Photography Guide

Photography Business 1

Even with cameras in cell phones, people still need professionally-made photographs in business and for personal pictures because they want them done right. The hard part is advertising. In most local areas, if you do an internet search for photography service, a few websites will come up. That’s what you have to do if you want to be successful as a photographer. Set up a website and try to load it so that it comes up for local internet searches for the term photographer (local area).

Armed with your camera and some good advertising, you can do weddings, models, family portraits, passports, student photos, real estate pictures, aerial photography, local newspaper coverage and almost anything else that requires a picture.

You can easily start this work part-time and work into full-time work based on your success and inclination. Not much equipment is necessary to get going.

Photographers and camera operators use their cameras and film to portray people, places and events much as a writer uses words.

Because the procedures involved in still photography are quite different from those used in news and motion picture photography, workers generally specialize in one or the other.

Those who are skillful can capture the personality of individuals or the mood of scenes on film.

Photographers specializing in scientific, medical or engineering photography expose worlds normally hidden from our view.

Most photographers use a wide variety of cameras to achieve desired results. Unlike snapshot cameras, which have a lens permanently attached to the camera body, the professionals' cameras are generally constructed to use a variety of lenses designed for close-up, medium-range or distance photography.

In addition, professional photographers use a vast array of mechanical equipment from the simple tripod to specially constructed motorized vehicles.

Besides cameras and lenses, photographers use a variety of film and colored filters to obtain the desired effect under different lighting conditions. When taking pictures indoors or after dark, they may use electronic flash units, floodlights, reflectors and other special lighting equipment.

Some photographers develop and print their own photographs in the darkroom and may enlarge or otherwise alter the basic image. Many photographers send their work to laboratories for processing.

In addition to the skilled use of cameras and accessories, photographers must be able to compose their pictures with creativity and style.

Still photographers may specialize in a particular type of photography such as portrait, fashion or advertising. Portrait photographers take pictures of individuals or groups of persons and often work in their own studios.

For special events, such as a wedding or christening, they take photographs in churches and homes.

Portrait photographers in small studios, like other small business owners, frequently handle all aspects of their business. They arrange for advertising and schedule appointments, set and adjust equipment before taking the pictures, develop and retouch negatives, develop proofs, and mount and frame pictures. They also purchase supplies and take care of billing and recordkeeping.

Advertising or industrial photographers take pictures of a wide range of subjects including livestock, manufactured articles, buildings and groups of people.

They frequently do photography for catalogs. Companies use their work in publications to report to stockholders or to advertise company products or services.

To create attractive eye-catching promotional pictures, advertising photographers must command a broad array of photographic techniques.

Industrial photographers also photograph groups of people for employee news magazines or take motion pictures of workers operating equipment and machinery for management's use in analyzing production or work methods.

Scientific photographers and biological photographers provide illustrations and documentation for scientific publications and research reports.

The photographs and slides they produce are also used for teaching purposes. These photographers usually specialize in a particular field such as engineering, aerodynamics, medicine, biology or chemistry. Some design photographic equipment for use as a research tool.

Medical researchers often use ultraviolet and infrared photography, fluorescence and X-rays to obtain information not visible under normal conditions. Time-lapse photography (where time is stretched or condensed), photomicrography (where the subject of the photography may be magnified 50 or 70 times or more) and photogrammetry (surveying an area using aerial photography) are other special techniques.

Photojournalists photograph newsworthy events, places, people and things for publications such as newspapers and magazines. They may also prepare educational slides, filmstrips and movies.

Freelance, press and commercial photographers may travel frequently and may work in uncomfortable surroundings.

Sometimes the work can be dangerous, especially for photo-journalists assigned to cover stories on natural disasters or military conflicts. When working on assignment or on location, photographers and camera operators may be away from home for long periods.

Most photographers and camera operators work under pressure. Deadlines and demanding customers must be satisfied. Freelance photographers may find soliciting new clients frustrating and tedious.

About 4 out of 10 photographers are self-employed, a much higher proportion than the average for all occupations.

Some self-employed photographers contract with advertising agencies, magazines or others to do individual projects at a predetermined fee while others operate portrait studios or provide photographs to stock photo agencies.

Most salaried photographers work in portrait or commercial photography studios. Others are employed by newspapers, magazines, advertising agencies and government agencies.

Although a high school education is desirable, entry level jobs for photographers have no formal education or training requirements.

Employers usually seek applicants who have a broad technical understanding of photography as well as other photographic talents such as imagination, creativity and a good sense of timing.

Technical expertise can be obtained through practical experience, postsecondary training or some combination of the two. Some jobs require that applicants have specialized knowledge of the subject area that will be photographed.

Photographic training is available in colleges, universities, junior colleges, public vocational education programs and private photography and art schools.

Over 100 colleges and universities offer 4-year curriculums leading to a bachelor's degree in photography. Many of these schools offer courses in cinematography, however, very few schools offer a degree in cinematography.

Many schools offer photography courses as part of their communications and journalism programs. Some colleges and universities grant master's degrees in photography.

In addition, some colleges have 2-year curriculums leading to a certificate or an associate degree in photography.

A formal education in photography gives a fundamental background in a variety of equipment, processes and techniques. Art schools offer useful training in design and composition but not the technical training needed for professional photographic work. The Armed Forces also train people in photographic skills.

People may prepare for work as photographers in a commercial studio through 2 or 3 years of on-the-job training as a photographer's assistant.

Trainees generally start in the darkroom where they learn to mix chemicals, develop film and do photoprinting and enlarging. Later they may set up lights and cameras or help an experienced photographer take pictures.

Amateur experience is helpful in getting an entry job with a commercial studio but post-high school education and training usually are needed for industrial or scientific photography.

Here success in photography depends on being more than just a competent photographer and adequate career preparation requires some knowledge of the field in which the photography is used.

Photographers must have good eyesight and color vision, artistic ability and manual dexterity. They should be patient, accurate and enjoy working with detail.

Some knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry is helpful for understanding the use of various lenses, films, light sources and development processes.

Some photographic specialties require additional qualities. Commercial or freelance photographers must be imaginative and original in their thinking.

Those who specialize in photographing news stories must recognize a potentially good photograph and act quickly, otherwise, an opportunity to capture an important event on film may be lost.

Writing ability sometimes is important for photojournalists, who may write captions and accompanying articles for their photographs. Portrait photographers need the ability to help people relax in the presence of the camera.

Newly hired workers are given relatively routine assignments that do not require split-second camera adjustments or decisions on what subject matter to photograph. News photographers may be assigned to cover events such as civic meetings or snowstorms.

After gaining experience, they advance to more demanding assignments and may move to larger newspapers or magazines.

A few gain national recognition for their work and exhibit their photographs in art and photographic galleries or publish them in books.

A few industrial of scientific photographers may be promoted to supervisory positions. Magazine and news photographers may eventually become heads of graphic arts departments or photography editors.

Photography, particularly commercial photography and photojournalism, is a highly competitive field because there are more people who want to be photographers than there is employment to support them.

Only the most skilled and those with the best business ability who have developed the best reputations in the industry are able to find salaried positions or attract enough work to support themselves as self-employed photographers.

Many have full-time jobs in other fields and take photographs or videos of weddings and other events on weekends.

Most salaried photographers work full time and earn more than the majority of self-employed photographers who work part time but some self-employed photographers have very high earnings.

Earnings are affected by the number of hours worked, skills, marketing ability and general business conditions.

Unlike photojournalists and commercial photographers, very few artistic photographers are successful enough to support themselves solely through this specialty.

This is a competitive field but there are a lot of outlets with all the magazines out there. Go to a periodical directory, get a list of the outdoor and photography magazines and contact them about freelance work.

The big companies usually plan out their own "coffee table" outdoor type books. Get the books The Writer's Market (#808 at the library), writersmarket.com and The Photographer's Market.

Photography Business 2

Cameras are so sophisticated today you don't even have to be an expert at picture taking. Digital cameras are the latest. Check out some of the photography magazines for info.

Your advantage over professional photographers is that you can charge a lot less and still produce the quality pictures your clients will love.

Whether it's weddings, portraits, models, greeting cards, newspapers, aerial photography or some other form of photography, the opportunities abound for the person willing to give it a try.

There is competition but if you expand your natural market of family and friends, there are plenty of jobs to go around.

You'll probably even find a certain type of photography that you like best and gravitate towards that almost exclusively.

Books are published annually in the thousands, many of which have a demand for photographs, even if it's only of the author on the back cover.

There are specialty books that are produced consisting almost exclusively of photographs and designed for the coffee table. How about local businesses? They may be doing a sales photography piece which requires a photograph.

An insurance plan that's intended to be used as a savings vehicle for a child's college education likely needs a photo of a child or a teen in a cap and gown for its cover.

The more versatile your photography exhibits, the better chance you have of making a good living.

A lot of photography is seasonal, thus your ability and willingness to do all aspects of photography gives you year round possibilities.

While you may have no weddings to shoot in November and December, you could be filming portraits for holiday gifts and cards. Some great shots can be achieved by a regular camera you can purchase in a retail store. Add a tripod and maybe a spotlight for certain shots and you're in business.

Beginning your business is as simple as establishing an objective for your work. Is it to do occasional portraits only? A few weddings on the side? Photography contests now and then?

Or is to do all three in increasing numbers of hours per week? Are you willing to work weekends? Are you able to travel? Do you want to specialize? These are the types of questions you need to ask in order to develop a proper game plan.

Do you need any additional training? Do you know how to photograph a wedding? Are you familiar with light ranges? Should you take a couple of photography classes from the local community schools?

Build this into your initial game plan. You may still be able to practice your photography on the weekends, taking shots which you can submit to newspapers and photography contests.

Some of your best clients can be real estate agents, residential and commercial contractors and architects. Real estate agents know that photographs are more effective in advertising a home or business than the typical classified ad. Doing all of a real estate agency's listings can add substantially to you income.

Get out to the golf course and take pictures of the golfers teeing off. Get over to the bowling centers and take candid shots of the bowlers in action. Do the same thing wherever there's a sports event taking place.

Be on the spot and ready whenever there's an opportunity to take team pictures. You might follow, or hire someone else to follow a Little League team through its season, take candid and action shots.

You then arrange the best of these pictures in a photo album with the team's name and year on the front.You should be able to sell one of these albums to each member of the team.

There's also the idea of just strolling through the park on a Sunday afternoon. You take candid and interesting pictures of couples, children and people in general spending time with their relatives. Wear a t-shirt saying, Photographs, $2 Each.

Keep tabs on the announcements of new births. Send advertising literature to the new mothers and follow up with phone calls efforts to set up photography sessions.

Keep tabs on the engagement notices in the weekend papers. Send your sales literature to the brides-to-be and follow up with phone call efforts to take the wedding pictures.

Set up household and business photo inventory service. With this idea, you contact the insurance companies and determine if they will approve and endorse photographs you take of their policy holders' household, personal and business property in loss claims.

Portraits don't have to be only of people. Families keep a lot of valuable items and heirlooms in their homes. To assist with a potential insurance claim if any of these precious items is stolen, a good picture with the current date on it can be critical evidence in not only identifying the object for the police but in appraising it for the insurance company.

Be sure you get a complete shot, brand name and any specific identifying marks that can help recover the item. In addition to material things, people often like pictures of their pets.

Along with your normal advertising, you can leave your card and a sample pet shot or two at pet stores, grooming places, veterinary clinics, kennels, any place where a pet owner is bound to turn up.

When you take family portraits it's best if you don't use a studio. People always act and look more natural in their own homes or yards.

Family pets are also easier to include when they are in familiar surroundings. You can promote your "on location" family portrait service in the Sunday newspaper. Note the fact that they won't even have to leave the comfort and privacy of their home because you will come to them.

Charge an initial fee, which includes the first portrait (16x20s and 20sx24s are not uncommon) plus travel expenses and other shooting costs. Always promote the Christmas card portraits, which the labs will offer.

Some large antique dealers have photos taken of their items for sale and send the photos or color slides of special or unusual pieces to other dealers or customers.

Back in the 1940s and 50s photographers would travel the country and go door to door. For a fee, children could put on a cowboy hat, vest and chaffs and climb onto a saddled pony to have their picture taken.

All you have to do is rent a gentle-natured pony, have a three-piece (one size fits all children) cowboy outfit and an assistant standing by just in case the pony gets skittish or the child decides to jump off.

Then make arrangements to appear at 'crazy days' festivals, school carnivals, family reunions, shopping mall promotions, parades or any other place where crowds gather.

Make arrangements with the band or booster club and make arrangements to take color group photos of the band and individual members. Mail sample prints to band directors outside your area and arrange for appointments to show your work and explain package offers and fees.

People who have show pets are good candidates for portraits, as are breeders looking to show off their pet, too. Getting pets to sit for their portrait may require a special touch.

If you have a toy for the animal to play with or some proper food, that can usually put the animal into positions from which you can get a good portrait. When you get some good shots, don't forget to get a release from the owners.

You can use those shots in advertising, or there are a number of pet magazines that may be interested in paying you for the photo.

As with all publications, you should contact them first with a letter and send a self addressed, stamped envelope requesting writer's/ photo guidelines. This will get you information about their submission procedures and what they are currently interested in receiving.

You should also check the library or bookstore (or request a back issue from the publisher) to see what kind of photography is typical in that particular magazine.

For more listings of potential magazines, check The Photographer's Market or The Writer's Market at your local library. You may reach a point in your portrait photography career where it makes sense to open your own studio.

Many photographers have progressed beyond their own home studios to a building in which they can set up a specific portrait studio.

You would have a foyer with the walls decorated with some of your portraits, maybe one or two rooms used for portrait photography, and a number of varying backgrounds.

It should be in an area that is convenient for your customers. Moreover, you should always maintain your ability to bring your portrait show on the road with you.

If you've set up a portrait studio in your home or outside your home, you can likely find work in shooting products for businesses to use in advertising and sales brochures.

Almost any type of written work published by a company has some type of artwork to it, at least on the cover. Often, this artwork takes the form of a photograph.

The shots could be for a catalogue, a brochure, a manual, a trade show layout, inventory, ID pictures, etc. There are endless possibilities with businesses.

You probably know the larger-sized businesses in the area. Call on them first, armed with your portfolio. While they may have a photographer as an employee, there could well be too much work for one person to handle.

It's not enough extra work to justify hiring a second employee but sufficient to hire a freelancer. Your local Chamber of Commerce can give you a listing of area companies ranked by size. Work your way down that list.

Just as school graduations are an excellent time for photos, so, too, are graduations in church. Baptisms, confirmations, bar mitzvahs (in the Jewish faith), all are important life events for the participants.

If you belong to a church or synagogue, let the minister, priest or rabbi know that you are available to do photographing. In addition to the graduations, there are youth activities, prayer meetings, bake sales and other special events which these religious institutions hold that are meaningful to them to be remembered in pictures. These institutions also honor their own memories in anniversary celebrations.

Picture books are often sold as a means of fundraising. There is a substantial amount of photography involved with a commemorative edition type of project. As you photograph these events for the church, try and think about how you might use the photos otherwise.

Remember, local newspaper publications may publicize a church or synagogue event. This means you can be hired by both the institution and the newspaper to get the same photo. Be smart, get paid twice for the same job.

The holidays are great occasions for pictures, not only portraits but for cards that are mailed out by the millions. Whether it's Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day or another holiday, photos and photo cards are very much a part of the holiday mail.

You must be well organized to be sure your card assignments are completed on time. Pictures must be taken, developed and converted into cards (a photo lab can help with this) well before the holiday to leave the client plenty of discretionary time to mail them out.

In addition to the cards, you should encourage portraits or other pictures as a holiday gift. There are many memorable moments when a picture arrives of a grandchild, a nephew, a niece, a cousin.

You can earn substantially more by processing picture and portrait orders in addition to the card work. The other card opportunity is with new babies.

Most of the time the new parents like to notify their relatives and friends of the new addition to their family. What better way than with a birth announcement card, complete with picture?

This is all part of working with and staying with families over the years. There are so many special picture moments in the lives of people that a good photographer can almost be like a member of the family, having participated in all of the special occasions in life.

Remember your clients on their special days. Sending out cards is entirely appropriate to commemorate the holidays or a birthday or anniversary.

If you took the wedding photos, you will know when an anniversary is coming. If you took a birthday picture, you will have that date. Get as much information about your clients as you can.

Not only will they appreciate the remembrance, the opportunity to keep your name in front of them will work to your advantage the next time an important picture moment arrives. So cards have two meanings here.

First, you can build a nice business creating holiday picture cards. Second, a card and a note to honor special occasions in the lives of your clients can remind them that you truly care about them.As a photographer, the photos in the newspaper are probably of special interest to you. While others linger over the headline or perhaps even the story, you are studying the picture to look for technique or maybe how you would have taken the shot.

Small towns have publications that go beyond the scope of normal news reporting, preferring to concentrate instead on the events that effect the local community. It might be a Friday night football game, a charity ball, a church bazaar, an historical commemoration event, these are all local news stories that weekly publications will have an interest in covering. This means pictures.

Smaller publications, especially of the free variety, are not likely to retain a fulltime photographer so freelance work is relatively easy to come by.

Good pictures often sell these publications, especially to locals who like seeing their faces in the town tabloid. Keeping track of school events, whether it's sports activities, talent shows, plays, dances, contests and, of course, graduations can keep you busy.

There are also important community meetings which are held such as council or school board events. Someone will be there with a pen to record the proceedings but a photograph to accompany the story is always welcome.

Many writers would prefer to write and leave the picture taking to someone who is professional and reliable rather than have to worry about it.

Many editors of small publications don't necessarily have the time to get to every event to shoot the necessary film. They're usually a one person band and need any and all the help they can get.

They probably have a small budget for pictures but once you develop a reputation for being there with your camera and getting good shots, you'll have regular work. Start by taking a few shots of events and bringing them in to the editor. The editor may well be interested in what you've already taken and you can discuss fees at that point.

You may even want to give a couple of the shots away in exchange for ongoing work. If you live in a small town, you'll be familiar about where to get information about events of interest to the paper.

The editor may give you assignments but you can often come up with your own ideas. Visiting the local businesses regularly can get you both the town gossip and news about potential photo opportunities. You may even find potential advertisers for the paper.

There is a job to photograph accident victims and locales to return to the barrister to see if there is sufficient evidence for a lawsuit.

Attorneys need this kind of photography. In many cases, it isn't for the weak stomach. There are car crashes, fires and other difficult situations into which you'll be thrust. You have to want to do this type of work. If you do, there's plenty of it out there for you.

Start by contacting attorneys in town and sending them a resume and samples of your work. While they're not looking for great art with these photos, they want reliable pictures and photographers who will know what angles to shoot and who can make snap judgments at a scene.

Scheduling flexibility will be important here. An accident will occur and you'll be needed. Expect late night calls and the need to drop what you're doing and rush to a scene.

Since this information may well be used as evidence, you will need to be accurate in your written description of the photograph as well as precise in noting exact time and date for the record. Sign the back of your photos so that you can easily identify them if called on to testify in a court of law.

This also prevents other pictures from being slipped in and misidentified by you as you'll only swear to the authenticity of the photos you signed. You'll probably be paid on a per scene basis plus mileage expenses.

You might also work out an hourly rate instead as it could be time consuming work in some cases. Either way, there is a substantial amount of legal photography business available.

You could work either with an insurance agent, the agency itself, or on your own to contact owners of property and sell them on the idea of taking pictures of the household goods they have insured.

You take pictures, a pictorial inventory of everything they're claiming or would like to claim on an insurance policy, and then identify the pictures, giving one set to the property owner and the other set to the insurance agent or company.

Picture inventories of household and personal property is still a new thing but everywhere it's been introduced, it's definitely proven to be a super money-maker for the people willing to get out and hustle.

You can encourage existing clients to bring you new ones by offering a discount on their next service or additional copies of photographs you?ve already taken. New people are the lifeblood of any business and rewarding your clients with freebies or discounts is well worth the cost since it will be more than made up by the new work. You can work under your own name or create a company name for yourself such as "Picture Perfect".

If you do decide to name your business, you will need to acquire a business license which is usually a simple process. Once you have the license, establish a new bank account in that name and "Picture Perfect" is ready to operate.

If you use your home as your studio/darkroom, you'll need to check with your local city and/or county council to be sure you aren't violating any zoning ordinances by running a business out of the house. Don't ignore the codes, especially as you'll be having clients come to the house.

If your city/county prohibits your home-based business, you can either open up your own studio in a commercially zoned site or you can do photography away from home like aerial, weddings, etc.

If you do run a home based business, be sure you acquire liability insurance for the home in the event a customer has an incident there.

Make sure your home/studio is safe and free of any objects which a client could stumble over or otherwise come in contact with and incur an injury.

You can advertise your business in a number of ways from leaving business cards at area stores to taking out a full page advertisement in a local paper. You may be able to trade advertising space for photographs and not have to spend any money other than on film and development which you would have done anyway.

You will need to accurately record all of your expenses as many of them will be tax deductible. This will offset your tax liability on the earnings you receive for your photography work. Set up separate statements per client. Write down all the work you do for that individual or company, especially if you are on an hourly rate.

This is the best and most accurate way to keep track of your time, since depending on your memory recall can be unreliable. Finally, if worse comes to worse, you can combine your regular job and your photography part time job on your tax return and you can deduct all your photography equipment and deduct all your losses from the business on any taxes you would have paid from your regular job.

Photo Agent/ Photo Representative

Writers, actors and others in the entertainment business have agents who sell their stuff or find gigs for them in exchange for a 10 to 15 percent commission.

Society of Photographers &

Artists Representatives

60 E. 42nd St.

#1166

NYC 10165

212 779 7464

spar.org