HOW DO I START MY CLIENT LIST AS A PHOTOGRAPHER¿?

Question

Ok Iam very passionate about photography it is basically my livelihood. I've only ever really delt with nature photography though. Iam wanting to pursue a career in taking family, wedding, newborn, and, or pet portraits. Although I have a wounderful talent for photography iam lacking in buisness /marketing skills.. Iam really great with people as a cashier at Walmart I've delt with all sorts of situations while keeping my cool. So customer service isn't an issue. My problem is how to launch myslef as a serious company? Should I just have my family help out with a client base, do free work in the hopes they will call back one day with real orders, or make fliers & pin them wherever possible? I dnt want to come off as a joke to other professionals in this occupation. Plz only seriously positive answers. No cheaper shots! Be firm though iam not afraid to take criticism at all! Just dnt shoot me down NO NEGATIVITY!

Answer 1

"My problem is how to launch myslef as a serious company?"



OK. You're probably going to call this a "negative" answer, but it's not. What you need to do is improve your English.



You could be a great photographer for all we know. But if I were an editor and you applied to me for a job with writing like that, I would delete your email instantly unless you included some incredibly good photographs with the application.



For better or worse, a person's spelling and general use of language has a significant effect on how they are perceived by other people.



For instance, "livelihood" means "the way in which you earn your primary source of income". So you are suggesting that you are currently earning money from photography, yet you ask about pursuing a career. It's not your livelihood yet. It may be your "passion" (seems to be the buzzword these days) but unless you make a living from it, it isn't your livelihood yet.



Brush up on your English. Take some basic classes in running a small business. Work on your photography. These are the steps you should be taking, if you are genuinely serious about it. There are millions of people who want to do what you want to do, so you will be up against a lot of competition. Don't get the idea that you buy an expensive camera, a couple of lenses, a flash - and then boom, you're a photographer. It doesn't work like that.

Answer 2

Great answers from everyone else.



All I'll add is that if you are still using that Samsung WB100 point & shoot camera, you can forget it.



You need a DSLR and to take a course in photography - all the basics (exposure, lighting & composition). Then develop your knowledge & skills over the next few years or so.



You say you have a wonderful talent for photography - who says so? If it's friends or relatives, they are biased. Post a link to some on here & we'll tell you if you have potential.

Answer 3

The other answers all cover your question pretty thoroughly...



I'd just like to add my own 'angle' on things...if you are serious about actually setting up a 'business' then it wouldn't do you any harm taking a few evening or weekend courses at your local college...you don't have to dive into a full educational program, try a few taster courses just to get an idea and feel for the territory...photography groups and camera clubs can be a great source of advice and opportunity...sometimes you will meet the people who are actually employed within photographic circles in these clubs/groups.



If you enrol on a photography course at your local college...your tutor 'might' offer some guidance on the best route for your 'talent'...and the experience might help you to get some work with an established photographer to help let you see exactly what you are letting yourself in for.



I've been involved with photography for over 35 years and only recently decided to study it properly...my tutor advised me to look into becoming a 'cruise ship photographer'...I can swim pretty good, and the 'Titanic' was always pictured in my mind...the students in my class used to laugh...'couldn't happen nowadays'...and then the Concordia thing happened.



'Negativity' sometimes helps us to be realistic...it shouldn't be dismissed.

Answer 4

" Just dnt shoot me down NO NEGATIVITY! "



Pointless answering then really because just about everything you have written shouts out for someone (ok then me) to tell you the truth. Which is definitely not going to be positive.



You do not have the necessary skills or experience to be a social photographer.

You are not anywhere near ready to take the plunge if you don't even have a clue how to get customers and most especially you are not ready if you do not have your first customers lined up already.



Working as a cashier at Walmart is NOT anywhere near the same as being a self employed photographer. If you think it is then I am afraid you are in for a very nasty shock.



Being "passionate about photography" is not enough, in fact it is pretty immaterial in the overall scheme of things when it comes to running a business.



Spend the next 2-3 years learning about business and marketing and honing your skills in photography. Then you MIGHT be ready to THINK about going out on your own and starting a proper business.

Answer 5

"it is basically my livelihood"

How can it be your livelihood if you don't have clients?



"HOW DO I START MY CLIENT LIST AS A PHOTOGRAPHER?"

You start a photography business like you would any other kind of business you build a business plan and secure some start up capital.



That being said, the VERY FIRST THING you need to do is sit down, look at your portfolio and ask yourself "Would anyone pay me to shoot these photos"? Then, if your answer is yes, submit your photos for a critique by professional photographers and see what THEY have to say. Listen to ALL THE COMMENTS, EVEN THE NEGATIVE ONES!



This is important because YOU may think you are good, your friends and family may think you are good but you are all biased ... you have an emotional attachment.



So, let's say your work is decent and you can consistently produce that quality of work under various, less than ideal conditions. Then you need to start by building a business plan.



One of the things you'll do in that business plan, is work up a MARKETING PLAN and a BUDGET for that marketing as will a metrics to use to gauge the effectiveness of that marketing. Each type of photography will require it;s own marketing approach ... Going to a wedding show to market pet photography isn't going to work all that well for example.



Be aware that marketing WILL COST YOU MONEY ... AND LOTS OF IT. Business cards, hand out like Flat cards, printing a nice layflat book as a portfolio (or 2 or 3 ... you want them built for specific market segments), attending trade shows like bridal fairs ...



Look into the cost of these approaches, look at your available marketing budget, find the one that has the best chance of getting oyu a good RoI (Return on Investment), TRACK REVENUE vs MARKETING DOLLARS to gauge what your RoI is.



"do free work in the hopes they will call back one day with real orders"

HELL NO! There are literally hundreds of thousands of peoiple just like you looking ot break into photography ... if you give your work for free you devalue photography and your "client" (if we can call them that) will get accustomed to not paying for photography. Why would they pay you when they can get another sucker to do the work for free ... plenty of other suckers out there.



People have to stop doing free work.



"or make fliers & pin them wherever possible?"

Not very effective, you have to narrow your focus and really maximise your marketing dollars. Wedidng shows are a good place to meet clients ... of course a booth at a wedding show can easily cost your 2000$ per show when you factor in marketing materials (flat cards, business cards ...) ... flyers pinned outside? Useless!



Pay for direct marketing services, attend trade shows (bridal shows, pet shows ...), market with other related professionals ... it's going to be hard work and it will take time but eventually (if you are good enough and persist) it will pay off.

Answer 6

Wedding planners, dress shops and bakeries are all great contacts in your area. I got a jump in business also by setting up at a wedding show. My local mall has one yearly and its a great way to get some bridal clients.

Answer 7

The list of obstacles to success is LONG!!



1) you need to take classes to learn about photography

2) you need to get REALLY good at this, and have an excellent portfolio plus a good website

3) you need a lot of good gear - cameras, lenses, flash units, softboxes, reflectors, tripods etc etc etc

4) you really need to take classes in business - you need a registration, a business plan, accounting/tax etc knowledge, insurance, an office/venue/studio, and sooooo much more

5) you need spelling lessons (don't get rude because I said that...... you may think it doesn't matter, but it does. Bad spelling would cost you plenty of clients, believe it or not).

6) you need to advertise and build up a client base

7) you need to learn how to do your own research, because a bit of a google session would have brought up plenty of answers to your question.



The list is endless. The competition is FIERCE - and that doesn't even include the clowns with a camera who have NO clue.



It is a lovely dream, but a tough one to achieve. Good luck with it!



Check out this bit of wisdom: http://www.fotoseeds.com/create-sustainably/