How to get a business started

[christian_mccarty]

Fellow snappers, I reside in Brisbane, Australia and I am an avid

photographer. I have an insatiable thirst for knowedge of all

things visual, and I have begun my photographic business within a

year of picking up my first DSLR. I do believe that I have the

necessary vision and drive to become a professional photograher, but

I am stuck at the moment. I do not know where to start. I would

love to be employed for weddings, advertising, and portraits, but no

photography studios or freelancers are needing work experience or

assistants for me to learn. Without clients, I cannot get a

portfolio, and without a portfolio, i cannot get clients. If anyone

can offer any advice on how to start up a successful photoimaging

business, I would be greatly thankful for any words of wisdom you

could share so that i can share my passion with others.

[EricM]

I've viewed your site. Your wording and introduction counter the quality of images. If you're bragging about digital services, you'll need more than snaps on your site. I would yank it and do what it takes to start assisting and learning. I have a feeling you don't have much experience and have put the cart before the horse. More than anything, this business is word of mouth, and your abilities will be demonstrated in front of any potential clients you may have which in effect is your best advertising. It happens all the time, students graduate and start pounding the pavement with their limited books, getting odd gigs and producing mediocre images. Granted a shooter can improve along the way, but they shouldn't be going through the learning curve with paying clients. First impressions with clients are very difficult to break. Never, five years down the road, will a past client say "Lets try shooting with Eric again, maybe he's improved?". No, for years they will discuss your abilities around the water cooler, and say "Eric's okay, nothing stellar", although one may have come along way since cutting your teeth. Point is, be in the best shape possible before turning up to the track to race. You seldom get more than one shot at it. I think you need a little training still.

[garry edwards]

I've viewed your site too, and I agree with Eric. <br>I also feel that your site, although clever in itself, is telling people things they really don't want to know (I would delete the 'equipment' page which IMO would put off any potential clients who bother to read it).<br>You may have enough experience to photograph very low budget weddings (forget anything else for now)and if you pitch your initial prices low enough you should be able to pick up enough work to help you to build a portfolio.<br>When you have enough expertise, suitable examples of your work and adequate equipment you should be able to move on from there.<br>Don't be discouraged by the difficulty in finding work experience or assisting jobs, many very successful photographers started life without either formal education or studio experience.<br>Good luck.

[zlatko]

Shoot some events for friend or friends of friends for free to get some good images for your portfolio. Go to workshops or seminars given by people who are really good at what you want to do. Use the portfolio and workshop/seminar experience to get some low-paying assignments. As you build your portfolio, skills and experience, gradually raise your rates.

[snapsnapgringrin]

I agree with Zlatko in terms of shooting your friends and family. Also check with the sites online for men and women who would like to model but don't have any professional experience. This will give both you and them a chance to grow.

 

My best out-of-left-field comment would be, hell, if you have any female friend who would like to get a second day out of their wedding dress, photograph them in that. (This may be HIGHLY risky, so do so with supreme care!)

[WM]

Hi Christian,

 

I agree with all the advice given so far, and most importantly, Eric is right, you only get one shot at it and first impressions count the most. If you start right, it will keep rolling but if you don't it will be a difficult road.

 

I am also like yourself in the same situation, though I have a day job and is only starting to try to shoot for $ once in a while to pay for my hobby at this stage. I too am also trying to build a portfolio and a website, while honing my skills. At this stage, I am still uncertain about charging people for a shoot, and I am doing a lot of free shoots to build portfolio and experience. I recently shot a wedding for 15 hours and did about 30 hours of post processing for FREE, to build portfolio (you can check out my photos on my folder here at photo.net).

 

And the reson for all that hard work (but I love shooting, so I am never suffering when shooting !), is explained by Eric perfectly well------so that when I have a paying client, I make a good first imnpression, so that when people are talking about my abilities, they would say positive things to others.

 

How about posting up loads of your work on photo.net and have many of the highly experienced people like Eric, Marc Williams, Al Kaplan (just to name a few amongst many !), and all those characters cast a keen eye on how to improve, and at the same time have some fun at it ? I have learnt more from the people in this forum than I have in years by asking, listening and then going out and "let it rip" with the camera !

 

Keep on shootin'.........Wee-Ming<div></div>

[tony_p4]

Before you try anything get yourself on a business course!! Photography is the same as any other job in that if you don't have business knowledge and experience you have very little chance of success. I'm sure it's not the answer you where looking for, but business is business and life is life! Some people will succeed no matter what but the rest of us have to start from the beginning.

[matthewkane]

Great shot Wee-ming. Christian I to agree with what Eric said.

I have just started out in the last 6 mos or so assisting although I have been shooting for 3-4 yrs now. I still have some questions, and confidence issues even though I know I'm good. Yea don't start too early, read a lot, go to seminars, or assist first. I got lucky I found a local photographer to work with and he lets me come along on wedding shoots. Shoot my own stuff for my portfolio/website and gain experience. He doesn't pay me but I sell some prints on the back end to the Bride and Groom. It's nice. Just look around and email hundreds of photographers someone will take you. If you can't find it where you are Move! Oh and one last thing.... before you turn pro or start charging for jobs with digital you have to have an efficient WORKFLOW! Trying to be a pro digital photographer without the right workflow in place is like trying to learn how to ride a bike on a motorcycle.

[ian_greant]

If'n yer going to be a digital specialist then I'd suggest a photoshop course or two.. Or some serious self study with some of the better books out there.

 

It's surprising how much work some of the better studios put into their images and how fast their work flow is.

 

On a slight technical note you might want to consider upgrading your gallery software. Older versions like you are currently using have a well known security flaw.

[james_mullineaux]

I viewed your website as well. Maybe it's because I'm American, but I had to chuckle at the staement under 'Equipment': "For film, we also choose digital...." It took me a couple seconds to realize you were talking about video. As for real advise you can use, what I did/am doing, is to shoot 2-3 events for free "practice" giving the couple a few prints. In doing this I made the connections to assist. Now I'm the backup (if he's already booked) photographer for a reasonably busy wedding photographer. I'm starting to do workshops and I intend to take some night classes at a community college in the next year or so.

 

-James

[gaius1]

"The Canon EOS 10D provides us with perfect images"

 

Possibly, giving so much credit to a tool that can be bought for less than the price of a good wedding photographer, will not impress your clients with your skills. They will all think, hmm, why don't I just buy one of these miracle cameras myself? Skip the equipment page and add more to your portfolio is my advice.

[christian_mccarty]

Thanks everyone, your information has been invaluable to me. I have already started ringing and email around again for work experience and photographers assistants jobs. I have also started photographing my girlfriend, brother, and hopefuly some of my friends and their families for my portflio. I do know a few friends with wedding dresses that may want another wear of them, so I shall ask them today and see if they would like some photos taken. I have been offering my servcies for free too, and I am already half way through designing another web page in flash. That black page was only a temporary solution anyway. I do intend to go purchase some photoshop books, and I will continue on the path of constant learning in this industry. Thanks again, and keep in contact :).

[matt_m__toronto_]

forget flash. not everyone has high speed, and most, like myself, want a nice and simple look with the meat n' potatoes.

[derek_c.]

I will only talk about your web site.<br>

Get your web site finished. It's not completed right now.<br>

Would you buy something from a half finished web site?<br>

Your web site will bring you some clients, I guarantee you<br>

Perhaps it will bring more clients than you can imagine<br>

You have a good concept of Meta Tags. Keep studying on the most recent search engines' behaviors<br>

If I were you, I would drop these pages; Equipment, Photography, Film.<br>

They make you look not so professional<br>

Elvis never bragged about what kind of microphone he used<br>

Let your voice, I mean, pictures to the talking.<br>

Pay attention on every single page, picture... people will look at it to make decisions<br>

When there are broken links or empty pages, people will think you are not fit to do the job<br>

After finishing your web site? I promise, you will start receiving some inquiries<br>

Thank you, thank you very much.

[benjamin_lineberry]

Being a working pro is a tough exsistance. You need to know that from the beginning. You'll make a good living, but you'll work hard and often.

I looked at your portfolio. The biggest thing that stands out, is that your work is all over the place. Weddings, corporate, product, ect...

Unfortunately the business doesn't work that way. Most clients are looking for someone who does one thing, and does that one thing very well. They aren't looking for one photographer that can "do it all". For instance, I do corporate brochure and annual report work. That's 95% of my work. I've been asked to do weddings, but I don't do them. Not because I can't, but because that's not my niche.

Focus on one thing, and work really hard at that one thing- whether it's arcitecture, wedding or product photography, stick to one thing, and shoot the hell out of it. Get a good, solid body of work for one type of photography that shows your personal vision. It's a lot more work than it sounds. Good luck.

 

Ben