Like many of you know, running a full time business in photography is difficult! What started out as a passion soon grew into a something much more. You slowly learned how much was involved in turning your joy into a business. Eventually, you began to realize there was a lot more than you anticipated. If you're lucky, you had a great game plan set. For many, they learn as they go along.
My great friend and colleague, Robert Seale, is a very talented and knowledgeable commercial photographer. He recently wrote a great guide on starting a successful photography business. Although my own career is in retouching, I learned a lot from this article. I bet that many people wish that they had seen this at the birth of their careers. It not only details errors people usually make, but it lists what you should be doing in the most concise way possible.
Check out the full write up here: The Definitive Guide To Starting A Successful Photography Business
[Via The Click]
Ones of the best articles (Seale's) I've read in a while on starting a photography business. I usually give up reading most of them because they're full of a lot of BS. This was however, was very honest.
One point I feel would be relevant is as a photographer, you should be open to learning new technology and skills necessary for your business (he touches on that a bit though). Also - be aware of other photographers in your industry, or artists and inspiration outside of your industry. Maintain a realistic and honest perspective of your work.
It's surprising how many people get stuck in a rut doing the same thing, education doesn't end with your diploma! It is definitely not a career to choose because it's "glamorous," It's really not, it's a lot of hard work, long hours, etc. But if you love it, it's definitely worth it.
"Maintain a realistic and honest perspective of your work"... THAT is exactly it. Should be number one on the list.
I think part of the reason for the rut is that the rut makes money a lot of the time.
definitely true, I've fallen prey to it before!
Thanks for sharing this...starting a photography business is not a long complicated process, I also have provided tips about starting a photography business - the long/complicated part is getting yourself established as a professional and building enough business to make it profitable. http://www.jaredlawsonphotography.com
Sounds hard.