How to Start a Photography Business

Transform your love for photography into a thriving business, and consider getting a quote for flexible camera insurance from The Insurance Emporium

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Most people can only dream of earning money from doing what they love, but for photographers, starting up their own business means they can do just that.

If you’re someone who would love to put their skills to good use – whether that’s providing images for ad campaigns or capturing someone’s special family moment – we’ve put together some advice on turning your hobby into a business.

Create a business plan

A solid plan is crucial. When putting one together, there are a number of key questions to consider. How will your business be structured? Do you need a business licence? Who’s your audience? What service are you offering? How do you differ from the competition? What are the daily logistics of running your company? 

Then there’s finances – just how much will you spend on equipment, website, transport etc.? What are your expected profits? 

By using the above as a starting point, you should begin to develop a strong idea of how your business will operate.

A very important aspect of a successful business is standing out from the competition, so consider your USP. What kind of photographer are you? A wedding photographer or portraits? Are you thinking of taking stock photos for use by bloggers, travel or food companies? Or photos for fashion and sport? Whichever you decide, stick to it to build up a consistent brand with a solid client base.

Start small

As a new small business owner, your priority will be to keep costs down. You can do this by running your business from home without worrying about finding the rent for a studio; all you need is good internet access, a camera, a laptop/PC and a smartphone. 

This will have a direct impact on your pricing. You’re in this to make money, so while you don’t want to price yourself out of the market, you also don’t want to undersell yourself. Have a look at other photographers or, better still, talk to them.

Sell yourself

There are a few routes to being a professional photographer. You might have formal training or be self-taught, but however you go into it, you’ll need to build up a portfolio. You could practice on friends and family at first – and remember to say yes to those little jobs, as you never know where they could lead.

When you have built up a body of work, you’ll need a good website which reflects your unique style, showcases your portfolio and makes you stand out in a crowded market. It’s therefore worth spending some time and money on this. 

Your logo/branding needs to be consistent across all your social media and business cards etc. The best people for advice on marketing are other photographers, so get out to fairs and exhibitions and build up your network. 

Stay protected

Your camera is the tool of your trade, so while the best equipment can’t make up for not knowing how to properly use it, it is worth investing in decent equipment and the right kind for your type of photography. Do your research and look at courses which offer advice on how to get the most out of photo editing software.

Photography gear doesn’t come cheap, and however careful you are there’s always a chance something unexpected can happen – whether that’s an accident, theft or someone tripping over your equipment (Public Liability).

This is where camera insurance comes in. The Insurance Emporium offers a 25% Introductory Discount* on their flexible camera insurance policies, which all come with public liability as standard. You can choose from an amateur and semi-professional policy, or a professional policy, depending on how much you earn from your business and the value of your equipment. Take a look at their website today. 

insuranceemporium.co.uk

This feature was first published in Issue 116 of Photography News.