How You Can Start a Portrait Photography Business
Posted: Friday, May 14, 2010
by Autumn Lockwood
YourPictureFrames.com
If you want to make a part time job or career out of photography, it's easier that you might think. Portrait photography is needed in almost every city and it doesn't require a lot to have a working home studio. The best thing about starting with portrait photography is that you don't have to buy a lot of equipment at first- you can instead add equipment as your business grows. Here are some tips for taking the first steps:
There are a few things that you will need to get before attempting professional portrait photography. Obviously you'll need a camera (digital is best for a home studio since editing is instant, easy, and inexpensive), but you're also going to need a tripod, a basic light setup, and some sort of light reflector. Much of the equipment needed is available at low cost for entry level equipment or you can get creative and improvise. It would also be helpful if you can get a laptop with some photo editing software as the portability of a laptop will come in handy.
You will also need some working space. A living room, extra room or even a garage can usually fit everything you need. You can use painted white walls as reflectors, windows as a source of natural light and bed sheets for your background.
Set Up the Business
If you're serious about making portrait photography into a business you'll need to treat it that way. You should think about using some basic small business accounting software like Quickbooks that will allow you to invoice and track client payments. It is really important that you keep track of your income so you can do proper tax planning and identify pricing problems.
You should also consider having a business website with your portfolio, prices and contact information. With so many people using the internet to find services, an online presence is important for growing a new business. You can build a simple site or hire the work out through a freelancing website such as Elance. Just make sure you have your contact information listed!
Finally, think of ways to set your portrait photography studio apart from the rest. If you're looking for a competitive advantage, you should think about focusing on a specific niche. For instance, people are willing to pay more for photographs of their pets or children, and if you specialize in one of those fields you'll have less competition to contend with.
Once you have the studio up and running, the cash flow handled and have the strategy of the business down, you should be ready for taking the plunge into professional portrait photography. With a few advertisements in local papers and good word of mouth, there's no measuring the potential your small studio might have. And remember, if you give your clients excellent photographs, no one will remember that you used bed sheets as backdrops!
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Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of large picture frames in a wide variety of styles, colors and sizes. Visit our website and find the perfect large picture frame or call us at 1-800-780-0699.
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