Category Archives: Business Tips

Tips for your photography business

7 More Questions for Photographers Going into Business

I wrote this post for photographers considering getting into the business of photography. It outlines key questions to ask when you are getting up and running. This week I have spoken with two readers of Beyond Here who are in the early stages of their photography businesses. It prompted me to consider other questions which you should consider when you are starting out. Here are 7 more questions for photographers going into business.

Define what success looks like so you can see business danger coming

1. What does success look like? To know how you are going you first need to decide what success looks like. To do that, I suggest you break it into 3 sub questions.

1a. What income do you want to generate? This is the financial measure of how the business is performing. It gives you a point to focus on. Regardless of how busy you are, and whether you are enjoying the type of photography you are doing – this measure answers the question – is my business financially successful? An example might be – in you first year of operation you would like to make a profit (revenue less costs) of $30,000.

1b. How do you want to spend your day? Think about what balance you would like between shooting, editing, marketing, delivering product, taking time off, having a holiday and other responsibilities in your life. This question will determine whether your business is meeting your lifestyle needs.

Keep focused. If you are a wildlife shooter, don’t let other work distract you

1c. What type of photography work do you want to do? This is a really important question. It will help determine whether your business is meeting your artistic need.

Let’s take an exaggerated example. Imagine you got into business because you love landscape images. Then you are asked to shoot a friends wedding. You do a good job and referral business rolls in. Soon, you are spending 2 weekends per month shooting weddings when you got into business to enjoy the great outdoors and shoot nature images.

Determine the type of work you want to be doing to help you stay focused.

It’s okay for a landscape photographer to shoot an occasional wedding – just don’t let those occasional jobs take over your business.

Define what your ideal client looks like.

2. What does your ideal client look like? Define what type of client you are looking for and your marketing will become more focused and effective. Consider the difference between – ‘my ideal client would like family portraits’ with ‘my ideal client is a family. The parents are in their thirties and work in professional roles. They live in an upper-middle class area in the eastern suburbs. They own their own home and appreciate the value of fine family portraits to hang on the walls. They have 2 children, one in primary school and one in pre school.’

3. What hours are you prepared to put into the business? This is where the line between hobbyist and business owner becomes clear. The successful business owner is clear on the number of hours they are prepared to put into the business – and will work those hours even if they “don’t feel like it”. The hobbyist will focus on other activities until their ‘phojo’ comes back. That’s not a criticism of the hobbyist – its that the business success is very important to the business owner and they are prepared to keep working at it.

4. How much do you need to charge per job? This is a simple calculation but is often overlooked. If you are planning to generate an income of $2500 per month and anticipate shooting 10 jobs per month – you need to charge enough to make a profit (revenue less expenses) of $250 per job. Yes, the calculation is that simple. Make sure you do it.

Getting started in a photography business is a very exciting time. If you are clear on the answers to these questions you are well ahead of most. At this early stage of your business its about being clear about what success looks like and having goals to keep you focused. Thanks for reading 7 more questions for photographers going into business. Go find some of those ideal clients!

7 Business Lessons from Being a Stock Photographer

Regular readers of Beyond Here will know that selling images through iStockphoto and Getty Images is an important component of my photography income. I’ve written many posts about stock photography, from getting started, through to how to use props, and many topics in between. I regularly get asked about the business or financial side of being a stock photographer. Based on my experience, here are 7 business lessons from being a stock photographer.

What starts as a small trickle of coins, can transform into a rapid flow

Business Lesson 1 – Small Amounts Do Add Up. The first image I received a royalty for on iStockphoto back in 2008 was a cityscape from Melbourne, Australia. I shot the image while a friend and I went on an evening photo shoot. We walked around the city, chatting and shooting night city images. The royalty from that first download was US$1.26. While that amount seems tiny, I was excited as I could see the potential for that amount to grow, and for an individual image to be downloaded hundreds of times. That image has since been downloaded a further 49 times to reach 50 in total. So far. While each royalty amount might be small, over time they will add up, and can add up to a significant total. Don’t be discouraged by small amounts when you are starting – be excited for the potential of those amounts to grow.

Business Lesson 2 – Significant Income is Possible From Stock Photography. While I have a large portfolio of stock images I am a ‘small fish’ in the stock photography world. My annual income in US dollars is well into the 5 figures and has been since my third year as a stock photographer. That makes a significant contribution to my overall photography income and adds to my wedding and portrait work. More successful stock photographers are generating incomes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Many people start out in stock photography thinking that you can not earn worthwhile amounts. I’ve found that to be untrue. (If you’d like to read more about how to generate a worthwhile income please check out my e-book Build A Five Figure Income in Your Spare Time.)

Flying fox images have been a lucrative niche for me

Business Lesson 3 – Finding a Niche can be Very Profitable. When I started contributing images to iStockphoto my portfolio was a diverse collection of random images. It took me some time to find what I liked to shoot, and where there was a market. I found the intersection of supply and demand in my Australian wildlife images and specifically in flying fox images I shot near my home in Melbourne, Australia. I have continued to upload flying fox images as they sell year round and peak in sales just before Halloween. Finding that niche helped me realize that stock photography could work for me.

Business Lesson 4 – Buyers Care About a Useful Image. And nothing else. Buyers don’t care where the image was shot, what camera you were using, or who you are. Buyers only care about the image. So, if you think your equipment is not good enough, or that you will start when you get the latest version of Photoshop – realize that they are just excuses. Buyers don’t care. As long as you can meet the stock libraries quality standards there is no reason not to get started.

Many stock photographers no longer need a home base

Business Lesson 5 – Location Free Careers are Reality. What’s a location free career? It is a career which is not dependent on where you live – and many of the world’s most successful stock photographers are making that real. They can travel and shoot and upload and get paid all without needing a permanent home base. As long as they have a digital camera, a laptop, and an internet connection they can work anywhere. And increasingly they don’t even need to carry all their gear with them – they can rent it at their next location.

US dollar income is handy for my business

Business Lesson 6 – A US Dollar income is handy. My royalties from stock photography are paid in US dollars. When they are transferred to me each month they are converted into local currency. As the Australian dollar goes up and down versus the US dollar it is very handy to have a US dollar income. The price of photography equipment in Australia goes up and down in line with the exchange rate – so having a US dollar income protects me from exchange rate volatility.

Business Lesson 7 – Successful Images Keep Selling. I wrote this post analyzing my recent downloads on iStockphoto. It showed that nearly 50% of my current income was being generated by images shot and uploaded 4-5 years ago. This was an important lesson for me. It highlighted that successful images have a lifespan of several years. It is worth taking the time to shoot well thought out concepts as they will generate an income for many years. In many ways, building a stock photo portfolio is building an asset which will generate an income into the future. It is worth taking the time to do it well.

Successful images are likely to keep selling for several years

Thanks for reading 7 business lessons from being a stock photographer. I feel it only captures a tiny fraction of what I’ve learnt since first getting into stock photography in 2008. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me via email or by leaving a comment on this post.

What To Do When the Photo Jobs Are Not Flowing

Resist the urge to cut your rates when bookings are slow

This week, in a Facebook photography group I belong to, a photographer expressed her exasperation that despite having ‘tried everything’ she was not able to book as many photography jobs as she wanted. She was frustrated and disillusioned. I hate to see someone’s dream of being a professional photographer being left in tatters by financial failure so I offered to help her. We swapped several messages. I asked her to email me details of her circumstances, so I could properly understand her situation and give her some relevant advice. Unfortunately that email hasn’t come. I hope she has found what she was looking for from someone else, and hasn’t given up her dream of being a professional photographer. If you are in the same circumstances, here are 8 general pointers for what to do when the photo jobs are not flowing.

Don’t Doubt Your Photographic Ability. If you have been in business for some time, and had happy clients in the past, it is very likely that your photography and the work you produce is at a professional standard. Of the photographers I work with, the problem nearly always is a sales and marketing problem not a photographic ability problem. Recognize that the issues is about sales and marketing and don’t lose confidence in your photographic ability.
Define Success. Defining success is about being clear on what you want the outcome to be. This is important so that you can build a plan to achieve that outcome. In the case of the photographer from the Facebook group, she did know what she wanted. She wanted to book 20 weddings and 20 portrait sessions per year. By knowing what she wanted, she is well ahead of most who are struggling to find new clients.
Stop What You Are Currently Doing. If you have ‘tried everything’ and it hasn’t worked, then you are trying the wrong things. If you thought you were doing the right thing like advertising via Google adwords and on Facebook, then stop those activities and immediately cut your expenses. There is a lot of pressure to book jobs when you are spending a lot on advertising. If it’s not working, stop it now. Cut your expenses.
When you need bookings at short notice, contact past clients

Focus on Your Previous Clients. If you are a portrait and wedding photographer like the photographer from the Facebook group, you are likely to have a string of past clients who are happy with your work. They know you, they like your work. It is much easier to generate bookings at short notice from past clients than from people who don’t know you. So, when you need bookings in the short term start to contact your old clients. Make it simple. Call or email them. “Hi XXXX, this is Craig, your family photographer. It’s been a year since I did your family portraits. That must mean Peter is 3 years old now and will be starting kindy next month. Would you like to do an outdoor session at the park to remember this special time? I have a vacancy in my shooting schedule this Saturday morning at 9am. Does that suit you?” Try it. It won’t take long until you have filled your weekends with family portrait work.
Don’t Cut Your Rates. There is a tendency to feel like you need to offer a ‘super discount’ to attract clients when times are tough. Resist this urge! In the example above there is no mention of cutting rates. It is a straightforward communication which shows that you care about your client and that you realize it is one year since the last shoot. Using the child’s name shows you value them and know the importance of capturing childhood memories. Make it easy, convenient and fun. Not ‘cheap’.
Add Value to Your Packages. If you have lots of inquiries from potential clients but few bookings – again, resist the urge to cut your rates. If you really want to make a change, add value to your packages rather than cutting your prices. Include a free canvas print for bookings made this week, or a 8×10 print and frame for shoots which are done this month. Find an incentive for your potential client to book now.
Make Contacts. I recommend making contacts to all photographers but especially wedding photographers. I suspect the photographer from the Facebook group advertised her services as a wedding photographer to local brides. Unfortunately this is often a very crowded market place, and few brides respond to an unknown photographer. I would recommend to her getting to know the people at the wedding venues she wants to shoot at, and meeting with marriage celebrants. These industry contacts have direct contact with couples, and their recommendations will be listened to. Making contacts takes time, but is a very valuable source of referral business.
Consider Letting Someone Else Do Your Sales and Marketing. I have met photographers who have been on this merry go round for a long time. They have tried and tried again, and they seem to be on a never ending cycle between having just enough clients and having not enough. They are never getting ahead. These people tend to love photography and creating images, but loathe the sales and marketing which comes with running a business. Are you one of these people? If you are, have you considered being a stock photographer? I’ve written many posts for Beyond Here about stock photography. In this model the photographer shoots the image, uploads it and adds keywords. The image library looks after all of the issues around attracting buyers and making sales. For some photographers who don’t enjoy sales and marketing, this is the model for them.

Thanks for reading what to do when the photo jobs are not flowing. I hope it has been useful to you, and either reinforces the good things you are doing, or gives you ideas to improve your business. Happy shooting.

7 Money Tips for When You Start Your Photography Business

Starting your own photography business is a very exciting time. This week I have been helping a photographer who is making that leap. He is very excited and can’t wait to put his business skills to the test, along with his photography skills. He has several future bookings, but not enough to guarantee the financial success of his business in its first year. In the course of our conversations we discussed how important it was to keep overhead costs low while the income builds up. I have summarized that discussion into these 7 money tips for when you start your photography business.

Working from your home avoids the additional expense of business premises

Tip #1 – Work From Home. To keep overhead costs down the most cost effective business premises are your own home. You can effectively set up your business and pay no more for your premises than you are already paying. It might not be a space you want to bring clients to, and it might not be as prestigious as having your own studio on High Street – but working from home is very cost effective and helps to keep your overhead costs low.

Do you need to buy a new 70-200mm L 2.8 lens? Or could you rent one for the job?

Tip #2 – Rent Gear. When you are starting out and have a new project you may not have all the equipment you need. At times like this it is very tempting to go out and buy that new lens so that you can do an expert job. Resist the urge. A smart money managing photographer will resist the urge to buy lots of new gear until they have the cash flow to afford it. In the meantime, rent any additional equipment you need.

Tip #3 – Minimize Studio Costs. If your photography business involves studio work, the cost of your studio can have a big impact on the financial performance of your business. It is tempting, and great for our egos, to buy or lease a top quality studio space. Unless you have the client bookings to afford it, a lease on an unused studio space can quickly deplete your businesses cash reserves. Remember the objective is to have a successful business and make studio arrangements that your business can afford. Have you considered renting a studio on a daily or half daily basis? Can you build an effective studio in your home?

Will a small home studio be adequate for your young business?

Tip #4 – Go to Your Client. Having your own studio premises makes it very easy to have clients come to you, but can be very difficult to afford when you are starting out. Have you considered the alternative? Go to your clients. Shoot in natural light. Or with portable lighting. Hold your client meetings at their home or their favorite coffee shop. The extra distance you travel will be offset by not losing sleep over lease payments you can’t afford.

Tip #5 – Outsource Printing. Are you an expert in the print process? Do you have a passion for the latest print machines? Are you doing enough printing to justify investing in the latest technology? If you do, you are in the minority! If you’re not a print expert, get an expert to do your prints. Let them invest in the latest machines and inks, and pay them for each piece you have printed.

Tip #6 – Become an expert in off camera flash. Finally a tip for people wanting to invest in some equipment and improve their skills! Yes, I encourage you to become an expert in off camera flash. It will help you shoot well lit images in a large variety of lighting situations – and at the same time avoid a major investment in lighting equipment. Win, win! You’ll improve your skills and also your income producing potential, without burdening your business with another investment. Remember, when you are starting out, keeping costs down is important while you build the income up. The focus needs to be on achieving business success – not on looking great while your business goes broke.

Debt pressure can be crippling for a young business. Use debt cautiously.

Tip #7 – Avoid Debt. Debt can have a very serious impact on the viability of any young business. Your business will go through good times and bad, and debt adds pressure when times are tough. Your lender won’t be concerned about jobs that are going to materialize soon, they are just interested in getting their money back. Adding debt, adds pressure. Avoid debt if you can.

Thanks for reading 7 money tips for when you start your photography business. I hope they have been helpful and will help keep your expenses low while you build up the income.

The Benefits of Working in a Photographic Series

It’s not a single picture here and there. It’s not an image or two, it’s about leaving a trail which tells a story. It’s a body of work which speaks to the subject and the photographer’s vision. Many are ongoing. They get better with time. The total body of work is more important than any individual image. That’s a photographic series. If you have never tackled one, read on for the benefits of working in a photographic series.

I read an interview with Annie Leibovitz which highlighted the view of someone who understands the benefits of working this way. Of all the celebrities she has photographed, she was asked which was her favorite image or images. Her answer was that none of them were her favorite, but that the most important thing was the body of work she has built over time and continues to build. She understands building a body of work, and the series being more important than any individual image.

What are the benefits of working in a photographic series? What is in it for the photographer?

Shooting extended series gives greater opporunity to capture unique images

(1) More unique images. More exposure to one subject or one series increases your chance of getting unique images of that subject. In the images on this post I have used wildlife images, but this principle applies to any subject. With repeated exposure to the same subject you are going to be able to create more unique images than if you only shoot that subject once. It took time to get a shot of a winking koala.

(2) Shooting a series forces you to find different ways to capture your subject. Shooting a series is not about building a large collection of similar images. It is about focusing on a subject and producing a diverse range of images. Producing different images is where your development as a photographer comes from – as you find new, different, unique ways to shoot your subject. You get the chance to experiment with different lenses, different lighting, different angles, and different exposures.

(3) You develop a greater affinity with your subject – and a greater affinity helps you to produce better images. Again, this applies to different subjects. If you are shooting images of a toddler, getting to know the child and making images of them over time allows you to develop an affinity with the child and to produce varied images. In the example is a flying fox image. This shoot location is near my home (details here) and after repeated visits in different wind conditions, I learned to better predict where they would fly, allowing me to capture stronger images. I’ve also come to know, that if I visit this area in early summer, there is a good chance of seeing baby flying foxes clinging to their mothers chests in mid air. A greater affinity with the subject lets you shoot better images. What do you have an affinity for? Where does your interest lie?

Shooting an extended series on Flying Foxes has enabled me to capture a wide variety of images in different light conditions

(4) Different shoots, different lighting, different images. Shooting in a series will produce variety in your work as each shoot will be in different lighting conditions (unless you choose to keep the light the same in a studio setting). I have shot an extensive range of images of grey headed flying foxes, and the lighting conditions have a significant impact on the style of image produced on any given day. In this example with the sunlight behind the subject, it highlights the wing structure and the veins.

Shooting in different lighting conditions generates very different images.

(5) Shooting in a series allows you to select only your very best work to display. It gives a depth to your collection, and gives you options to select only your very best work to display. That leads to a high quality portfolio, not a mediocre collection of many subjects. It allows you to develop and display a photographic style.

Thanks for reading the benefits of working in a photographic series. If you have never tackled one, take up the challenge!

Dig More Streams

Dig more streams is a saying I got from David Du Chemin’s excellent book, Visionmongers. (If you haven’t read Visionmongers please see here for a short review.) Dig more streams refers to creating more income streams for your photography business.

Is it time to write that book or e-book you’ve been meaning to get around to?

The principle here is to critically evaluate your photography business and examine whether you can generate a greater financial return by offering different products or packages.

What are some examples?

If you are a wedding photographer – can you create more products for your clients to purchase? If you normally do electronic images and prints, can you do albums as well? If you are shooting family portraits, can you expand your product range to offer canvas prints as well? or other print products? Or can you restructure your package offerings to provide more value for your client and more margin for your business? If you are an experienced industry professional, can you write and sell a book or an e-book? Can you expand your current business by selling prints to a worldwide market via online portals? Can you use your spare time to build a stock photo portfolio? Can you teach a beginners course on how to use a digital camera?

These are just a few of many, many examples. What are the opportunities for you and your business?

What are the advantages of being able to dig more streams?

By adopting the ‘dig more streams’ approach you will be able to:

generate additional income from your existing activities (e.g. by adding albums and prints to your wedding photography service)
create new income streams (e.g. selling prints online)
generate repeat business (e.g. selling a first anniversary package to your wedding clients)
add more value to your existing clients (e.g. if you specialize in new born images, keep a note of the babies birth dates and follow up with a 1 year old special offer, then a 2 year old special offer, then … you get the idea!)
capitalize on the growing number of professional and semi professional photographers by meeting their education needs (e.g. writing an e-book about how to shoot weddings)

Selling wildlife canvas prints locally and online has helped me dig more streams

One example from my own photography business is that I often am asked about my experience as a stock photographer. That leads to photographers asking me what they can do to build a stock photography portfolio themselves. The repetition of those questions lead me to write an e-book called Build A Five Figure Income in Your Spare Time which covers my own experience plus advice to people starting out in stock photography. If you would like to check it out, please see here. If you’ve got a digital camera, a computer, determination to keep improving, and some perseverance – then financial success as a stock photographer is possible for you.

Thanks for reading Dig More Streams. Has it prompted you to think about more streams which are possible for you and your business?

Seven Traits of People Running Successful Photography Businesses

This week I took part in an interesting discussion between photographers in a Facebook group. The discussion started with one photographer asking if others thought it was a good idea to do her own personal and business tax returns. (For readers not based in Australia, the tax year here ends in June and people begin submitting tax returns as early as July).

It is very hard to answer her question without knowing her circumstances. She may be a qualified tax accountant and it might be worthwhile doing her own taxes. That scenario is unlikely and my advice was that it is best to have a specialist do your taxes. That’s what I do for both my personal and business tax returns. I find it is worth the peace of mind knowing that my tax returns have been done properly. It also means that I get all of the deductions available to me as a small business owner. But most importantly, using an expert to do my tax returns leaves me more time to look after my clients.

Taxes are one example of business tasks better left to a specialist.

The photographer in the Facebook group had just completed her first year in business as a photographer. Her comments reminded me that it is very common when we are starting out to try and do everything ourselves. We may not have the business cash flow to be able to pay for a range of services, or we just figure that because we have the time, we will do things ourselves to save money. Some might think that is a valid approach, but all of the people I know who are running successful photography businesses take a different approach. That lead me to consider the traits I see in people running successful small photography businesses. Here they are, seven traits of people running successful photography businesses.

The photographers I know who are running successful photography businesses have these things in common. They:

(1) Get help with business activities they are not expert in – that includes but isn’t limited to doing taxes, editing images, printing, preparing contracts, framing prints, delivering products to their clients. The list goes on. Where they are not expert, or where they can’t add value, they get an expert to help.

(2) Understand the value of their time. This is where being a good business person really shows. They may be able to do their own taxes, but they know it will take them 3 weeks where an expert can do it in one week. Why would they want 3 weeks of their year tied up doing taxes? They know it is not a good use of their time to be tied up doing this type of task.

(3) Build relationships with clients. This is the one element of their businesses that they won’t leave to someone else. They know that the connection they make with their client is critical to the ongoing success of their business. All other things get set aside to make time for their current clients, and for finding new clients.

(4) Build their own skills. The people I know who are running successful photography businesses keep adding to their core skill set. They invest in learning new post processing techniques, or learning how to better market their business, or learning how to shoot expertly with a new piece of equipment. They don’t get distracted with trying to do their own taxes. They build their skills so that they can better serve their clients.

(5) Network with other successful photographers. People running successful photography businesses take time to build relationships with others doing the same. They discuss the business as well as the art. They share ideas and learn from each other.

(6) Take time off. Yes, people running successful photography businesses know that they need to take time off. They need to get away and relax. They put the dates in the diary at the beginning of the year. They are deliberate about taking a break and recharging the batteries. Is that what you do? Or do you have a break when you don’t have any clients?

(7) Don’t give up. Small businesses, like people, go through good times and bad times. The people I know who are running successful photography businesses understand this. In the good times, they don’t get carried away with their own success. They view it as an outcome of the work they have put in. And equally with bad times, they know that tough times will pass. They keep focused on their clients and the quality of their work, knowing that short term down times will not effect their long term success.

Successful small businesses owners understand the importance of time off to recharge their batteries

If you are starting out or looking to refocus your photography business, challenge yourself on each of the points above. Are you doing tasks which would be better done by an expert? Have your skills grown in the last year? Are you putting enough time into finding or looking after clients? Are you getting distracted by trying to do everything yourself? How well are you doing on the seven traits of people running successful photography businesses?

Thanks for reading the seven traits of people running successful photography businesses. Have you seen other traits that set people apart? Please leave a comment and share your experience.

How to Build a Portfolio When You Have Limited Experience

Getting started in paid photography work is not easy. That’s the case whether you are just starting out, or if you are looking to make a transition from one style of photography work to another. A large part of being able to attract paid work is being able to show potential clients a strong portfolio which demonstrates your photographic style. Today we look at ‘how to build a portfolio when you have limited experience’.

Working with different models and different light conditions will help build a diverse portfolio quickly.

If you are expecting clients to hire you because you are a photographer and have done a good job on a handful of jobs, you are working on hope rather than a plan. To be able to effectively market yourself beyond your immediate circle of family and friends, you need to have a body of work which shows your photographic style. That allows a potential client to look at your work and say ‘yes, I like this. I am going to hire this photographer’.

So, how do we overcome the ‘chicken and egg’ situation of wanting to attract paying work, but needing a strong portfolio to show your style and to attract those clients?

The short answer is to build a portfolio that reflects the type of work you want to attract. If it’s weddings you want to get into, you need to build a wedding portfolio. If it’s family portraits, you need to build a family portrait portfolio. If you want to have clients buying your landscape images, you’ll need to have a portfolio of strong landscapes. I’m sure you get the idea. So, lets look at how to build a portfolio when you have limited experience.

Here are four ways to build a target portfolio:

1. Shoot TFP. There are facebook groups of models and photographers in nearly every city. Join one of those groups and post a brief for what you are looking for. You will have models and HMUA’s (hair and make up artists) volunteering their services to assist. Why? Because models and HMUA’s need portfolio’s too. It is a win-win situation which works for nearly every type of photography involving people. (Working cooperatively like this is known as ‘TFP’. This originally stood for Time for Prints, but now means Time for Portfolio. Each person contributes their time and skill to build their portfolio.)

2. Pay models to work with you. If you are serious about building a high quality portfolio, you may prefer to work with experienced models. Experienced models don’t have a need to build their portfolio and so you will need to pay the model for their time and skill. You can use facebook groups or dedicated sites like Model Mayhem to post your photographic briefs. Working with experienced models you are likely to get a higher percentage of quality images than you would if you are working with someone starting in the industry. One additional advantage – paid work results in fewer cases of people arriving late or not arriving at all. This the single best way I know to build a high quality portfolio quickly.

Working with friends and family is one way to build skills and your portfolio

3. Work with friends and family. This is my least preferred option, but I have seen photographers do this successfully. It works well for photographers who are mastering the style of shot they want, who don’t want the additional challenge of working with models they don’t know. This works well if you want to shoot and re-shoot until you get it right. If you’ve never shot a wedding before and want to get into wedding photography, ask friends to be your bride and groom. It is even better if they are actually married and own a wedding dress and suit. If you want to get into family portrait work, ask friends to help you and offer them edited images in return. You get the idea.

Working in different light will build your skills and add diversity to you portfolio

4. Work in different types of light. Whether you choose all or none of the options above, it is important to shoot in different lighting conditions. Light is the basis of good photography and it is important to build your experience and expertise working in different lighting conditions. That means shooting in bright daylight, cloudy conditions, low light, indoor, outdoor, in the studio, and with lights on location. A weak portfolio is likely to have one or two shoots in similar lighting conditions. A strong portfolio is made from a diverse range of shoots in all types of different lighting. Challenge yourself by shooting in different types of light.

If you follow these tips you can quickly build a strong and diverse portfolio which will be the foundation of attracting paying clients. Thanks for reading ‘How to build a portfolio when you have limited experience’.

What to Include in Your Photography Contract

When you are making the step from photography as a hobby to photography as a business, one of the challenges is getting contracts organised. For many of us, this is an unfamiliar area and is about as much fun as doing our tax returns! Equally, we know that it is important because it puts in writing the commitment of the client and the photographer, and protects us should anything go wrong. So, what to include in your photography contract?

Contracts are vital to outline commitments of all parties and to protect your business

Below is a list of what I include in my photography contract. Please keep in mind it is not a definitive list. If you are an experienced industry professional and want to add input for other readers, please comment on this blog post. If you are new to the world of paid photography and contracts, please add your questions in the comments area on this post. I will do my best to answer them, and other readers will add their thoughts. Just keep in mind that I’m a photographer and not a lawyer. If you want expert legal advice, you will need to speak to a qualified legal professional.

What to include in your photography contract?

Who is the contract between? In my case it is between my company and my client. As I shoot weddings and portraits, my client is usually an individual or individuals, but the client could also be a business if you are shooting commercial work. For weddings, I include both the bride and groom as the client and ask them both to sign the agreement.

What are the details of the shoot? The contract applies to the specific shoot you outline on the agreement. For example, if it is a wedding, this part of the contract covers where it will be held, the date, the time photography starts, the time photography finishes, and any special details of the wedding.

Copyright and Images. My agreement outlines that my company owns the copyright for the images produced. It also makes clear that the client can use and display the images for personal use.

Permissions. I include in my contract a section which specifically outlines that my company is able to use the images for any industry competitions and in general promotion. In many contracts you will see a separate ‘model release’ section. I cover this in a single paragraph outlining the permissions given by the agreement.

House rules and cooperation. This section of my contract is specific to weddings. It makes clear that if there are any house rules from the venue that may limited the photographer, it is the responsibility of the client to discuss them with the venue. It also makes clear that if the client wants specific guests included in the images (like in family formals) that they will assist in organizing the people to be in the right place at the right time. And while I have never had a major issue with a wedding guest pushing in on me, I make it clear that if that occurs it is the responsibility of the client to deal with the guest.

I make it clear in my contract when payment is required

Retainer and Payment. I ask my clients to pay a non refundable retainer at the time the contract is signed. I also outline when final payment is due. In the case of weddings, payment is due 4 weeks before the wedding date. I find I do a lot better job for my clients when, not only am I sure of being paid, but when I have been paid already.

Limit of Liability. This is a vital section of my contract. It outlines that if something goes wrong (like if I am in hospital with a broken leg on my clients wedding day), that I will organize a suitably qualified replacement photographer. The key part is that it makes clear that in the event of things not going smoothly, that my liability is limited to a refund of monies paid. That protects me from any damages claims in the event that things go really wrong.

Completion schedule. This section outlines my commitment for when my clients can expect to receive their images. I have a separate clause which also outlines that additional time will be required for albums, prints, canvas prints etc.

Free Format Area. I leave a free format area towards the end of my contract. This is a space that, if I am sitting with the client, we can hand write in any specific details which either party would like to add to the agreement. It can also be used for notes about what the clients photography package includes.

Signatures. At the end of my contract I have a simple line which reads ‘I hereby agree to the terms of this agreement’ with space for the client to add their name, signature, and date. I also add my name, signature, and date as their photographer.

Getting the contractual side out of the way allows me to focus on delivering a great experience and images to my client

I have heard of some photographers using very long, complex contracts. I believe in simplicity and not overwhelming my client. Mine is 2 pages.

I hope this post covering ‘what to include in your photography contract’ has been useful to you. Please use this as guidance only and speak to a qualified legal professional for expert advice.

7 Great Questions to Ask When You Start a Photography Business

This week I’ve had four photographers who are starting photography businesses approach me to ask for assistance. It is exciting that people are taking that step, and using Beyond Here as a resource to help them.

These four people are all launching their businesses on a part time basis – in addition to holding full time jobs. I like that approach. They have cash flow coming from another source while they build their photography business. As we have discussed their businesses, all four have asked me the same question “Craig, could you critique my portfolio?” While I am happy to provide them with input on the style and quality of their work, there is a real danger that photographers get too focused on the images and not focused enough on the business.

If you are starting your photography business, or reassessing after being in business for a while, here are 7 great questions to ask when you start a photography business.

When you are starting out, ask lots of questions about the business of photography

Question 1 – who do I know who can help me generate clients? When you are starting in business it is common to have high hopes, big dreams, and not many clients! Building a pipeline of clients can take time, but everyone has a network who they should ask to help them. If you are a wedding photographer, do you know a marriage celebrant who could help you? If you photograph new born babies, do you know mothers of little ones who could help? Or a mid wife? If you shoot events, do you know someone who is an event organizer? or who works at an event venue? These people can help you. Ask them.

An efficient work flow will leave more time to focus on clients

Question 2 – how can I refine my workflow to complete jobs efficiently? Shooting and editing jobs is only a fraction of the tasks you will do when you are running a photography business. If you spend too long completing jobs, you won’t allow enough time for the important tasks of finding and meeting new clients. A great starting place is to challenge yourself whether your work flow is optimal. Many professionals outsource post production work to allow them to focus more time on clients. Is your workflow working for you or against you?

Question 3 – what will I do if I have a gear failure? Having a gear failure on one of your first jobs is very unlikely but could quickly bring an end to your business if you have not planned for it. Imagine a wedding photographer with only one camera whose gear fails minutes before the ceremony. You are not likely to have a long successful career if your first bride doesn’t get images of the ceremony and reception. So how will you handle this? The easiest is to make sure you have multiple cameras and lenses. Then if you have a failure in one, you can go to your alternate. (If you are a wedding photographer, this is another good reason to work with a second shooter. For more good reasons see here). If you can’t afford to purchase back up gear, make sure you borrow some from another photographer.

Plan in advance for how you will get paid

Question 4 – do I have a process to get paid? Do you know how you will bill and collect payment from your client? As a wedding photographer I ask for payment in advance. It is written into my contract that payment will be made 4 weeks prior to the wedding date. When I am shooting a wedding it is reassuring to know that not only will I get paid, but that I have been paid already. Have you considered issues around payment?

Question 5 – how will I back up my clients images? When you are running a business you can’t afford for a computing error to cause you a client disaster. There are many ways to back up your clients pictures to protect you from losing your clients files. I keep mine on a laptop, backed up on an external hard drive, plus USB storage of clients files, plus off site back up with an online storage provider. It might sound like a lot of caution, but a photography business can’t afford to lose client files.

Question 6 – are myself and my gear insured? Unfortunately it is not uncommon for a photographers equipment to be stolen. Unless you can afford to replace all your gear in the event of theft, it is important to have insurance. You will also need to look into public liability insurance. Again, small businesses can’t afford for an event like a wedding guest tripping over your camera bag to put you out of business. For more information on liability insurance please see this post.

Question 7 – how can I generate more income from my current jobs? Many people get into the photography business by shooting family portraits or weddings. They both provide an excellent opportunity to better serve your client and to generate greater revenue. If you shoot family portraits and provide images on disk, you have the opportunity to provide prints and albums. That can add greater value for your client and generate more income for you. As a wedding photographer, can you provide high quality prints and frames as well as electronic images? Can you provide the bride and groom with a service to turn their images into a classic album? With one each for both sets of parents? Look at your existing work and find ways to add more value for your client and generate more income for yourself.

Thanks for reading 7 great questions to ask when you start a photography business.

Generating more income from your existing clients or jobs is a great way to grow a photography business