Things To Do When Starting Your Own Photography Business

Look, I get it. Half the people on your Facebook and Instagram feed are listing themselves as 'professional photographers' with their own 'photography businesses'. They seemingly get paid to travel the world, take photographs of exotic locations, work extravagant weddings, work with pin up models, etc. Add to the fact that there are no exams to pass and no need to take out an expensive loan to attend university, it may seem really easy to become a professional photographer. All you need is a camera, a computer, and some skills right? Wrong! Starting your own photography business takes a lot of planning, hard work, and dedication... at least if you want to be successful.

Stop Treating It Like A Hobby

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Have a camera? Know how to use photo-editing software? Awesome, you're well on your way to being able to take photos, however the ability to take photos doesn't mean you're a professional or ready for having your own business.

Having a passion and an eye for capturing beautiful moments while potentially making a few bucks and earning an income to live off of are two totally different things.

There's nothing wrong with living out your passion of taking photographs and trying to make a little money on the side, however if you want to turn your passion into a business, it's going to take a lot more than owning some equipment. You're going to need make a real commitment into continually developing your skills, marketing yourself and your business to get clients, and to doing a whole bunch of other things, besides just taking photos, to establish your business.

It's All About Marketing

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It doesn't matter how good you are as a photographer if people don't know about you or your business. In fact, if your goal is to make money, it's better to be a mediocre photographer with great marketing skills than a great photographer with poor marketing skills.

That's not to say that you shouldn't strive to put out quality work — you should (and not only because it's much easier to sell yourself and your business when doing great work)! But if you aren't putting yourself out there and finding ways to bring clients in, then you're going to have a tough time making a real living.

You are just one of many, many people out there looking to make a living from taking photographs. No one cares about what you’re doing so you need to make them care.

Have A Professional Looking Website

This is where you'll be housing your portfolio. You don't have to have any coding skills or necessarily hire someone to create a beautiful looking website as there are quite a few sites out there that make it as simple as dragging and dropping the elements you want to include in your website.

A few places to consider - SmugMug, SquareSpace, PhotoShelter, Zenfolio, Format, and 22slides.

Consider Hiring A Lawyer

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You're going to want to make sure you have some solid contract templates so that you have a legally binding document that lets clients know how much money is due in advance and how to pay it. You may also want to consider insurance against liability which is something else a lawyer can help you with.

... And You May Want To Consider An Accountant

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You'll want to consider what the best business structure (LLC, S corporation or other) is for your business. Additionally, a good accountant can help you with figuring out what you can deduct as an expense when it comes time for taxes.

Speaking Of Accountants...

Make sure to keep your personal and business accounts separate. This will make taxes way easier to deal with. Additionally if you end up working with an accountant, both you and they will be thankful for the separation.

Gearing Up For Business

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Do an audit of what you have and then figure out what you will need without getting carried away. While it'd be nice to be able to have the best gear available and every lens and gadget possible, costs add up quickly, so you need to pick and choose your battles. Remember, the camera doesn't make the photographer.

Additionally, you should have backups of necessary gear - ideally two of everything you might need during a shoot.

Go Time

Now that you have some idea of what it takes to go pro, if you know that you will enjoy spending a majority of time on things other than photography, then it's time to do what you've been planning for - go and start your photography business.