Making money for glamour-type photography?

[ronjohn]

Any glamour photographers on here like to share whether it's possible to make money as a glamour photographer? If so, who is your main customer and how do you go about customer acquisition?

 

[rub]

Possible? Of course it is. I shoot more boudoir than glamour, but the target market is still much the same.

A few tips:
Don't be creepy.
EVERY woman should be your market. if you can take someone who lacks self confidence and make them feel amazing, you will keep busy.
Word of mouth is huge for aquiring clients.
Don't be creepy.
The experience is just as, if not more important, than the final product.
Never touch the model/client.
Don't be creepy.

The market is huge. The potential reveue is huge. As long as you aren't creepy.

 

[ashleykaryl]

Yes it's definitely possible to earn a good income shooting glamour but I don't think anybody on a forum is going to tell you who their main customer is or how they found them. Photography is much like other types of business where you need to get out and sell yourself by various means. Personally I think too many people now are trying to rely on email or other supposedly simple means and while there is nothing wrong in searching for information via the internet you shouldn't underestimate the value of personal contact. As the poster above said word of mouth and developing a good reputation is very important.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

My professor is a glamour/fashion/marketing photographer and its amazing how successful he is. Clients flying in from everywhere, not just this continent.

 

[Alpha]

As a big shot glamour photographer your money will come from clients who want your images for some type of publication more than from any "portrait client." Step 1 is building a strong portfolio. Step 2 is chasing art directors, magazines, and modeling agencies, and networking like hell.

 

[CCericola]

Many commercial artists are represented by agents that get them work. It gives the photographer the ability to focus on their craft and not sales. And you will see that many art directors, creative directors etc... go through agents for commissions. Not that you HAVE to be with an agency. But I would think it would make life easier for creative people who are not good business people.

 

[KmH]

As a big shot glamour photographer your money will come from clients who want your images for some type of publication more than from any "portrait client." Step 1 is building a strong portfolio. Step 2 is chasing art directors, magazines, and modeling agencies, and networking like hell.

And those commercial glamour photographers make a majority of their money from licensing the use of the images they make.

OP. You don't show a location in your profile. What part of the planet are you on? Living in a major city would be a plus. I didn't get much call for glamour work here in rural central Iowa.

Commercial photography has a very different business model than retail photography has. One post mentioned boudoir, typically a retail portraiture photography genre.

As Christina mentioned, many commercial photographers have an artist representative that gets them their bookings. A good rep has a ton of contacts in the publication and advertising worlds. Finding and being accepted by a good rep can also be a challenge. Most of the good ones already have all the artists they can handle.

In all forms of photography for pay, having good, solid, business acumen is also important.

 

[camz]

There's a thousand for you KMH.

Geezuz you almost have more likes then I have posts

 

[ronjohn]

great knowledge in here guys.

You guys mentioned a lot about networking.

Does anyone have any good ideas on really doing some networking, not with clients, but with magazines, agencies, etc?

 

[Paul Ron]

If you want to get some experiance n build a portfolio, register on Model Mayhem....

ModelMayhem.com - MM Forums are cooler than hanging out with Vince Vaughn on a 5 day bender

There are plenty of models right in your area just starting out that need ports just like you and will do Time for prints (or CDs these days) . You get to work with inexperiance but do refine your skills and find some more experianced models as you go... at no cost. Once you start getting critiques n build a nice poret, you will learn n grow to the point where you can stat charging or finding jobs.