How to Start a Photography Business ?

Because so many photographers are independent, many of them might not have insurance or be aware of their liabilities. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field is expected to grow only modestly over the next decade as photography technology becomes more widespread and inexpensive.

It will become increasingly important to stand out from the competition by offering truly professional work. Carrying business liability coverage is a sign that your business is serious about providing quality work and a good customer experience.

Intense competition in photography (from both other professionals and amateurs) leads to high turnover rates in the field: as many as 85% of photography businesses don't make it past year three. While this is certainly a daunting figure, the reality is that many photographers and videographers are prepared for the technical side of business but not the business side. Building skills in sales, marketing, and risk management can help boost the long-term survival odds for your business.

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

See, the importance of learning to shoot in manual mode isn’t because modes like Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority are useless. They can be a solid choices in certain situations.

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.

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.

Learning this early on will help you get more control over your images, and improve your shooting skills quickly.

Another bonus is that manual mode also lets you be more consistent in your exposures, which helps you save time with your editing

So this isn’t some photography snobbery here. Learning how to shoot in manual mode is going to help you in a ton of ways, and the sooner you can learn how to do it, the more benefit you’ll see

So this isn’t some photography snobbery here. Learning how to shoot in manual mode is going to help you in a ton of ways, and the sooner you can learn how to do it, the more benefit you’ll see

You Are Not Just A Photographer
When we got started we thought that if we had great photography skills, we’d have a successful business.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
If you’re starting and running your own business, you need to wear a baker’s dozen of hats.

The sooner you realize that you’re going to need to become good at a LOT of different things, the sooner you can start improving at them all.

The sooner you realize that you’re going to need to become good at a LOT of different things, the sooner you can start improving at them all.

The sooner you realize that you’re going to need to become good at a LOT of different things, the sooner you can start improving at them all.

The sooner you realize that you’re going to need to become good at a LOT of different things, the sooner you can start improving at them all.

Great photography skills are important, don’t get me wrong. But you need to have a LOT of other ones if you’re going to make a business out of it

This is a lesson we still have to remind ourselves of constantly.
When we first got started, we figured we’d have a wildly successful business rolling within a year.

Fast forward 6 years, and we still didn’t feel we quite got there.
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

Basically, it takes time to get good at the dozens of things you need to be good at to run a wildly successful photography business

So don’t beat yourself up if things aren’t happening as fast as you expected

People Skills Are The Most Important Skills
Photography is a people business.

Even if you’re a landscape shooter, your clients are people.