Photography has become one of the most popular at-home businesses to start in the last three or so years. Which is understandable! Photography can be very fun to do if you find exactly what you want to do with it. I enjoy what I do because I make it all about fun, not just “business”. Starting my photography business was hard though, so today, I want to share some tips for starting a photography business!
Find Free Resources
Buying a camera and just shooting for the heck of it won’t get you off to a good start if you don’t know how to use it. There are a few well-established photographers who offer free courses that will teach you about shooting, good light, and posing.
Amy and Jordan have a few, and you can find them here!
Katelyn James offers a few freebies as well! Here, you can find free downloads on posing, a timeline, questionnaires, and more! Perfect usage for after you take AJ’s free online course!
Both of these photographers also offer incredible online courses from shooting and editing to business, posing, and more! So when the time does come, check them out!
Camera Gear
If you are serious about starting a business, and already took advantage of the free courses above, your next goal is to buy gear. My first camera was a Nikon 5500, and aside from the kit lens I got, I also bought a portrait lens. These are great lens to start with, even with a kit camera!
The Nikon I had was used for over a year and for over 150 sessions. The work was good and if you have the right knowledge on the gear and use what you learned from the free classes, your work can be great!
Here are a few cameras/lens I would look into investing to help you get started!
Nikon 5600, Nikon 7500, Nikon 50mm 1.4,
Canon Rebel T7, Canon 50mm 1.4
Offer Free Sessions
You gotta start somewhere, right? The best way to build your portfolio is by having work. The way to get work is to start offering some free sessions. I started by offering 20 free family, maternity, engagements, etc. I wanted to gain all the experience and this was the way to do it. People love free stuff. Just make sure you are honest up front and tell your clients you are new and just want to apply what you have learned!
Editing Style
This trial period is your way of finding out how you want to edit your photos. Use these free sessions as a way to try light and airy, dark and moody, warm and colorful, natural light, etc. There are hundreds of presets you can buy for Lightroom that you can use as a base for your editing to find your style. This will in the future, help you with your brand!
These websites have the most popular and most affordable!
Social Media
When you have completed the free sessions, found your style of editing, and feel confident about where you are, the next best step is to start a business social media account. Instagram is the “modern way” to connect with clients using hashtags, show off your work, and finding other photographers to follow! It’s from here, where you might even feel good to start charging your work. Many start to charge from $100-$150 for a session!
Thank you for reading these tips for starting a photography business!
xo,
Dana
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