Have camera will travel.
There’s a lot of ideas of what being a photographer is all about. It’s lavish, exotic, full of beautiful people and places, and easy workdays, right? Well, no. To be honest most of my days are spent on a yoga ball in front of my computer. Sure, there are the days that I get to visit beautiful places and photograph beautiful people, and while my workdays aren’t easy by any means, I’m passionate about what I do so it makes them more enjoyable. With all of the misconceptions of what being a “photographer” is like, I thought I would first shed some light on at least what I have experienced it to be. Obviously there are SUPA legit photographers who have completely different lifestyles and everyone has different businesses, but for the most part:
1. I spend a lot of time at the computer
2. I spend a lot of money on equipment/software/education
3. I wear so many “hats” that were they real hats I wouldn’t ever have to do my hair.
– client management
– book-keeping
– marketing/advertising
– scheduling
– meetings
– networking
– editing
– quality control
– blogging
– maintenance
Literally the list goes on and on. Honestly, actually taking pictures is probably what a lot of photographers do the least. For every hour I am photographing there are probably 5 hours of work on the backend.
4. I’m not rich.
(WHOA! Big shocker) Sure, I pay myself a salary that I consider decent for where I am in my business and my life, but I’d probably still make more money being a bartender.
5. It’s a lot of hard work.
Like, really, really hard work.
That being said, if you’re dream job in life is to become a photographer you can definitely do it! Where there is a will, there is always a way. Just make sure you have a realistic idea of what being a photographer is like and the amount of time/energy/money/and effort it takes to make a sustainable living. It does NOT happen overnight (as much as my impatient heart wants it to)
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So, here’s some of my personal tips that I have implemented that have gotten me where I am so far. I am by no means the best person to give this advice. I’m still figuring things out every day and working on getting my business to the point I want. There are people far more qualified than me to help you on your way, but I understand that sometimes when you’re just starting out those people can seem intimidating or sometimes out of touch with the things you’re going through as a beginner. Having mentors and idols who are above you is an invaluable thing, but it’s also nice to have a homegirl (or boy) that’s in the same boat as you to confide in and help you as you grow together!
1. Know your equipment before you ever really start photography.
– This means practicing, practicing, and practicing. Not practicing at someone’s wedding or practicing on a paying client. Practicing on inanimate objects, practicing on your brother or sister, practicing on your dog, literally just get out there and take pictures. Take a class at the community college, read books, never stop learning and excelling. Once you have your camera on lock and you know it forwards, backwards, and with your eyes closed. Move on to step two.
2. Practice some more, but this time. Preferably with some one.
– Completing a summer long internship was the best thing I did for my business and really helped me gain confidence, skills in my desired field, and practice in real life situations. Reach out to photographers and invite them to coffee/lunch (and pay for them), join photography clubs or groups and go to meet ups, make friends in the industry. Assist them, intern with them, walk their dog, literally anything. Building strong friendships and bonds in the industry will only strengthen your business. Referrals are an amazing asset and having someone you can go and ask questions or get advice from is invaluable.
3. Set up all your business shiz BEFORE you start shooting
– Nothing makes me more sad than seeing photographers who want to be ‘professional’ and taken seriously, not taking their business seriously. Before I started doing weddings I filed my business with the state of Oregon, opened a business bank account, researched all the tax laws that applied to me, got business insurance, had or rented back up gear, and was full on ready as far as the legal aspect of everything goes. It’s really simple, if you want to be taken seriously then be serious.
4. Determine your CODB (cost of doing business) and what you need to ideally bring in each month/three months/etc. This will help you with your pricing. If you’re just starting your business chances are this is super easy for you to do. You don’t have a ton of expenses yet other than big purchase equipment and the basic things needed. Some examples of things to factor into your CODB are:
– Equipment/Rentals (just like you do for taxes divide the amount you spent over the span of 5 or 10 years so that you can factor it evenly into your CODB for a while)
– Insurance
– Website/Blog hosting
– Office Supplies
– Advertising
– Taxes/Licensing
Add up your projected expenses for the year in all those categories. This will give you the bare amount of money you must make JUST to break even and maintain your business. Divide this by how much (and how much is realistic for you) that you want to be shooting and this is the absolute minimum you should be charging per session. This leads us to point 5
5. Don’t sell yourself short.
– Seriously, you want to be a photographer to make a living being a photographer. That’s just not possible if you are under valuing yourself, under cutting the industry, and giving everything and your first-born away. I’m not saying you need to come out of the gates charging 4000 for a wedding or 1500 for portrait sessions. I’m just saying, know your CODB and value your business, your art, and your time. “But what about the fact that I don’t have a client base and need to build my portfolio/word of mouth” Well, for starters that’s why you listened to tip 2 and already practiced, assisted, interned, and picked the minds of your industry peers. Secondly, I personally view that as a vicious cycle. Photographers justify giving everything away for free as building a client base, but if you want to do this as a living those people aren’t your ideal clients and they’re just going to tell all their friends and family that you gave them a shoot, album, and all the images for free. Which is going to keep giving you more of that same client. Charge lower if you’re just starting out, but still make it worth your time. Personally, when I started photographing weddings I started at 800 for 6 hours. I felt this was reasonable for my skill level and experience. I was still making enough to cover my CODB and have a little extra for myself (not much, but a little) and while I was still considered budget or cheap there was still SOME kind of investment there that made my clients value me and my work. Plus, when they referred me it wasn’t because of my LOW LOW prices. It was because they loved their photographs. If you’re a portrait photographer (sorry if this is TOTALLY off base, I’m not a portrait photographer) you might consider charging a low fee or no fee for the sitting session, but then charging for the digitals or prints after the client sees them. That way there is no risk, you’re still potentially making money and covering your costs, and the client knows that you’re building your portfolio/client base.
6. Put yourself out there and don’t conform to industry “standards”
– One of the biggest mistakes I personally felt I made when I first started photography was to try to be like everyone else. I figured that was what people wanted. They wanted pretty soft music, light blue backgrounds, soft cursive text, and a lot of usage of the word swoon, but that’s just not me and honestly, all it did was blend me in with everyone else. Last year I decided that I didn’t care what everyone else was doing. I was going to do things my way and be who I was. People were either going to hate me, my photos, and my website or love them and either one was fine with me. You can’t please everybody. I was scared when I first implemented my brand. I was afraid of how it was going to be received, afraid I’d never book any clients, afraid no one would take me seriously, afraid that I had made a terrible mistake, but none of those things ended up being the case. When you follow the crowd you blend in with the crowd. When you put on a hot pink blazer, change your hair, wear bright lipstick, like fun music, don’t take yourself too seriously, and produce work you’re proud of…you stand out. Look inward. Look at your closet and clothes, your furniture, your make up each day, how you do your hair, what you do in your free time, and find out what makes YOU unique and different then use it to your advantage. Don’t look at other photographers, look at you.
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At the end of the day the biggest piece of advice I can give to beginners who are trying to get into the industry is to network your butt off, don’t be afraid to invest in your business if you’re serious about it, set realistic goals early on, and always continue to grow, push boundaries, and get better. Like anything it takes a lot of time, dedication, and love to make a successful photography business (I’m still working on it!), but I really believe that if you produce great work and take your business seriously, clients will follow.
My two dates for the night! Love these two<333
Brittany Lauren Photography 