How to sell photography

Best Ways To Make Money Selling Photography:

I am a stay at home mom who wants to start her own photography business?

I need to be able to work from home. I have to have a flexible schedule because one of my children is special needs. I want to work from home while they are in school. My problem is getting the word out that I am doing this. I am an artist/amateur photographer and want to greatly expand in the photography department of things. I make jewelry too. I know I can take pics of it and sell it online.that's fine and all. But I really want to become a professional photographer eventually. I was considering running a Valentine's Day special with fliers any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Public Comments

1. oh thats easy, i am a 12 year old and i am a manager of a small photography business! in my spare time i go out and take pictures of flowers, and then turn them into cards by getting them developed and then sticking them on blank cards i buy from the art store, it is a fun simple way of making lots of money, but it may take sometime to get yourself noticed, i suggest flyer and emails to get some people attention and then put u notices on the local notice board. i have raised over 300 bucks for charity and i am very proud of it, hope this was helpful and inspiering, sincerely Robbie (manager of Robs Photography) P.s. I am really a 12 year old honest
2. Have you thought of Photobooks? First the downside, you need to be really good with your camera and you need to have mastered printing and recently scanning - read on ..... You also need a decent preferably DSLR camera with a few good quality lenses and your printer needs to be good any of the Epson R range is perfect. Total outlay about £1000.00 if bought new. You will also need a heavy duty stapler (about £20.00 from Staples) or a heat binder (over £50.00) for the Marrutt covers. Here is a link to Marrutt who specialise in Photobooks to the trade. http://www.marrutt.com/ Click on the Video Library link on the left they have 'How to' videos on all aspects of this. If its just the My Photobooks your interested in then this site is cheaper. http://www.theinkjetmarket.co.uk/photo-albums-c-51.html They are available both with and without quality double sided Matt papers. The software for compiling the books is free from either site (its the same software). The software allows for multiple pictures per page and adding and editing text. You can do wedding albums of course, but you can also do coffee table books, children, pets and family, school yearbooks, parties, family gatherings, Christmas albums. portfolios etc. etc. I make myself a portfolio every year with 40 of my best images, its surprising how they change over the years. Your first one should be a portfolio of 40 of your very best images, this is your sample and should be the best you can do. They really do sell themselves. The last page in the album is my page with contact details, in effect my own personal advert, this gets me more orders than any other way. People pay over £100.00 for these using their own pictures, I have recently been asked to make an album of pictures of Gran compiling pictures of her as a child, her parents, her husband, her children in short a life story told in pictures. This has led to a line in genealogy albums. If they want me to do a shoot for it then its £400.00 for a couple of hours which includes 1 book. Its a good money spinner. Chris
3. May I suggest you check into your insurance before you begin this. It would be a wonderful business to create the flexible schedule you need, but it would be devastating to get sued. Please make sure you are covered in case of a mishap.
4. First do your homework. Check out the photographers in your area as well as who will be your competition Walmart, Target etc. Look at the client tell you seek. Would they be willing to pay more than the would at the big stores. If they are not you will not have a business. Join http://www.PPA.com they will provide you with business insurance you will need and also have other great information about the business. Create a simple website for yourself. I would take pictures of some friends and family so you have samples of your work. Make sure to get model releases before you post any pictures of people on websites, advertising or flyers. Again PPA most likely has forms you can use for model and property release. Make sure you have a space at home just for photography. A garage for instant of a well landscaped area in your yard. Since you have a special needs kid you could advertise to other parents with special needs kids. You have an advantage as you know how to deal with the accomendation they might need. Many times they don't want to go to the big commercial places as the kids need special attention and might take longer to take pictures of. Good Luck
5. I am almost in the same situation as you. I am pregnant and have 3 weeks left before I am supposed to deliver. I just recently decided to make photography a profession. It will depend on what type of photography you want to do. I am focusing on fashion and portraits. I went on modelmayhem.com and started working with models to do photo shoots so I can expand my portfolio. I made business cards that I could hand out to my friends, built a website, and started networking with models, make up artists, etc. The thing that is the most important is to expand your portfolio and network. I hope this helped a little bit. I wish you the best of luck!