If you need to round-out your portfolio with modeling or posed shots, hire amateur models from local agencies. Offer free prints in exchange for free modeling.
Take tons of photos! Don’t rule out any shots or opportunities to shoot. It’s okay if some or many of your photos aren’t great. As you take more photos, you’ll start to discover your voice as a photographer.
You may need additional equipment for lighting or if you want to create an in-home studio. Again, this depends upon your photographic specialization.
When you do need to purchase gear, keep track of it for taxes since it is a tax write-off. Lenses are often a more important investment than camera bodies as they can be reused if you ever buy a new camera and usually provide a larger jump in image quality.
Read your camera’s manual front to back. The manual will give you a lot of detail about the features and function of your camera in a way that generic photography sources do not. [5] X Research source To become really proficient, practice extensively at home. Experiment with light and shadow, try different settings on your camera, and learn the ins and outs of taking pictures with your available equipment. [6] X Research source
Make sure you are knowledgeable in how to use your other camera gear, such as a remote flash or different lenses. Having a background in these will significantly improve your photos. [7] X Research source
Photoshop, Lightroom, and CaptureOne are great programs for editing photos.
Be sure to write down all of your goals. Studies have shown that you’re more likely to complete goals that you’ve written down. [11] X Research source
Remember that one photo shoot includes drive time, photography time, editing time, meeting time, et cetera. Therefore, it is more than just a “1 hour shoot. ”
Create a watermark to protect your photos so that you can advertise them online. Allow your clients to use your watermarked photos for their own social media sites, essentially doing your advertising for you. Make sure your search engine optimization (SEO) is high for your website so that your business rises to search engine queries.
Be prepared to network (professionally) at an event as well. For example, if you do a photo shoot for a wedding, take photos of the food and give them to the caterers. They may use the photos as advertisements themselves, and could recommend you as the photographer who took them. [15] X Research source Riding on the bus, standing in line at the store, or sharing a table at a coffee shop are all great times for you to advertise your business. [16] X Research source
This might make your life difficult for a while, but you may find that much of your photography work happens during non-work hours anyway. For example, many people schedule family photography sessions on weekends, when their children are out of school.
Speak with a small business attorney for a better idea of the specific things you need. For example, if you plan on doing photography solely, make sure you have insurance covering your business. This may include equipment and health insurance for you and your employees. [20] X Research source You should be meticulous about your record-keeping. Keep contracts, receipts, client emails, and invoices. Organize everything in a way that makes sense to you (by month, by client name, or by location) and consider keeping both electronic and paper copies of the most important paperwork.
Make sure that you have enough money saved away to pay for at least one entire year’s worth of expenses. This way, should your business fall through or you have a business emergency, you’ll have enough money to live on until you get another job. Be sure to keep receipts for all business-related expenses. Your accountant can use receipts to calculate tax deductions for your business expenses. Remember that (depending upon how your business is legally set up) your income will be subject to self-employment taxes; consider setting aside money from every photo shoot to pay taxes the following year. [22] X Research source
Have an attorney write a contract for you if you want to take the safest path. Joining a photography group also often gives you the opportunity to use a pre-written contract available for group members. [24] X Research source
Look up other local photographers and see what they charge for their own businesses. Then, base your own pricing based off your skills and abilities in comparison to theirs.
