When you first start out-

[kelleycakes]

Where do you get your clientel from?

did you start out with a studio, or in your home?

 

[twocolor]

To start out, take pics of your kids and family, and display them proudly! When people came into my home to visit or chat, they'd ask who did your children's pictures. When I responded that I did, one thing led to another. If you do a good job, everything else will fall into place.

Granted, this also depends on if you're looking into doing this as a full time job or not. To get the clientelle to make photography a full time, good paying job, you need to advertise and get your name out there. I donate gift certificates for free portrait settings to the local hospital to give to their new mothers. It costs me nothing but time for thier first shoot, if you do a good job, they'll send their friends and come back for more!

 

[BuZzZeRkEr]

Best advice I can give is start with taking pictures, build a portfolio, get the word out, make business cards (always keep them on hand), and have a website and the right equipment. There is a great sticky thread in the General Shop Talk section of the forum about starting out. Good luck!

 

[kelleycakes]

Thank you for sharing your advice, its all great advice.

 

[Big Mike]

Thread Moved

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95620

 

[RyanLilly]

Just carry a DSLR with a Speedlight around your neck, and just let the people come to you. But actually I'm not completely joking. I after taking pictures for my friends band and letting him post them on his website and passing around a few prints. I got approached by other musicians about doing their photograph as well. Just sitting around at a bar you get people saying, "Hey Ryan, talk to me sometime about what it would cost to do some photograph for my band."