Introduction

This book is for you. If you are reading this, it means you are considering turning your passion for photography into a business. Getting paid to do what you love is something many people dream about and few experience. It’s an exciting journey filled with unbelievable pinch-me moments and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. However, there are also challenges, and this book will serve as a roadmap to get you where you want to go.

One of the most significant things to understand when it comes to owning a photography business is the importance of business, sales, and marketing skills. It’s easy to overlook those areas and assume you can get by on your passion alone. That’s not the case. Photographers who fail to realize the importance of a solid business foundation often find that they run out of steam after a few years of struggling to pay the bills. It doesn’t have to be that way if you take the time to understand the fundamentals of running a business.

Whether you are just starting out, or you’ve been in business for a few years, you will find the knowledge, tools, and resources within this book invaluable in helping you build an amazing business you love. The book is split into four sections, and covers everything you need to know to get started.

Section 1

Moving from a Hobby to a Business covers the things you need to know when considering such an important life decision. You’ll find information on things like average salary ranges and lifestyle conditions that come with the job. People generally don’t like to talk about money, but this is critical information when considering a major career move.

In this section I share the information I wish I knew before jumping into professional photography feet first. We also discuss how to get additional training and put together a portfolio. And of course, choosing what type of photography niche to serve is also covered.

Section 2

Business Fundamentals covers the basics of starting a business, such as getting your business licenses, insurance, legal issues, writing a business plan, and putting together a budget. We also go over what you need to know about branding and how to set your pricing. Keeping your business running requires excellent customer service, and the ability to manage client expectations and day-to-day operations. To be profitable, you also need to figure out the best way to deliver images to your clients. We go over all of it.

Section 3

Sales and Growth is one of my favorites. Your business needs sales in order to be successful, and I share with you the tips, tools, knowledge, and resources that will help you increase sales and grow your business. We look at developing products, sales tools, and in-person sales. We also look at 3- and 5-year photography business snapshots, so you get an idea of where your business might be in that timeframe.

Section 4

Marketing outlines what brings business in the door, but it starts long before that. You have to understand your style and the type of client you are looking for first, and then figure out how to find them. Before choosing specific marketing strategies, it’s important to understand what you want to accomplish through marketing, and how to track its effectiveness. Finally, we cover specific strategies you can use, from social media, word of mouth, traditional marketing, blogging, expos, getting published, and more.

What this book isn’t going to tell you is what camera gear to buy or how to make better photos; there are a great many of those books already on the market. This book is a no-nonsense guide to running your photography business successfully. While my niche is the high-end weddings market, the material in this book is relevant to all fields of photography.

To offer you some different perspectives, I reached out to other photographers and asked them to openly share their knowledge. Each of them was willing to offer you a rare peek inside their businesses.

I wrote this book for you. It can be hard to find candid, honest, hype-free information about what it’s really like to be a professional photographer, not just the glamorous highlights. As long as you know what to expect, you can make the right decisions for yourself and your business. Ready to get started? Let’s do it.

With gratitude,

Lara White

For additional training, education, and to stay in touch:

• photomint.com (my website dedicated to business and marketing tools, techniques, and tips for photographers)

• Facebook.com/photominteducation

• Twitter.com/LaraWhite