Starting a successful photography business from the ground up can be challenging. However, with these tips you can be well on your way to starting a successful portrait photography business!
First thing's first: you will need a camera. I recommend starting out with a digital SLR (dSLR) camera. Yet, there are so many dSLR camera's on the market, how do you choose a great camera? Research. Conduct online research by reading consumer reviews from multiple blogs and websites, search professional photography forums, and ask professional photographers for their advice. You shouldn't choose a camera on a whim and you shouldn't purchase one simply because it's on sale: doing your research will pay in the long run!
Next, learn how to properly use your camera and edit your photos. If you want to run a
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This is an important and often overlooked step: don't choose a starting price based on what other photographers are charging or a random price you feel is fair. Carefully calculate the money you've spent starting your business (equipment, software, education, licenses, insurance, business cards, website fees, etc), how much it will cost to maintain your business, evaluate many hours you spend on a session (time spent driving to/from the session, shooting, editing, backing up and posting files, etc), calculate how much of your income you will have to pay to sales and income taxes, and how much excess you will need above all of the factors listed above to pay for the cost of living and still earn profit. Most new photographers start out charging too little; once the joy of starting a new business wears off, many photographers find themselves unable to stay financially afloat and resent owning a photography business, ultimately closing their doors in less than a year. Start off right and remain successful by creating a firm price list for your services that keeps your business profitable and brings yourself