Starting a Portrait Business
siteseer
when they were first starting out to drum up customers and business.
I've been trying to get a portrait business off the ground since the
beginning of the year, and am not really getting that much traffic. I
live in an area with ~200,000 people, and many of them moving in are
middle class or up, so I have a population to work with, and am not
set up in a poor area or one with low population.
Word of mouth hasn't done much, and doing free shoots to get
the ball rolling has also not been that good. People I know say they
really like my work, but when I hit them up for a portrait session, or
ask them if their kids are in a sports league and if the league has a
photographer yet, they act deaf. Then I see a Wal-Mart's special
hanging on the wall and get ticked off. I've done ads in a couple of
local college papers, but I've only got a couple of responses. I've
been cold calling some youth sports league points of contact I've seen
in the local sports page for team photography (as a profit point in
itself, but also as another marketing tool directed to the parents for
family portrait work and to get my name out), but they either have a
photographer they're happy with, or just flat aren't interested.
Once you've got an established business, you're a known
commodity, kind of like in real estate where the brokers who've been
around for ten years get their listings and sales through referrals
and past clients who want them again.
I currently offer work either out of the house or on-location,
since I can't justify signing a lease on a studio until it looks like
I can get a viable business going where paying the lease won't make me
bankrupt. But I don't know if not having a studio and doing it out of
the house is getting some people to shy away.
The current studios have the apprentices they need, but I'm
not knocking a chance to bite the bullet and start off with someone in
the future if I don't get it going by myself (though a sole
proprietorship is my ultimate goal). But staying independent is the
whole reason for getting in business in the first place, and I've
spent plenty of time with "trainers" in other jobs who are just more
interested in busting someone's chops and being an ass and making the
trainee look like a fool than in actually getting them the training,
so I am kind of sour on that, though.
I'm just fishing for ideas to do some brain storming. To
those who respond, thanks in advance.
http://www.jorsm.com/~siteseer
When they took the 2nd amendment, I was silent because I didn't own guns.
When they took the 4th amendment, I was silent because I didn't deal drugs.
When they took the 5th amendment, I was silent because I was innocent.
Now they've taken the 1st amendment, and I can say nothing about it.
dot nyet
>I was wondering what portrait photographers in this group did
>when they were first starting out to drum up customers and business.
>I've been trying to get a portrait business off the ground since the
>beginning of the year, and am not really getting that much traffic. I
>live in an area with ~200,000 people, and many of them moving in are
>middle class or up, so I have a population to work with, and am not
>set up in a poor area or one with low population.
If you have access to AOL, the Professional Photographers sig
on the Kodak Photo Forum has some excellent boards, where a
lot of great ideas are exchanged. Perhaps one of the few redeedming
features of AOL. Also, I might suggest an excellent book by
Tom McDonald entitled "The Business of Portrait Photography".
Very comprehensive, filled with marketing ideas, posing, lighting
and equipment tips.
Mel1wood1
writes:
>I was wondering what portrait photographers in this group did
>when they were first starting out to drum up customers and business.
>I've been trying to get a portrait business off the ground since the
>beginning of the year, and am not really getting that much traffic. I
Patience is the key. If you expect fast returns you're in the wrong
business.
I hate to ask this,but; are you "SURE" that people like your work, or are they
just being polite? Many of us have self inflated egos, and praise or our own
work while it it medicore at best. Be your own worst critic! That's the only
way.
I carry a portfolio with me at ALL times; the photos vary showing many
diferent aspects of my photographic abliites, make sure you add some Black and
whites in there too, and have gotten many jobs just from that. Not to mention
giving away my business cards to people at the slightest mention of
photography. I do not own a studio, nor do I shoot at my home, I set up at
the persons house. This type of photography is more meaningful in the end, I
HATE backgrounds!
I also know other photographers, who are willing to let me use their
studios if I asked them, I reserve that for ONLY a few occassions. I also work
for a local newspaper part time, you would be suprised how much private work
this can generate.
Also giving shows and exhibitions at local churches, libraries, schools, etc
is a good way to advertise. I try not to give too musc away for free, it sets
a bad precedent.
You may also try competing for that local school senior portrait money!!!!!!
You would be suprised how much money you can make off of that one!
good luck!
Mel1wood1
Classicphoto@bellsouth. dot nyet (Classic Photo) writes:
>If you have access to AOL, the Professional Photographers sig
>on the Kodak Photo Forum has some excellent boards, where a
>lot of great ideas are exchanged. Perhaps one of the few redeedming
>features of AOL
What's the KEYWORD for this? I could not locate this Forum.
Bill Guy
want to be known as. If you are trying to be everything to everyone before you
are established no one will know who you are.
Chose one type of photography and start from there. What is even better
look at your area and see where there is the greatest need for a type of
photography. Who is the best wedding photographer? Who is the best family
portrait photographer? Who does the pet photography? Who is best with
children photography? What photographer is covering the sports photography?
Who gets the most High School seniors? And so on.
Once you see an area that could use improvements then that should be the
area you go after since the computation will be easier there. Also any of
these area will allow you to get into the other areas once your clients know of
the good job you can do.
One quick story of how well this works. In my area of 50,000 population
there were two photographers who pretty much had the market wrapped up or so we
thought. A young woman moved in and started to photographed the local Pet of
Week at the animal shelter for the local paper once a week. Now she didn't
just go down to the shelter and photographed them in the cages but brought them
to her studio and with props and good lighting made Pet Portraits of the mutts
and kittens. With in two years of hitting town she was doing family portraits,
(with their dogs and cats) weddings, children, and glamour. In our town now
there are three top studios.
Bill Guy
Prescott Photographic Studio
Harrison Phillips
www.kodak.com.
I did not find much activity on the site and none dealing with the subject
at hand
Harrison Phillips
Mel1wood1 wrote in message
<199809051323...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
dot nyet
says...
>>If you have access to AOL, the Professional Photographers sig
>>on the Kodak Photo Forum has some excellent boards, where a
>>lot of great ideas are exchanged. Perhaps one of the few redeedming
>>features of AOL
>What's the KEYWORD for this? I could not locate this Forum.
Photography Forum. Then go to Professional Imaging Board.
dot nyet
says...
>The key word is KodakWeb on AOL. The url for others or on AOL web is
>www.kodak.com.
>I did not find much activity on the site and none dealing with the subject
>at hand
No, that isn't it Harrison. It's keyword "Photography Forum", then choose
the Professional Imaging Board. Lots of activity on practically every
aspect of Professional Photgraphy.
Pyrrha x
in the upper right-hand corner, or choose Photography Forum from the menu at
the lower left. I find the Professional Imaging Board better than the
Photography Forum.
Pyrrha
dot nyet
says...
>the lower left. I find the Professional Imaging Board better than the
>Photography Forum.
That is precisely the site I was referring to, but it's part of the
Photography forum, not a seprate area.
K and J Darling
<199809051323...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
> Also giving shows and exhibitions at local churches, libraries,
schools, etc
> is a good way to advertise. I try not to give too musc away for free, it
sets
> a bad precedent.
Personally, I do a fair amount of pro bono work for churches and
charities--free, but never, ever cut rate.
digitalphoto
Dave Smith
This is what I've been doing and as of yet have not done anything for
anybody other than family/friends, much less paid work. To be honest, I'm
not great, but I'm certainly better than "Aunt Bertha." How do you move
past the family/friends and start making $$$?
Mike Smith
Bill Guy <pho...@primenet.com> wrote in article
<35F16758...@primenet.com>...
Bruce Caines
electrons so they looked like this :
>So just basically, shoot anything and everything until people know you?
>This is what I've been doing and as of yet have not done anything for
>anybody other than family/friends, much less paid work. To be honest, I'm
>not great, but I'm certainly better than "Aunt Bertha." How do you move
>past the family/friends and start making $$$?
>Mike Smith
The first step is to make a concerted effort to **become** great. If
you're only better than Aunt Bertha, and people know that you don't
consider yourself a great photographer, why should they pay you do do
something they feel they can have done by someone who DOES think they
are great and presents themself as such?
You've got to make the effort to learn your craft so that YOU know,
and everyone who knows what you do, or whom you *tell* what you do
believes you are the best photographer they know. This comes before
any of the other skills you will need to develop as a business person.
Only **then** will you begin to "move past the family/friends and
start making $$$"
Bruce Caines
===========================================
Bruce Caines Photography, NYC
Print 212-594-9443 | Film 212-725-0907
***To reply by email, remove the Z in my address.***
==========================================
dot nyet
>and everyone who knows what you do, or whom you *tell* what you do
>believes you are the best photographer they know. This comes before
>any of the other skills you will need to develop as a business person.
>Only **then** will you begin to "move past the family/friends and
>start making $$$"
This is as it should be, but in reality, often isn't. I've seen
excellent Photograpgers starve because they were poor businessmen,
while mediocre photographers with excellent marketing skills
prosper.
SPECTRUM
<sha...@whidbey.net> wrote:
>So just basically, shoot anything and everything until people know you?
>This is what I've been doing and as of yet have not done anything for
>anybody other than family/friends, much less paid work. To be honest, I'm
>not great, but I'm certainly better than "Aunt Bertha." How do you move
>past the family/friends and start making $$$?
>Mike Smith
Just decide to go pro. Work with a studio as a
stringer or a assistant to the big gun and bide your time
until you get a working knowledge of the field as well as
learn what your customers expect. Ain't easy. Just pay the
dues.
Regards,
John S. Douglas
S p e c t r u m P h o t o g r a p h i c I n c .
http://www.spectrumphoto.com
Bill Guy
breaks. For a smile see
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wiley/9_04_98.htm
Bill Guy
Prescott Photographic Studio
Dave Smith
things with/for directors and then I was able to land the parts I wanted.
I'm begining to think that everything in life us this way. Thanks for the
info.
Mike Smith
Bill Guy <pho...@primenet.com> wrote in article
Lschultz2
some friends asked if I could shoot them with their horses. Because we all
had schedule conflicts, we all decided to meet a t a horse show which had
the right settings and several good backgrounds,etc. We were just starting
and at least a half dozen people had lined up with their horses to see if I
would shoot them too. Not being totally dense, I thought there might be
something to this. The rest of the year I shot horse shows on weekends (the
rest of the week I am a meek mild mannered photojournalist). The rest of
the year I spent time figuring out what worked and what didn't
photographically and economically.
This year, being more prepared, has been a great success in horse shows
alone. But there are all kinds of niches. Earlier this summer I met a
fellow who shoots nothing but roller skating races (speed skating), figure
skating and dance schools portraits (photo mates or memory mates). Ok this
is much like school photos, but he only works nine months out of the year.
There are bunches of niches that need to be scratched <G>. I have worked a
couple of classic car shows where people want to have portraits made of them
with their renovated classic car. This summer I did an antique tractor
show. Anytime there are fanatics... er I mean people who have passions
about their interests, there is an opportunity. I have an acquaintence who
does nothing but dog shows. She does high quality stuff and charges $300
for a 16x20 of Fido and his owner.
The quality is up to you. You do not have to compromise anything. Find a
niche and fill it.
Good luck.
Regards,
Lloyd
Classicphoto@bellsouth. dot nyet (Classic Photo) wrote in message
<9IYH1.4036$eZ3.2...@news3.mia.bellsouth.net>...
>In article <35f0410...@news.jorsm.com>, site...@jorsm.com says...
>
>>I was wondering what portrait photographers in this group did
>>when they were first starting out to drum up customers and business.
>>I've been trying to get a portrait business off the ground since the
>>beginning of the year, and am not really getting that much traffic. I
>>live in an area with ~200,000 people, and many of them moving in are
>>middle class or up, so I have a population to work with, and am not
>>set up in a poor area or one with low population.
>
>
>If you have access to AOL, the Professional Photographers sig
>on the Kodak Photo Forum has some excellent boards, where a
>lot of great ideas are exchanged. Perhaps one of the few redeedming
siteseer
site...@jorsm.com (siteseer) wrote:
> I was wondering what portrait photographers in this group did
>when they were first starting out to drum up customers and business.
I thought I sent a thanks for the many responses I got to this
post a couple of weeks ago, but I see I didn't (I had it in my outbox,
but hadn't sent it), so I'm doing it now. Many of you had responded
with ideas for getting things going with followup posts, while others
had e-mailed me. I'd like to thank you all for the time you took to
respond, as well as the encouragement and extra tips to find a
marketing angle to work off of. The more tools in my toolbox, the
more versatile I'd be.
I know it's going to be a long haul to get a viable business
going, hence that's why I'm not "quitting the day job". But
photography is where I got my heart set, so like the guy said in the
movie Cool Hand Luke, "You're gonna have to kill me to get me to
quit." Patience is free, so it's one thing I have a lot of.
In today's volatile workplace, it's always good to have a
backup profession so you're not as lost as if you just have one thing
you can do, and you sit around wondering where the money's coming from
if you get sent on permanent vacation. I've had some situations come
up in the past year in my job where if it wasn't for luck, I'd have
ended up doing the job fair attending & want-ads reading circuit
again, in spite of my good job performance. Ok, I'm done before I
write a book. Once again, thanks.