How to prepare for your first photography client's call - Your First Customer Series, Part 5
(Click here to visit the summary post for the Your First Customer Series!)
So you've got your prices set, your most salable photos picked out and practiced, and your marketing has people talking about your business.
Then the unimaginable happens - someone actually contacts you to ask about your services! Life and small business ownership are sometimes truly unpredictable.
Make no mistake - if you are practicing your art and marketing your services to your target market, you will get clients a-callin'. Let's explore how we need to prepare for this momentous, and nerve-wracking, occasion.
Your first contact
Not unlike how scientists are prepared to communicate with alien races when they come to take away all our cattle and chocolate, you want to be ready to take the questions your potential clients may have when they call and turn them into answers, education, and bookings.
Answering the phone:
- Do: Smile (people really can hear it in your voice)
- Do: "Thank you for calling James Taylor Photography, this is James, how may I help you today?"
- Do not: "Hello?"
Nothing turns me off faster than when I call a business, especially a service-based business owned and operated by an individual, that answers the phone like I just interrupted their dinner. "Hello?"
Because then I have to sound stupid and ask, "Is this James Taylor Photography?"
To which they shall then eloquently reply, "Yeah."
I'm officially done. I no longer care about whatever I called to ask about. You've lost my business and I'll probably tell everyone I know.
As a part time photographer, your business phone is probably your personal cell phone - nothing wrong with that; that's how I've handled my business for many years. But unless you know for sure the person calling is a friend or family member, always answer with your professional intro and a smile. Begin every call by giving the right impression.
Be sure you know your business, policies, and prices. Be ready to answer questions broad and specific.
The first question most contacts will ask is, "What are your prices?"
At this point, don't become a smarmy, manipulative salesman. Grognards will tell you that the first thing you do when asked this question is to deflect and say, "Well our price depends on a number of factors. Tell me what kind of photos are you looking for?"
You know what? If I call someone and ask what their price is, and their response is to not tell me: yet again, instant turn off. Don't start trying to play Salesmanship 101 with me. Tell me what I want to know, then introduce your hook.
"I charge no session fee and have no minimum order, you just buy what you love. Prints and files start at just $10..."
...then, without pause, extend the conversation...
"What kind of photography are you looking for?"
If you follow my suggested pricing structure for freshly-minted professional photographers, it would take quite a cheapskate to balk at your prices. You don't want to flatline the conversation, though, by answering their question and leaving them to come up with a response. Warmly guide them into establishing a rapport and learn about their needs so you can better help them get what they are looking for.
Remember: In all acts as a small business owner, your goal is to help your clients. Approach all contacts as an opportunity to learn their needs and help meet those needs via the best experience to be had. It is most definitely not about manipulating and milking clients for all you can get out of them.
Be ready for anything
Be sure you are knowledgeable and confident about your business:
- When someone asks your price for a 16x20 print, know it. ("16x20's go for $80. Are you looking for some wall art to go over your fireplace?")
- When someone asks if you guarantee your products, know the answer. ("Any print or product you purchase from us is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. If you purchase a digital file from us, we will give you our recommended labs to get prints from, but of course we cannot guarantee someone else’s prints. That's one of the benefits of buying directly from us. Some clients simply prefer the convenience of knowing we are handling and guaranteeing their prints.")
- When someone asks if you're available this Thursday at 2 p.m. for an outdoor shoot, know your schedule. ("I do have an opening at 2 p.m., but the light is still pretty harsh at that time of day. I would suggest shooting closer to 5 p.m. so we can catch that lovely, soft evening light. Would that work for you?")
- When someone says they had a bad experience with another local photographer, know how to respond. ("I'm sorry to hear that shoot didn't work out for you! I've always heard good things about Jane Doe Photography. We have no session fees and no minimum orders, and we guarantee complete satisfaction with all our prints and products. Tell me what went wrong with your other shoot and I'll tell you how we will prevent those problems if you decide to work with us.")
- If someone asks you for anything outside of your limits, know how you'll respond and still help them. ("No, I'm sorry, we don't shoot on family holidays like Thanksgiving. Would the day before or after work? No? Hmm, let me call a couple of other photographers I know and see if they are open that day. Could I get your phone number and call you back in about 10 minutes?")
Whether you charge $10 or $100 for an 8x10, whether you never shoot on Sundays or every Sunday, make sure you know and are confident in your policies. Some fish will swim away, and that's perfectly fine. Even just starting out, you do not have to shoot for free or jump through hoops to build your business, and you never, ever have to suffer insufferable clients. Have the confidence to say, "I don't think we are the right match for what you need, but let me recommend a couple of other local photographers I have worked with that may better be able to help you."
Answer client questions directly and honestly. If you don't know how to do something they need, or if you feel they need someone with more or different experience, don't be afraid to tell them so. Don't be afraid to tell folks that you are new to professional photography, that that is why you are such a good value, and why you're ready to work hard to ensure they have the best experience possible.
And be ready to refer out: as someone just getting started in part time professional portrait photography, taking on a big commercial contract for an architectural firm is asking for a mountain of stress and one ticked off client.
Booking the shoot
When you feel like you've answered your caller's questions and fairly educated them to your prices and policies, go ahead and ask for the booking.
"I have an opening this Friday at 6 p.m. Would that work for you guys?"
Put the ball in their court. Try to get a firm booking from them, but if they have to talk to a spouse or check their schedule, make sure their impression of you is a good one. Starting out, sometimes enthusiasm is all you’ve got - but that enthusiasm and attention can be big sellers to potential clients. They will expect, and receive, a better experience than a much larger, pick-a-number studio may provide.
If your art isn’t to the point of enamoring clients, make sure the experience you give them leaves them enamored with you as a person, photographer, and business.
When finalizing the booking, be sure to:
- Ask for the client’s phone number so you can call to confirm the shoot the week or day before the booked date (and to get a hold of them if something comes up on your end - when I came down with swine flu this year, I had to make quite a few phone calls).
- Ask for their e-mail address so you can send over a Session Prep Cheat Sheet (I’ll write about this in a future article). Ask if you can also add their address to your e-mail newsletter list. If newsletter subscribers get a little bonus like a free digital file or 8x10 with their first shoot (and they should!), be sure to mention this when asking their permission to add their address to your mailing list.
- Repeat the date and time back to them one last time. “This sounds great! I’m very excited to shoot with you guys. I’ve got you down for Sunday, Dec. 20, 5 p.m. at the City Park. We will see you then!”
- As soon as you hang up the phone - before, if you’re good at multitasking - get that booking on your own calendar in full detail. Be sure to include all the details of your conversation, your client’s needs and expectations, and their contact information. I use Microsoft Outlook, and put all this information right into the calendar; this way, when I sync my iPhone, I always have everything I need at my fingertips.
- If you said you would send a follow-up e-mail with that cheat sheet or any other information, do so immediately.
So you’ve booked your first honest client! Not your sister, or your best friend, or your coworker - your first client to learn of your business from an outside source and proactively contact you to set up a shoot. Congratulations!
Preparation is key - I’d rather be ready than lucky any day.
The next three articles will close this series with how to prepare for and perform your shoot, how to make the most of your sales session, and how to follow-up with your client.
Thank you to all those readers who have visited and referred their friends and fellow photographers to this site over the past few months. It’s been great reading your comments and sharing encouragement with one another!
Next Steps
- Review your prices, products, and policies - daily - until they are second nature to you. When a potential client calls, you want to be confident in answering their questions. Feel free to have mock conversations with family or friends, or by yourself - remember, practice how you will perform.
- Call around to your local competition. Don’t be shy in playing the part of a consumer and seeing how they respond to your questions. See if they use a soft or hard sell, see if they treat you with respect and answer your questions clearly, see what their demeanor is like on the phone. Refine the experience you provide your potential clients on the phone to meet or beat their best.
- Brainstorm session: Do you feel prepared to answer the phone when a potential client calls? What can you do to make sure you can speak with confidence and answer potential questions and curveballs? File this in your Brainstorms folder.
- Encouraging, educating, entertaining, empowering content is the bread and butter of this blog. If you like what you’ve read today, please don’t hesitate to click the “Subscribe” link at the top of any page of this site.
- What do you to prepare for incoming phone calls? What phrases and methods have helped you up your bookings over the phone? Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or call or text me at 830-688-1564.
How do I get my first photography client? - Your First Customer Series, Part 4
(Click here to visit the summary post for the Your First Customer Series!)
Ahh, welcome to marketing.
We've talked about the benefits of part time photography, how to price your work, what images are solid options for making you money, and now we'll come to the threshold: Your First Customer.
Let's be clear from the start: marketing is about getting your name and product in front of people who need, or know someone who needs, what you have to offer at the price you ask in trade. Or, as John Jantsch puts it, you want to get folks with a need, to know, like and trust you.
Odds are, your very first customers will be family and friends, and that's perfectly fine - that's how you build your portfolio and get the ball rolling. They'll give you a nice set of images, invaluable experience, feedback, and kind testimonials to get you started.
No doubt, other than for fun and practice, you should offer friends and family the same pricing system as everyone else. If you're using my suggested prices and policies, it's a no-risk investment for them and the prices are such that anyone can afford them safely.
Getting your first customer
While the word "marketing" draws a blank stare from many photographers, there are a number of ways to get your name and product (your art and abilities) out in front of a buying market. And thanks to the Digital Age (the same Digital Age many grognards say has upended their industry), we're going to get your work out there at little to no cost.
I have a laundry list of free and very low-cost ways to market your business (read my brief list at the end of this article), all ripe for their own articles, but let's get you started with the cheapest, easiest way to land your first customer.
Social Media Marketing
Social media, MySpace specifically, by far sends me the most business of any marketing I do. It's also absolutely free and easy as writing e-mail, if you're even somewhat of a people person.
Running a good photography business is about building relationships - photos are just the common subject over which to bond.
Social media gives you so many opportunities to find potential clients, introduce yourself and your art, establish a rapport and grow a profitable long-term relationship. You can read what people are talking about, get a feel for their lifestyle and family, easily see who is getting engaged or having a baby, and the "social" part of social media gives you the situational go-ahead to interact with people about their lives.
For most people, it's hard to walk up to a pregnant woman at the grocery store and say...
"Congratulations! When are you due? Have you picked out a name? I am a photographer and would love to do maternity photos with you. Here's my portfolio - do you like it? Would you like to get together for a photo shoot?"
And God help you if the woman only looks pregnant!
It's a lot easier to be surfing MySpace and happen upon someone in your zip code with a profile photo showing their pregnant belly. Then you can read their profile, get some details, and send over an introductory message:
"Hey there Jane, I saw your profile photo and wanted to congratulate you on your baby! My son was born two years ago and has been nothing but fun since day one. I run a photography business here in town and I'm working on my maternity portfolio right now; you can see some of my work on my profile. I would love to set up a shoot with you if you would be interested!"
Season to taste (and to match your personality), of course.
One in a hundred people will give you that "uuuuhm okaaaay" look or response, whether you make the offer in person or online. Most photographers don't approach potential clients directly for fear of rejection. If you're pleasant and are able to just chat casually with them, trust me when I say that most people will be thrilled.
And that's assuming you go for the direct approach. You'll have as much if not more success if you just go about casually chatting with people and adding them to your friends list. When you send someone a message or leave a comment on their page (regardless of the topic), the first thing they will do is visit your profile - where they will see you are a photographer and see the quality of your work. Mission accomplished.
(Brief aside: Never be ashamed of the quality of your work. Photographers are notoriously hard on themselves and rabid perfectionists - you have to start from somewhere! If you're reading this, I'd bet good money you are notably better at photography than your client base. And if you're following along with my suggested pricing and policies, potential clients will always know exactly what they're getting, and they'll know they are getting a good value. Better art will come with time and practice - and with it, bigger sales and more profits for you.)
In the course of discussion, you'll always either be asked about or have the opportunity to talk about your photography. Never be afraid to offer people photo shoots. Most people are flattered by the offer, and even if they aren't in the market at that time, you've established top-of-mind awareness: when they think local photographer, for themselves or others, they'll think of you, and know where to find you.
Setting up and using your MySpace profile
(These concepts apply the same to Facebook, I just don't have a profile on there - yet!)
When you set up your MySpace profile, try using a display name of something like John @ John Doe Photography. I use James @ Outlaw Photography, for example. Enter your real name and allow it to be shown, so you look more like a real person than a possible spammer.
Fill out as much personal information as you like. Be sure that your photography and business are mentioned, but not hyped.
"I love photographing people and am blessed to do it professionally. You can view my work in my photo album or at OutlawPhotography.net. Drop me a message or e-mail me at James@outlawphotography.net if you would like to set up a photo shoot."
...is far less abrasive than:
"FREE PHOTO SHOOTS!!!! MSG ME!!! i specialize in maternity landscape newborn automotive commercial industrial pets antiques seniors children families and weddings in the Texas Hill Country Bandera Fredericksburg Boerne Kerrville Hondo San Antonio area... CHECK ME OUT AT www.geocities.com/soho/113131/kitty.html"
(No, no...really.)
Next up, post some of your best photos to your profile's photo album. If you don't have a feel for how many, go for 10-20 to start. I have hundreds on mine, usually four images per photo shoot, sorted by year into albums.
Visit the Browse Users page under the Friends menu. Search for folks local to your zip code. If you're in a city, tighten the search - if you're in a rural area like me (Bandera, TX, pop: 957), widen it out to include surrounding towns.
As one marketer so perfectly put it: Own Your Zip Code. Start by visiting the profiles of people within five miles of your zip code. Check out their profiles, see what they're talking about, look at their photos, and send them a message to say hello. Be as basic as you want:
"Hey there! I'm new to MySpace and I'm adding people from around Bandera to my profile. I saw you love U2 - did you go to their concert last year? I was there and it was truly awesome. I have some photos from the show in my photo album."
One by one, you'll gain access to and build rapport with people from your community. As they visit your profile, see your photos and see that you are a professional photographer, you'll begin getting inquiries about your prices and booking. As you book these people and shoot with them, you'll start seeing your photos appear on their profiles - which then appears on all of their friends' profiles - and the cycle begins.
This is just a small sampling of what you can do with MySpace and social media to reach out and collect your first customers - and to build an ever-larger set of customers over time whose own profiles will serve as the best referral you can't buy.
10 (other) ways to market your photography
Not feeling the Social Media vibe? Some folks are just that way and you know what? That's perfectly fine - being a part time professional photographer should be fun and rewarding, and you should never have to do any kind of marketing you aren't comfortable with.
Here are 10 other ways, in brief, you can land your first customer (all of which I have done and can vouch for as working quite well):
- Classifieds - Craigslist or your local newspaper. Advertise online for free or in small local papers for a few dollars a week. It's the least expensive newspaper advertising you can buy, and some of the best read. I have gotten many, many lucrative clients (especially for baby photos) through this venue.
- Offer to pick up competitors' excess work - This one might seem a long-shot, but every photographer at some time is unable to meet someone's needs because of time or price. They are happy to refer work to a fellow photographer who can take on that client - it makes them look good, and it nets you business.
- Free press - Talk with your local newspaper and get in a press release about your new business, get their business writer to do a feature on you, hold a grand opening event (like a half-day photo shoot at the park) to be featured in the paper's event calendar, submit photos of local sports and events in exchange for bylines (including your name and web site). Try advertising in their classified section for a month first - often this will grease the wheels when you ask for some PR. Local radio and TV stations are also worth contacting for possible PR.
- Co-op marketing - This is one that the big-boy boutique studios use. Find a business with the same customer base as you and do a contest, drawing, or event together. As an example, if you're a baby photographer, visit your local children's resale store and offer them three photo shoots with files on CD to give away to their best customers. You'll do the shoots using wardrobe provided by the store, then give the store framed 20x30 prints to hang on their walls - alongside your business cards, of course.
- Bulletin boards - Be sure your business card is tacked onto every bulletin board in your community. Ever see those "For Sale" sheets of paper with the phone numbers at the bottom, cut individually so people can tear a number right off? Make up your own for your photography services! Many businesses, including your local Visitor's Bureau, are also happy to display your brochures and business cards.
- Volunteer - Non-profits can always use more volunteers, and as a photographer, you have a unique gift to give. Work with local charities to photograph their events, membership, and marketing images. You will help a good cause and build an immediate fan base among members.
- Shoot local sports and events - From Little League to Friday Night varsity football, pet parades to Fourth of July fireworks, communities love to see photos of their friends, neighbors, children, and themselves. Work with organizers to be able to display images from these events on your web site, and to promote your web site at the event. Offer to sell prints from the photos as a fundraiser for the event or organization (such as sports photos for the Athletic Booster Club) as a way to grease the wheels and gain access and permission. Your web site traffic will go up by leaps and bounds.
- Networking - Being present and involved in the community is one of the best ways to build loyalty and recognition. Attend Chamber of Commerce mixers and business association meetings, high school Project Graduation meetings, Little League board meetings, Kiwanis Club car washes, Education Foundation gatherings, any kind of event where people will get together, share ideas, and work for a common cause. Participate as a member of the community and offer your own ideas. Bring your camera.
- Models - Beginning photographers get along just fine with beginning models. Use sites like OneModelPlace to set up a photography profile and meet models in your area. Do TFCD (Trade For CD) shoots with them to build your portfolio. They may not be paying customers (at first!), but they can help you practice and grow your art while building your portfolio. And as always, the better your portfolio, the more people will take notice.
- The Modern Marketing Triumvirate: Your business cards, web site, and e-mail newsletter - These are three of the least expensive weapons in your marketing arsenal, and three of the most effective. Your business cards lead folks to your web site (the best brochure ever), your web site leads people to subscribe to your e-mail newsletter, and your e-mail newsletter gives you a free list of people who are actively interested in your services, along with the permission to market to them.
I'll expound on each of these marketing opportunities in future articles. They are all wildly powerful, free or inexpensive, and can serve to keep you booked solid.
Own Your Zip Code
So you've got your name out there and people are beginning to buzz about your work! What do you do when that first potential client calls and asks about prices and booking? What do you need for your shoot? For your proof viewing session? What about model releases, referrals, testimonials? Come back tomorrow to find out.
Again - Own Your Zip Code. Whether you start with MySpace or visiting with people in your own neighborhood, your end goal is to ensure that anyone who needs photography services - on your block, on your street, in your subdivision, in your town - knows who you are and what you can do for them.
Remember: Be social, don't fear being direct in asking for people's business, and let your art and your profile do your selling for you.
Next Steps
- Head over to MySpace or Facebook and set up your profile as a professional photographer. Use the steps outlined above to maximize your profile's selling power, then start visiting with the locals. You will make so many great contacts and friends this way, and the more you participate, the more your business will grow.
- Play around with some of the other marketing ideas mentioned above. Pick any one as a supplement to your social media marketing and try it out. As with all marketing, ask every person who contacts you, "How did you hear about us?" Make note of which marketing efforts are getting you the most attention. Then, track who books with you, and make note of which marketing efforts are getting you the most bookings. Then, track who buys from you, and make note of which marketing efforts are getting you the most profitable clients.
- For more great marketing ideas, I can wholeheartedly recommend anything (books or blogs) by Seth Godin, John Jantsch, or Michael Port. For a good Marketing 101 education, start with Michael Port's "Book Yourself Solid," follow up with Jantsch's "Duct Tape Marketing," then graduate to Godin's numerous excellent books. His book, "The Dip," will show you how the challenges you face now as a newly-minted part time professional photographer are necessary and welcome along the road to success. Don't fear The Dip - embrace it.
- Brainstorm session: What opportunities do you see in your neighborhood or your town to show your target market (parents of newborns, high school seniors, brides to be, all of the above) who you are and what you can do for them? What's stopping you? File this in your Brainstorms folder.
- This article is just the first of many on marketing to be featured here at PartTimePhoto.com. If you like what you've learned here, please don't hesitate to click the "Subscribe" link at the top of any page of this site.
- What's the best marketing advice you've ever been given? What marketing effort has produced your best clients? Leave a comment below or drop me an e-mail.
What should I charge for my part time photography? - Your First Customer Series, Part 3
(Click here to visit the summary post for the Your First Customer Series!)
[2014 follow up, here: How to price your photography, Pt. II]
[2012 follow up, here: Pricing for growth versus pricing for profit]
Here's where a lot of new-to-the-game professional photographers get stuck.
"My friends tell me I take really good photos. I want to start charging and getting customers, but how much do I charge? What if I charge too much? I can't charge as much as that guy, he's a lot better than I am. Oh man, what if I charge too much and people realize I don't know what I'm doing and they're disappointed and my business is ruined before I ever get started?"
At which point, most people promptly hyperventilate and pass out.
Pricing any product or service is a simple enough theory: you're worth what people will pay you. The sweet spot is in charging the most money you can while attracting the most customers.
Many photo grognards will tell you that you have to charge $XXX to make any money at all, otherwise you're not a professional and you're undermining the industry and you're going to go straight out of business.
Let's ask the market, though:
- Do some people get their photos done at Wal-Mart? Yes.
- Do some people get their photos done with <insert work-from-home part time photographer here>? Yes.
- Do some people get their photos done with <insert retail studio here>? Yes.
- Do some people get their photos done with Annie Liebovitz? Yes.
Point being, there is a market for just about any price range and artistic level of photography. I don't feel I'm stretching the imagination by saying that people pay less for Wal-Mart than they do for my own work, and less for me than they do for Annie Liebovitz.
Let's cut to the chase.
What to charge for your part time photography
Here's the pricing system I suggest to any newly-minted professional photographer:
- No session fee
- No minimum order
- $10 - 4x6 print or hi-res digital file
- $15 - 5x7 print
- $20 - 8x10 print or sheet of wallets (8)
- Then double the price for bigger prints: $40 for 11x14, $80 for 16x20, $160 for 20x30.
Simple as that. (I can hear the collective gasp of horror from across the land of "boutique" photographers.)
Now that I've thrown those prices out there, let me issue some clarity:
This pricing system is dead simple and dead easy for you and for your clients. As a fresh-faced professional photographer, most likely with a limited or non-existent portfolio and a yet-developed artistic style, your focus needs to be on practice, building your portfolio, and growing your talent and customer base - and as a professional, you deserve to be paid every step of the way.
When someone asks what you charge and you explain, "I charge no session fee, there's no minimum order, and prints and files start at just $10 - you just buy what you love," you will never - I repeat, never - lose a potential client due to pricing. Do you run the risk of someone really only spending $10 with you for all your time and efforts? Yes, but don't worry about it. Those folks are by far the exception, not the rule, and either way you'll have added another layer to your portfolio and experience.
This pricing system places the onus of responsibility for maximizing profits on your artistic ability. The more great photos you make of your client, the more they will buy. There is no artificial padding of the profits through session fees or minimum orders. Either you produce photos your client wants to buy, or you don't.
There is zero fakery involved. You can show people your portfolio, no matter how small or weak, and if they hire you, they know what they are getting. There is no risk for them because they only buy what they love. There's no risk, and far less pressure, for you because they're only going to buy what they love. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
This pricing system takes all the BS and salesmanship and upselling out of the equation. Your goal is not to squeeze and squabble as much money as you can out of your client - your goal is to make art they love and want to buy. Yes, you'll offer guidance when it comes proofing and viewing time, and I'll talk about that in a future article, but your purpose is to maximize their long-term enjoyment of their purchase - not to make that purchase as big as you possibly can. This is how you build lifelong clients and a successful business.
Talent- (read: results-) based pricing
All of that said, the numbers I've thrown out have no knowledge of your artistic ability or your market. I've had 10 years to perfect my pricing in my market to make sure I stay as busy as I want and earn an average amount per client that perfectly meets my personal and business goals.
Pricing, by and large, is best used to increase or decrease your total number of bookings, not to affect your bottom line. Assuming you're marketing yourself properly and your market knows you and what you have to offer (another topic for a future article), you can raise or lower your prices to add to or reduce the number of people booking with you.
When you raise prices, you'll price yourself out of landing some clients. That's perfectly fine - you'll make up their loss with a higher per-client average. If you price yourself too high, you'll lose more clients than you make up with those that remain. This is also perfectly fine if your goal is to reduce bookings.
Your goal is to shoot as many people as you want, to spend as much time working with clients as you choose, while earning enough money in exchange for your time and talents that you feel more than satisfied having made that trade.
I repeat - the goal is not to always make as much money as you possibly can off of every person you can make it from. That mentality will leave you stressed out and burned out. Some people, however, do play business like they play chess, and the numbers game is one they enjoy playing in its own right. If you're like me, you would rather focus on growing as an artist and, as a result, getting paid better and better for your work.
This is not to say you should never raise your prices. I am a firm believer in the adage that if nobody's complaining about your prices, you're not charging enough. But this assumes you're booked solid. If you're just starting out, as an artist and as a business, work on building your portfolio, client base, and artistic ability. When your art and your marketing have people beating a path to your door, then you can start raising prices and maximizing per-client averages and playing the numbers game to your heart's desire.
But, but, but!
But but, you ask: What about framing? What about coasters and key chains and photocookies and mugs and gallery wraps? What about outsourcing my Photoshop work? What about expenses and Cost of Doing Business calculators and Costs of Goods Sold? The grognards are doubtless red-faced that I've spoken of pricing without saying word one about any of these almighty acronyms.
All good questions to be answered in future articles. For now, in this moment of getting your feet wet and landing your first clients, don't worry about it.
If you have a camera, you can start making money with your photography today. And if you don't have a camera at all, I've even got an article in the works for you.
Remember: Ready, Fire, Aim! Start shooting and making money with your photography today. Call a friend or run into someone on the street and book a shoot. Make photos, let them see them, and let them buy them. Go make some art, get out of the way and let your subject buy what they love.
Next Steps
- Call a friend or family member and set up a photo shoot! Go over your list of top money-making outdoor photos, take your subject to the nearest park, and have at it. Invite them over later or the next day, after you've had the chance to cull and process, and show off your work together. Let them buy what they love. Pocket the cash and revel in astonishment that being a professional photographer is just that easy.
- Pay a visit to Google and look up your local competition. Check out their web sites and take note of their prices and where you perceive their artistic level to be. If they don't list their prices (and they probably won't), call them up and ask what they charge. See how they handle the question and what numbers you get. Don't forget to ask about session fees, prices for prints and prices for files.
- If you have the coin, hire one of the photographers for a basic session, even if just to get some headshots. Make sure you budget enough for the session fee and a hi-res file or 8x10 print or two. Enjoy the experience and critically evaluate how the other photographer does business and makes photos. Are they nice on the phone? Do they book shoots on Sundays? What's their turnaround for proofs? Do they proof online or in person? How do they present their pricing and why they charge what they do? How do they work with you during your shoot to get the best possible photos? How do they work with you during the proofing session? Are they helping you get what you want or trying to sell you something you don't necessarily want? What's the final product like? This entire experience will be invaluable for you as a photographer, businessman, and competitor to this and other local photographers.
- Brainstorm session: Who are the best photographers in your market? Why and how? Who are the worst photographers? Why and how? What do you need to do to move away from the worst and closer to the best? File this in your Brainstorms folder.
- It's taken me time to find my groove with posting here on PartTimePhoto.com, but I think I've got the hang of this blogging thing now. If you enjoy what you've read here and don't want to miss your daily dish of part time photography goodness, please feel free to click the "Subscribe" link at the top of any page of this web site.
- What do you charge for your photography services? How do you feel about that? What's one thing you could do to earn more? Leave a comment below or drop me an e-mail.
Top 10 money-making outdoor photos of people - Your First Customer Series, Part 2
(Click here to visit the summary post for the Your First Customer Series!)
It may take some practice on yourself or friends and family, but below you will find the top 10 money-making outdoor photographs you can make of and sell to your portraiture clients as a newly-minted part time photographer.
I'm featuring outdoor portraits here because you can shoot them with just the camera in your hands, and you can shoot them just about anywhere, from a local park or playground to your own back yard.
Aim to start shooting about one hour before sunset. This will give you nice evening light to play with.
For your lighting, you want your subject facing toward the sun. If the sunlight is right in their eyes and they're squinting, move them into some shade but still have them face toward the sun. If you're lucky, you'll get a passing cloud in front of the sun or have overcast skies to act as a big diffuser.
I'll be adding some more in-depth video and photo tutorials for these photos in the future, but for now, use the below guidelines to begin shooting salable portraits of your clients.
Let's visit the great outdoors!
The Headshot
A good headshot fills the frame with your subject's face, preferably from mid-chest or shoulders up. Zoom your camera in all the way and walk away from your subject until they are properly framed. By zooming in, you're reducing your depth of field, which will give you a nice, soft background.
The biggest part of the headshot is a natural expression (preferably a candid smile or laugh between funny faces) and good lighting. If your lighting is too harsh or too far to the side, you'll get nasty and unflattering shadows across the eyes and face. Make sure the eyes always look fabulous.
Don't have to worry about background too much with these, since almost all of the frame will be filled with the subject. As always, try to have a complimentary and simple background. Avoid busy or clashing backgrounds at all costs.
Mix this up with a nice pair of sunglasses and you can get another set of fun and stylish photos. Once you've got what you like from a standing-back, zoomed-in position, zoom all the way out, get close, and do some wide-angle headshots. Make sure your background is clean and complimentary, lift your camera overhead and shoot down at wild angles, and have fun with it.
The 3/4 (Three-Quarters) Shot
The 3/4 Shot goes up from your subject's thighs, waist, or torso, including arms and hands. We'll introduce a bit of body posing with this portrait.
Make sure your lighting looks good on your subject (I'll say this every single time - learn to look at the light and shadows on your subject's face before you even lift your camera to take a shot), then have them "just slightly" push their shoulders back and arch their backs. If they suddenly look like they sat on a cactus, have them loosen it up a bit.
Where your subject's hands will go depends on what they're wearing. Thumbs can go in jean pockets for a Western look, arms can cross for a powerful stance, hands can go to hips (with a little hip swish to the side) for a more model-esque pose, hands can go in jacket pockets if they're wearing one, etc.
Look for something natural and fitting: unless you're breaking the ice and being funny, cowboys shouldn't swish their hips and khaki-wearers shouldn't hook their thumbs in their pockets.
Women going for a model look can do the hip thing, put hands in their back pockets, bring their hands up to mess with their hair, etc. You can turn most women loose with posing in a 3/4 shot and they'll do fine on their own.
Your background is going to be more visible in this shot, so make sure it doesn't hurt the image. If it's loud, noisy, overbearing, super busy, or just not complimentary to the photo, change positions. Have your subject lean against a tree if you must, but maintain a clean background.
This photo set should also be shot from a distance, zoomed in. Feel free to introduce some sunglasses and/or wide angle shots if you like, but since we're shooting more body this time, the final impact will be less pronounced.
The Close-up Shot
Not for the faint of heart or those with particularly poor skin.
The close up shot is a twice-as-close headshot, focusing greatly on the eyes, filling almost every inch of the frame with your subject's face.
Definitely step back and zoom in to take this photo. Wide-angles up close will exaggerate features well beyond attractiveness. That said, if you have a funky subject, go for it - never let your own snobbery of how a portrait should look take precedence over what the client wants and will buy.
When you're this close, make sure you aren't casting a shadow (even faint) on your subject.
When you like the lighting on your subject's face, let them give you several expressions, and play to their best features. If someone has bad teeth, aim for closed-mouth smiles and dramatic or intense facial expressions. If they have a great smile, start cracking jokes. If they have amazing eyes, get super close on those. If they have great hair, or if their hair is a big part of their style, be sure it frames or comes forward a bit to accent their face.
Since a close-up is more of an artsy and intimate image, play around with having your client look away from the camera, pose their head to the left or right and have them look both toward you and away, and if they're the jocular type, have them make some funny faces.
Good close-ups make great MySpace and Facebook defaults.
The Layback Shot
Find something for your subject to lay back on. I'm lucky to have a great spot on a tree at my city park where my subjects can lay back comfortably, but you can use a flat surface like a patch of grass or a park bench.
You'll have your subject lay down, and turn/lean their head back to look at you. As always, make sure your lighting looks good, and if their faces aren't catching even light, rotate them until they look great.
Have your subject arch their back a bit to make it easier for them to look back to you. Take your time and get a natural pose here - if your subject is straining their neck too much or too twisted around, their discomfort will show up in the final photo.
Hands can go down the side into/around pockets, their far hand can go up behind their head, and the near hand can stay down, go in a jacket pocket, or reach up to grip a lapel.
This mostly looks good as a dramatic photo, but as with every photo, try to work a range of expressions in. Go crazy and cull out the misses later when you're on the computer.
The Bench Shot
A good park bench is a great prop for posing. Your subject can sit, stand, or lay on it, and any which way, it creates visually interesting horizontal lines in the image.
Work your angles and expressions, primarily focusing on straight-on shots capturing the long side of the table or bench. Overhead shots can be good here as well to create some angled lines through your image.
The Standing On Something Shot
I may not be creative with naming these shots, but this is one of the more dramatic photos you'll take of your subject.
Find something that your subject can stand on, preferably a something that creates a statuesque appearance. A chair, a rock or cement wall, a pillar of some sort, a table, a tree stump, whatever's available.
Go for dramatic and goofy poses and expressions here. Try to get your camera down around your subject's foot level and shoot up at them. Primarily do this zoomed in, but try some wide angles as well. Dramatic poses should give your subject the appearance of a statue on display, and goofy stuff can include flamingo one-legged stances and bird-in-flight pantomimes.
The Wide Shot
You'll have to do some hunting and practice your landscape photographer's eye to find a good place, but seek out some good scenery to do a landscape-style photo with your subject as a small but highlighted feature in the shot.
A tree that overhangs a hillside, a select tree out of a row of a dozen, a lone tree in a field (can you tell I shoot around trees a lot?), a hillside or field covered in green grass or flowers... You get the idea. Get in a position where you can shoot a wide-angle photo of this beautiful landscape or natural feature, and pose your subject in a key point.
If photographing the overhanging tree, place your subject in the frame created by the branches which dip down at their tips. If shooting the lone tree, seat your subject at the side of the tree, or stand them in front of it. If you can shoot from a high position, lay your subject in that field of flowers and let them be the unique break, and thus focal point, in the pattern the landscape creates.
Your subject will be very small in this photo, so pose them dramatically enough that they don't appear as just sticks or squares in the photo. Extend the pose enough to create more interesting shapes. Make them take up some space around them.
The Funky Angle Shot
Go wide-angle and shoot from an unusual angle on your subject. I love to shoot overhead for these, but you can lay down and shoot from ground level, or just get close and twist the camera so your subject takes up the frame corner-to-corner instead of top-to-bottom.
This is a playful type of shot, so feel free to play around with your subject to get a memorable image.
The Down The Road Shot
Roads, not unlike the done-to-death train track, create nice lines in an image.
Place your subject in the middle of a road (do mind the traffic), or off to one side or the other, and look for a shot which includes the bold graphic element of the road and the lines on the road. Have your subject take a bold stance if in the middle of the road, or have them turn toward the road if they're posed to the side. If to the side, place your subject in the left or right side of the frame, with the road filling the rest.
After you nail your straight-on shots, do some funky angle shots and do some overheads. The bold lines that roads create will, if captured properly, give your portrait a big boost in style.
The Jump Shot
Ahh, The Jump Shot - a must for nearly every subject I photograph, in the studio or outdoors. Seniors, brides, children...none are exempt from the coolness of this photo.
Find a place where you can get below your subject's feet; the crest of a hill, a low wall, whatever works for you.
Lay down. Get extra low for this shot. The lower you are, the higher it will appear your subject jumps, even if they are notably sans "ups."
Get some space between you and your subject, but stay close enough that you can shoot zoomed out for a nice wide-angle effect.
For the jump, tell your subject to get as high as they can on the jump, and have them go all-out cheerleader. Guys and gals both should throw their hands up and kick their heels back. Big laughs and wide-mouthed smiles look great here.
Snap your photo at the apex of their jump. If you're shooting with a point-and-shoot, you'll have to play with your timing to make this happen. Pre-focus on your subject to reduce the delay.
Watch the background in this one - your subject should have nothing buy sky behind them. If there are trees or buildings disturbing your subject's blue-sky background, the flying effect won't be as strong.
This is always a fun photo to make and show to clients, and one that often sells as a big print.
Bonus: The Prop Shot
I have a couple of bonus shots for you, separate from the rest because they involved props.
The appropriately-named Prop Shot involves the inclusion of just about anything that your subject will pose with - a pet, sports gear, hobby gear (such as a camera!), etc.
Whatever the prop is, your first priority is to show your subject interacting with the prop, and your second is to have the subject interact with the camera at the same time.
If your subject wants to pose with their dog, they're holding the dog in their arms and the pup starts licking their faces, great photos will be had. If you can catch your subject laughing and looking at the camera while this is going on, it will make an even better photo.
If your subject wants a shot of them swinging on a swing, get a nice low angle down and to the side of them so you can catch them at the top of their forward swing; if you can get them to look back/down at you while laughing or smiling, even better.
Interacting with the camera, in any case, is secondary to them interacting naturally with their prop of choice. If you're doing a profile shot of a subject kissing their pet potbelly pig, the mid-laugh smoochy shot is going to be far and away better than then snuggling and smiling at the camera shot. Make them both, but know which one will sell more prints.
Bonus: The Car Shot
A car is really just a big prop, but because of its size and usually very personal relationship with its driver, it gets special mention here.
A car says a lot about its owner. A beat up old truck can lend as much character to a portrait as a slicked-up Porsche can add style to another.
Get photos of your subject in the driver's seat, leaning against the car James Dean style, sitting on the hood or tailgate, do a Layback Shot on the hood, ask for stories about the driver's experience with the car and then try to recreate that experience. If they rebuilt the engine, get photos of them under the hood poking around, or slid underneath the car with just their legs sticking out. Find the connection between the driver and the car and make some fun and memorable photos which capture that connection.
Practice makes perfect
Phew! That's 2,443 words of ideas to get you kick-started taking money-making photographs of your portraiture clients. Start practicing what you've learned above and build your own set of favorite money-making photos so you never have to "make it up as you go along" unless you want to.
Keep in mind, this is by no means an in-depth or exhaustive list; as you grow as an artist, and expand your repertoire of favorite images to make of clients, you'll start to enter a flow state when you're shooting and go naturally and easily from one pose and place to the next.
In the near future you'll find here on PartTimePhoto.com some fun and dead-simple video and photo tutorials to help you more visually learn to make the most of these photo opportunities.
Next Steps
- Take a drive around your town or neighborhood and explore the outdoor areas which would be ripe for good photos. Look for parks and playgrounds especially. Walk around your own back yard and see what little nooks would be great to take portraits in.
- Grab a friend or family member and practice, practice, practice. Print out or download this list to your iPhone and setup by setup, practice each photo, and practice getting good expressions from your subjects. Remember, you're a working photographer now - let your guinea pig subject know that they can get with you to view the photos at a later date and buy what they love.
- Have fun practicing and have fun on your shoots. You will make far better photos, and your subjects will enjoy the experience a great deal more. Remember, your art will take time to grow, but your ability to provide clients with a fantastic experience lies in your hands right now.
- Hold a practice viewing session with your guinea pig subject and look at your take together. See which images get the best reaction from them. See if they're interested in buying any of them. Take note of what really floats their boat, and keep this in mind for your upcoming brainstorm session - these are the photos that you want to lean toward making with future clients.
- Check out the work of Flickr artists from their outdoor portraiture sessions.
- Brainstorm session: Write down your thoughts on which photo setups gave you your best images, both artistically to you and financially to your subject. Those photos that they were really happy with are what you'll want to be sure you shoot every time with your clients. File this in your Brainstorms folder.
- If you're interested in maximizing your financial and enjoyment benefit from your part time photography business, feel free to click the "Subscribe" link at the top of any page of this web site. I'm very thankful for your readership!
- How would you classify some of your favorite outdoor portraits? Do they fit in any of the above categories? If not, how would you classify them? What have you learned is your best-seller image? Leave a comment below or drop me an e-mail.
It's digital: go crazy! How to make great photos by accident
(Putting some thorough time in on Part 2 of the Your First Customer Series, so here's some fresh reading while I'm dabbling in that project.)
There are two camps of professional photographers out there: the selective and thoroughly-planned, and the spray-and-prays.
I lean more toward the latter, although I'll say that with time and experience, you can begin to combine the two styles effectively.
Whereas some portrait photographers like to set up and plan and micromanage every shot down to the last detail, I have enough ADHD in me to necessitate going hog wild while I'm shooting.
I'll get my client into a general pose, or give them some posing instructions and turn them loose, then start shooting - as I see things I like, I'll have them repeat them.
For example, if I'm shooting a senior outdoors I may have them lay back on tree or picnic table, have them arch their backs and turn their faces to me. I'll start shooting, then ask for different expressions, different hand placement, etc. As they morph the pose to their own inspiration, I'll grasp onto what they're doing right in my eyes and encourage them to do more of it.
I tend to shoot 400 or more photos in a one-hour session, whether in the studio or out in the wild.
Grognards will tell you that shooting so many images is "amateur," but I don't think any method is amateur that results in photos your client loves and is willing to pay good money for. If you're more meticulous, do more planning and setup; if you're like me and love variety and faster rhythms, spray away.
Experiments make money
A sidebar to this concept of shooting like crazy to make great photos would be to experiment like a mad scientist.
Photography is definitely one of those artistic talents that benefits from experimentation, to 'learn by doing.'
One of the best things about "not knowing any better," in photography and in life, is that you can experiment freely. Want to shoot portraits at night by street light? Do it. Get a whim to do a family portrait with everyone upside down hanging from swings? Do it. Inspired to play with backlighting, unusual or wild posing, high fashion set and scene creation, want to go with a commercial feel, feel like putting everyone in sunglasses, can't go another day without doing an entire shoot with a Star Wars theme, just have to shoot an entire senior session in the subject's home? Do it.
It's digital: go crazy!
Especially when you are early-on in your professional photography career, experiment and blow the doors off your self-imposed boundaries. If a photo stinks, throw it out without a second thought or if you like the idea, ponder (or ask advice on the forums) how you can do it better.
When you find something you love, and more importantly, your client loves it too, write it down and add it to your shot list - your list of must-shoots for every client.
Don't sacrifice your basics, your 'guaranteed' salable photos, but definitely take time to experiment and play with fresh ideas and your own imagination while working with clients.
You'll find that your artistic talents grow much faster, and you'll create some truly unique and remarkable photos along the way. Those stylish images, along with a proven capacity for knocking down solid, quality portraits, will get you word of mouth, a healthy buzz, in your market.
A digital caveat
The only flipside to the spray-and-pray style of shooting is that you will wear out your camera faster than usual.
I experienced this with my Canon 40D, 20D, and original silver Digital Rebel. I've had to replace the shutter on each at $250 a pop. Each time the old salt behind the counter tells me, "You take too many pictures! Just because it's digital doesn't mean you can take so many pictures!"
His advice is well-taken, and as years go by, I've become better and better at being more selective in my shooting.
However, my style, my salable photos, are my bread and butter as a professional photographer. I have made back what I've spent in shutter replacements many, many times over.
Go with the flow and make your photos your way. Do what feels right to you, what you've learned gives you the best images you can make.
Next Steps
- Experiment! On every single photo shoot, try something new or different or downright crazy. As always, check out the inspirational work of Flickr artists to keep your brain buzzing.
- Brainstorm session: Close your eyes. Let your imagination explore visions and ideas for unique and interesting portraits of people. Write down every vision that comes to mind, every important detail, and who/what/where/when/how you would photograph each. File this in your Brainstorms folder.
- There's only more real-world advice, tips, and encouragement to come here on PartTimePhoto.com. If you enjoy what you're reading, please feel free to click the "Subscribe" link at the top of any page of this web site.
- What preconceived notions or fears do you feel are holding you back from making fun, fantastic photos? Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or call or text me at 830-688-1564.
How can I find time to be a part time photographer? - Your First Customer Series, Part 1
(Click here to visit the summary post for the Your First Customer Series!)
Most of you reading this blog already have full time jobs. Whether that's as a corporate executive, coffeehouse barista, or full time mom, we'll assume you have your hands full 40 hours a week.
Being a service provider, part time photography allows you to dictate your own hours. You can book as much or as little work as you wish, maintaining all of the flexibility you need to take care of your day job and familial responsibilities.
I'm a workaholic, love what I do, and am able to spend a lot of my working time with my family, so I invest a lot more time into my part time photography business than most people might. After a typical 9-5 day at my journalism job, I'll probably spend five to seven hours doing photography work - marketing, shooting, processing, and selling.
You certainly do not have to make such a time commitment to be a successful part time photographer. You can work as much or as little as you like. If you want to just get your feet wet, try a half day or two each month. If you want to go all-out, try four hours a day, six days a week. If you want to aim for a balanced start, let's take aim at four hours per week.
Getting better at anything takes time and effort. The more you put into your part time photography business, the more you will get back.
The more time you invest in your business...
- The more you will accelerate your learning of the photographic and post-processing arts, making your portfolio more impressive and images more salable;
- The more you will be able to network, in person and via social media, to expose potential customers to what you have to offer;
- The more money you will make, through creating ever-improving salable art and taking in more customers;
- The more quickly you will learn how to balance life and business while making the most of both.
With that said, you don't want to burn out on your new money-making part time job. Unless you're a desperately passionate workaholic like me, you'll tire quickly of daily photo shoots and photo processing work.
But you know what? How much time you invest is your own business, literally - only you know what time you have to practice part time photography, and how much time you want to invest.
The Four-Hour Set
The complete workflow of my part time photography system is built on four-hour sets.
- Hour One: Marketing - This is where you get your art and business in front of potential customers.
- Hour Two: Shooting - The creation of beautiful photos for your clients to purchase! Not to disrespect the art of photography, but for our purposes, the goal of taking photos is to create a desirable product to sell your customers.
- Hour Three: Processing - Here you will separate the wheat from the chaff. You'll pick only your favorite images from the shoot to show your clients. On those photos you'll do some light post-processing to give them a nice punch. Again, the purpose being to show customers the most salable art / product you can.
- Hour Four: Selling - There is no better feeling than someone handing you a nice check and sincerely saying, "Thank you for what you do!" The viewing / sales session is when your clients will get to see the photos you've made for them and make their purchase.
You are able to split these four hour sets any way you like. If you want to work four evenings a week, aim at doing four sets of four hours of work, equally split between the four above activities. If you want to only work on Sundays, set aside eight hours to do two sets of four hours. Split your time however it best fits your lifestyle.
Look at this time like a good workout for your art, business, and wallet. Specific exercises or activities done in manageable sets will give you balanced improvement and maximize both short- and long-term results.
The flexibility of this system also lets you shift time into marketing during lull shooting times or early on when too few people even know you're in business. In Part 4 of the Your First Customer Series, you'll learn how to fill up your shooting schedule as fast as possible - then keep it that way.
But slow times are sure to come eventually. Customers, bless their hearts, are the only part of the system that you don't have hands-on control of. However, with good marketing practices, we'll minimize slow times and keep you earning as much as possible.
I'm very much so a learn-by-doing kind of person, so the part time photographer system will have you shift your time entirely into marketing during slow times so you can get back to shooting and practicing your skills in real world situations as fast as possible.
And don't worry, marketing in my world is just about connecting with people, being social, and having a lot of fun. You will never have to sacrifice ethics or honesty to get people in the door, and you won't have to trick people out of their money when you're doing sales. People will only buy what they love.
Tomorrow in Part 2 of the Your First Customer Series, I'll show you the 10 best and easiest photos you can take and sell to customers. Along with frolicking in your own artistic playground while shooting your customers, these 10 images will result in the first dollar bills you'll earn as a part time photographer.
Next Steps
- Write down all of the sections of "free time" you have outside of your day job. Decide how much time you would like to invest each week in your part time photography business, thinking in sets of four hours (which can be split over several days, if you wish; the hours do not need to be consecutive). Look at your sections of free time and decide when you would like to dedicate to your part time photography business.
- Brainstorm session: Write down what obstacles stand in your way of doing at least four hours of part time photography work each week. What creative ways can you overcome those obstacles? Can you work at odd hours? Can you work weekends? Can you work on Sunday afternoons?
- I will write many more articles about the workflow of being a part time photographer in the future. To keep up with these and other juicy topics, feel free to click on the "Subscribe" link at the top of every page of this web site.
- When each week will you be a part time photographer? Have you found that you are at your most productive and artistic during certain times of the day? When? Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or call or text me at 830-688-1564.
What does a successful part time photographer look like? - Startup Series, Part 4
The Part Time Photographer Startup Series:
Part 1: How to make money as a part time portrait photographer
Part 2: What you need to start a part time photography business
Part 3: The legalities of starting a part time photography business
Part 4: What does a successful part time photographer look like?
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Different people wear success in different ways.
My definition of success is probably a lot different from Work At Home Mom, Creative Outlet Corporate Executive, or Hobbyist Turned Pro. Depending on your goals (a subject we'll look at in depth in a future article), the lifestyle and business you aim to create through part time photography, your version of success, will be wholly unique.
You may be a stay at home mom, married to military, with a couple of young kids that deserve as much attention as you can give. Success to you may be to work only a few hours every week photographing babies and toddlers in your home studio. Maybe you want to have the flexibility of setting your own schedule, making photos of your favorite subject - babies - while earning enough money to pay for a great summer vacation for your family. Disney Cruise, anyone?
You may have a good, decent day job, but you have the entrepreneurial itch and you enjoy photography. You would like to stretch your legs during your recreational time each week to see what kind of business you can build on your own. It's not so much about the money as building a business with your own art and your own two hands.
You may certainly be an enthusiast photographer who loves the art and experience of your hobby and you want to make your hobby pay for itself. You want a bunch of cool photo gear to make awesome photos. You've got the inspiration - you just need the funds to buy the tools needed to make your visions reality.
You may be a regular joe like me. You have a normal day job that pays the bills, you've gone about as high as you can go with your current company, and because of wife-and-kid responsibilities, you can't just quit and eat beans for a few months while you chase your dreams. You want to take on a second job to make money and save up until you're in a financial position to pursue the career you really want. You need a flexible way to earn enough money to make these dreams happen.
Where I stray from the norm is in being a serial entrepreneur. Whereas many people work to afford play, work is my play. I am a Godinfan the way most people are Potterfans. I spend more on marketing and business books every year than I spend on food. Given the choice of a day at Seaworld or a day blogging about part time photography, well...you won't find me smelling like whale at the end of the day.
Build your own lifestyle
The beauty of being a part time professional photographer is you can create any business or lifestyle you want - and best of all, you only get better as you go along. Your business knowledge grows alongside your artistic skill; your income grows with your customer base, which increases commensurate with your business and artistic abilities.
- Want to shoot one client a week and work only four hours? Can do.
- Want to only work Tuesday evenings? Can do.
- Want to make five times as much money? Shoot five times as many clients. Can do.
Like I said, I'm an unusual example - I work 30-40 hours a week on my second job. A) I love what I do, B) I'm wired to be a workaholic, and C) my wife and kids are greatly involved in almost all of the shoots I do, so very little family time is lost because of my second career as a part time professional photographer.
The system I'll share with you through PartTimePhoto.com is very scalable and nigh risk-free. The minimum time investment I suggest sits around four hours per week, which includes marketing, shooting, processing, and selling at least one client. You can work more or less - aim at one client a month, or one every day, whatever aligns with your goals.
More clients means accelerated development as a part time photographer and accelerated income. You can set your own pace to both grow and earn.
My version of success
What's success look like for me, personally?
I get up every day at 8 a.m., I get in a good workout at the gym, then I'm at work by 9 a.m. I let myself sleep in on Sundays. Gym's closed anyway.
I'll work on a mix of newspaper and photography work for the next 12-16 hours; day job + second job.
Wednesdays are family day - no worky worky of any kind, although you'll catch me reading e-mails and blogs on my iPhone during downtime throughout the day.
I'll photograph 2-5 clients in a week, and spend whatever time I need to ensure they're given the best and most attentive experience possible. I'll spend around one hour culling and post-processing each client's shoot, and another hour doing a viewing / sales session with them within a few days of their shoot.
Any time I am not doing active income-generating work (shooting, processing, selling), I am marketing - and this is a big part of why my system works so well.
I like to stay booked about a month in advance, and I book as many clients as I am feeling the desire to shoot. Sometimes I'll book light weeks, one or two clients, when I have other projects I want to concentrate on. I'll book heavier weeks in busy seasons like Christmas and high school graduation when I have a lot of clients who need timely service - it can be a busy time, but the money made then allows me flexibility elsewhere in the year.
Marketing is just a combination of exposing potential clients to my business and my work, and showing existing clients lots of love to ensure they come back. From eating at the Old Spanish Trail restaurant and handing out business cards to potential clients to making connections with people on MySpace, from advertising on Craigslist to sending out a monthly e-mail newsletter, there are myriad ways to keep yourself busy with ensuring you have clients lined up to shoot with you.
What do I get out of being a part time photographer?
- I get to meet amazing people every single day, many of whom become good friends.
- I get to make cherished photos for those amazing people; a good sign of success is when clients are sincerely thanking you from their hearts...while handing you a check.
- I get a ton of satisfaction from running a successful small business, providing clients with a great service and great experience while contributing to my community and staying profitable.
- ...and the money doesn't hurt, either. I earn as much or more in my pocket from part time photography as I do from my day job as a community journalist. This enables me to enjoy financial security, job security, and freedom security - part time photography is a business you can take anywhere you go.
Your mileage will vary. It took me 10 years to achieve such a balance in my work and life. But I hope you will benefit from my knowledge and experience and enjoy exactly the success you want far faster than I did.
Does this sound like something you want to do? If so, let's get it done!
Today is the day
This article concludes our four-part Startup Series for part time photographers. These blog posts are only the beginning of what will become a vast resource for living and working as a part time professional photographer. I hope you'll stay tuned for the goodness to come.
The next series of articles here on PartTimePhoto.com will help you prepare for and photograph your first client. Then your second. Then your third, and so on. I'll help you get set up with a simple system for marketing to, photographing, post-processing, and selling to as many clients as you want.
Next Steps
- Brainstorm: Write down your ideal situation as a part time photographer. How many hours per week will you work? When can you set aside time for marketing, shooting, processing, and selling? Do you want to do it all in one or two days a week, or a little bit each day? What kinds of clients will you work with? What's your vision of a dream-come-true, successful situation? File this in your Brainstorms folder.
- Growing as a photographer and as a one-person photography business will take some time and some work, but by following along here at PartTimePhoto.com daily, at least you will know that the steps you're taking are in the right direction. If you have learned a thing or two from this blog, you're invited to click on the "Subscribe" link at the top of any page of this blog.
- Does the life and work of a part time photographer appeal to you? How would being a successful part time photographer benefit your life? Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or call or text me at 830-688-1564.