Photo by enigma_images via iStock
Making money from photography is a goal of many really good amateur photographers. Is that a goal of yours?
If so, you’ll want to know some helpful hints for running a successful photography business!
This guide offers several beginner tips for building a successful photography business and keeping it going and profitable. From having the appropriate skills and the right gear to protecting your business and partnering with a high-quality printing company, we’ll cover all the basics!
Table of Contents:
- A Successful Photography Business Needs an Excellent Photographer
- The Right Gear for a Successful Photography Business
- Protect Your Investment and Your Talent
- Sell Your Photography Online
- A Successful Photography Business Must Grow
- Recommended Photography Gear
A Successful Photography Business Needs an Excellent Photographer
Photo by jacoblund via iStock
The absolute top tip for building a successful photography business is to be an excellent photographer. But exactly what does that mean?
A lot of photographers are pretty good. And a lot of people interested in photography take some very nice photos. But there is a difference between a person interested in photography who captures good images and a photographer that others would be willing to pay money for their photos.
The difference can be subtle at times, but it’s obvious when an image doesn't quite measure up to that level once that difference is seen in your photography. The trick for starting a successful photography business is to make that reaction happen more often than every once in a while.
Photo by RossHelen via iStock
What that means is that we need to excel in what we do. It’s an important part of a photography business to offer people better photography than what they can do on their own. Why would they want to hire someone at the same skill level as them or buy an image that looks like what's in their smartphone gallery?
Sometimes, that means a photographer may need to concentrate on one or two photography niches. For some, that will mean concentrating on images of people, such as portraits, fashion, newborn, maternity, seniors, and so on. For others, it may be landscape images, nature photography, or urban street scenes.
Once you have that idea set in your thoughts of providing excellent photography that other photographers don’t quite offer, you've set yourself apart and are on your way toward a successful photography business.
The Right Gear for a Successful Photography Business
Photo by Chalabala via iStock
While a good photographer can take a good image with whatever gear is in their hands, there are some aspects of working as a photographer that require a different level of gear.
This isn’t being a gear snob, but it is a fact of working life that running a business with tools requires a better level of tools. Photographically speaking, that can mean more rugged cameras and lenses with more specialized features or a better method of doing the job.
It's similar to how a fine wood artisan can use any saw or drill, but they tend to use heavier-duty gear and sometimes some specialized equipment. It may cost more money in the short term, but there are rewards in the long run.
Protect Your Investment and Your Talent
Photo by Wasan Tita via iStock
Once you see what you and your photography are worth, you’ll think of how to protect yourself, your gear, and your business interests.
Business insurance is one way to ensure you’re protected; having the right kind and level of coverage for a photography business is essential for starting a successful photography business and keeping it going.
Protecting your talent means improving your current skills and getting more skills you can leverage to make your photography business even more successful.
Sell Your Photography Online
Even if you’re one of those photographers who grew up with film, printing paper, and darkrooms, much of what is done today in professional photography and in photographic sales is digital and online.
There are more ways to market your photography than one can shake a stick at, but some are better than others. A wonderful method to start your successful photography business is using the tools experts have set up.
Saal Digital, already one of the best places for order fulfillment of high-quality printed images, also has a fantastic online marketing tool set, the Saal Photo Portal.
What is the Saal Photo Portal? In simple terms, it’s a digital storefront for your fine images. You upload your image files, make a few settings decisions, and Saal Digital handles all of the hard stuff, like printing, collecting the money, and shipping out the physical merchandise. You can check out a demo here.
You can set prices depending on image resolution, print types or sizes, or even print sets of multiple types. They use their resources to store, show, and sell your images; you can decide how much profit you want.
All you have to do now is make sure people are seeing your Saal Photo Portal galleries!
A Successful Photography Business Must Grow
Photo by ferrerivideo via iStock
Getting people to see your images, to discern your skills and capabilities, and to know your worth as a photography business means you need to keep growing. Part of developing a successful photography business is managing modern methods of spreading the word.
Social media is a huge part of this, but there is more happening in the business world than being on one of the platforms. Email and texting campaigns also work, as do the old-fashioned ways of handing out business cards, networking with other businesses, and being visible in the community.
What that means for your successful photography business will depend greatly on how much work and other investments you want to put into your business. Learning new skills or improving at what you already do well is a large part of keeping your successful photography business going.
Use these beginner tips for building and maintaining your own successful photography business, and enjoy getting paid for doing what you love doing.
Recommended Photography Gear
Learn More:
- 4 Tips for Creating Photos that Grab People’s Attention
- How To Give Your Photos a High-End Look
- How Much Does Professional Photography Cost?