Photographers: The one thing you need before opening for business
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here are lots of obvious things you need before you can start a photography business. And as much as this seems like a hobby that you can make money through as you learn, it’s not really that simple if you want to establish an honest-to-goodness business. I mean, how many people open restaurants before they can actually cook everything on the menu? Would you expect a meal the chef was practicing for the first time?
So before I tell you the number one thing you need before you should start charging for your services, let’s get something out of the way: it’s obvious that you need a camera. And editing software. And all of those other things. But I interact with so many people through my blog and on forums who have these things and think they’re ready to print a business card and start shoving cash in their camera bag. To which I say “wooooah there partner. You need one more thing before you start handing out that business card.” And what is that one thing?
Consistency
You shouldn’t be calling yourself an in-business photographer, you shouldn’t be trading for money and you certainly shouldn’t be accepting responsibility for someone’s once-in-a-lifetime events {think: wedding} if you don’t have a handle on consistency. That is, you should be able to consistently produce the same caliber of work over and over again. Your work shouldn’t be spray-and-pray. No lucky shots here. Just good, honest blood, sweat and tears to learn your trade so that when you get hired to do a job, you can confidently walk into that job and produce the product your client is hiring you to produce.
A hard truth for some to hear, but I wish I knew this in the beginning.
34 Responses to “Photographers: The one thing you need before opening for business” - Add Yours
February 16th, 2012 at 5:42 am
Thanks for the pep-talk, dad
February 16th, 2012 at 6:08 am
Hi
Totally agree – opening and succeeding in Photography today is a real challenge! Anyone with a Cell Phone or Point and Shoot is a “Pro”.
Establishing a reputation amongst friends and colleagues, then local community is key. be known as a Go-To person who delivers excellent quality exactly as promised!
Two days after shooting this Harley for a client, we deliverd the goods…he was happy and asked to allow rights to publish…
http://kerstenbeckphotoart.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/details-harley-davidson/
February 16th, 2012 at 6:26 am
Agreed!!!
February 16th, 2012 at 6:26 am
This is probably the most cogent “before you go pro” tip I’ve ever read!
February 16th, 2012 at 7:39 am
Nice post – Definitely a worthy reminder to those out there looking to get into business. It’s a lot more than just a camera and a few lenses when you want to start charging for your services, sure you might get a lucky shot here and there, but when you’re charging good money for someone’s perfect day you best be getting exceptional shots at the same time!
February 16th, 2012 at 8:16 am
I would have guessed – accountant.
February 16th, 2012 at 8:34 am
Wow, I wish my brother and sister-in-law knew this tip before they decided to start offering their services. They decided that they were good enough to shoot any situation with their D90 and D5000 without any training and only having taken pictures of their son. They could really benefit from hearing some of the great words of advice on this site. Thanks to everyone who contributes!
February 16th, 2012 at 10:05 am
Running Professional Images, ‘photographers’ regularly send me examples of their best work asking to join our network. To be honest many of the photos they send are cringeworthy. It takes many years of training and guidance to gain the necessary skills to get the right results each and every time.
Just because you own a camera and can take the occasional good photo doesn’t mean you’re good enough to call yourself a pro.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Consistency in photo quality, pricing and everything.. it is really hard to achieve that.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Going from Commercial, Real Estate photographer to Wedding & Portrait photographer over 3 years ago has taught me so much on so many levels that I had no idea what I was in store for until I opened a studio…thats when the key to success came into play with the quality, pricing, sizing and even the format. Yes, consistency is totally key! As I have learned through the school of trial and error.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
Suchhhh good advice. Something I really needed to hear, and I’m so glad it was said. Thanks so much!
February 16th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
There is a question that i want to know the answer for it!
Who is a professional here in photography?
Nowadays it is easy to buy a point and shoot camera
However buying dslr is costly!
http://raghavendra-mobilephotography.blogspot.in/2012/02/bokeh-lights.html
February 16th, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Well said!
So obvious when you think about it but probably one of the most overlooked points I can imagine!
February 17th, 2012 at 12:04 am
I totally agree. This is also what I always strive to do in my line of photography.
I do Automotive photography for http://CustomPinoyRides.com
Since my website is also a blog, I strive to be consistent both on my photography output, as well as frequency of updates. That’s one of the main reasons why my site is now one of the top automotive websites in my country today.
February 17th, 2012 at 1:00 am
I guess consistency is built by using the camera?
February 17th, 2012 at 1:50 am
Consistency is a key factor in any business, that’s why we have QA and process improvement where we keep documenting the things we do, learn, review, and improve them. In tech, we have popular models to improve consistency and quality such as CMMI, ITIL.
However, I think we don’t do the engineering process in photography perhaps because photography is art. If we keep repeating the same process over and over again, every client will get similar photos (e.g. like going to portrait studio in Sears). Any if your mind stays on the same acceptance level, eventually you’ll feel bored with the photos you produce (although the new client might not
I guess my point is that there is a fine balancing point between consistency and creative.
February 17th, 2012 at 2:10 am
Very true! One of the reasons I haven’t made my photography a business is because I don’t feel like I am consistent enough. I need to keep working on my photography and understand it more to really feel like I can call it a true business. Some friends have asked me to do photography for them but I keep my prices pretty low and especially for weddings stress that I am not a professional photographer and still very new at this. I think people sometimes overlook the fact that they’re counting on you to know what you’re doing (especially in a wedding situation) to capture these events and it certainly won’t help your business if you don’t!
February 17th, 2012 at 3:03 am
The point of consistency comes from always learning and keeping fresh ideas of what to shoot or what you wish to shoot in the future. shooting, shooting and packing down everything from technical to non technical.
Very good article.
February 17th, 2012 at 3:09 am
AMEN! I’d love to see this post go viral. I was teaching a basic photography class recently, and the topic was the exposure triangle. Two women in the class, both of whom have hung their shingles as “professional photographers” knew NOTHING (literally, nothing!) about exposure. It would have been hilarious if it wasn’t so depressing. Sorry, but if you shoot on “auto” or “program,” you’re not a professional photographer and you have no business charging people money for your trial-and-error work. Apprentice or go to school – don’t practice on the backs of your clients. And don’t taint the market for the rest of us. Phew, a bit of pent-up frustration there, I guess.
February 17th, 2012 at 3:12 am
I totally agree and more. With all the advances in the DSLR camera there are so many think that “P” stands for professional. My biggest gripe is these “Professionals” are cutting services to nothing and committing Tax fraud in the process. Pay your federal taxes and state sales tax and be a registered business with your state. In other words be legal.
February 17th, 2012 at 3:59 am
@sillyxone — Yes, you need to experiment but those should be carefully inserted into a consistent product if you shoot events like weddings. Be sure you get the “standard shots” that are expected but you can also insert a few “lets see what happens” shots in between. These may become part of your “standard shots” if they are successful. That is how you develop your own style over time. You create your signature look, but not at the risk of failing your client!
February 17th, 2012 at 4:08 am
This topic is very much on for the target the author was thinking of — photographic services. That covers a lot of territory, but one area that that this article does not cover is “fine art prints” which is much more of a “retail” type of business. The customer is paying for the end product, not the services. I am about to hang about six large print gallery wraps in an art gallery setting with every one for sale. I only need to satisfy myself and the gallery owner to get hung but I also need the consumer to agree and make the purchase. I am not risking someone’s special day therefore I can take a “flyer” as the only risk is to me having paid for the prints in advance. Someday as I improve, I may look at these first sales and ask WHAT WAS I THINKING when I offered these for sale, but maybe not. Only time will tell.
February 17th, 2012 at 7:31 am
Yes, I agree!
If I do a “photo” sitting or event, I always state that I offer the best of my ability at the time – mostly for friends. I am thankful that they let me develop consistency!
February 17th, 2012 at 7:36 am
Well Said!! I 00% agree with your statement about consistency. I’m not going to consider myself a professional until I can guarantee that my clients will receive a high level of consistency from me. I get so frustrated by people who call themselves professional photographers and aren’t producing great images, or consistently great images.
February 17th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Another person who agrees with the post. I’d love to be a photographer full time. However I am just not consistent enough. That’s why I have given myself 2 years to get it down right.
Feel free to browse my blog and let me know what you think to some of my efforts.
Mike.
February 17th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
I think Michelle’s point is correct. I think the problem is everyone thinks they can be a professional photographer. It is difficult to maintain consistency if you don’t know what you are doing though.
February 18th, 2012 at 4:21 am
Absolutely agree, but from the customer viewpoint. My wife had a photographer recommended to us and we hired him. This was many years ago but we received zero pictures of or wedding. At the time I was aware that he seemed to be struggling…he sure was, didn’t get any shots. Big disppointment for us both. So folks, you better know what you are doing. Have also heard stories of photographers that disppeared after the wedding shoot or never produced final prints from proofs.
February 18th, 2012 at 6:38 am
Very to the point and honest post Elizabeth, thanks for sharing it. To me consistency (i.e. being able to produce good shots in any shooting conditions repeatedly) is probably half the definition of professional photographer, with the other being making at least 50% of your income from photography. Really, to call oneself a photographer at all, consistency should be at first evident. To add professional before that title means significant if not all income is earned from photography (not to mention having a legally registered/licensed business, paying quarterly/semi-annual sales tax, etc, etc.).
February 18th, 2012 at 9:03 am
I think it is creativity in the results + consistency in processes + professionalism in service. Someone mentioned that too much consistency might make it like Sears or something…I think the writer means consistency in being able to reproduce the same LEVEL of images, not the same images in style/creativity themselves.
February 22nd, 2012 at 12:12 am
One thing I learned also from being a freelance photographer for a year now is that, it doesn’t mean that because you do photography as a means of living, doesn’t mean that you are already a professional photographer.
It is a level or caliber, backed up with – not just results or output – but by gears as well because a bad venue, or very tight room, or even a hectic schedule is not a n excuse not to deliver when your professional services are availed.
My personal opinion though.
February 22nd, 2012 at 8:54 pm
I do not agree totally.
Check Mr. Ford.
Do you think that when he opened the car factory he had any clue on when he was doing?
Do you really believe that most of the successful businesses are managed by people who are experts in their field?
2 words: NO WAY!
You are right that you have to deliver consistent results. But if you are to deliver them, you should wait 1000 years to learn?
You can always have someone with you to help you do this. You can work with experienced ones and slowly start your own business.
If you wait until you get the skill you will never do anything. In this job, you always learn. Always find new ways and consistency should mean control and capability of delivering great results but always different.
You cannot get confident in yourself until you actually do a wedding for example.
Practicing and knowing by heart techniques will never compensate for the experience in the field.
I am sorry but your view is very demotivating.
I say: Start NOW!
Get the basic skills, get a person with experience and start your business now.
Do whatever it takes to get both confidence and some level of experience NOW and the rest will take care of itself.
February 24th, 2012 at 5:07 am
Yes, but Mr. Ford didn’t sell people cars with wheels missing. The point is that you shouldn’t charge people for garbage, and you shouldn’t risk their special days (or even simply waste their time) when you can’t guarantee a decent product.
Believe me, I am all about encouraging talented young photographers through education and mentoring. But let’s call a spade a spade – there are tons of folks out there who just want to make a quick buck or have the “glamour” of the title (ha ha) but can’t make a properly exposed or composed image to save their lives.
March 4th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Amen
April 13th, 2012 at 6:38 am
I agree with frustrated by the “mom-togs”. I have seen alot of people out there who are Military wives who pick up a camera and decides that they are a professional photographer but they produce crap. I know I was no pro and I am still no where near a professional photographer but I did not charge people money. If you would like to see my work you can go to my website http://www.joesmithphotography.com and let me know what your think!
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