Starting a Photography Business: Do's and Don'ts to Keep in Mind
- Starting a Photography Business Do: Develop a Detailed Business Plan
- Starting a Photography Business Don’t: Undervalue Yourself
- Starting a Photography Business Do: Purchase the Right Photography Gear
- Starting a Photography Business Don’t: Forget About Marketing and Advertising
- Starting a Photography Business Do: Establish a Photography Network
- Starting a Photography Business Don’t: Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
- Final Thoughts on Starting a Photography Business
- Recommended Photography Gear
- Be consistent with your work.
- Set achievable goals and stick to them.
- Let your passion and inner creativity guide you.
- Try not to compare yourself with others out of the gate.
- Plan time away from your business and put it into your schedule to avoid burnout.
Photo by Krakenimages.com via Shutterstock
Are you thinking about starting a photography business but need help figuring out where to start? If that rings a bell, you are in the right place!
In this article, we’ll share six do’s and don’ts about starting a photography business. We’ll discuss important topics such as business plans, pricing, photography equipment, marketing, networking, income streams, etc. Additionally, we’ll share an excellent resource for printing your photos.
With that in mind, join us to dive in and discover our top tips for starting a photography business in 2024!
Check out the video above by Kayleigh June to learn more about the do’s and don’ts of running your own photography business.
Table of Contents
Starting a Photography Business Do: Develop a Detailed Business Plan
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Before investing money into a business or doing anything else, you must first develop a detailed photography business plan. When creating your business plan, you should consider the type of photography you want to shoot, your brand image, your photography niche, your target audience, etc.
The more time you spend making a solid plan, the more likely your business will start strong out of the gate and succeed in the long run. If you don’t have a background in business, don’t hesitate to ask for professional help developing a plan.
Starting a Photography Business Don’t: Undervalue Yourself
Photo by Krasimira Nevenova via Shutterstock
Whether you plan to sell photography products or offer photography services, don’t undervalue yourself. One of the most common mistakes people make when starting a photography business is pricing their products and services too low. Not only will this hurt your business, but it will hurt the whole photography industry.
People think low prices will attract more customers, but if your prices are too low, it actually has the opposite effect. Customers don’t trust prices that are too far below the market average. Moreover, you will be cutting your profits unnecessarily.
Starting a Photography Business Do: Purchase the Right Photography Gear
Photo by Aleksandr Ivasenko via Shutterstock
Another key to starting a photography business is to get the right gear to meet your needs. Not only will your results be better, but you will also be more productive throughout the photography process. Essentials to initially invest in include a camera body, lenses, a tripod, and a camera bag.
Furthermore, we recommend purchasing a good photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. If you also want to shoot video, gear to consider is a drone, gimbal, video lenses, and a lighting kit.
Learn More:
Starting a Photography Business Don’t: Forget About Marketing and Advertising
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Don’t sleep on the importance of marketing and advertising when starting a photography business. While you may be tempted not to spend money on marketing and advertising in the beginning, it’s the best way to raise awareness for your business and land clients.
You can use both free and paid marketing techniques. Social media is, without a doubt, the most effective free marketing tool. Currently, the most popular social media platforms are Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest. Regarding paid advertising, it’s best to pay for ads that directly target your niche.
Starting a Photography Business Do: Establish a Photography Network
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As in other industries, when starting a photography business, the more people you know, the easier it will be for your company to grow. You should focus on networking both in your local community and online. The bigger your photography network is, the more customers you will attract.
You can network with other photographers and potential/past clients. Good networking resources are local photography groups, events, and exhibitions, as well as online forums, and clubs.
Starting a Photography Business Don’t: Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
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Our final “do” is figuring out how to create multiple photography income streams. The more sources you have, the more recession-proof your business will be and the more likely it will succeed.
For example, you can shoot events as a freelance photographer, sell photography prints, and make videos. One company we highly recommend partnering with is Shiny Prints. They are an innovative online printing company that focuses on luxury metal prints. Moreover, they offer various customization options, nationwide shipping, and affordable prices.
When you order a print, you’re ordering advertising for your business. You can take the most gorgeous photo, but if it’s printed on subpar materials, the beauty of the shot won’t come through. This is exactly why we recommend Shiny Prints; in testing, their prints have proven to be top-tier.
In fact, you can see for yourself in the video below just how impressive these prints are. With a 29 out of 30 in our scoring, Shiny prints has the distinction of being one of the top metal print companies we’ve ever reviewed!
Final Thoughts on Starting a Photography Business
Photo by Rawpixel.com via Shutterstock
Even if you do everything perfectly, getting a photography business up and running is challenging, so do yourself a favor and follow the do’s and don’ts above. Finally, here are a few more tips for starting a photography business.
Recommended Photography Gear
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