Are you interested in starting a photography business?!? I’ve been there, done that, and I’m ready to share with you some practical steps to starting a photography business (the right way). These steps are in no particular order, but they’re actionable steps to build your photography business today.
Write a business plan.
Although you may not know everything RIGHT NOW, take some time to write out your goals. Then. use these goals to construct a business plan! Include your financial plans, how you plan to earn money, organizational tools, and any other details to help you succeed.
Know your start up costs.
Photography is one of those industries where it isn’t cheap to start off. When you start a photography business, consider that you’ll need to invest in the following areas:
- Gear – camera bodies, lenses, flashes, sd cards, etc. You can also try renting gear to figure out what you like!
- Photo-Editing Software – Lightroom, Photoshop, or both.
- Website – try out Squarespace!
- Photo Delivery Services – Pic-Time, Pass Gallery, or Pixie Set are popular platforms.
- Marketing Costs – how are you going to market yourself? Will you use advertising?
- Photo-Editing Computer – how will you edit your photos? I use a MacBook Pro, but there are other budget friendly options too!
Build your portfolio.
While you can prep all you want, you’ll need to get out there and get to work! Start by building your portfolio however you can. Here are a few ways you can do that:
- Attend styled workshops
- Ask to assist a photographer
- Second shoot for weddings
- Have your friends model
- Post model calls on social media
Start a Facebook Page and Instagram Profile.
Once you have some sessions under your belt, you’ll want to start posting about your work! Set up a Facebook business page as well as an Instagram profile for your photography. If you plan on using your personal Instagram profile as a photography profile, convert your personal account to a business account so you can track insights.
Post your work, photos of you, recent sessions, and anything that might engage your audience! You can also try doing a giveaway to gain more followers and traction to your page. Don’t forget to invite your friends to like your page on Facebook!
Register as a business to your state.
This step is very technical but also crucial if you plan on making money through your photography business! Be sure you register in your state as a business so you can start paying taxes. It’s better to start this process early on when you first start out, rather than waiting & having to pay more later.
Start marketing and spreading the word!
Get the word out about your photography in any way you can! Post on your personal Facebook, text your friends, run ads, pass out business cards – do whatever you have to do to let people know about your awesome photography services!
Are you ready to get started on building your photography business? Here’s what you can do:
Book a mentor session with me to chat more about how you can be successful in photography! Find out more here.
Want to dive deeper into camera settings? Get my Manual Camera Settings Guide here.
If you found these tips helpful, check out a few of my other posts about photography:
How To Start Making Money From Your Photography read it here!
Tips for Photographing Couples read it here!
Tips for Shooting Weddings read it here!
