How to sell photography

Best Ways To Make Money Selling Photography:

Beginner Photographer.......?

How can I become a professional photographer? First, I would like to start off part-time and eventually go full time if that's my desire. How do I go about getting clients and taking the best photos? How do I charge and do I need an expensive camera starting out? Please help..... Also, how do I go about the getting the setup (ex: background, light stands, props, etc)?

Public Comments

1. You take the best photo and find a photo contest and you win it
2. uh... you need to go to college and learn how to conduct a business then you will learn all of these things. I worked as a professional photographer for many years and what you have asked is not something you can just explain over yahoo answers.
3. Do you already have any experience in photography? If not, you should invest in lessons and practice taking pictures until you can produce good-looking photos. Remember, your photos themselves will be your calling card. Once you are skilled enough to attract customers, you will need to advertise your services. Get some business cards printed up and hang them in local coffee shops, churches, restaurants, copy shops, etc. Anywhere that could attract the attention of someone that might want photos taken. It couldn't hurt to put a sample of one of your best photos on the business card. Also, setting up a company name for yourself will help to legitimize your business, allowing you to charge higher prices. There are literally hundreds of books available that can help you do this. Make a trip to the library. Now that you've attracted customers, you will need to show them something to seal the deal. No one will hire a photographer without first seeing a sample of their work to show that they are competent. Put together a portfolio of your best work to show potential clients. The more quality photos in your portfolio, the better. Starting out, it may be a good idea to work a couple jobs for free for charities, etc. just to get more material for your portfolio. After that, it's all about building your reputation. Take any jobs you can, they are all experience for you, and you never know when word of mouth from a former client might land you a bigger job. Keep advertising and getting your name out there. If you do good work, you will find jobs. As for equipment, if you are lucky enough to have a good local camera store (not the photo section of the local Wal-Mart), go there. If that fails, look online. B&H (www.bhphotovideo.com) is a good place to start, since they sell everything from cheap used equipment for beginners to expensive professional equipment, and they have a very wide selection. Be prepared to make an investment of at least a couple thousand bucks. Hope this helps. Good luck to you.