How to Start a Photography Business ?

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Looking to start a photography business? With so many outlets available for photographers these days, there won’t be a shortage of platforms where you can sell your images. First however, there’s some equipment you need to start a photography business.

Starting a photography business requires a wide set of skills and talent to make it work. If you are a photographer it means acquiring the skills for the operational side of the business and vice versa if you’re not a photographer.

It is important to note this is not a tutorial on how to start a photography business, instead it focuses on the equipment you need to start a photography business. But some of the tools also include the license, insurance, financial software and more required for establishing and running your photography business.

There are plenty of potential photography niches out there for small business owner. But no matter what you plan to actually photograph, there’s some essential equipment you need to start a photography business. Here a list to get your started.

The first piece of equipment you need to start a photography business is a good camera. There are plenty of options out there to consider. Some work better in certain situations than others, so you’ll want to do a lot of research on what models will work best for your particular niche.

A tripod is also an essential piece of equipment, since it can help you keep your camera steady and allow you to take many pictures of each subject without moving the camera around.

When you’re transporting your camera from place to place, you need to make sure it’s protected. So invest in a good camera bag that you can use to keep your camera from getting broken or damaged.

Lighting is an essential element of any good photograph. And while natural lighting is usually preferred, you’ll also likely want to invest in some studio lighting for when there isn’t sufficient sunlight.

There are plenty of different lenses you can use to get different types of images on your camera. So it can be a good idea to invest in some different lenses to improve the quality of your photos.

Depending on what types of photos you plan on taking, you might find it necessary to purchase or create some backdrops that you can use for studio or portrait photographs.

1. Learn To Shoot In Manual Mode Right Away
We shot our first year of weddings in Aperture Priority Mode. At the time, it seemed like the easier option. But we’ve since realized that it was actually making things harder on ourselves!

It can also be a good idea to have a variety of different props on hand. The types of props you choose can depend on your niche. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, you probably won’t want the same props that a pet photographer uses. But having a few different options can be a good idea.

The real value of manual mode shooting is in how it forces you to understand what’s going on with your camera, and the light around you.

You might also find it necessary to rent or purchase some studio space for your photography business, especially if you plan on having clients travel to you for photos.

2. You Are Not Just A Photographer
If you’re starting and running your own business, you need to wear a baker’s dozen of hats.

You might also find it necessary to rent or purchase some studio space for your photography business, especially if you plan on having clients travel to you for photos.

3. Be Patient
When we first got started, we figured we’d have a wildly successful business rolling within a year.

Alternatively, you might be more interested in starting a photography business where you travel to clients. In that case, you’ll need some reliable transportation in order to get to and from your shoots.

It takes time to get good at photography. It takes time to get good at marketing. It takes time to get good at customer service. It takes time to get good at business organization…

While you aren’t likely to use a smartphone or mobile device as your main camera for your photography business, it can still be a good tool. Since social media can be a great tool for sharing photos and behind the scenes shots, it can be useful to have a smartphone that can take decent photos for those purposes.

4. People Skills Are The Most Important Skills
Even if you’re a landscape shooter, your clients are people. And the better you can work with, and take care of, the people you do business with, the more success you’ll see.

Once you’ve taken your photos, you’ll also need a software program that lets you edit and fine-tune those images. Programs like Photoshop and Lightroom can be good investments for photographers.

5. Unnecessary Gear and Business Purchases Can Be Crippling
With photography, it’s even more dangerous because the purchases are fun and exciting!

That also means that you need a computer you can use to actually edit and store those digital photos.