of mediocre photography, at best

Point is, get a professional opinion. You can't go based on what your friends and family say.

 

[KmH]

In Arkansas, you start right here:

http://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/offices/policyAndLegal/Documents/starting_a-new_business.pdf

 

[Kimsue98]

Thank you for everyone's input. I realize I have a ways to go. I was just wondering how one starts off as far as "when you actually start charging?, and when you do start charging, "do you charge for a session fee and a CD?", then do you get into printing your photos for them or do you just jump right in and start charging for prints. I figure that I will shoot many for free or very little for awhile to build my portfolio. Just wasn't sure how to go from there. I am just wanting to do natural light photography and not get into studios and weddings. (More family, babies, couples, seniors)

Thanks again!

 

[orljustin]

I am an amateur photographer(brand new!). I took some pics of my cousin and my best friends family and everyone is telling me to get paid at this. I really feel like I have a creative eye. My question is "How to start a business?!"

So, you just got an entry level camera for Christmas, and now, suddenly, you feel you have mastered photography to the point where you are dependable and reliable enough to deliver quality results all the time and feel you can charge people?

Step back. Take photos at family events for free. For a while. BTW, "family and friends" are notorious for loving anything that is downloaded from a card regardless of whether it is quality work or not. Do not take their word on anything dealing with critical looks at what you output.

"Natural light" is newbie-photographer speak for "I don't know anything about flashes or reflectors, but still want to sound really artistic, so lets go to the park and take pictures in full sunlight". Someone charging for portraits will need to know how to use light modifiers to get a desired look, style or effect.

So again. Shoot family, for free, at events, for a while, in different situations. Then worry about "business".

 

[ANBAY]

First of all orljustin....way to encourage someone new to photography!

This is one thing I can't understand is how someone who knows nothing about the person they are talking to can bash their hopes! It's another thing if you wish to talk about how great you are or how you learned and mastered your work (because it sounds like you are def an expert), but geesh give Kimsue98 a break! This person is just asking for some input on how to start. Maybe saying.....this is how I started, or your best way is maybe to get more experience, etc. Taking assumption that this person just got a new camera for Christmas is just down right rude!!!

Kimsue98...I just wanted to say good luck in starting your new beginnings in photography. It sounds like you have a lot in store for you and hope you enjoy photography as much as others on this forum do. Hopefully there will be some encouraging folks on here (not those that criticize what you are doing) that will help lead you in the right direction. I think you are doing the right thing by starting with friends/family and getting your name out there. If people are willing to pay for your work, then obviously you are doing something right! This is how most people doing what they love to do get started I'm sure!

Good Luck!

 

[flightless_beaker]

Kimsue, I'm in the process of getting my business together now. I've been reading books, lurking in these boards just taking in what people have said about their businesses. Just gonna say from what I'm going through right now, its no picnic. My business venture is on my mind 24/7 trying to figure out what I need to do, how I will charge, what my expenses will be, how I will get funded (am I gonna get a loan or grants?). Even when I think I have it figured out, as I keep researching I end up rethinking some of my decisions. I do have a good idea on what I want to do and how to do it but its extremely tough. And that isn't even getting into the forms and applications you need to fill out with the government to have a legitimate business. Its tough work and I haven't even gotten to the bureaucratic part yet :banghead:

I dunno how long you have been doing photography but it does involve a lot of skill and know how to make a business out of it. Now I'm not trying to discourage you. In fact, the opposite. I've been doing photography for years but it has been my love of the art that keeps me going and wanting to pursue this. If you just got your SLR and you want to pursue it, practice practice practice. Pick up some photography books. Go on youtube and watch some tutorials (trust me they help. i still watch them to learn and reinforce what i already know). Keep posting on this board. You will pick it up, don't worry; especially if you love it. It won't be an overnight thing but a continuous learning experience. Then down the line if you want to do it as a career, definitely do it.

Random thought: I see this topic come up all the time. Should I start a blog about my experience with starting up a photography business?

 

[tirediron]

Grab your nearest Adult-Ed brochure and book yourself in for all of the small-business/entrepreneurship courses they offer. There are two parts to a photography business: The photography part and the business part. The photography part is easy: Read a lot, practice a lot, get your hopes dashed by harsh critique, repeat. THe business part is controlled by the government and customers... You can't fake that. Good luck!

 

[orljustin]

First of all orljustin....way to encourage someone new to photography!

Oh, were we talking about encouraging someone in a photography hobby who has a real interest in capturing images for their own love of the thing? 'cause I thought the OP had just bought a camera and was ready to go out and give people professional reliable results and charge accordingly. Sorry I got that wrong.

Why not be honest and save time here?