How to Move From Shooting Your Friends and Family to Photography Business
- Yulia Rufimskaya
- Sep 7, 2015
- 2 min read
It is not a secret that many young professionals do not jump to the photography business right away. Some of us just need more time to find out all the pros and cons. But thinking about getting money from something we like, make us feel better.
“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
My 5 steps that will get your closer to your dream job:
1) Choose the type of photography you like
It might be portrait, landscape, wedding, studio, or fashion photography. You can also think about doing real estate photography, stock, and other types of photography. While choosing your niche, think about these questions:
- What equipment will you need?
- Do you have any experience in this photography type?
- How much money can you earn from it?
- Will your location help or hurt you?
- What is your local competition like?
Give yourself some time and write down answers to these questions. While it is okay to be interested in many types of photography, it is easier to find your spot in the market when your niche is smaller.
2) Buy your gear
Various types of photography require specific gear. You shoot macro and landscape photos with different lenses. That’s why the 1st step is very important. It will help you to save money! Moving from one niche to another will be hard for you and for your pocket.
3) Market yourself on Social Media
For small businesses, it is very important that your clients will have an easy and fast access to you. Check your social media on a daily basis. Don’t expect people to buy your service immediately. If you just created a page, it does not matter how many people you have as friends or followers. These people won’t buy anything from you unless you show them a reason. Provide them with a useful information, so they can trust you. Trust between you and your clients is a main key to success.
4) Take your business seriously!
And this is very important. If you do not take your business seriously, no one will.
5) Write your business plan
Photographers are creative people, and sometimes when it comes to numbers we give up. However, you should wear several hats at once in order to be successful in the photography business. Taking great pictures is not enough anymore. Look around – the competition is very high nowadays. You should be good not only at photography, but have marketing, entrepreneurial, and communication skills as well. Creating a strong business plan is important, but don’t overdo it. People spend so much time on creating a perfect business plan, rewriting it several times, and never start their business.
I hope these few tips can help you and at least give you a right direction to move on. Don’t forget to write comments and ask me questions below.
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