Shooting events

[texxter]

Photography as a full-time occupation is a tough field. Making a living doing photography full-time usually results from having a reputation with a group of repeat customers and/or referrals, whether they are companies or individuals who appreciate professional photography. A friend of mine is an architectural photographer and he co-supports his family with a relatively small number of architectural firms and magazines. The trick is to be known and called over and over again. For wedding, as for portrait photographer, it's mostly word of mouth and having a reputation and a portfolio to support it.

If I were in your shoes I would spend my time making myself known in however many ways I can. You can offer free promotional portraits and expect referrals. You can shoot an event for free and ask people for their email addresses to get the photos. Then contact them to tell them you'd love to shoot their family and you're affordable. Once you have a few clients who are happy with your work, they'll tell family, friends and coworkers and they'll call you.

 

[Nwcid]

Photography as a full-time occupation is a tough field. Making a living doing photography full-time usually results from having a reputation with a group of repeat customers and/or referrals, whether they are companies or individuals who appreciate professional photography. A friend of mine is an architectural photographer and he co-supports his family with a relatively small number of architectural firms and magazines. The trick is to be known and called over and over again. For wedding, as for portrait photographer, it's mostly word of mouth and having a reputation and a portfolio to support it.

If I were in your shoes I would spend my time making myself known in however many ways I can. You can offer free promotional portraits and expect referrals. You can shoot an event for free and ask people for their email addresses to get the photos. Then contact them to tell them you'd love to shoot their family and you're affordable. Once you have a few clients who are happy with your work, they'll tell family, friends and coworkers and they'll call you.

All good points for sure, but I also have to find a balance. I plan on hitting the road in just under 2.5 years to travel and do travel related media. This would be because it is what I have a passion for and to supplement my other sources of income. With this in mind, I am not sure if it would help or hurt to build a larger local customer base and then leave.

Right now I do have a booth at 3 local summer events where I will have my prints for sale. While I am there I plan on promoting that I am at the event on my social media. I will be taking pics during the event and will be using those to promote also.

One of my friends is related to half of a small town where I live. She has a ton of contacts and will help me promote my business when I am ready. I am planning on doing that in the next 30-60 days.

As I mentioned before I have a friend that runs the social media for several local businesses that would be appropriate to partner with to get my name out there.

 

[ac12]

It will absolutely hurt you to build a customer base and then leave.

Very BAD timing.
Inertia is at work here.
It takes a LONG time to build a business (average is 5 years), and to cut out as your business is growing will cost you.
When/if you come back, it may be harder for you to rebuild, because those customers that you worked hard to get, will have moved on to other photographers, and may not want to return to you. So you will be starting all over again, from scratch.
The longer you stay away, the harder the restart will be.

Or are you planning to completely cut and change over to travel photography?

Given your plan, I would minimize the expenses in the current business as much as possible.
You need to be positive cash flow now, or cut it. You don't have the 5 years to go from losing money to profit.

You should not get into any long term business relationships that you will be walking away from. People who help you are making an investment in you. They would be quite unhappy if you then walked away after a couple of years. Their help/investment would have gone down the drain.
So you need to be upfront with all the people that are helping you, that you will be leaving in 2 years to do something different for X amount of time, or may not return.

Example1. If I know you are leaving in 2 years, I would not give you the same amount of help that I would to someone who is trying to start a long term business. Why should I, you are leaving in 2 years. So I am going to minimize my losses from the beginning.

Example2. If you leave in 2 years and not tell me that was your plan, I would be really PI$$ED OFF. Because I would have expended time, energy, money and favors to help you, and now you are leaving. If you come back, I will not help you again. You burned a bridge.​

 

[Nwcid]

All valid points, but my business is not based around seniors, portrait, wedding or other people centered photography. The business I am building is based around landscape, travel, SCUBA, adventure, ect. There is nothing to change over to.

In approximately 2.5 years, when the youngest kid graduates, we will be headed down the road in an RV for at least 1 year. If we find that we can survive financially, who knows when or if we will permanently return. I will still have ties to the community here and unless there is some major change, our house and property will remain.

The current business has only been in existence for 3 months. The most likely source for my first income is selling prints at the 3 local events.

 

[jcdeboever]

Personally, I think there is a better, more lucrative markets in photography. Product photography, corporate photography, and high end real estate photography. If I were to make a career in photography, this would probably be my focus areas. As designer mentioned, selling images is another avenue less traveled.

Understand your markets and put a solid business plan together. That should be your initial focus. Most fail in business because they fail to plan. As a salesman, I understand my markets, and create a business plan every year. The business plan is then used as a tool to measure performance and objectives.

 

[vintagesnaps]

You have photos that I think could be sellable and I'd think you could do well at the shows/fairs. I think though that depending on photography as income is going to be challenging and I wouldn't really count on it other than as a sideline. The only other photographers I know from when I was taking photos for a local team were part time at most. Even jobs in other types of media have dwindled; of three guys I know who worked in media/radio one is in retail, one's working at a casino, and another works in banking/loans. Not even close to radio/media or sports.

I've read that small businesses often start and are done within three years. I'm on another message board that I've literally seen that happen; people decide they're going to do portraits and weddings, get started and run into problems, and that's it. Much of it seems to have been a lack of preparation and basically just putting themselves on social media, underpricing, producing mediocre work, and that seems to only get them so far and they're done.

You could try getting on American Society of Media Photographers - Homepage or PPA and get some idea what's involved in photography as a job/business. You know your area and maybe having some contacts will be helpful, but if the plan is to travel in a couple of years then you'd probably need to figure out how to market travel photography. ASMP does webinars (no cost, don't have to be a member, they send a link for the webcast) or maybe there are other resources out there on marketing travel photography. It might be workable as part time income but as the saying goes, I don't think I'd be putting all my eggs in one basket, and maybe see if this could work along with other options or possibilities.

 

[Nwcid]

I am putting every effort into building my business, but I am far from depending on it. Right now if I can make some enough money to cover expenses I will be happy. Not that anyone wants to lose money, but the money I am using to establish this business is an acceptable risk for me. With my projected expenses for this year, even going very high, is less then 5% of my annual income. The greater risk for me is to not try. I would love to see my business grow, but if for some reason it does not, the risk is more then worth it.

I am so appreciative of all the people that have taken time to help me either by simply supporting me in this, those that helped proof my site while I was building it, everyone that has taken time to answer my questions on here, and even the people that just gave up a bit of their valuable time to look at my site.

This business also gives purpose to some of my photography. I travel a lot and see tons of things I "should" photograph, or "will photograph some day". Instead of passing them by, I now take time to stop. I take time to travel and explore paths that are out of the way. These are things that I want to do, but daily life usually overrides. How can a person not try and turn the things they enjoy into a business so they can do it more? I do understand that turning hobbies into business will can change fun into work.

Ultimately I am willing to think outside the box. I am willing to try things that might be different or not the normal. If you never try you never know. Each failure is a learning point to become that much better. Each venture has to start somewhere and I am still in the starting stage. If you wait until everything is perfect, you will never start as perfect is never achieved.

 

[Gary A.]

I used to be a full time news photographer. I have friends who are commercial photographers. Generally, Commercial/Studio type photography requires equal or greater business skills than photographic skills, in order to be successful. The digital age has lowered the "need" for full-time professional photographers. But there is still a need and there are still many photogs who are doing well as professional photographers. But, and granted, most fail at attaining a full-time career in photography.

I like your attitude and will-to-succeed. You will never know if you could be one of the few who attained a full time career in photography until you try. Derrel delivered some advice which could be very useful. Shooting news will hone your skills in shooting under pressure, shooting in tough lighting, shooting a story, shooting fast, shooting a wide variety of genres, et al. You won't make much money, but you will gain experience, exposure and contacts.

Adding dialogue to your travel images/story will add another dimension to your photography and may create additional monetary opportunities.

Good Luck and Good Shooting.

 

[Nwcid]

Shooting news will hone your skills in shooting under pressure, shooting in tough lighting, shooting a story, shooting fast, shooting a wide variety of genres, et al.

Funny story about that.... Due to my profession, I usually find myself with access to places news people do not. Or when they do, they are working with a PIO (public information officer).

A year ago I was on scene of a house fire and I had the opportunity to grab my camera bag before responding. I had full access to the scene so I was able to get some great shots. At one point the local news photographer saw me with my camera and was giving me some seriously dirty looks. In this photo you can see him standing across the street, Wildland Fire Pics

I am not part of the department that is the focus of this set.

 

[Gary A.]

I shot in major markets, never has a PIO interfered or restricted my movements at a news event. The PIO(s) only answered questions or delivered department generated information.

 

[ac12]

Do proper business plan.
Then have it reviewed and critiqued by a few in the business and a few business people.
The better the business plan, the better your chance of success. Because it forces you to look at stuff that you might overlook.
In your case, the business plan should go out to the time period when you are on the road, and when/if you return.

I had a friend who ended up closing his business, because he could not keep his client pipe full. So he ran out of enough clients to keep his business going.
This is the business side of the business. Nothing to do with photography, but everything to do with keeping the business going.

While you are on your 1 year road trip, how are you going to keep the business going, so that you have continued income from the business? Or is the business going to sleep, while you are on the road?

gud luk

 

[Nwcid]

Do proper business plan.
Then have it reviewed and critiqued by a few in the business and a few business people.
The better the business plan, the better your chance of success. Because it forces you to look at stuff that you might overlook.
In your case, the business plan should go out to the time period when you are on the road, and when/if you return.

Solid point. I did a rough draft basic plan, but not very in depth. It is to give me some basic guidance.

I had a friend who ended up closing his business, because he could not keep his client pipe full. So he ran out of enough clients to keep his business going.
This is the business side of the business. Nothing to do with photography, but everything to do with keeping the business going.

I absolutely agree that the business side has more effect on being successful then the skill of photography.

While you are on your 1 year road trip, how are you going to keep the business going, so that you have continued income from the business? Or is the business going to sleep, while you are on the road?

Right now the business is based around selling prints, so very little should change there. As we move to traveling I will likely be adding a second site that is more blog/vlog based that deals with all things related to travel, photography, videography, RV, maintenance, ect where ads and affiliate links would provide some income.

Both my wife and I have professional jobs that we can do a large portion of remotely. With my job I need to work part time to maintain my certifications. I spent a lot time getting them and have no plans of giving them up anytime soon. So unless I become ridiculously famous and somehow manage to make millions I will not be giving up my primary job.

gud luk

Thank you.