No Business, No Money, No Interest, How?!
Well, let's face it, starting a business is not always easy. We will have competitors, discouraging people, annoying clients, you name it! A good point I would also like to push across is that there will always be someone better than you, no matter what you are doing, meaning it does not have to be photography related. Not to be discouraging, just thought I'd tell the truth.
I am in no way the most popular girl at my school, my church, or plain out in the world. Believe it or not, I do have photography business competition with people about the same age as me. Currently, I do not own the top equipment out there, just what I need to help me do well and learn. I have really let this get me down lately. But...
Let me give you some of my positive perceptions on things. As photographers, or even business owners in general, those are a couple of the things that can really get us down. We may think that we will not be able to gain the proper amount of traffic needed because we are not popular. We may think people will not appreciate the beauty we can give them because we do not have the newest equipment. We can't put all of our focus on the negative prospects. Where's that going to get us? Um, nowhere!
Starting a business for photography requires patience and I mean LOTS of patience. We cannot put up the first picture in our portfolio and expect to have tons of people asking for inquiries within an hour. It is an ongoing task and investment. I would like to provide you with a few tips on how to find a following and develop your photos even more.
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#1). Social Media
Social media is a great place to engage with others by displaying highlights from your portfolio as well as advertisements. Even better, you can direct friends to your page such as by sending them an invite to your page (Facebook). Additionally, if you would like to put some money into the game, places such as Facebook and Instagram allow you to promote posts for a small charge.
#2). Grab Some Models!
I cannot stress how important this is, especially when you are just starting to build you portfolio! Ask some friends or family members to model for some pictures. If I were to look at a photographer's portfolio and it were empty, I would have no way of knowing their photographic style and how developed their skills are. No one wants to pay hard-earned money for low quality photos. This will also help you to better improve your skills when it comes to working with manual mode and different lighting situations.
#3). DO NOT Just Read and Watch Videos
Reading books and watching YouTube is a great way to learn the photography trade. This is exactly how I continue to learn and grow, along with a few knowledgeable people I know. However, do not expect to be able to read all the books and watch all the videos possible and then begin charging. This is a VERY BAD idea. Implement what you learn in your mind and then actually go out there and shoot, shoot, shoot away! This will ensure that you know what you are doing and provide you with the practice needed to be successful. This is how mistakes are found and fixed.
#4). Be Careful When It Comes To $$$
This is a biggie. Your intentions should not be all about becoming a multi-millionaire, but to LEARN! It is important to be reasonable with your pricing. As of the time this post was posted, I am not a top of the notch photographer who has had twenty years of experience or special schooling for that matter. It is important that I make my prices match this. I aim to keep my prices $75 AND UNDER for the time being. I have no intentions of going up to the $100 and $1,000 ranges until I have had quite a large chunk of experience, possibly higher level education, and maybe have assisted someone very knowledgeable and exposed to (no pun intended) the world of photographic images. I also want my prices to be something my friends can afford. I don't think they want to pay over $100 for an hour of portraits at this point in the game!
#5). DO NOT Limit Yourself To Presets
Presets are amazing and so helpful at times. I do use them more often than not, but I would advise not heavily relying on them. It is best to learn color grading. Color grading can also aid in leaving your photos with a natural look that some presets may take away. Trust me, it's rewarding to tell someone who asked what filter you used that your prized photo was edited manually. In no way am I saying to never use presets because I mean, hey, they can add quite a bit of fun and flare. Just don't make a habit of relying on them.
#6). Pray!
Last, but not least, and most importantly, make sure to include the one above in all that you do. It is important to make sure you are following the plan He has for you and not your own intentions. This is a major step in what will lead you to success. Pray that God will lead you is doing what is best when it comes to taking different measures to grow your business. By the way, don't forget to give that tithe from your income!
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good."
~ Romans 8:28 ~
I hope you found these tips helpful. Although they were not all geared towards business, they can help to greatly improve your shots. They have immensely helped to improve mine! Thank you for reading and looking forward to the next post!
Lo<3e,
Kerri
