Photography as a business?
By jdrhodes
@jdrhodes (111)
United States
May 20, 2008 5:55pm CST
Are there any professional or semi-pro photographers here? What kinds of photographs do you shoot (i.e. wedding, portrait, or something else)? Do you have a business model or website? What kind of gear do you use? How do you decide what to charge for your photography? How do you advertise your services?
I used to shoot weddings for a business, and quickly grew unsatisfied with the compensation I recieved, as well as the quality of service the customer was receiving from the company, which of course I had no control of. I work a day job and don't have alot of extra time or money to build into a business, but would like to shoot again part-time. Any suggestions?
4 responses
@Flogitandswapit (4)
•
23 May 08
I am a full time professioanl photographer and do weddings, portraits, commercial work, stock photos and also run www.Photographers-United.com.
At Photographers United, we work together on ideas, promotis and ideas to help each other make a living from photography.
A lot of our work is generated from competitions such as Pet-Idol (www.pet-idol.co.uk) and Models United (www.models-united.com).
It can be hard to make a living from photography, but if you are prepared to put in the work, the rewards are there to be had.
Paul
@jdrhodes (111)
• United States
24 May 08
Thanks for your post Paul. That is an interesting concept, that photographers can compete and cooperate at the same time. Every photographer is different. I've met photographers who treat their work with every uptmost care to create a "true piece of art." Oftentimes they can get on your nerves! Or people who treat their photography solely as a money-making business. There is something unappealing about this mindset too. The fact is they are both right. Photography has a lot of aspects to it, and every photographer has a different approach or philosophy. We really do have alot to learn from each other.
@Flogitandswapit (4)
•
24 May 08
We all work together and help each other. We only have one member in each area, so there is no real competition.
Most of our members are in the UK, with one in Eire. We are hoping to recruit overseas members too, so please get in touch if your are interested in joining our happy gang.
Paul
@jdrhodes (111)
• United States
24 May 08
How did you approach the newspaper for work? Do you just take the pictures and see if they want them, or do you go on assignment with a reporter? This is an interesting field because your images are exposed to many more people than a client-based business like wedding or portrait photography. Thank you for your response.
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
21 May 08
I used to make a comfortable living taking pictures. It was a good thing and I also did weddings and functions. I like to do portraits because they are more relaxed in terms of schedules unlike a wedding or a function which can go terribly wrong.
@jdrhodes (111)
• United States
24 May 08
Yes, I agree that photographing weddings can be extremely stressful. In my exerience the bride and the bride's mother are quite possibily the most dangerous mammals in north america. A grizzly bear mother protecting her cub comes in second. I've also shot weddings for some great couples, who where relaxed and had alot of fun. It is a coin toss business. Portraits are difficult when you run into incooperative or shy subjects, but a little patience can usually help you out there. Thank you for your comment!
