Getting Into the Business of Photography

Just about anybody with a sharp eye for unique images, the right equipment and film and outstanding technical skills can create great photos. Making photography your main source of livelihood will take more than just knowing certain techniques and skills, you must have the proper mindset to make any business to work. For your business to be profitable and lucrative, it is also helpful to familiarize yourself with the legal, financial, administrative and marketing aspects of venturing into putting up your own photography business.

Photography is a broad and extensive professional field that can, more often than not, be very competitive. The competition spans from part-timers that freelance for the daily local newspaper to big wig photographers that command astronomical fees. One way to stand out in the crowd is to find your niche and be good at it. For example, by specializing in pet portraiture or wedding photography, there is a bigger chance potential clients will contact you since they know you are good in that particular area.

Working at home has its advantages. This enables you to work on a wider spectrum of subject matter such as fashion, portraiture, underwater, product and event photography. You can also do freelance work as a photo journalist for local or national or internationally syndicated newspapers and magazines. Working in a studio also has its perks. Your equipment will not take up your home space, customers can visit your studio and you can maintain your privacy, and there is a clear delineation between life at work and life at home.

Professional photography can be generally divided into two types: assignment photography and stock photography. Assignment photography can be any form or genre of photography whether it be portrait, product, food, advertising or event photography as long as it is a project given by the client. Most of the professional photographers work on assignment because it ensures that you will get paid either before or after the shoot. This, in a way, offers more financial security.

Alternatively, stock photography is taking photographs on the chance the image may be sold in the future. Usually when taking the perfect picture, you take several, if not dozens, of shots of any subject. These are called surplus photos, and they can be used in a number of other things, such as for newspapers, brochures, posters, calendars, web sites and many more. To save on expenses, a lot of clients opt to use stock photos instead of hiring a photographer for just this purpose. Since stock photos are often taken in a studio, you will be working in a controlled environment compared to assignment photography and there is more time for you to get your shots just right.

Whatever type of professional photography you plan on doing, just remember that the business aspect can be consuming and hectic, and you will have to work hard at it, as much as you have been doing in trying to capture those perfect shots.