By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Danny_Eitreim]Danny Eitreim
For many of us, photography has been a passion for most of our lives. We've studied photo techniques, lighting, posing and so on. We've dreamed of becoming a paid photographer and working at our dream job - but, we don't know where to start.
We know we're talented - all our friends and relatives are constantly hounding us to do their portraits or "take a few shots" at their weddings. And frankly, we're getting a little tired of doing free work - especially when the "pros" make thousands of dollars for doing the exact same thing.
Working at a mall photo studio doesn't seem too exciting - we look downright weird in a beanie with a propeller on top, plus there doesn't seem to be any emphasis on creativity. The poses are all the same, the lighting is all the same, not to mention the fact that the mall photographers don't make much more than minimum wage.
What to do? We COULD take a mall photo job - and let our dreams and abilities atrophy and die a slow agonizing death. Or, we could try to get a job as an intern or an assistant to another photographer - and lug around equipment all day, for no pay. In a couple years we might even be allowed to touch the camera!
Or, we could start our OWN photo business!
It's not hard. The mall photographers taught us that we can get started by learning a few basic poses and lighting patterns. If our friends really ARE after us to do their photos, these are poses that we are already comfortable using. Particularly if we've been studying photography for any length of time at all.
Then once we know we've covered the basics, (the poses that our customers will undoubtedly want) we can get creative and put our own vision and style into the session. Finally, we're living the life of our dreams AND by cutting out all the corporate middlemen, we are making a decent living! So, the first thing we need to make money in the life of our dreams is the courage to get started! This is by far the hardest step.
The second thing we have to do is set up the mechanical side of our business. Get a business license, business checking account, business cards, look into getting the ability to accept credit/debit cards and so on. (This step CAN and probably should be done after we have step number three functioning.) True it's a hassle, but this is all fast and easy to do. Plus, if you do everything right and legal from the start, it avoids a lot of problems further down the road. Any accountant can help you get set up with your bookkeeping and show you what records you will need to keep, etc.
The third thing we need is customers.
This step is easier than you may think. Let's face it, almost everyone uses professional photography at some point in their lives. And most of us use it a LOT! We get our weddings photographed, we get our Bar and Bat Mitzvahs photographed, we get baby pictures, school photos, family portraits, dance recitals, Christenings and on and on...
Finding potential customers is no problem. Even better, as more and more people become aware of the importance of portraiture, the industry - at least from my experience - is growing.
To find unending streams of potential clients all clamoring for your services is a simple matter of knowing how to inexpensively reach them with your marketing materials - when they are in the market for photography. Teaching YOU how to do that is my specialty. Click the link in the bio box and it will take you to a free photo marketing newsletter. (Plus you get a free ebook.) Learning to make money with your photography is easier than you think. I can take you from a dead start and you could be cashing checks within two weeks. Check it out, there's nothing to lose.
You may feel free to reprint and publish this article at will as long as it remains intact and unchanged, including the author bio box.
Dan Eitreim has been a professional photographer in southern California for over 16 years. His data base exceeds 6000 past clients, and he says that selling YOUR photography is easy - if you know a couple tried and true marketing strategies. He's created a multimedia presentation that can teach ANYONE how to sell their own photography and generate freelance income in as little as two weeks. To learn more and enroll in a FREE photo marketing course, go to: http://www.PartTimePhotography.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Eitreim http://EzineArticles.com/?The-3-Most-Vital-Steps-To-Becoming-A-Paid-Photographer&id=955987
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
How Professional Photographers Can Maximize Their Profits
by Martha J. Dameron
Professional photographers are in an extremely competitive business. With the demands of clients and limited resources, photographers can sometimes feel overwhelmed, particularly in busy seasons such as the summer when weddings are prevalent. Although the busyness is often welcomed because of the money that can be generated, having to turn down clients due to lack of time, can be critical in months down the road when business slows. The following paragraphs will address how professional photographers can maximize profits.
First, think of outsourcing or using other professional companies that can assist you in aspects of your business. Although some people believe that it would minimize profits, this is quite the contrary as outsourcing would allow you to take on additional clients that you would not be able to service on your own during busy times.
Outsourcing may involve utilizing a company that specializes in wedding photo albums or wedding photography coffee table books. By researching an organization such as this and finding out specifically the products they use when creating wedding photo albums as well as the range of services that they offer, you may be able to provide that company with digital images and have them put together designer wedding albums that can later be sold at a higher rate to your clients, thus easing your workload and providing your couples with a product they can be proud of for years to come.
Online digital photo printing and finishing is another popular service that some professional photographers like to outsource because it allows them to save time that they would be using to print the wedding photos themselves. Additionally, it saves money maintaining or fixing expensive printing equipment that can get worn down or need repairs over time. By relying on a professional online photo printing and finishing company, a photographer is able to maximize profits and spend their time doing the work that they truly have a passion for-taking pictures and capturing memories.
Another way that a professional photographer can maximize profits is by hiring an apprentice, intern, or an eager photographer interested in starting his/her own business. These are people typically very willing to learn and have a basic skill level that can be used from the on-set to conduct mundane or routine tasks at inexpensive rates. Over time, these people can be taught additional skills that will further ease your workload. By hiring someone of this skill level you will have additional time to focus on more skill-demanding tasks such as meeting with clients, selling packages, and capturing the moments of special events.
The final way that professional photographers can increase profits is by expanding their service offerings. Photographers are no longer limited to taking formal posed pictures for inclusion in a traditional photo album. Rather, professional photographers can now supply their clients with custom designed cards to celebrate special occasions such as weddings, holidays, baby announcements, and even thank you cards. Custom holiday photo cards, photo greeting cards, and photo wedding thank you cards are always appreciated as they allow people to keep connected that are miles away in a unique and professional way that can be cherished for years down the road. By looking outside the box and expanding your service offering, you will set your photography business apart from others and your clients will rely on you for multiple occasions throughout the year rather than the once in a lifetime event.
As the photography business is evolving and potential clients are becoming more selective, it is imperative to set your business apart from the rest. By relying on the advice above, you can maximize profits, save time, and think of other ways that will keep clients coming back and referring your services to friends and family.
Candid2000.com is a wedding album manufacturer that allows the professional photographer to create a customized wedding album for their clients on multiple-image pages, complete with text and special effects. In addition, Candid2000.com specializes in online photo printing and finishing as well as a variety of specialty services. For more information, please visit www.candid2000.com.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Professional photographers are in an extremely competitive business. With the demands of clients and limited resources, photographers can sometimes feel overwhelmed, particularly in busy seasons such as the summer when weddings are prevalent. Although the busyness is often welcomed because of the money that can be generated, having to turn down clients due to lack of time, can be critical in months down the road when business slows. The following paragraphs will address how professional photographers can maximize profits.
First, think of outsourcing or using other professional companies that can assist you in aspects of your business. Although some people believe that it would minimize profits, this is quite the contrary as outsourcing would allow you to take on additional clients that you would not be able to service on your own during busy times.
Outsourcing may involve utilizing a company that specializes in wedding photo albums or wedding photography coffee table books. By researching an organization such as this and finding out specifically the products they use when creating wedding photo albums as well as the range of services that they offer, you may be able to provide that company with digital images and have them put together designer wedding albums that can later be sold at a higher rate to your clients, thus easing your workload and providing your couples with a product they can be proud of for years to come.
Online digital photo printing and finishing is another popular service that some professional photographers like to outsource because it allows them to save time that they would be using to print the wedding photos themselves. Additionally, it saves money maintaining or fixing expensive printing equipment that can get worn down or need repairs over time. By relying on a professional online photo printing and finishing company, a photographer is able to maximize profits and spend their time doing the work that they truly have a passion for-taking pictures and capturing memories.
Another way that a professional photographer can maximize profits is by hiring an apprentice, intern, or an eager photographer interested in starting his/her own business. These are people typically very willing to learn and have a basic skill level that can be used from the on-set to conduct mundane or routine tasks at inexpensive rates. Over time, these people can be taught additional skills that will further ease your workload. By hiring someone of this skill level you will have additional time to focus on more skill-demanding tasks such as meeting with clients, selling packages, and capturing the moments of special events.
The final way that professional photographers can increase profits is by expanding their service offerings. Photographers are no longer limited to taking formal posed pictures for inclusion in a traditional photo album. Rather, professional photographers can now supply their clients with custom designed cards to celebrate special occasions such as weddings, holidays, baby announcements, and even thank you cards. Custom holiday photo cards, photo greeting cards, and photo wedding thank you cards are always appreciated as they allow people to keep connected that are miles away in a unique and professional way that can be cherished for years down the road. By looking outside the box and expanding your service offering, you will set your photography business apart from others and your clients will rely on you for multiple occasions throughout the year rather than the once in a lifetime event.
As the photography business is evolving and potential clients are becoming more selective, it is imperative to set your business apart from the rest. By relying on the advice above, you can maximize profits, save time, and think of other ways that will keep clients coming back and referring your services to friends and family.
Candid2000.com is a wedding album manufacturer that allows the professional photographer to create a customized wedding album for their clients on multiple-image pages, complete with text and special effects. In addition, Candid2000.com specializes in online photo printing and finishing as well as a variety of specialty services. For more information, please visit www.candid2000.com.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Marketing Ideas - Wedding Photography Business 2.0
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_Stickel]James Stickel
"My wedding photography business is failing!"
That was what I was thinking just over a year ago. I was stuck in a rut, doing the same old marketing techniques that I had been doing for years. The same ones that almost every other wedding photographer in my area was doing.
The problem was that my prospects were becoming numb to the same tricks over and over. On top of that, I was getting older, and engaged couples were moving further away from my age demographic, making it more difficult to relate to them.
It was time for a change in my marketing plan. I had to find a way to get back into touch with my niche.
In order to be successful I would need to concentrate on a few things.
Focus - Narrow down prospects into groups of exactly who you want to do business with. Know who your perfect client is. Are they first time couples or people getting married for a second or third time?
Design Great Material - Design compelling marketing material that speaks to that group of people. Create something of value that you can give away, something with staying power. Personally, I use a free e-book and advertise it with a leaflet. This helps promote my website, and gets me their name and email address (which is required at download).
Gather Leads - You can accomplish this two ways: by telephone, or by email. I suppose you could use snail mail, but this is wedding photography business 2.0, remember? As you read in number two, I use a form on my web page that requires that the user input their name and email in order to receive their free download. I require that they opt-in to avoid spam issues. The other method is to include a recorded telephone message with free information in exchange for their name and phone number.
Harvest - Now, it's as simple as staying in touch with these prospects until they require your services! Send out a monthly newsletter, or provide them with valuable information through email. Any way you slice it, they asked for you to contact them, so DO IT! These are hungry prospects asking for exactly what you're selling.
By implementing this formula into my business, I've seen noticeable gains in purchase rate, all while lowering my time overhead in maintaining relationships with prospects.
To learn more about how I make money with photography, please visit:
The Money Cam Blog at http://MoneyCam.blogspot.com today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Stickel http://EzineArticles.com/?Marketing-Ideas---Wedding-Photography-Business-2.0&id=944921
"My wedding photography business is failing!"
That was what I was thinking just over a year ago. I was stuck in a rut, doing the same old marketing techniques that I had been doing for years. The same ones that almost every other wedding photographer in my area was doing.
The problem was that my prospects were becoming numb to the same tricks over and over. On top of that, I was getting older, and engaged couples were moving further away from my age demographic, making it more difficult to relate to them.
It was time for a change in my marketing plan. I had to find a way to get back into touch with my niche.
In order to be successful I would need to concentrate on a few things.
Focus - Narrow down prospects into groups of exactly who you want to do business with. Know who your perfect client is. Are they first time couples or people getting married for a second or third time?
Design Great Material - Design compelling marketing material that speaks to that group of people. Create something of value that you can give away, something with staying power. Personally, I use a free e-book and advertise it with a leaflet. This helps promote my website, and gets me their name and email address (which is required at download).
Gather Leads - You can accomplish this two ways: by telephone, or by email. I suppose you could use snail mail, but this is wedding photography business 2.0, remember? As you read in number two, I use a form on my web page that requires that the user input their name and email in order to receive their free download. I require that they opt-in to avoid spam issues. The other method is to include a recorded telephone message with free information in exchange for their name and phone number.
Harvest - Now, it's as simple as staying in touch with these prospects until they require your services! Send out a monthly newsletter, or provide them with valuable information through email. Any way you slice it, they asked for you to contact them, so DO IT! These are hungry prospects asking for exactly what you're selling.
By implementing this formula into my business, I've seen noticeable gains in purchase rate, all while lowering my time overhead in maintaining relationships with prospects.
To learn more about how I make money with photography, please visit:
The Money Cam Blog at http://MoneyCam.blogspot.com today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Stickel http://EzineArticles.com/?Marketing-Ideas---Wedding-Photography-Business-2.0&id=944921
Wedding Photography Tips - From A Nantucket Photographer
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mark_Pommett]Mark Pommett
As someone who grew up as a Nantucket photographer, I've been asked numerous times for wedding photography tips, here are a few suggestions.
Create A List Of Shots Request or suggest to the couple to provide you with a list of shots they would like for their wedding. This makes things easy to remember and you can check them off as you click away. very helpful for family and group shots. It would be a real bummer to find out when you get the photos back that you missed Uncle Joe.
Use An Assistant Shooting the famliy portraits can be frustrating when you have people missing and they are not organized. People are just having too much fun and are wondering about - not really thinking about photography. I recommend to bring an assistant (preferably female) to nominate a family member to gather everyone for the portraits. They can round everyone up and make the shoot go so much faster so everyone can go back to celebrating.
Stay Prepared So much can go wrong on the day - so you need to be well prepared. Have a backup plan (in case of bad weather), have batteries charged, memory cards blank, think about routes and time to get to places and get an itinerary of the full day so you know what's happening next. If you can, attend the rehearsal of the ceremony where you'll gather a lot of great information about possible positions to shoot from, the lighting, the order of the ceremony etc.
Discuss Expectations With Your Bride. Show them your albums and samples of your work. Find out the style they want to achieve, how many pictures, key moments they want photographed, format of the shots ( digital, film), and more. Make sure to go over the price so they know exactly what they are paying for.
Minimize Your Camera Noise. Camera clicks and beeps during the vows and toasts can be distracting. Switch off sound before hand and keep it off.
Shoot With Two Cameras. It's too easy for one camera to go down during a shoot leaving stranded with out anyways to finish your work and destroying your reputation. Buy, borrow, or rent an extra camera for the day and set it up with a different lens. I try to shoot with one wide angle lens for candid shots and tight spaces and one longer lens (it can be handy to have something as large as 200mm if you can get your hands on one - I use a 70-200mm).
Capture The Details. Take pictures of the rings, details in the dress, eyes, lips, table settings, interior etc - these help give the end album an extra dimension. Pick up a wedding magazine at your local news stand for a little inspiration.
Bring A Second Shooter. Having a second backup photographer can greatly facilitate the day and improve your coverage. It means less running around during ceremony and speeches, and allows for your or your second to capture the formal shots while the other covers something else. Most importantly, it takes a little pressure off you being 'the one' to have to get every shot!
Don't Be Shy. Being shy won't get you 'the shot'. Sometimes you need to step to the front of the line to capture a moment. However, timing is everything and planning ahead to get in the right spot for key moments are important so you don't disrupt the event. During the ceremony I try to move around at least 4-5 times but try to time this to coincide with songs, prayers or longer readings. During the portrait session take charge, know what you want, and ask for it from the couple.
Mark Pommett is an accomplished [http://www.pommettphotography.com ]Nantucket photographer serving Massachusetts.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Pommett http://EzineArticles.com/?Wedding-Photography-Tips---From-A-Nantucket-Photographer&id=938481
As someone who grew up as a Nantucket photographer, I've been asked numerous times for wedding photography tips, here are a few suggestions.
Create A List Of Shots Request or suggest to the couple to provide you with a list of shots they would like for their wedding. This makes things easy to remember and you can check them off as you click away. very helpful for family and group shots. It would be a real bummer to find out when you get the photos back that you missed Uncle Joe.
Use An Assistant Shooting the famliy portraits can be frustrating when you have people missing and they are not organized. People are just having too much fun and are wondering about - not really thinking about photography. I recommend to bring an assistant (preferably female) to nominate a family member to gather everyone for the portraits. They can round everyone up and make the shoot go so much faster so everyone can go back to celebrating.
Stay Prepared So much can go wrong on the day - so you need to be well prepared. Have a backup plan (in case of bad weather), have batteries charged, memory cards blank, think about routes and time to get to places and get an itinerary of the full day so you know what's happening next. If you can, attend the rehearsal of the ceremony where you'll gather a lot of great information about possible positions to shoot from, the lighting, the order of the ceremony etc.
Discuss Expectations With Your Bride. Show them your albums and samples of your work. Find out the style they want to achieve, how many pictures, key moments they want photographed, format of the shots ( digital, film), and more. Make sure to go over the price so they know exactly what they are paying for.
Minimize Your Camera Noise. Camera clicks and beeps during the vows and toasts can be distracting. Switch off sound before hand and keep it off.
Shoot With Two Cameras. It's too easy for one camera to go down during a shoot leaving stranded with out anyways to finish your work and destroying your reputation. Buy, borrow, or rent an extra camera for the day and set it up with a different lens. I try to shoot with one wide angle lens for candid shots and tight spaces and one longer lens (it can be handy to have something as large as 200mm if you can get your hands on one - I use a 70-200mm).
Capture The Details. Take pictures of the rings, details in the dress, eyes, lips, table settings, interior etc - these help give the end album an extra dimension. Pick up a wedding magazine at your local news stand for a little inspiration.
Bring A Second Shooter. Having a second backup photographer can greatly facilitate the day and improve your coverage. It means less running around during ceremony and speeches, and allows for your or your second to capture the formal shots while the other covers something else. Most importantly, it takes a little pressure off you being 'the one' to have to get every shot!
Don't Be Shy. Being shy won't get you 'the shot'. Sometimes you need to step to the front of the line to capture a moment. However, timing is everything and planning ahead to get in the right spot for key moments are important so you don't disrupt the event. During the ceremony I try to move around at least 4-5 times but try to time this to coincide with songs, prayers or longer readings. During the portrait session take charge, know what you want, and ask for it from the couple.
Mark Pommett is an accomplished [http://www.pommettphotography.com ]Nantucket photographer serving Massachusetts.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Pommett http://EzineArticles.com/?Wedding-Photography-Tips---From-A-Nantucket-Photographer&id=938481
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