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| *SoulEyes Photography>>>Landscape Photography |
I need help starting my photography business!!!? |
I have been doing photography for over half of my life but until recently I only done landscape, nature, etc. I am wanting to start doing family, portraiture and glamour photography. I have a few contacts but nobody seems to be booking. Everyone wants everything done for free. Hello...I have bills to pay too. Can anyone give me ideas that are minimul to no cost for me to boost advertising, clientel, etc.? Free work is easy to sell! If you are good, people will pay. It's really all about talent, and I will assume you have it, so the next step is to get it out in front of people so they will hire you. Of course the other big element at work here is the rest of us...the competition. And there are the non pros out there who will work for free. You have to be better than them. How do you this: -- You are in a business and business is about customer service and adding value. This means when people hire you for a portrait sitting, you are there at the appointed time, ready to go, and you make it quick and painless. Most people don't really care to spend time in front of the camera, so making it easy and pleasent goes a long way. -- Price your work to reflect the fact that you have worked long and hard to build a talent that few people had. Uncle Joe can do that senior portrait...but you can do it 100 times better and your post processing skills and knowledge of light, exposure and composition will blow uncle joe out of the water. -- Network as much as you can. This means you have professional business cards, a well done web site where people can learn about you and even order prints if that is part of your model and then focus on treating every paying client like they are the most important client in the world. Word will get around... -- And speaking of business model... you have a business plan and a Tax ID and way to keep your books and all of that stuff, correct? Running it like a business will make it seem like a business, and people won't think for a moment of asking for something for free. As for getting your name out there (beyond the above) - look for ways to 'make the scene'. Local fashion show? Be there. Holiday season or other prime portrait time - hit some local shops and leave some flyers and cards (I get referals from a frame shop nearby where we have a mutually exclusive customer offering - I sell photos - she sells frames). You can also encourage existing clients to spread the word, but don't be pushy. It's much better in my opinion to be exclusive (meaning expensive). This is a tough business and you really have to believe in your talent and be good at selling yourself. If you can pull that off, however, it is very rewarding. Good luck! Do you have a website? Maybe you have a friend who knows how to build one that you could barter a portrait session with. Then, use those pics as exmples in your portfolio and make business cards with the new website. Spread them around area businesses and see what happens! This was the same situation I was in. People saw photos I did either just for fun or casually (not really looking to sell or did just for the family) and wanted me to take photos for them ... for free of course. To solve this problem, I gave this offer (since I am starting out and wanted the exposure for my business): I will not charge any sitting fees and I will give them a reduced rate (not free) on all the pictures they want from that sitting. If they decide the price is too steep and they don't want to buy any pictures, fine. But, I hold the copyright to all images (whether they buy or not) and can use them for any advertising I want. Then I have my name on all pictures so once they are out in the world the photos do the advertising for me. I also have a website and brochures and business cards that I hand out so they have the reference and can also pass them along. It is working pretty well so far. You may have to do some free or cheap shoots in the beginning to get your name out there and then can charge more as you become more in demand. You should definitely consider running an advertisement or coupon on the back of your local grocery store's register tape. I'm sure you've seen them before, right? This type of advertising completely floods your area with coupons for your business and I bet after a while you'll be booked solid every day of the week. Best of all it's incredibly affordable and you can probably pay for a whole month of the program with your first client. I actually work for a large register tape advertising company that works with 10,000 grocery stores in the US, Canada, and UK, so if you have any questions please send me an email. Good luck! AdvertiseMy.biz |
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