With such a richly diverse area of expertise, there are many different ways in which photographers can start up their very own company; whether specialising in weddings, fashion, or other commercial areas, there’s numerous different types and ways to start a photography business.
As with starting up any type of business, there is much to consider to ensure success in your venture. There are a number of useful photography guides and resources online to help you get to grips with the technical aspects of photography, but how do you create a business out of this?
Below is a list of some of key considerations every photographer should be working through when starting up their own photography business:
- Establishing the type of business
- Establishing the type of clientele
- Considering any (and all) costs
- Considering how to promote the business
This piece will explore these four major factors every photographer should be considering when starting up their business.
Establishing the type of business
With photography being such a diverse area of services, it’s important to establish what type of photography the business will be specialising in. Some photographers specialise in various different subcategories of photography, however many will have a main area that they specialise in.
For example, London-based photography business Alex James London specialises in fashion, however offers services for a variety of different subcategories including Fashion Editorial, Fashion Commercial, Portraits and Moving Image. Establishing the type of photography service your business offers is essential in helping to brand the company and in attracting the relevant clients/customers.
Establishing the type of clientele
In addition to establishing the type of photography your business offers, it is also important to consider what type of customers will most benefit, and therefore be most attracted to the company’s services. For example, if your business specialises in fashion photography, the marketing and promotions for the company should be focused on attracting clients working in the fashion industry.
If your range of services are slightly more diverse (e.g. a company that can photograph both weddings whilst also offering services for commercial advertisements) it will be important to establish this in all marketing and advertisement of the photography business, helping to attract a wider range of different clients from a variety of different industries.
Considering any (and all) costs
Apart from the notoriously expensive camera and other photographic equipment, which most photographers will have already invested in, there are other additional costs to consider when starting up a photography business. These costs will be entirely dependent upon the type of photography services you offer; for example a wedding photographer will have to consider the costs of printing, and whether they want to include these as part of the price for the wedding or if these should be offered as additional services/costs.
Considering how to promote the business
As well as establishing all of the above factors, another major consideration to factor into a business plan is how to promote said business. Implementing effective marketing strategies and boosting online visibility through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tactics can help tremendously in getting your photography company recognised, and thereby attracting customers.
You can further promote a photography business by building up a presence on social media. In a world that’s becoming increasingly online, by establishing an online presence on such popular platforms as Instagram and Twitter, a photography business can have a space to showcase and advertise their work for free.
