Professional Photography

<p>Hello =]<br>

I would like to run my own photography business, one like the Blue Rooms in London, open to the public, but also working for business elsewhere. I'm looking for a camera that has interchangeable lenses, tele photo zoom, high megapixel, macro settings, high resolution, lots of storage, iso equivalents and a fast burst rate. I've been looking around but i'm getting confused with all the different types and brands, can anyone help?<br>

Also, just to make sure, these are the sorts of things i'd need to look for to run a professional business aren't they? If not, can anyone recommend one?</p>

<p>Amy: I'd recommend that you spend a couple of weeks, without any interruption beyond bathroom breaks and microwaving the cold tea, to pour yourself into these forums, and reading old threads. It doesn't matter if the vernacular is foreign to you. The idea is to come away with a general sense of how broad a topic you're asking about.<br /><br />A photography business - in any form, for any market - is 90+% <em>business</em> running, and 10-% photography. It's as much about bookkeeping, insurance, marketing, licenses, contracts, web site maintenance, mailings, bill collecting, taxes and payroll as it is about the skills of the photographer... and more or less <em>least</em> about the particular equipment, per se. <br /><br />That being said, such a business requires multiple copies of every key piece of equipment (redundant camera bodies, lenses, power supplies, lighting equipment, batteries, computer hardware). It's also about having a copy of the <em>person</em> involved. You have to be able to handle your commitment to contractually arranged shoot later in the day, even though you've just had your leg broken by an out of control taxi that morning. <br /><br />You need to have a handle on all of that, logistically and financially, as <em>well</em> as being completely competent with the actual photographic process and equipment. The fact that you're asking the questions you're asking (which is you putting the cart before the horse - actually, the hardware before the business plan - and also showing your inexperience with photography in general) suggests that you haven't really started to read up on the subject. You must. A lot. For weeks and months.<br /><br />I'm not being wet blanket here, or trying to crush your aspirations. I'm just providing a sanity check. One certainly doesn't need to be a photographic savant to succeed in running a photography business. But one <em>does</em> have to be a decent business person, and have the financial backing to tolerate a solid year or so of complete losses while things get under way. Sound daunting? It is. That's why most small business ventures fail. The vast majority of them: under financed. Not enough capital, and a weak business plan.<br /><br />I'm going to suggest that you take a simple class at a local community college. One on photography (to get the basics into your world view) and another on small business management (for the same reasons!).<br /><br />Never the less: in the spirit of actually answering your question... you're looking for a DSLR. When you purchase such a camera, you're buying into a system. Whether it's Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc., you're going to have many options for lenses and lighting. Since you're not mentioning, specifically, the type of subject matter you see yourself needing to cover, I'll go out on a limb and suggest:<br /><br />1) Nikon D300 (x2, one for backup)<br />2) Nikon 17-55/2.8<br />3) Nikon 70-200/2.8<br />4) Nikon 85/1.8<br />5) Nikon SB-900 (x2)<br />6) Tripod, monopod, related grip hardware<br />7) A quick, large-display laptop, and a solid desktop computer - each with 4GB RAM - along with display calibration hardware, and sofware like Lightroom and Photoshop.<br />8) Multiple redundant external RAID drives for long term storage, and a well-engineered backup plan.<br /><br />Are you planning on selling prints? On the spot, or shipped to the customer? Printing on the fly during event coverage, or pick-up-later? You'll need to consider looking into dye sub printers for event work, and high end wide-format printers for artier output. You'll need to get to know a lab that can handle your other stuff.<br /><br />But first: you need to sit down with an accountant and a lawyer to get a sense for what you're really getting yourself into, from a financial and legal perspective.<br /><br />OR: consider offering your help, for free (initially) to a professional that's already doing the sort of work you want to do. See what it's really all about, and if running a business (as opposed to enjoying photography) is really what you want to do. Many VERY talented photographers have found out the hard way that it's much smarter to get and keep a good paying "day" job, and to give themselves the great gift of being able to enjoy photography as a passionate part time pursuit, even though it will likely always lose them money.<br /><br />Good luck on the introspection this topic requires! It's important to be really, truly honest with yourself.</p>

<p>You are starting from the wrong point. Looking at The Blue Rooms, what you will need for lighting is far more important than any camera. You're going to need backdrops and stands and props. You're going to need computer equipment and large format printers. You will also need full-frame cameras, which will set you back far more than you are probably expecting. And you will need a network including stylists, retouchers and assistants. That you are focusing on the camera gear indicates how far off you are from what you need to do to get started.</p>

<p>It would be far better to start out working in someone else's studio and obtain an understanding of what it really takes to do this.</p>

<p>You forgot capital. not just to acquire and maintain gear, but also to advertise, pay rent, pay insurance and pay yourself a salary until the thing ges up and running. Until you have that in place don't buy any gear.</p>

<p>Nice ambitious plan, but first I'd not worry about what equipment you need to run such a business yet. It will be "antique" or worn out long before you are ready to think about owning such a studio. I'd buy a "basic" dslr and learn to use it, get some education in the field and then hopefully 5+ years of experience working for studios before even thinking about starting your own studio like the one you mentioned.<br>

Having 50-100,000 pounds sitting in the bank would be a big help as well.</p>

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<p>Thanks to everyone to replying, but i would like to point out i'm not rushing into it, i'm putting a business plan together while working with a freelance photographer, only when i'm ready am i going to go out and spend the money.<br>

All of your answers have been very helpful, you'll probably hear more from me as i go through my business plan, and i will post the final project when it's finished to get opinions.<br>

Thanks to everyone.</p>

<p>You can understand, Amy, how that new information seems a bit at odds with your original post, right? If you're working with a pro who already knows his/her stuff, then you'll soon hear from that person that the particulars of your camera/lens/lighting and other hardware choices are eventually important, but premature for now. They represent such a tiny, tiny portion of your overall expenses and start-up costs that it makes more sense to just round up two or three times the going costs on the best equipment available, and thus have some wiggle room. Even if you (for planning purposes) add $8k Canon or Nikon top-end bodies to your spreadsheet, it will make no material difference in securing the six-figure financing you'll need to launch the business. So, round up the hardware numbers, and let that part be for a while.</p>

<p>You know, there is a good possibility this is no more than a basic business planning exercise at school. :)</p>

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<p>You will also need backdrops and ilumination stuff, I bassicly don't know anything about studio shots more than somethings I've learned but I'm sure that you'll find everything in old threads here in photo.net.</p>

<p>you might want to hire a photographer to advise you on the photographic side and perhaps a business adviser to help you on the business side. it would become a easier path to success. it might also be worth your while visitng the blue room and perhaps seeing some free work experience there. that would be the easiest route to seeing how difficult a project like this would be.</p>