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How to write a successful photography business plan.

Whether you want to know how to start a photography business or take your existing one to the next level, the best place to start is with a plan. A photography business plan is a document that outlines what you hope to accomplish with your business. 

As your business comes to life or goes through change, you can use a business plan to measure your progress and re-calibrate your professional goals. In addition, if you are planning to pitch your business to potential investors for brand partnership opportunities, a business plan is one of the documents you can use to help bring credibility to your business.

However, learning how to start a photography business the right way doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Taking the right steps to showcase your photography services beyond your online portfolio website can set you off on the right foot and continuously help you attract the caliber of clients you want.

Why you need to make a photography business plan. 

Running a small business is hard. You may have heard the lifespan statistic that 20% of small businesses fail in their first 2 years, 30% fail in their first 3 years, and 50% fail after operating for 5 years. While this number is discouraging, the number one reason for the small business mortality rate is the lack of financial planning.

This is why using available tools is essential to your business’s long-term success and to your ability to grow your business. A business plan is critical in keeping you on track with your business goals and identifying where your business is lagging before, during, and after growth.

The main components of a photography business plan.

While you can customize the components of a photography business plan to suit your needs, the standard components are:

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Product or service portfolio
• Target market
• Competitive landscape 
• Marketing approach
• Operations & logistics

These elements work together to provide you and your possible stakeholders with a fulsome portrait of your business and its potential. We will go into further detail about these individual components in the following sections.

Write an executive summary.

The executive summary is a 50-250 word section at the start of your photography business plan that focuses on big-picture goals and outcomes of your company. This section summarizes the entirety of the document and should serve as the “elevator pitch” for your company, and its unique position to succeed. A good question to ask when compiling your executive summary is, “What are 3-5 things I want my clients to remember me by?”

Some of the elements to include in your executive summary are your experience, your specialties (ex. commercial photography , landscape , or wedding photography ), and key components of your business that contribute to your success, such as your marketing efforts or a unique angle you bring to the industry.

Explain your company in a business description.

While you may have a clear vision for your business inside your head, being able to succinctly express it to clients and stakeholders is key to your professional success. When compiling your description, it’s important to be as specific as possible.

First, learn about different organizational structures and the associated terms that come with the territory. Are you running a sole proprietorship, partnership, an incorporated company, or another type of business?

Second, your business description should also outline additional details including the history of your business. It gives possible stakeholders an idea of what your business is about and how it began.

In addition, you want to share your business’ mission statement. Because you will go into more details about the offerings and other aspects of your business, it’s best to keep your company description simple and provide only a high-level overview.

Describe your product and services.

This is the place to talk about the types of photography services and products you offer, and the ones you plan on expanding into in the near future. 

As part of your product and services description, provide a comprehensive pricing model. Your pricing model should cover the types of sessions, services (shooting, editing, formatting) you offer, and their associated fees. For example, do you offer mini photography sessions or 2-hour shoots? Is there a sliding scale for editing services, color correction, or airbrushing? Do you handle the physical production of photos, or is the handoff done digitally?

A competent photography business relies on the client’s clear understanding of your “menu” of skills and services.

Lastly, detail the types of services you offer and the types of products you want to focus on that bring you the most income.

Determine your target market.

Targeting your customers is no simple task, as small business owners want to serve everyone. Nevertheless, it helps you to focus on your customers who need your products. You’ll end up wasting money marketing your product to people who don’t need it or have any interest in it.

Understanding your target audience means researching your local market to identify where demand exists. You can search forums and Facebook groups to see what kinds of photographers people are hiring and how much they’re willing to pay. 

For example, a professional wedding photographer should join relevant local event planning and vendor groups on social media to build connections and promote their wedding photography services. Keep in mind that a wedding photographer often has to travel to a location to shoot the wedding, and make sure to factor it into your project estimates. 

While a target audience looks different for everyone, it’s important for your photography business to have a few areas of specialty that help build up credibility and steadily bring in clients.

Conduct a competitive analysis.

As you conduct research on your local market, you will start to discover there are a number of different photographers that offer similar services as you. To create a thorough competitive analysis, take the list of competitors, and evaluate them in different areas. Conducting this analysis will help you determine what sets yours apart.

When looking at your competitors, consider the following questions:

• Are my product offering and pricing model as straightforward as theirs?
• What is their tone of voice (ex. humorous/expert/familial)?
• Who is their target audience?
• What do they bring to the table that I do not, and vice versa?
• How can I differentiate myself from them?

To help you understand how your business is perceived, you can seek the help of a brand marketing professional. To take a more DIY approach, you can send your portfolio website to a roundtable of friends and colleagues and ask them how they would describe your business. Collecting these adjectives and looking for common threads can help you understand how your business is perceived and use these findings to your advantage in your marketing efforts.

Conducting a thorough competitive analysis can help you determine your own competitive edge and stay abreast of the competition. As a best practice, get into the habit of conducting a competitive analysis on an annual basis to stay informed about how your industry and your local market evolve over time.

Detail your marketing strategies.

In marketing, there is a saying that goes, “hope is not a strategy.” Yet many organizations allow an “if you build it, they will come” mentality to drive clients toward their marketing efforts.

In reality, a continuous funnel of new and repeat customers is what ensures their long-term success. This is why continuous marketing efforts are the number one way to ensure a consistent workload. Your marketing should work in tandem with a greater marketing plan that aligns all your efforts.

Because stakeholders and investors know the importance of marketing, they will look for a comprehensive and proactive marketing strategy when evaluating your business plan. This is why it’s important to outline the various marketing mechanisms you plan to use in your marketing plan.

Your marketing strategies encompass your marketing programs and your photography portfolio. 

Marketing programs.

Marketing programs mean any platforms, channels, or mechanisms you use to promote your company and attract customers. These may include email marketing campaigns, direct mail initiatives, local photography directory memberships, trade shows, your social media presence, and any paid social media advertising campaigns.

Photography portfolio.

Your online photography portfolio is an essential part of your marketing toolkit. After you make your potential customers aware of your business with your marketing programs, they will seek out a digital presence to explore your abilities as a photographer and to see if there is a fit. A portfolio experience can make or break a client lead, which is why it’s important to invest in a portfolio website that represents the unique offering your photography brings to the world. You can learn how to build a portfolio website the right way with our helpful guide.

Think about operations. 

While service businesses like photographers traditionally have fewer logistics than brick-and-mortar ones, it’s still important to consider the day-to-day logistics and expenses when compiling your business plan.

The operations portion of your photography business can include details like information about where you conduct work.  Many photographers choose to conduct business out of a home studio or office, holding a majority of their sessions at outdoor locations, client homes, and occasionally utilizing a professional studio. Meanwhile, commercial photographers almost always rely on a professional studio to conduct their business. 

Because different types of photographers have different operational needs, stakeholders will look for this information in your business plan to help assess the overhead cost of the operations. Understanding your operations also helps you to plan for potential opportunities in the future.

Draft your financial plans. 

This portion of your photography business plan is important to understanding the overall factors in the cash flow of your venture. Cash flow refers to the amount of money going in and out of your business. 

While compiling this section of your business plan may take the most time, it’s important to get it right to have an accurate understanding of the amount of money it takes to run your photography business, and which investments (ex. new lenses or editing software) are feasible within your business profits.

If you are a new business owner getting into photography, this section of the plan is where you outline the equipment you hope to invest in and what types of services it will be used for. Consider that as a professional photographer, you may need to invest in two copies of every item in case of malfunction. Some photographers, who may be just starting out, may use rental equipment to help them offset the costs of duplicates. However, the cost of renting can add up, which is why purchasing may be the cheaper option in the long run.

As a photographer, you are investing in hardware and software that is imperative to your job. To protect yourself, consider insuring your photography equipment and professional computer in case of theft. You can outline your insurance policy coverage and its cost in the financial portion of your plan. 

Create a timeline.

For photographers, a timeline is a management tool that helps you keep your business goals on track. Some of the key activities to include in your timeline are marketing, financial, investing, and operational in nature. 

In your timeline, consider setting goals for when you expect to pay back for the items listed in the financial portion of your plan. Calculating how many completed photography sessions it would take to cover the cost of the item can help you calculate this date.

It’s important to remember that timelines don’t need to be complicated. You can simply write down the task and the date by which you hope to complete it in sequential order. To help you stay on track, you can put reminders in your email calendar that notify you when you are nearing the anticipated completion of a task, as well as your personal deadline for its completion.

Putting your photography business plan together.

Compiling a photography business plan is an important step in starting your business and in evolving an existing one. While our photography business plan outline contains all the elements to run a successful photography business, there is nothing like drawing inspiration from what’s out there. A tried and tested photography business plan sample can give you the guidance you need to brainstorm the ins and outs of your business.

While all photography business plans are slightly different, most professional photography business plans are clear about their vision and how they want to get there. We’ve collected sample photography business plans from some of the best and most successful photographers in the industry and made readily editable templates for a fast and comprehensive photography business plan.

If you are just starting with your venture and feel a little lost, be sure to check out startup costs for your photography business and three business questions new photographers often ask . These guides give you the important information you need to get started on turning your photography dream into a viable business.

Photography business plan examples.

A sound business plan will set you on the path to success as a photographer. Whether you are a studio photographer, wedding photographer, or anything in between, these industry-specific photography business plan examples will help you kickstart your career.

Photography studio business plan.

If you run a photography studio, the most important element of your business plan is the photography business description. This segment in your photography studio business plan consists of a thorough description of all of the activities you engage in and the services you offer.

By keeping a detailed checklist, you can be clearer with your clients about the studio photography services you offer and market your business accordingly. Our guide to photography marketing shows you how to attract new clients the right way, without spending a dime.

Wedding photography business plan.

Creating a wedding photography business plan is a crucial step in better understanding your market and the opportunities you can leverage with your skills and experience. If there are any specific photography services you offer that other wedding competitors don’t, make sure to include them in your business plan.

If you are looking for a place to start, a simple Google search will provide you with a range of wedding photography business plan samples to work from, which can be tailored specifically to your business.

Now that you are armed with your photography business plan, you can attract better clients and be prepared for the future with a firm grasp of your competitive edge and industry shifts. Don’t forget that along with a solid business plan you need a beautiful website portfolio to show off your work and start getting clients.

Related Posts

Contributor

Cheryl is the Director of Content Strategy at Zenfolio and the Owner/Photographer at Portraits by Cheryl and Seniors by Cheryl in Raleigh, NC. Cheryl has mentored countless new photographers looking to build successful photography businesses.

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Step-by-step guide on how to write a strong photography business plan

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This article was updated on December 2, 2022

Starting a successful photography business involves more than having a camera and a keen eye for beauty. As a business owner, you must also have a solid business plan.

Without one, your professional photography business may have no legs (or tripods) to stand on. 

Creating a photography business plan is simple. This complete guide will cover all you need to know about writing a comprehensive business plan—from executive summaries to competitive analyses. 

What to include in a photography business plan:

• Write an executive summary
• Describe your photography business
• Outline your products and services
• Analyze your finances and list out business expenses
• Understand your competition and the photography industry
• Devise a sales and marketing strategy
• Set operations logistics and management structure
• Perform customer and market analysis
• Establish a timeline and exit strategy
• Round out your business plan with Nextdoor

1. Write an executive summary

Perhaps you’ve been dreaming of running your own photography business since the day you picked up your first disposable camera, or maybe you just started outlining your vision in recent months. Whatever the case may be, you’ll need to match those dreams with quantifiable business goals and a clear course of action. 

Defining your mission is one of the most important aspects of a strong business plan and almost always comprises the first section. In the executive summary, you will explain your business details such as your business name, and a summary of your business plan in a few sentences.

When defining your business as a professional photographer, it’s crucial to cover two key components: the executive summary and the business description.

2. Describe your photography business

Following the executive summary, the business description section is the place where you'll describe the ins and outs of your business.

Effective photography business descriptions usually contain the following information:

• A history of your business
• An overview of your business structure

Let's break down these two essential components further.

As a professional photographer, your business's history is more than just a summary of facts. It's your unique story . Your passion for what you do should come through in every line.

Include life and color into your business plan by detailing the following:

• Your personal relationship with photography
• Your professional work experience
• The origins of your business and the values you intend to uphold

Describing your history with photography not only gives potential stakeholders an inside look at your motivations but also gives you an outline for an "About" section on your future website.

REAL BUSINESS EXAMPLE: Johnson City, Tennessee's Hunter Kittrell Photography is a business that knows the power of storytelling. Their website's "About" section mentions how the business's founder, Hunter Kittrell, got his start in photography after college and how his love of adventure inspires his work. Look to this small business as a model for your own and add in all of your business's unique details to compel potential clients to work with you.

Business structure

Few business descriptions are complete without an outline of the business structure. To define your business structure, consider the following:

• Type - Is your business a sole proprietorship or an LLC? A partnership or corporation? If you're just starting out, there's a good chance your photography business will be a sole proprietorship. However, if you're thinking of future growth (and outside funding), it may be wise to consider an LLC. Whichever business type you choose, providing this information in your business plan will help you think through the management and other logistical structures.
• Management and business operations - Most U.S. photography businesses have less than two employees . However, if you're planning on employing more people and/or having a detailed managerial structure, it may be wise to include this in your business description. Furthermore, it may be helpful to include details about business hours and studio location(s).

While businesses, especially startups, can experience a number of operational changes during the first couple of years, outlining your initial business structure is a smart way to set up your photography business for continued success.

3. Outline your products and services

The best business plans clearly specify the business's products and photography services. As you draft your plan include the following details:

• Photography type - Will your business specialize in commercial photography, marketing photography, landscape photography, portrait photography, pet photography, or wedding photography? Will you mainly shoot individual portraits or family portraits? Identifying your niche in the photography industry in your business plan will allow you to structure other elements of your business model around that particular focus.
• Pricing model - When it comes to the financial aspects of your business, few details are more important than your business's pricing model. Will you charge by the hour or by the photoshoot (regardless of time)? Is photo editing included in the package or is there an additional cos t ? Look at other photographers for example pricing; likely event photography pricing is structured differently than landscape photography. You would also need to consider your business expenses and budget when setting your rates. Being as specific as possible about your pricing model will help you estimate your income and also p rovide a clear outline of your rates for potential clients.

REAL BUSINESS EXAMPLE: Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, Image of Home Real Estate Photography is a small business with a big-time, three-tier pricing model. Their website states that they charge by the square foot and offer the additional benefit of same-day image delivery. This pricing model was, more than likely, hashed out in the business plan. Settle on the pricing specifics for your business and be sure to share them on your online platforms so that they are clearly visible to the public.

4. Analyze your finances

When it comes to financial planning, the more you can foresee, the better. This will keep you from overextending your budget in terms of expenses or overestimating your revenue in your first year. 

To adequately plan for finances, detail the following in your business plan:

• Expenses – Expenses include everything from ordering business cards to the cost of equipment to your studio space. Make a list of everything you’ll need to pay for to get your business up and running. Doing so will also help you budget for the unknown, such as buying an extra lens in case one breaks or hiring an assistant to lend a hand on a particular photo shoot.
• Projected revenue – To stay afloat in the long run, you’ll need to bring in more revenue than you’re spending. As a result, it’s wise to calculate your projected revenue alongside your expenses in your business plan—especially in the first year. These calculations will allow you to budget properly and change your strategy should your financial situation change.
• Set up bank accounts and EIN - Most professional photographers tend to work independently or work by case. Therefore, it is better to separate your work bank accounts and credit cards from your personal accounts to manage your finances. Further, even if this is a small business, you still need to apply for an EIN (employee identification number) from the IRS for legal purposes.

In addition, figuring out where you stand financially will enable you to find room in your budget for marketing strategies and competitive analysis metrics.

5.  Understand your competition

An often overlooked, yet highly important, section of most business plans is the competitive analysis section. 

Researching your competition is beneficial for many reasons. Not only will you better understand your competition’s pricing models and services, but you’ll also learn how you can set yourself apart from competitors. Given the fact that there are more than 40,000 professional photographers in the U.S. , knowing how to stand out in the industry will make sure your one-of-a-kind business doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. 

When writing your competitive analysis section, it’s helpful to answer the following questions:

• How many photographers are located in my area?
• Am I fulfilling a specific niche (i.e. landscape, portrait, etc.)?
• What are my competitor’s pricing models?
• What are their marketing strategies?
• What are my competitors doing well? What could they improve upon?
• Who are my potential client pods and are they overlapping other existing photography businesses?
• How will I provide a necessary and unique photography service?

Of course, there are many more questions you could ask when thinking about your competition, but these should help you get started.

6. Devise a sales and marketing strategy

Good business plans almost always focus on business growth. But to grow your business and attract new clientele, you need to market yourself. 

Detailing your marketing strategy is, therefore, a crucial component of a strong business plan. If you’re wondering how to get photography clients, you’ll want to employ a number of different marketing tactics.

When writing the marketing section, it’s helpful to think of the following strategies:

• Social media marketing – Given that social media is a major conduit of ideas and information, it’s important to develop a social media strategy for your photography business. As a photographer, your portfolio and past works are the best marketing materials. Image-sharing platforms make the most sense, but you’ll want to consider the potential of other platforms, too. For example, if you want to attract local clientele , the best way to connect with your neighborhood is on Nextdoor. This community-minded platform allows you to set up custom business ads or create a Business Page where you can showcase important aspects of your business—from operating hours to services.
• Email marketing – In your business plan, detail how you intend to use email to market yourself. Will you send around a quarterly email discussing new trends in the photography world? Will you deliver special holiday emails urging your target audience to take advantage of discounted holiday shoots? Generating an email list is an effective way to keep clients in the loop about what’s happening with your business.
• SEO marketing – SEO, or search engine optimization, is a critical strategy that will help drive potential customers to your website. To improve the quality of your site, you’ll want to decide which type of keywords are important to your business and build content around them to make your website more discoverable by Google and other search engines. You can do this by adding informational content to different pages on your website, as well as creating a photography blog with helpful tips and information for users. For example, if you are a portrait photographer, you can add keywords such as family pictures or graduation portfolio photos.

7. Set operation logistics and management structure

This section gives you the opportunity to first think through the details of your business workflow then define how you will manage the logistics of your day to day operations. A major part of your photography business will likely be post processing and photo editing before final delivery. Spend time defining how long editing will take after a shoot. How many days afte r a shoot will you promise delivery to your customers? What methods of payment are you planning to accept? Other topics to address in this section may include:

• Primary and backup suppliers
• Equipment inventory
• Transportation expenses
• Management and staff structure if applicable

8. Perform customer and market analysis

C ustomer and market analysis is a critical part of your photography business plan; it helps define the size of the market needing your service as well as your ideal client. Here you will justify your target market and specify niche segments within that market. To do this answer the following:

• What is your dream client - age range, gender, location, demographics, and style of photo shoot. Will you specialize in high end weddings, aerial photography, sports photography, or something else? 
• What are the needs of these customers
• how your services address these needs. 
• What is the growth potential of your market segment? Including considerations such as the number of potential customers, their annual income, frequency of photography style needs

9. Establish a timeline and exit strategy

This later section describes your timeline for the goals and objectives outlined earlier in the business plan. Describe how soon you plan to become profitable, within what timeframe do you plan to meet your revenue objectives, or even when you might plan to hire employees to help grow your business. While it may seem far off, planning how you may want to exit your business years down the road may open up questions and considerations that can have a big impact near term. For some, selling their business to a larger investor is the end goal, for others, keeping photography as a small side gig to pass to their children is the exit strategy - no matter your desired path, document it here. 

10. Round out your business plan with Nextdoor

Developing a strong photography business plan is often the first step in running a successful business. Now that you’re equipped with all the tools to execute it like a pro, you’ll be well-prepared for a promising future ahead. 

But no plan is truly complete without Nextdoor — the neighborhood hub that connects you with your local community so that your photography business can flourish.

Claim a Nextdoor Business Page today to simplify the process of building your brand. That way, you can get back to what truly matters—working your magic behind the camera.

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How To Write a Winning Photography Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for photography businesses who want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every photography business owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Photography Business Plan Template

What is a Photography Business Plan?

A photography business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Photography Business Plan?

A photography business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Photography Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful photography business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a photography business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your photography company
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your photography business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your photography firm, mention this.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a photography business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the photography industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, customers of a photography business may include individuals, families, small businesses, or corporations.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or photography services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. In addition, you may promote your photography business via public speaking engagements, trade shows, or partnerships.

Operations Plan

This part of your photography business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a photography business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include hiring a certain number of employees, partnering with another company, or opening up a second location.

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific photography industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Photography Business

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Photography Business

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup photography business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Photography Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your photography company. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

A well-written business plan is essential for any photography company looking to start, expand or grow its business. It can also help attract investors.  

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How to create a photographer business plan

• Nirit Braun

When starting a business in the photography world, having a solid business plan is like capturing that perfect shot. It's essential for bringing your vision into focus and paints a clear picture of your path to success. In this blog, we'll uncover the core elements of a photographer business plan. Keep reading for step-by-step tips on how to develop your own solid plan.

Ready to get your business off the ground? Start building a website with Wix .

Why create a business plan for a photography business?

A photographer business plan is a structured document that outlines the goals, strategies, and operational details of your photography business . It offers a range of benefits, including:

Attracting funds: Whether it's cash from investors or a loan from a bank, your business plan is your ticket to funding. It shows you've done your homework—you know your market, your competition and how to turn a profit. When you paint this clear picture, investors are more likely to bet on your photography business and increase your odds of raising money for your business .

Focusing on the right resources : Your detailed plan helps you figure out exactly what you need to get your photography business off the ground. From camera gear to lighting, editing software to studio space, and even the team members like assistants (see how to create a virtual assistant business plan ) or makeup artists, it leaves no stone unturned. This ensures your operations run smoothly without missing a beat.

Moving strategically: Your plan is your strategic compass. It helps you define your target audience, your niche and what makes your photography special. Armed with this knowledge, you can create marketing magic that resonates with your ideal clients, boosting your chances of booking and retaining customers.

Taming the unexpected: Photography isn't all about picture-perfect moments; sometimes, you face challenges. Your business plan helps you spot potential hurdles by analyzing the market and doing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) assessment. This foresight lets you put risk management strategies in place, ensuring your business can weather any storm.

Operating smoothly : With your business plan as your trusty guide, you'll have a clear path for day-to-day operations. It spells out workflows, processes, and timelines, making everything run like a well-oiled camera. Efficient operations lead to happy clients and great word-of-mouth referrals.

How to create a photographer business plan: 6 key components

Executive summary

Business and domain names

Market analysis and research

Operations plan

Marketing and advertising plan

Financial plan

01. Executive summary

The executive summary is a concise overview of your entire photography business plan. It provides readers with a snapshot of your business, highlighting its key aspects and value proposition. While this section appears at the beginning of the plan, it's often written after the rest of the plan is complete to ensure that all essential elements are included.

To write a clear executive summary for your photography business, focus on the following components:

Introduce your business, including your niche, style and the type of clients you plan to target.

Highlight what sets your photography services apart from competitors. This could include your artistic approach, quality of work, exceptional customer service or unique offerings and your unique selling proposition.

Briefly describe your ideal clients, including their demographics and preferences. Explain how you plan to reach and attract them.

Outline your short-term and long-term business goals. This could include targets for client bookings, revenue and market share.

Provide a snapshot of your financial projections, including startup costs, expected revenue and profitability timeline.

02. Business and domain names

Naming your business is a crucial step in building brand awareness and trust. A strong name should resonate with your target audience and convey the essence of your services. When brainstorming names, consider using a business name generator for inspiration. Ensure that the chosen name is unique, easy to remember and reflects your photography style.

Once you finalize your company name, it's essential to secure a matching domain name for your business website . A domain name that aligns with your company name helps establish a consistent online presence. Use a domain name registrar to check the availability of your chosen name and consider these best practices:

Keep it short and simple

Include keywords where possible

Avoid hyphens and numbers

You can also look to this compilation of photography business name ideas for inspiration.

Once you’ve landed on a small business name , follow the steps for registering your business .

03. Market analysis and research

Incorporating a thorough market analysis into your business plan helps you understand the competitive landscape and craft a more effective business strategy. Research your target market's preferences, demographics and behaviors. Study your competitors to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This analysis guides your pricing strategy, service offerings and marketing tactics.

By conducting a SWOT analysis, you can identify internal and external factors that could impact your business. This information informs your marketing approach, allowing you to leverage strengths and capitalize on opportunities while mitigating weaknesses and threats.

04. Operations plan

The operations plan outlines the practical aspects of running your photography business. This section includes details such as your business location, premises (if you have a studio), equipment and staffing needs. Define the workflow of a typical photography session, from client inquiry to final product delivery. Specify the equipment you'll use, whether it's cameras, lenses, lighting or editing software.

If you plan to have a physical studio, detail its layout and design to create a welcoming and conducive environment for your clients. Address staffing needs, whether you intend to work solo or hire assistants, makeup artists or administrative staff.

05. Marketing and advertising plan

In your business plan, outline your marketing and advertising strategies to effectively promote your photography business. Tailor your approach to your target audience. For instance, if you're focusing on wedding photography, social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest can be powerful tools. If you're specializing in corporate headshots, LinkedIn may be more relevant.

Detail your branding, including your logo, color palette and overall visual identity. Lay out your content marketing strategy, which might involve blogging about photography tips, sharing behind-the-scenes stories or showcasing client success stories. Additionally, plan your paid advertising efforts, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads, to reach potential clients directly.

Use Wix’s logo maker to get some photography logo ideas for your business.

06. Financial plan

The financial plan is a cornerstone of your photographer business plan. It outlines how your business will be funded initially and how you project it will reach profitability. This section includes:

A list of expenses required to launch your business, including equipment purchases, studio setup, marketing materials, cost to start an LLC if relevant and legal fees.

Revenue projections to estimate your expected income based on your pricing strategy and the number of sessions you anticipate booking.

Include ongoing costs and operating expenses like equipment maintenance, rent, utilities, marketing expenses and insurance.

Provide a forecast of your revenue and expenses over the next few years as well as profit and loss projections. These projections help you understand when your business is likely to become profitable.

Detail where your startup capital is coming from and your funding sources, whether it's personal savings, loans or investments.

Determine the point at which your total revenue matches your total expenses, indicating when your business starts making a profit. This is known as break-even analysis.

Estimate your monthly cash inflow and outflow to ensure you have sufficient funds to cover expenses at all times.

Photography business plan example 1: UrbanLens Photography

Part 1: executive summary.

UrbanLens Photography is a creative photography studio specializing in urban lifestyle and portrait photography. Our unique blend of artistic vision and technical expertise allows us to capture authentic moments that resonate with our clients. We target young professionals and couples seeking vibrant and modern photography that reflects their dynamic personalities.

Our goal is to establish UrbanLens Photography as a leading name in urban photography within the next three years. With a commitment to exceptional customer service and innovative visual storytelling, we aim to achieve a 15% market share in our target region. Our financial projections indicate steady revenue growth, with profitability expected within the first year.

Part 2: company and domain names

After careful consideration, we have chosen "UrbanLens Photography" as our company name. This name reflects our focus on urban environments and our lens' ability to capture the essence of these settings. We have secured the domain name "UrbanLensPhoto.com" to align with our company name and provide a memorable online presence for our clients.

Part 3: market analysis and research

Through comprehensive market research, we have identified a growing demand for urban lifestyle photography among young professionals. Our target audience values creativity, diversity and authenticity in their visual content. By conducting a SWOT analysis, we recognize opportunities to leverage our strengths in capturing urban dynamics while mitigating potential weaknesses by continually refining our technical skills.

Part 4: operations plan

UrbanLens Photography will operate as a mobile studio, allowing us to capture urban moments in various locations. Our team will consist of the photographer, an assistant for larger projects and a part-time administrative support. For editing and post-production, we will use professional-grade software to enhance the quality of our images.

Part 5: marketing and advertising plan

Our marketing strategy focuses on creating an engaging online presence through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. We will showcase our unique style through a captivating portfolio, behind-the-scenes glimpses and client testimonials. Additionally, we will run targeted online ads to reach potential clients in our target demographic.

Part 6: financial plan

Startup costs

Camera equipment: $8,000

Studio setup and props: $2,500

Marketing materials: $1,000

Legal fees and permits: $500

Website development: $1,200

Initial operating expenses: $2,000

Funding sources

Personal savings: $6,000

Small business loan: $8,000

Revenue projections

Year 1: $40,000

Year 2: $60,000

Year 3: $80,000

Break-even analysis

Expected break-even point within the first year.

Photography business plan example 2: NatureCapture Photography

NatureCapture Photography is a specialized photography business focusing on landscape, wildlife and nature photography. With a deep appreciation for the natural world, our goal is to capture the breathtaking beauty of landscapes and wildlife, sharing these moments with individuals who share our passion for nature.

We aim to establish NatureCapture Photography as a recognized name in the nature photography industry within three years. By providing unique and captivating images that evoke emotion and connection, we strive to achieve steady growth and profitability, expanding our reach to a global audience.

We've selected "NatureCapture Photography" as our company name to reflect our dedication to capturing the essence of the natural world. Our corresponding domain name, "NatureCapturePhoto.com," aligns seamlessly with our brand identity and facilitates an online platform for clients to explore our portfolio.

Thorough market research has revealed a niche audience of nature enthusiasts, travelers and conservationists who value visual storytelling of natural landscapes and wildlife. By conducting a SWOT analysis, we've identified opportunities to collaborate with eco-tourism companies and contribute to environmental conservation efforts.

NatureCapture Photography will operate as a mobile studio, allowing us to explore various natural environments and capture stunning landscapes. Our equipment will include specialized lenses for wildlife photography and drones for aerial shots. Our operations will be streamlined to ensure efficient photo editing and prompt client delivery.

Part 5: Marketing and advertising plan

Our marketing strategy focuses on engaging with our target audience through social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. We will curate a visually captivating portfolio, share educational content about the locations and species we capture, and collaborate with nature-focused organizations for joint promotional efforts.

Part 6: Financial plan

Camera equipment and lenses: $10,000

Drone and accessories: $2,500

Editing software and tools: $1,200

Marketing materials: $800

Initial operating expenses: $1,500

Personal savings: $7,000

Crowdfunding campaign: $4,000

Year 1: $30,000

Year 2: $50,000

Year 3: $70,000

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Photography Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Photography Business Plan Outline

• Photography Business Plan Home
• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Company Overview
• 3. Industry Analysis
• 4. Customer Analysis
• 5. Competitive Analysis
• 6. Marketing Plan
• 7. Operations Plan
• 8. Management Team
• 9. Financial Plan

Start Your Photography Plan Here

Photography Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Photography business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Photography business.

Below are links to each section of a sample photography business plan. It can be used to create a wedding photography business plan, a commercial photography business plan, a portrait photography studio business plan or any other type of photography business plan.

1. Executive Summary 2. Company Overview 3. Industry Analysis 4. Customer Analysis 5. Competitive Analysis 6. Marketing Plan 7. Operations Plan 8. Management Team 9. Financial Plan

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Photography Business Plan FAQs

What is a photography business plan.

A photography business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your photography business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can  easily complete your photography business plan using our Photography Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Photography Businesses?

There are many types of photography businesses depending on the style of photography and target market. The most common and profitable type is event photography. Other types are stock photography, family/baby photography, travel, school, photojournalism and social media photography.

No matter what type of photography business you plan to start, you need a solid photography business plan. You can quickly complete your photography business plan using our Photography Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Sources of Revenues and Expenses for a Photography Business?

The primary source of revenue for photography businesses are service fees for photoshoots and video, licensing fees and photo editing. Other revenues are also generated from product sales like prints, albums, cards, wall prints and canvas.

The key expenses for photography businesses are equipment expense, advertising, transportation, and labor or professional fees.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Photography Studio Business Plan?

Photography businesses are typically funded through small business loans, personal savings and credit card financing.

This is true for a wedding photographer, pet photography business, commercial photography business, a portrait photography business or any other type of photography services.

Download your plan in word or PDF to share with investors.

What are the Steps To Start a Photography Business?

Starting a photography business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Photography Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed business plan for a photography business that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, data on the photography industry, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  You can quickly complete your photography business plan using our Photography Business Plan Template here .

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your photography business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your photography business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Photography Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your photography business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your photography business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Photography Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your photography business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your photography business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful photography business and photography business planning:

• How to Start a Photography Business

Where Can I Get a Photography Business Plan PDF?

You can download our free photography business plan template PDF here . This is a sample photography business plan template you can use in PDF format.

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Photography Business Plan

Believe it or not—anyone can take a few pictures, but it takes true skill and talent to get the perfect shot.

And If you’re the guy, everyone’s after asking to click pictures at every party or event, starting a photography business could be incredibly lucrative and satisfying.

However, making your photography business successful is more than just clicking good pictures. You need a solid business plan to ensure success.

Need help writing a business plan for your photography business? You’re at the right place. Our photography business plan template will help you get started.

Download the template and follow step-by-step instructions to draft your business plan in no time!

→ Download Now: Free Photography Business Plan

And though photography lets you fulfill your passion, it attracts a lot of competition due to its ease of entry.

Also, having a successful photography business takes a little more than skill. A photography business plan helps you deal with that, while you shutter away your masterpiece.

Industry Overview

According to the IBIS World industry report , the US photography market is expected to decline at a CAGR of 1.3 to reach 12.9 billion dollars in 2023.

With 7-8% profit margins, individual consumers and households make up the main customer base for the industry. Despite a minor recent decline, the photography industry is projected to experience consistent growth in the coming years.

Here are a few key industry highlights to consider:

• Number of businesses: There are 258,450 operational photography businesses in the US in 2023.
• Industry employment: 293,339+
• Key players: Shutterfly Inc., Alamy Ltd.

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Things to Consider Before Writing a Photography Business Plan

You’ll need to focus on both the artistic and business sides of your trade.

Though having an excellent eye for proportion, dimensions, and light is great it isn’t enough to have a profitable business. You bring your skills to the table, but you’ll have to work as hard as any other business owner on your marketing, finance, and operations to have a profitable business.

And though it might seem intimidating, with the right amount of planning and strategizing you can do it smoothly.

Get the Pricing Right

It is important to study every aspect of the market and select the pricing strategy that suits your business the best. Your pricing as a photography business would depend a lot upon the niche you choose, your location, and the quality of your skills.

Develop Your Soft Skills

Good photography isn’t just about your skills with the camera, especially if you are dealing with people. You’ll need to make your customers feel at ease and have a friendly way of communicating.

This helps you become the person’s go-to photographer. As pictures aren’t just products you pay for, but memories that are cherished for years.

But at the same time, if communication isn’t your thing you don’t need to worry. As there are several other niches in photography that you can pick from.

Get the Right Equipment, but Don’t Go Overboard

The right camera, technical equipment, etc, are important to help you work effectively. But it doesn’t do to go over budget for it. Especially, if you are just starting out.

Pick the right equipment, but not the one that weighs down on your finances at the early stages of your business.

Why Do You Need a Photography Business Plan?

As you are ready to enter the industry, it brings us to the above question, why does one need a photography business plan?

Aren’t you just supposed to dive right in if you are passionate enough?

The answer is, NO.

Though diving headfirst might sound appealing, it can lead to a series of roadblocks in the future. Also, a business plan isn’t as time-consuming as it may seem to you.

It increases the efficiency of your business and acts as a guide on your road to success. Moreover, writing a business plan helps you get a clear idea of your goals and the opportunities and threats that stand in your way of achieving them.

Also, a well-researched and innovative plan can help you get funded. An investor’s confidence in you is directly proportional to the clarity of your business idea. A business plan can help you achieve just that.

How to Write a Photography Business Plan?

Writing a business plan is not as intimidating as it seems. A well-rounded business plan requires thorough research of the industry, a clear set of goals, well-observed and carefully designed strategies to achieve them, and a clear list of milestones and timelines for all the departments of the business.

A business plan should include strategies for all departments from marketing to finance. There are several resources like online software, business consultants, and predesigned templates that can help you in writing the perfect business plan .

Writing a business plan has become a cakewalk through online business planning tools which can craft an ideal business plan for you at the snap of your fingers.

Chalking out Your Business Plan

Though anyone can click pictures with devices as simple as a smartphone, it takes skills, a sense of proportion, and creativity to make people stop scrolling.

In today’s world of photo-sharing apps where people grapple for attention, the demand for excellent photographers continues to rise.

Hence, with the advent of Instagram, the photography industry is growing leaps and bounds.

Photography Business Plan Outline

This is a standard photography business plan outline that will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.

• Introduction
• Products and Services
• Financial Path To Success
• Keys to Success
• Company History
• Market Segmentation
• Target Market Segment Strategy
• Competition and Buying Patterns
• Web Plan Summary
• Website Marketing Strategy
• Development Requirements
• SWOT Analysis
• Competitive Edge
• Marketing Strategy
• Sales Forecast
• Year 1 – Digital Media Production
• Year 2 – Digital Media Production
• Year 3 – Digital Media Production
• Important Assumptions
• Projected Profit and Loss
• Projected Cash Flow
• Projected Balance Sheet
• Ratio Analysis

As you sit down to write your business plan, it brings us to the question, what all things you will need to include in your business plan? Read on to find out.

1. Write an Executive Summary

The executive summary section of a business plan works as an overview of your business and acts as a highlight of its aims and goals. It should be brief and precise and sum up everything your business stands for.

It serves as a pitch of your business ideas to potential investors and should have the following points.

• The kind of services your business offers (Eg. Commercial Photography, Travel Photography, etc.)
• Your target audience (Eg. Models, travel bloggers, influencers, etc.)
• Your strengths and past experiences
• Your goals for the company.

2. Business Overview

In the business overview section, you’ll jot down all of the business ideas you have and analyze how to bring them to life.

This section would consist of an overview of the functioning of your business. as well as your mission statement.

While writing this section it is important to be as precise as possible It helps the stakeholders of your business to know it better.

3. Describe the Services You’ll Offer

In this section of your business plan, you have to list the services you are going to offer. This helps you get a clearer idea of how to advertise your services and how to reach out to your target audiences.

For example, if you are a landscape photographer all of your marketing strategy and the list of resources and services you’ll need will be built around that.

Also, your target audience would be travel websites and tourism companies. And the ways of reaching out to them would be different than reaching out to influencers or celebrities.

4. Market Analysis

The market analysis section is a crucial part of your business plan.

In this section, you’ll write down everything you can find about the photography market as well as resources that can help you stay updated about the recent trends in the market.

For example, as a photographer, it is essential to know the trending photography techniques.

You can also include the size of the market, your competitors, areas that have the highest growth potential, etc Know the right market value of services and identify the existing market gaps that you can fill.

Let’s consider there is no food photographer in your locality and the restaurants around you need one, you can specialize in food photography to capture that market.

5. Create a Website Strategy

The Internet is the first place where people look for any product or service, hence your business must have a website to be discovered by clients.

A well-optimized website can help you in meeting a lot of potential customers.

Including a website strategy in your business plan is crucial.

6. Plan Your Finances

Your financial planning is one of the major deciding factors of whether your business will stay afloat or not.

In this section keep track of your company’s finances, jot down ways of making it more cost-effective. List down resources that can help you understand and manage your finances better.

Download a sample photography business plan

Need help getting started writing a business plan? Here you go; download our free photography business plan pdf to start.

It’s a modern business plan template designed for your photography center. Refer to the example business plan and follow step-by-step instructions to start writing your plan.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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Write your business plan with Upmetrics

A business planning tool like Upmetrics is the best way to draft your business plan. This incredible tool comes with step-by-step instructions, customizable templates, AI assistance, and business plan examples to help you get started.

You may also explore our library of Entertainment and media business plan examples before you start writing your plan.

So, whether you are starting a photography business or planning to grow an existing one, Upmetrics is the tool you need to create a business plan.

So, what are you waiting for? Start planning now!

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Frequently asked questions, what are some common mistakes to avoid when drafting a photography business plan.

Following are some of the common mistakes to avoid when writing a photography business plan:

• Inadequate and inaccurate financial projections.
• Poor market research and ignoring industry trends.
• Undefined goals and lack of details.
• Not proofreading the document for typos and grammatical errors.
• Including outdated and irrelevant information.
• Not regularly updating your business plan.

What are some key financial metrics to include in a photography business plan?

Following are some of the key financial metrics to include in your photography business plan:

• Balance sheet
• Cash flow statement
• Income statement
• Break-even statement
• Projected business ratios
• Sales and revenue projections
• Projected expenses

How can a photography business plan help in securing funding or investment?

A well-crafted photography business plan will help your investors better understand your business domain, market trends, strategies, business financials, and growth potential—helping you secure investment.

Where to find business plan writers for your photography business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your photography business plan and outline your vision as you have in mind.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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HOW TO WRITE THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS PLAN

Table of contents, 1. summarise your services and products, 2. describe your target market, 3. analyse your competitors, 4. conduct a swot analysis, 5. outline your marketing plan, 6. outline your operations plan, 7. work out your finances, 8. set goals and create systems, 9. write an executive summary.

What is your main photography service?

List any other photography services your offer, how do your photography services complement each other, describe the products you provide to clients.

Sum up your ideal client in one sentence

What are the top 3 desires you can help with, what are the top 3 pain points you can help with, what will connect you and your ideal client, 3. analyse your competitors.

List 2 or 3 of your closest competitors

Describe their services and products, who are they appealing to, what is their price point and position, what are they doing well, what could they be doing better, write 3-5 adjective to describe their brand, 4. conduct a swot analysis.

Make a list of your strengths

Acknowledge your weaknesses, where are the opportunities, are there any potential threats, 5. outline your marketing plan.

What makes your business stand out?

Write your elevator pitch, write your big, bold statement (tagline), define your brand personality and tone of voice, what content are you going to create, which social media platform will you use and how, will you do any face-to-face marketing, will you seek publicity for your business, how will you generate and nurture leads, how will you create loyalty and encourage referrals, 6. outline your operations plan.

Describe the enquiry and conversion process

Describe the booking and onboarding process, describe the shoot or wedding process, describe the post-shoot/wedding process, describe the product sales process, describe the order fulfilment process, describe the process beyond order fulfilment, 7. work out the finances.

Summarise your CODB and salary aims

Where are you positioned in terms of price, which pricing model is right for you, 8. set goals and create systems.

Decide on your financial goal

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How to Run a Photography Business (Complete Guide)

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This article explores how to run a photography business. Becoming a professional photographer isn’t easy, and the prospect of running a business can seem daunting. But with the right knowledge and application, you can turn a photography hobby into a career.

There are many things you need to think about when running a photography business. There are essential laws and legal paperwork you need to be aware of, as well as marketing and client-sourcing techniques. 

While that might sound complicated, we’re here to help. This article breaks down the process of starting a photography business with handy tutorials packed with vital information. Once you’ve finished, you’ll have the confidence to run a photography business. 

How to Run a Photography Business

When you imagine being a professional photographer, your thoughts are probably dominated by fancy cameras and glamorous photo shoots. These elements do play a part, of course, but professional photographers also have to deal with the less glamorous side of running a business.

You are no longer just a person with a camera. You now have to think of yourself as a professional—as a brand. That means you have to take everything from client correspondence to financial transactions seriously. 

Booking studio space and models has to become like second nature to you. You’ll also need to know how to write and complete every type of contract and release form.

Revenue has to be one of your main concerns, as that’s how you put bread on the table. Making money with photography isn’t easy, but there are ways you can diversify your income streams so you always have money flowing in. 

We start the article by looking at the basics of becoming a professional photographer. Then we cover marketing and social media strategies to help you get ahead of the competition. We also have everything you need to know about the legal paperwork for photography businesses. 

Each section has a link to a full-length article on the topic, so remember to click to learn more. 

Becoming a Professional Photographer

Becoming a photographer takes hard work and dedication. Mastering the basics of exposure, depth of field, and light is essential when starting out. Practice as much as possible to improve your skills.

Find your photography niche based on what you enjoy and the types of photography that provide an income. Carefully invest in the right equipment for your niche. Build a strong portfolio that showcases your abilities as a professional photographer in your chosen area.

Share your work online to establish your brand and get exposure. Get organized and always behave professionally to build trust and a solid reputation. Be proactive in finding work and seeking out opportunities in your local area. Always ask for compensation for your services, whether it’s financial payment or credit and exposure.

To learn more about how to become a photographer , we have an in-depth guide that covers everything you need to know.

Is It Easy?

Being a photographer isn’t always easy. It can be a competitive field, with many amateurs willing to work for low pay or even for free. This makes it hard to charge what you’re worth and can lead to getting ripped off.

The pay can be inconsistent, especially when you’re just starting out. You may have to spend a lot of time away from home for jobs. And you’ll encounter demanding clients who expect perfection, even when it’s not realistic.

Photography also requires investing in expensive gear to get professional results. You may find yourself shooting the same subjects repeatedly to specialize in a niche. And post-processing can be a boring but necessary part of the job. Despite the challenges, many photographers find the rewards worth it.

Being a photographer has its difficulties, but it can also be a fulfilling career for those who are passionate about it.

Prep for Your First Shoot

Preparing for your first client photo shoot is important. Create a mood board to share ideas with your client and make sure you’re on the same page. Visit the shooting location ahead of time to check for potential issues like harsh sunlight or crowds.

Bring backup gear in case of technical problems. Rent or borrow extra cameras, lenses, and lighting equipment. Hire an assistant to help with tasks like holding reflectors and changing lenses.

The day before the shoot, finalize your equipment checklist, clean your gear, charge batteries, and look up directions. On the day of the shoot, arrive early to set up and test your lighting. Have model releases and contracts signed upfront. Being prepared will help you focus on creativity during the shoot.

If you’d like to learn more about how to prepare for a photo shoot , we have a detailed guide in this link.

Successful Client Sessions

Planning your photo shoot is key to success. Make a list of ideas and discuss them with your model beforehand. Pack carefully and don’t forget important gear like lenses or batteries.

Embrace the location in your portraits, but keep the focus on your model. Blur the background if needed to avoid distractions. Take a variety of shots, including wide, medium, and close-ups. Have your model look in different directions, not just at the camera.

Control the lighting to set the mood. Use flash or reflectors to soften the light and make your model look their best. Communicate with your model to help them relax and pose naturally. Listen to their ideas and try them out.

Having a successful client photo shoot  takes practice, but these tips will help you capture stunning portraits.

Studio Photography Basics

Setting up a photography studio doesn’t have to be complicated. You can start with just a background and stand. If you have plenty of window light, you can achieve professional results even in a small space.

As you earn more, consider buying artificial lights. Begin with one light and modifier, then grow your kit as needed for more complex lighting setups. Take your time getting used to the equipment.

Before you know it, you’ll have a full-size studio that can handle all your photography needs.

If you want to learn more about studio photography , we have a detailed guide that covers everything from equipment to lighting techniques.

Responding to Requests

As a photographer, you may receive requests for free photography. While it can be flattering to get attention, it’s important to remember that your time and skills are valuable. Before agreeing to work for free, consider the costs and benefits.

There are some situations where offering a free photo shoot can be beneficial, such as when building your portfolio or getting credit from a well-known publication.

However, in most cases, it’s best to politely decline requests for free photography. Explain that you appreciate their interest but cannot allow your photos to be used without payment due to the costs associated with taking and editing them.

If the requester is still interested, provide them with your reasonable licensing rates. The price per photo will depend on factors such as the size of the image, the publication’s circulation, and the duration of use.

By conducting yourself professionally and knowing your worth, you can successfully navigate requests for free photography.

Click this link to learn more about responding to requests for free photography .

Starting Your Photography Business

Starting a photography business requires careful planning. Create a business plan that outlines your structure, target market, finances, and long-term vision. Consider diversifying your income streams with photo shoots, classes, and online courses.

Choose a business structure like a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation. This determines the paperwork you’ll need to file. Pick a memorable name for your business that reflects your long-term goals.

Build a marketing plan based on your target clients. Use social media, blogs, or community events to reach them. Focus on building relationships and making your clients happy.

Growing a successful photography business takes time and hard work, so be patient and stay committed to your goals.

If you’d like to learn more about starting a photography business , we have a detailed guide with all the essential info.

What You Need

Starting a photography business requires some essential equipment. A full-frame camera like the Canon EOS RP is a good entry point for serious photographers.

Lenses are just as important as the camera. A couple of good-quality, fast lenses will give you the sharp, high-quality imagery that you need as a professional. Prime lenses tend to be sharper than zoom lenses.

Other important equipment includes a sturdy tripod, memory cards, a card reader, extra batteries and charger, lens filters, lens hoods, backup drives, a color calibrator, a color checker, a grey card, a reflector kit, and possibly a lighting kit with modifiers and stands.

Check out our full article if you’d like to learn more about what you need to start a photography business .

Writing a Business Plan

A photography business plan is a road map to success. It outlines your goals and how you’ll achieve them. Your plan should include an executive summary, a description of your services, your target market, and marketing strategies.

Assess your competition and find what makes you unique. Develop a timeline and consider your operations strategy. Plan your financials for the first three years, including expenses like gear, software, and marketing.

A photography business plan is key to a successful photography career. It helps you prepare and set goals. Start working on yours today, and you’ll be ahead of most photographers who don’t have a plan.

Running a photography business can be expensive. There are many costs to consider, such as liability insurance, web hosting, backup drives, memory cards, batteries, software subscriptions, and more. These expenses add up quickly and can make it challenging to turn a profit.

It’s important to understand the cost of doing business (CODB) before setting your prices. Your CODB is the total amount it costs you to run your business, including all monthly and annual expenses. Anything you make over that amount is your profit.

When determining your rates, consider your living expenses and savings goals in addition to your CODB. Price yourself high enough to pay your overhead, turn a profit, and put some aside for slower periods or gear upgrades.

By understanding your cost of doing business , you can set prices that reflect your value and ensure the sustainability of your business.

Finding a Studio

Finding a cheap photography studio rental is possible, even on a limited budget. Consider unusual locations like classrooms, museums, or rec centers that rent out space by the hour or day. Airbnb listings can also work well, and some are even dedicated studio spaces.

Talking to a realtor about empty retail or office spaces available for temporary rental is another option. You can also use the client’s home or office if it’s suitable for the shoot. Joining a studio co-op allows you to share the cost of a dedicated space with other photographers.

Creating a studio in your own home is a popular choice for many photographers starting out. Finally, taking the studio outdoors can work for certain types of shoots and even boost creativity.

To learn more about photography studio rental , check out our in-depth guide.

A photography shot list is a great way to stay organized during a photo shoot. It’s essentially a checklist of the images you want to capture. Shot lists can be simple written notes or more advanced, like sketches or storyboard-style illustrations.

Using a shot list opens up communication between you and your client. It helps manage expectations and acts as proof of what was agreed upon. A shot list also makes the most of your time by keeping you focused on the shots you need.

To create a shot list, consult with your client about their needs and expectations. Write down all the shots that come to mind, then narrow it down.

Break your list into sections like must-haves, detail shots, and wide shots. When shooting, keep your shot list handy on your phone for quick reference.

Photography shot lists are a valuable tool for efficiently capturing all the important images. Check out our full article for setting up a complete shot list.

A photography logo is the first thing potential clients see, so it’s important to create one that represents your brand. Using an acronym of your business name can keep your logo compact and recognizable. A signature or script text adds a personal touch and is unique to you.

Simplicity is key—a bold font makes a statement about your professionalism. Incorporating photography imagery like a camera or film roll clarifies that you’re a photographer. Using your initials to create a symbol—like turning them into a tripod—is creative and memorable.

Your logo should show your photography style and niche, whether it’s analog, landscape, or wedding photography. A simple illustration style with a hand-drawn feel can also give your logo a distinct look.

Creating photography logo ideas can be tricky, but with a little inspiration, you can create the perfect one for your business.

Business Card Designs

Photography business cards are an essential tool for networking and showcasing your unique style. They allow you to quickly share your contact information and give potential clients a glimpse of your work.

When designing your photography business card, include your name, email address, website, and any relevant social media accounts. You can also add a QR code that links to your online portfolio or website.

To make your business card stand out, consider using unique materials like transparent or metallic paper, or opt for an unusual shape or size. Including a small print of one of your photos is another great way to showcase your skills and style.

If you’re interested in learning more about photography business cards , there are many creative designs and ideas to explore in our full-length article.

Cliche Name Game

Naming your photography business can be a challenge. When you’re feeling stuck, take a break and try our fun photography name generator for inspiration.

The generator combines a positive adjective, something pretty or colorful, and a funny way of saying photo or photography. The results may sound cheesy, but they can shake up your creative energy and lead to unexpected ideas.

Remember, the best business names are easy to remember and give customers a sense of what you do. If you specialize in a certain niche, consider including that in your name.

For more tips on naming your photography business, read our photography name generator article.

The Legal Side of Starting a Business

To start a photography business legally, you need to understand the laws in your country. Copyright laws protect your photos, giving you ownership and control. However, you may need a release form to use photos with recognizable people or private property for commercial purposes.

It’s important to have the right legal paperwork. Photography contracts protect both you and your client by setting clear expectations. You may also need a photography license, depending on your location.

A photo licensing agreement outlines how a client can use your images. Photo release forms grant permission to use an image and are essential for photographing people or property.

Take a deeper dive into the laws and legalities of running a photography business in our detailed article. 

Must-Know Photography Laws

Photographers must understand copyright law if they want to protect their work correctly. Copyright is automatically applied to photographs at the moment of creation, giving the photographer ownership and control over the image. This means the photographer can reproduce, sell, and use the photo however they wish.

However, there are some restrictions when photographing people or private property. In the U.S., a photographer needs a release form to use someone’s likeness commercially.

There are some exceptions for photojournalism and fine art. But in general, you can’t do whatever you want with a photo of someone without their permission.

It’s important for photographers to know their rights and responsibilities when it comes to copyright law. Understanding concepts like commercial use, fair use, release forms, and the difference between public and private property is essential.

By educating themselves on photography laws , photographers can avoid legal issues and protect their creative work.

Photo Licensing Agreement

A photo licensing agreement is a contract that grants specific usage rights to a client or collaborator.

The agreement outlines how the image can be used, such as in print or online, the number of people who will see it, and for how long. This protects you as the creator of the image and helps avoid misunderstandings with clients.

Clients may not understand why they need a licensing agreement. They might think they own the images and can use them however they want. In this case, you’ll need to educate them on the transaction and how it works.

The licensing agreement should be specific about the end use of the image and the brand’s visibility. High-profile businesses should have different terms and prices than small local businesses.

Click on this link if you’d like to learn more about photo licensing agreements .

Photo Release Form

A photo release form is a contract between the photographer and the subject that grants permission to use the image. It’s required in the U.S. to use someone’s likeness commercially. The form can include limits on usage and an expiration date.

There are different types of photo release forms. Model release forms are for photographing people, while property release forms cover buildings and objects. Print release forms give clients permission to make prints. Minor release forms are signed by a parent or guardian for subjects under 18.

You need a photo release form if the subject is recognizable and the photo will be used commercially or for advertising.

To learn more about photo release forms , including free templates you can use, check out our in-depth guide.

Model Release Form

A model release form is a legal contract between a photographer and the subject they photograph. It’s one of the most important documents for photographers, as it protects both parties and prevents future complications or lawsuits.

The form outlines the rights of the photographer, client, and model regarding the use of the images.

Model release forms are essential for commercial photography, where the photos may be used for promotion or sales. However, the specific requirements vary depending on the country, state, and intended use of the images.

It’s crucial to research local laws and regulations to ensure your model release form covers all necessary aspects.

To make the process easier, consider using a template rather than creating your own from scratch. A well-written model release form should include the subject’s personal information, a witness signature, and clear terms regarding the usage rights of the images.

Read all about model release forms in our educational article.

Marketing for Photographers

Marketing is a top priority for any professional photographer who wants to succeed. Building a professional website has never been easier or more affordable. And social media can help boost your online profile and make your work more visible. Sending your photos to magazines is another great way to get more eyes on your work.

To learn more about marketing for photographers , including SEO, sales, and more, this article is a helpful resource with in-depth information on these topics.

Easy Marketing Strategies

As a freelance photographer, you won’t have a dedicated marketing team to promote you and your work. That’s why having a basic understanding of professional marketing is so important. 

Ask for referrals from friends, family, and clients. Make sure you have a professional website with a portfolio and testimonials ready. Producing great photos encourages people to recommend you and your services to others.

Create targeted social media ad campaigns to attract your ideal audience. Use eye-catching images, and behind-the-scenes videos or before-and-after comparisons can go viral.

Attend local business networking events to build relationships. Bring business cards and flyers, and be prepared to briefly introduce yourself. Look for real estate agents or brokers who may need your services.

Real estate photography marketing involves a variety of strategies to reach potential clients and showcase your work. By implementing these tips consistently, you can grow your business and attract more customers in your local market.

Getting Noticed

To get your photography noticed, make sure your images are high-quality and visually interesting. Experiment with creative photo projects and share them on photography websites to showcase your skills.

Running a photography blog is a great way to build your online presence and attract more viewers to your work.

Entering photography contests can help you gain recognition, but be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully. Getting your photos published in magazines or newspapers, both online and locally, can attract potential clients.

Joining photography forums and social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn allows you to reach a wide audience.

Uploading your work to photo-sharing platforms like Flickr, 500px, and Behance can provide exposure and networking opportunities. If you have compelling images, you may even gain new clients.

Learn more about getting your photography noticed with our helpful guide.

Attracting Clients

Identifying your ideal client is key to targeting the right audience for your photography business. Research your target market’s media consumption habits to focus your marketing efforts on the most relevant platforms. This will save you time and money.

Attract more clients by launching targeted social media campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You can also host an open photo shoot to show potential clients what it’s like to work with you. It’s a great opportunity to network and showcase your talent.

Create a quarterly email campaign featuring your latest work to remind your clients of your services. Offer special promotions and loyalty programs to attract new clients and retain existing ones. Incentivize people to refer you, but be careful not to cheapen your brand.

If you’re looking to get photography clients , consider joining freelancing websites or volunteering to photograph events in your local community.

Writing a Website Bio

Writing a photographer bio for your website is an important task. Your bio introduces potential clients to the person behind the camera, adding depth and personality to your online presence. Keep your bio simple and concise, using clear language that’s easy to understand.

Your bio should reflect your unique personality as a photographer. If you have a fun and lighthearted style, feel free to inject some humor into your writing. However, if you’re a serious professional, stick to the facts and avoid forcing jokes where they don’t fit naturally.

Include relevant information about your photography career, such as notable commissions, awards, or achievements. A photo of yourself can also add a nice personal touch.

By crafting a well-written bio that showcases your skills and personality, you’ll create a strong first impression for potential clients visiting your website.

We have more valuable information about writing a photographer bio in this blog post.

Website Builders

Finding the best website builder for photographers is essential to start your business. Every photographer needs their own website as a portfolio, storefront, and business hub. The more professional your website, the more success you’ll have as a photographer.

Wix is the best website builder for photographers. It’s a well-priced website builder anyone can use. Wix is a no-code platform with drag-and-drop design tools, so you don’t need web design experience. There are thousands of design options to develop your own branding.

If you’d like to see more of the best website builders for photographers , our list has all the top options.

SEO is important for photographers to drive traffic to their website and attract more clients. Search engines like Google index and rank web pages based on relevance to a user’s search query. Optimizing your website and online presence can help you appear higher in search results.

To improve your photography website’s SEO, make sure your site is mobile-friendly and contains relevant keywords. Blogging regularly with high-quality content keeps your site fresh.

Getting backlinks from other reputable websites and maintaining an active social media presence also boosts your search rankings.

Setting up a free Google Business listing allows you to appear in local search results and on Google Maps. Use Google Analytics to track your website traffic and learn more about your visitors.

SEO takes sustained effort, but it’s worth it to generate more organic traffic and grow your photography business.

SEO for photographers is important for any photographer with a website or blog, so click the link to find out more. 

Social Media for Photographers

Social media is a powerful tool for photographers to showcase their work and attract clients. Instagram and Facebook are two of the most popular platforms. To get the most out of them, it’s important to post high-quality photos consistently and engage with your followers.

On Instagram, use relevant hashtags to make your photos easier to find. Write engaging captions that tell a story or provide context for your images. Interact with other accounts in your niche to build a community around your work.

For Facebook, create a dedicated photography page separate from your personal profile. Share your best photos and include links to your website or portfolio. Encourage fans to like and share your page to expand your reach.

By building a strong presence on social media, you can grow your photography business and connect with potential clients.

To learn more about social media for photographers , our in-depth guide covers everything you need to know.

Creating a Facebook photography page is a great way to showcase your work and build a community of fans. To get the most out of your page, select the right category when registering.

Listing yourself as a website rather than a public figure has advantages, such as being able to reach more than 10,000 fans.

Fill in the About section with information about who you are and what you do. This will help your page show up in Google searches.

Choose a profile picture that best represents your photography business, and use the cover photo to advertise your services or display your best work.

Share your portfolio on your Facebook photography page, but be selective. Only post your best images, as the album is only as strong as its weakest photo.

Watermark your photos to protect them from theft, but keep the watermark small and unobtrusive. Post regularly to keep your fans engaged, and add a call-to-action button to direct them to your website.

By following these tips, you can create an effective Facebook photography page that showcases your work and attracts new clients.

Instagram is probably the best social media platform for photographers. It allows you to showcase your best work, generate a following, and attract new clients and collaborators. 

Use Instagram as a social media diary to look more approachable. Post behind-the-scenes shots that your audience can relate to. Choose a username and fill out your bio so people can find you.

Find accounts important in your field for reposts and targeted campaigns. Use niche hashtags with under 250,000 posts to make your photos stand out. Be consistent with your posts to gain relevant followers.

Reply to all comments to broaden your Instagram network. Use your visibility to reach out to brands for photography opportunities. Keep your captions simple to hold people’s attention.

Building and maintaining a popular Instagram photography account takes time and effort, but it can lead to lots of business opportunities.

Writing Captions

Writing great captions for Instagram can make a big difference in how your photos are received. A clever or funny caption adds to the photo’s impact. Keep the caption informative but catchy, and explain the story behind the image.

Write in a conversational tone using present tense, as if talking to a friend. The caption’s style should fit the platform, and consider character limits. On Instagram, captions under 125 characters are the most readable.

Identify key people in the photo, and consider using a relevant quote or song lyrics. The caption should add value and not just state the obvious. Captions that create involvement and engage viewers often work best on social media.

Captions for Instagram take some thought, but the right one enhances your photo’s message. With practice, you’ll find it easy to write the best captions for your images.

Using Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to get your photos seen by more people on Instagram. Using the right hashtags can help you reach a wider audience and gain more exposure for your work.

It’s important to use specific, niche hashtags rather than broad, popular ones. Your photos will get lost in the sea of content if you use hashtags with millions of posts. Instead, find hashtags that are relevant to your photography style and have an active, engaged community.

You can also create your own unique hashtags to stand out from the crowd. This allows you to build a community around your brand and feature your followers’ photos.

By using a mix of popular and niche hashtags, as well as your own branded hashtags, you can maximize your reach and engagement on Instagram with photography hashtags .

Profitable Photography Careers

If you’re looking for profitable photography careers, there are several options to consider. Stock photography is a great way to make money from your images. Capture photos that are in demand and submit them to stock agencies to create a steady income stream.

Travel photography is another option. You can sell your photos to magazines, newspapers, tour operators, and travel companies. Wedding photography can also be very profitable, especially during the summer months.

Other photography careers include commercial photography, editorial photography, product photography, photojournalism, fitness photography, and real estate photography. With hard work and dedication, you can turn your passion for photography into a successful career.

Check out the full article on photography careers to see which is best for your business model.

Stock Photography

Taking stock photos that sell requires capturing high-quality images that are in demand. Research current trends and plan your shoots around popular concepts like business, lifestyle, and outdoor activities. Use a shot list to ensure you capture all the angles and scenarios you need.

Edit your files and choose only the best images to sell. Add relevant keywords and descriptions so potential buyers can find them. You can sell your stock photos through agencies or market them yourself.

Learn more about how to take stock photos with our in-depth tutorial.

Travel Photography

Travel photography jobs can be an exciting and rewarding career path for those with a passion for photography and adventure. To succeed, you’ll need exceptional photography skills that set your work apart from the billions of travel photos uploaded daily.

Business skills are equally important, as you’ll need to market yourself effectively to find work.

Travel photography jobs can be physically demanding, requiring long hikes with heavy gear and the ability to handle challenging weather conditions. You may also face irregular sleep schedules and spend a lot of time alone or with strangers.

If you’re serious about pursuing travel photography jobs, having a strong online presence is essential. A professional website showcasing your portfolio, a blog to share your work and experiences, and active social media accounts can help you get noticed.

With hard work, diverse income streams like print sales, stock licensing, writing, and teaching, and a willingness to get creative, you can turn your love for travel and photography into a successful career.

Read our full post on travel photography jobs to start making money from your next adventure.

Commercial Photography

Commercial photography covers a wide range of niches, from fashion and product photos to food and architectural images. To succeed, you need to keep your network active, maintain a professional attitude, and ensure you’re shooting with the best gear.

Stay on top of the latest photography trends and develop your own distinct style to stand out. Be creative in your approach while still meeting the client’s needs.

Avoid rookie mistakes by continuing to learn and improve your skills. Build a strong portfolio showcasing your best work in different styles.

Always carry business cards and gather recommendations to attract new clients. When working with a client, communicate clearly to understand their requirements, provide an accurate quote, and discuss usage rights.

Commercial photography can be very rewarding if you’re willing to work hard. It can also be one of the most lucrative areas of professional photography, so it’s definitely worth considering.

Product Photography

Product photography is a broad field with many different specialties. From 360-degree shots to flat lays, there’s a type of product photography for every product and style.

Some popular types include Amazon product photography, which requires a white background and specific composition. Photographing artwork, clothing, furniture, and jewelry each has its own unique challenges and techniques to master.

Lifestyle product photography shows items in real-life scenarios to help customers imagine using the products themselves. Other niches like makeup, nail, and beer photography are growing in popularity for advertising and promotion.

To learn more about the various types of product photography , check out our detailed blog post.

Magazine Photographer

Becoming a magazine photographer takes hard work and dedication. Choose a specialty to stand out from other photographers. Ask friends to pose for practice shoots to get comfortable with your camera.

You don’t need expensive gear when starting out. Even entry-level mirrorless cameras with a prime lens are enough to create magazine-worthy images. Build a strong portfolio with at least 10 of your best photos that showcase your unique style.

Promote your work on Instagram to increase your reach. Study the photographs in magazines you want to work with to understand their style. Contact editors to introduce yourself and share your portfolio. To become a magazine photographer, you need to create work that is truly unique.

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a magazine photographer , we have a detailed guide that covers everything you need to know.

Internships

Photography internships offer students valuable work experience and a chance to fast-track their careers. Interning with a professional photographer or studio while studying can help you network and gain practical skills that you can’t get in the classroom.

During an internship, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to real-world situations and gain insight into the business side of photography. You may assist with lighting setups, post on social media, or help stylists on set.

The amount of hands-on shooting experience varies depending on the photographer and their niche.

Internships are a great way to evaluate your career goals and find gaps in your knowledge. While they may not lead to immediate employment, they can open doors for future opportunities.

To learn more about photography internships , including how to find one and what to expect, follow the link to the full article. 

How to Make Money as a Photographer

Transforming your photography hobby into a career takes effort, but there are many ways to make money with your skills. Finding reliable income streams is key to becoming a professional photographer.

You can sell your services as a photographer or sell the photos you create. Selling landscape photos, stock photography, and doing real estate photography are some of the best ways to get started. You can also sell prints online, offer Lightroom presets, or even turn your images into NFTs.

To be successful, research what subjects are in demand and plan your photo shoots around popular concepts. Build a strong portfolio of your best work to attract clients. If you’re passionate about photography and willing to put in the effort, you can turn it into a rewarding career.

To learn more about how to make money with photography , read the full article for helpful tips and strategies.

Sell Prints

Selling photography prints online is a great way to make extra money from your work. There are many platforms to choose from, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Squarespace is a popular website builder that works well on all devices. It’s easy to use but not made just for photographers.

Fine Art America is one of the biggest places to sell prints online. They let you sell more than just prints, like pillows and phone cases. But there is a lot of competition on the site.

Etsy is well-known for selling art and handmade items. It has over 30 million buyers. You are in charge of printing and shipping the prints yourself. If you want full control, selling prints on your own website is a good choice.

Plugins like Envira or platforms like Photoshelter, Format, Zenfolio, and SmugMug make it easy to sell prints from your site.

To sell photography prints with the most success, try using a mix of different platforms and methods.

Pricing Prints

Selling photography prints can be a great way to make money from your images. To get started, decide if you want to focus solely on selling prints or if you’ll also work as a photographer for specific clients.

Research what types of photos sell well as prints, such as beautiful landscapes, iconic cityscapes, and wildlife.

Choose only your best images to print. They should be technically perfect and have the most “value” to potential buyers. Consider various papers, sizes, finishes, and materials for your prints, but keep costs in mind.

Factor in all expenses like printing, shipping, VAT, and credit card fees. Then add a percentage markup for profit, but make sure the price is still reasonable. If a print doesn’t sell, you may need to reduce the price or accept that it might take a while.

Learn how to price photography prints by reading our in-depth article.

Real Estate Photography

Getting paid to take pictures of houses is a great way to turn your love of photography into a career. To get started, research your local market to find out what real estate photography jobs cost in your area.

You’ll also need to decide if you want to work with interior designers or real estate agents.

Create a basic website with sample images and your contact info. Plan out your real estate photography process, including a rate sheet, contract, delivery method, and how to wrap up a project.

Connecting with potential clients is key, so attend in-person social events, spread the word to family and friends, and use social media to showcase your work.

To get paid to take pictures of houses , focus on improving your skills and building a client list. With solid research, an efficient workflow, and visibility online and in person, you’ll soon have a steady flow of photo shoots.

Sell Lightroom Presets

Adobe Lightroom presets are a quick way to edit photos and achieve a specific look. If you have a knack for photo editing, you can create and sell your own Lightroom presets. Start by editing your photos to create a unique style that others will want to use.

Package your presets and price them competitively. Look at other preset packs to find a general price range, then price yours on the high side. You can always offer discounts or have a sale later.

Market your presets on social media platforms like Instagram. Post before and after photos to show the difference your presets can make. Emphasize how easy they are to use. Busy professional photographers will pay for quality presets that save them time.

Check out our full tutorial on how to sell Lightroom presets by clicking this link.

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How to Write the Ultimate Photography Business Plan: A Detailed Guide

Are you looking to start your own photography business? Or are you someone who already owns one and are looking to take it to the next level? Having your own photography business plan is the first step!

Creating a business plan for photography is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that you have a higher chance of success.  It gives you clarity on what your goals are and how you go about achieving them.

In effect, it is a road map to success.

In fact, research shows that 71% of the fastest-growing companies have written documentation for their plans and business owners who took the time to write them saw growth 30% faster than those who did not.

Photography is a highly competitive industry where reputation matters. As a startup, it is hard to break into this industry and gain market share. Doing the initial research and creating a photography business plan will give you a head start. 

Read on until the end to find a downloadable photography business plan template that you can use to create your very own!

Here’s what we will be discussing in the blog:

• What exactly is a business plan and why should you write one?
• How do you go about writing a business plan?
• What is the lean business plan?
• Traditional business plan vs Lean business plan: Which one is right for you?

What exactly is a photography business plan and why should you write one?

A business plan is a document that outlines the product or service that you are selling, your strategies to market the product, your financial strategy (the revenue model and how revenue is generated) and includes information about day-to-day operations. 

It also specifies the goals that you set for your business and your ideas on how to achieve those goals . Ideally, you should create a business plan when you start your business but it’s never too late to start.

Having a detailed plan in place ensures that you are never confused about the direction your business should take and this helps you align day-to-day decisions with the overall goal you have for your business.

Writing a business plan involves analyzing the target market as well as the competition. This step might reveal to you that maybe this business is not as lucrative as you thought it would be. You might save a lot of time and money by altering your course.

If you plan to raise funds to start your business, either by approaching investors or lenders, a business plan is all the more important . A good and thorough document tells them that you are serious about your business and this gives them the confidence to invest in you.

How do you write a photography business plan?

An important question to answer is how to write a business plan for a photography business. It may seem like a daunting task at first, but we assure you, it is anything but.  

Here’s a photography business plan outline, read on to find out more about each section: 

• Executive Summary
• Business Description
• Market Analysis
• Competitor Analysis
• Marketing Plan
• Operations Plan
• Financials Plan

1. Executive Summary

This is the first section of the plan. This section is where you summarize the contents of the plan into a short pitch.

Potential investors go through multiple photography business plans in a day and don’t have the time to read through each of them in detail. The executive summary is what they will focus on.

You should clearly and concisely explain what your company is about, where you are now and what you hope to accomplish in the future. Make it short, sweet, and to the point.

Include the vision you have for the company, its mission statement, and a short photography business description of the products/services you provide. Since it is a summary, it is recommended that you write this section last but make sure to spend some time on it.

Here’s a photography business plan executive summary sample that you can look at to understand exactly what points need to be included in each section.

Remember, you have to include only the most important points in the executive summary. Make it engaging and interesting to read by creating a narrative. This will ensure that the reader remains captivated and reads the whole thing.

Vision Statement

When writing a vision statement , you need to ask yourself, “Where do I see my business in 5 years?”

Having long-term goals gives you a target to work towards. An important point to remember here is that you shouldn’t sell yourself short when setting long-term goals . At the same time, your goals should not be too unrealistic either. 

Because these goals take a long time to achieve, you might forget about them as time goes on. You may achieve certain milestones and become complacent. Having solid goals ensures that you remain on track no matter what. They help you monitor your progress and correct your course if need be.

Your business’s goals are determined by the niche that you are in, and your own personal situation such as how much time you can devote to the business.

Some long term goals could be:

• Having your own photography studio
• Employing 10 people
• Generating $500,00 in annual recurring revenue ( the average revenue for a retail photography business is $238,689 )
• Having 100 repeat customers
• Working for a retail client
• Having your work showcased in an art gallery
• Having your photo appear on a popular magazine cover, etc.

Mission statement

Next comes the mission statement . A mission statement is the business’ reason to exist. This is where you explain why you are doing what you do. Here’s what you need to include:

• Value – What is the value of your photography business in the market? How can it help your clients? 
• Inspiration – Why should people want to come to you?

Make sure your mission statement is clear and concise . Your short-term goals should have time frames associated with them.

A photography business plan example of a mission statement is:

“ To deliver professional and creative images at an incredible value, we make sure that customer satisfaction lies at the heart of everything that we do “

Just reading these two sentences tells you what the company does, and what it is they represent. This is what you should also aim for with your mission statement.

Writing an executive summary for the first time can be confusing and you might get stuck wondering what to include and what to leave out.

To help you out, here are some topics you can include:

• Business overview
• Product overview
• Target customers
• Management Structure
• USP and other success factors
• Long term goal

2. Business Description

This is where you describe your business. Ensure that the name of the company is clearly stated here.  Clearly mention your niche and give a short overview of what that involves.

Some popular niches in the photography industry are: 

• Wedding photography
• Portrait photography
• Commercial photography
• Event photography
• Product photography
• Freelance photography, etc.

Next, you should provide an overview of your business. Describe what the business does.  Start with a short sales pitch. Make sure to mention the USP of your business.

For example, “We provide wedding photography services to clients at an affordable price point. Customer experience is at the heart of everything that we do and customer satisfaction is our number one priority”.

Next,  mention the structure of your business i.e. whether it is a sole ownership business, partnership, LLC, or corporation. Include the names of the proprietors and other stakeholders in the company. 

Additionally, you can also include when the business was started, the struggles you faced along the way, and how you overcame them. The reader should be able to get an idea of what your business is by reading this section alone . 

Then, list the services that you offer. Write a brief description of what each service entails.

Highlight the services that bring you the most profit. These are the services that you should be focusing on when growing your business.

3. Market Analysis

Write a detailed analysis of the target market that your photography business aims to serve . You would have identified a niche that your business intends to cater to – like portrait, still life, landscape, travel, etc. 

Write a detailed analysis of the target market for your particular niche. This is where you prove to potential investors that you have a clear understanding of the needs and wants of the target market .

A great market analysis will answer the following questions:

• Who are my potential customers?
• What are my customers’ buying habits?
• How large is my target market?
• How much are customers willing to pay for my product?

Start by creating a client profile . Describe your ideal client. This gives you an idea of who you are selling to.  Fine-tune your marketing efforts keeping in mind these customer profiles for maximum engagement.

Creating a professional-client profile would ideally include customer demographics, customer psychographics, etc. This will help you identify who your potential customers are, and what their buying habits are:

For example, if you are a wedding photographer, your research will tell you that your average client is around 30 – 35 years of age. People in this age group are part of the millennial generation. Research shows that millennials spend an average of 2 hours and 34 minutes a day on social media. Therefore, your chances of reaching them are highest if you market your business on social media.

If your business is already operational, you can look back at the previous clients that you have had and analyze them to find common trends. This can provide valuable insight into who your ideal clients are.

Next, analyze the industry. Include the current size of the target market, the growth rate, and so on.

Photographic services is a $35 billion industry globally , with the US accounting for $15 billion or 40% of the total market share. Further, the industry is growing at a rate of 0.6% annually in the US.

4. Competitor Analysis

Running a small business can be extremely competitive, especially a photography business where reputation counts for a lot. So in order to be successful, it is imperative that you have a very good idea of the competition that you are facing.

This is where competitor analysis comes into the picture. A good competitor analysis tells potential investors that not only is there a good market for this business but also that you have a great understanding of the market. This improves your chances of securing funding.

Start by making a list of your closest competitors . These are the people that offer the same services as you do and appeal to the same clients as you do.

For each competitor, make the following list:

The benefits of doing this are twofold:

• You will know exactly where you stand with respect to the competition 
• You might notice some additional opportunities that might otherwise have remained undiscovered. 

Competitor analysis helps you identify gaps in the industry that are currently underrepresented. Focusing on these gaps will ensure that you have fewer direct competitors. 

Alternatively, you can beat your competitors at their own game by offering the same services that they do at a lower price , or by offering additional services that help you stand out from the rest.

Any good business aims to solve the problems that people face. The inferences you draw from this analysis, combined with the market research, will help you address the pain points that customers have in this industry. 

For example, you might have learned from your market analysis that the customers would like the option to buy photo albums. Your competition analysis might reveal that only 1 among the 5 photography studios in the area offer this service. In this instance, offering customers the option to buy photo albums will help you stand out.

5. Marketing Plan

In this part of the photographer’s business plan, you outline how you get your product or service across to customers. The marketing plan should include the promotions strategy, outreach, and PR campaigns to be undertaken over a period of time. Write down the cost of these marketing strategies and compare them against the potential benefits to measure their effectiveness. 

Make a list of the various promotional activities and strategies that you plan to do. These can include:

• Cold calling
• Advertising, both locally on billboards, etc, and in the media
• Distributing pamphlets
• Referral programs, deals and discounts
• Workshops, etc.
• Converting CTAs on social media channels like Instagram and Facebook

For example, if you are a wedding photographer, you can tie up with a local bridal clothing store and shoot some of their new collections, and have the photographs printed and displayed in the store. This will be a free promotion for you as you are creating awareness among the customers of that particular store.

You can also host a photography workshop that is free to enter. This builds customer relations and brand awareness in your locality.

Innovative marketing methods like this can get word of your business across to potential customers while reducing expenses on your end. The ideal photography client will need around 15 to 20 touchpoints with you and your business before they’re ready to make an inquiry. This requires a lot of effort in advertising and marketing.

If the marketing plan is complex, it may be difficult to implement. In this case, identifying marketing firms that you can outsource this task to makes your life easier and leaves you with more time to focus on the core business. 

Make a detailed sales forecast for the next quarter, the next 6 months, and the next year based, and include deadlines for your sales forecasts so that you have a target to work towards. This will ensure that your business is on track and leave adequate time for corrective measures if you find that it is not.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan describes the day-to-day operations of your photography business. A proper operations plan ensures that everything you do on a daily basis is aligned with your long-term goals.

A well-written operations plan will streamline your workflow and ensure that things run smoothly and efficiently. This implies that your clients will have consistently great experiences when doing business with you. As long as a good operations plan is in place, your business will run like a well-oiled machine. 

Each process should be documented. Segment your processes as follows:

• Lead generation
• Meeting the client and understanding their requirements
• The actual shoot
• Editing the images 
• Delivering the finished product back to the clients. 

Having such a detailed operations plan in place will ensure that your business will come across as a professional outfit and clients will keep coming back.

The more tasks you can outsource to employees or third parties, the more time you will have to focus on what actually matters; the core business. Hiring editors and other photographers can reduce your workload. You may need an accountant to manage the finances, a marketing manager to oversee all marketing efforts, and so on. 

The operations plan should clearly state the distribution of roles of each employee working in your company. This removes ambiguity and ensures that work gets done in an efficient manner. 

An example of the role distribution is given below:

You, the owner : Oversees all day-to-day operations, meets with clients, takes decisions on important matters, primary photographer at all major shoots.

Assistant photographer: Assists with larger shoots and handles smaller shoots. Takes care of logistics when going for shoots. 

Editor: In charge of post-processing. Decides which photos are included in the final draft. In charge of printing oh photo albums.

Receptionist: Schedules customer appointments, handles day-to-day tasks and answers phone calls. First point of contact of client interactions.

As your business grows, you may need to hire a receptionist to handle appointment scheduling. Alternatively, photography booking software can handle all your appointment scheduling needs. It also offers a lot of additional functionality like reports that help you stay on top of your business.

7. Financial Plan

A good place to start is by creating an expenses worksheet. This is a document that keeps a track of all your expenditures.

One-time expenses are those expenses that you incur at the time of setting up the business. This usually constitutes the biggest chunk of the pie.

Some examples of one time expenses are:

• Certification Costs
• Insurance Costs
• Other photography equipment like lights, memory cards, etc.
• Studio remodeling
• A company car, etc.

Next, list the recurring expenses. These are essentially bills that you have to pay on a recurring basis.

These can include:

• Software subscriptions
• Employee salaries
• Marketing and advertising costs
• Office supplies
• Phone bill, etc.

Included below is an example of an expenses worksheet. You can use this as a reference when creating your own expenses sheet.

Next, elaborate on the revenue model you have chosen for your business.

In photography, there are broadly 2 revenue models:

• an hourly-rate model where you have a fixed hourly charge
• a fee-upfront model where you charge the client a one-time fee depending on the service you provide. 

You can decide upon one or the other, use a mixture of the two, or come up with a system that is unique to you. 

Once you have decided upon a revenue model, you have to decide on prices for your services. Depending on your market positioning, you can charge a premium for a better service/experience. As long as you offer something unique compared to the competition, that is also in line with your pricing strategy, your business should thrive. 

It is essential to remember that pricing strategies are not set in concrete . Maybe you are resource-limited in your starting days. You might only be able to provide a few basic services. This is by no means a death sentence.

Eventually, you will have more money to invest in people and equipment, allowing you to offer more services. As your client experience improves, you can charge more. The pricing strategy is dynamic. One thing to keep in mind is that you should always provide a value proposition , no matter the price point.

Now write down estimates of monthly revenue taking into account your billable hours, your expenses such as rent, utilities, staff salaries, and other instances of cash flow. Another approach to pricing your services is to start with a target monthly income for your business and work backward , dividing that income by the number of billable hours to get an estimate of how much you should be charging per service per hour in order to achieve your goals.

8. Appendix

The appendix contains links to supporting documents. This can include links to research docs, renders of your office/ photography studio, names of supporting businesses that handle marketing, logistics, etc . Basically, any document that is not directly relevant to the business plan but you feel may add context can be included here.

To help you avoid spending a lot of time on creating the design of your plan, here is a free photography business plan template for you. All you need to do is enter your email below and you’ll get your very own downloadable copy!

Download the free photography business plan template!

Save it or print it out and use it to create a robust business plan!

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What is the lean business plan.

If you are not looking for external funding and feel that a full-fledged, fleshed-out plan is too complicated, you can try creating a lean version. As the name suggests, this is a condensed form of the business plan for a photography studio . It is just one page long and gives a broad overview of specific aspects of your business.

While the business plan primarily exists to secure external funding for your business, the lean version helps you optimize your business and manage it well .

If you are just starting out with your photography business and don’t have the time or necessity to create a business plan, you should look into creating a lean version of the same. This helps you define your goals and ensure that you are on course.

The lean business plan has 4 sections:

• Business specifics

Remember, the perspective of the document changes because it is a document that you are creating for yourself . The information in this is for your reference.

At the end of the day, you know your business better than anyone. This document is there to provide some guidance as you are starting out and to ensure that you are on track to achieving your goals. Try to keep it as short as possible. Use bullet points wherever you can for easy readability .

This is where you define the strategy that your business will use to become successful. Define the target market, the problem that the target market faces, the solution to this problem, and why you think your business is better than the rest at solving the problem. This will give you clarity on what your business needs to be and what you should be focussing on to succeed.

Execution deals with the day-to-day tasks that you need to do in order to achieve your goals. It includes everything from product, to management, to sales and marketing. Start by defining the services that you offer . This is the core of the business and everything else wraps around it. 

Next, describe the management structure of your business . Who does what should be clearly defined. Create roles for each of your employees and delegate specific tasks to them. Some scheduling software help you assign staff roles and empower employees to make their own decisions. If you feel that you have a shortage of manpower, identify those areas where you need employees and create a recruitment schedule.

Create a marketing plan that you are going to use in order to raise awareness amongst the target market and generate leads. This should include all advertisements, PR campaigns, and other outreach activities. Estimate the cost of your marketing efforts and create a timeline .

Finally, write down sales projections based on your marketing efforts. Make sure you include deadlines so that you have targets to work towards.

Business specifics 

This is where you describe your business. Start with your niche. Then list the services that you offer and explain briefly what each service entails. Also, describe the USP of your business.  Include a short description of the operations. 

Start with the money that has been invested into the business. This is your capital expenditure. Specify whether the business was bootstrapped or if the money was borrowed from a bank . If it was borrowed, write down how long it will take for the business to be debt-free. 

Write a brief description of the pricing model. Include financial projections . Make a list of your monthly expenses and current monthly revenue. List how much you charge for each service and determine how profitable they are. Finally, write down how much you should charge for each service to achieve your financial goals.

Traditional b usiness plan vs Lean business plan: Which one is right for you?

When writing a photography business plan, the first question that you need to answer is, “Why am I writing this? Is it for myself or am I writing it to pitch to investors?” The content and structure of this document will depend on your answer to these questions.

If you are writing it to secure funding, it is recommended that you stick with the traditional business plan. It has a more rigid format and will include all the relevant information banks and investors look for. Remember to go into as much detail as possible so that the person reading it can get the full picture.

If, on the other hand, you are writing it for yourself, then you can be far more flexible with the content and structure. In fact, this is the perfect opportunity for you to write a lean business plan. You can include only those parts you find relevant to your business and word it however you want

You don’t need to follow these exact steps when creating your plan. You can pick and choose those topics that you find most relevant to your business.

It is important to know the basics of how to write a photography business plan when applying for a loan or pitching to potential investors – that means including the executive summary, business description, operations plan, and financial plan is a must

Make sure to include all the relevant information so that the readers can get a complete picture of your business. Remember, a photography studio business plan may not be necessary to start a business, but a well-written one can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

While having a written plan for your investors will facilitate your business to be profitable, as a business owner, you have a responsibility to make sure your processes are optimized as well. A booking software will do exactly that! It will not only help you book more, but also save time by managing your daily admin, boosting booking convenience, helping with marketing, and much more!

Don’t believe us? Try our 14-day free trial to decide for yourself!

About Appointy We at Appointy, help business owners grow and run their businesses with our online scheduling software. This blog was a part of our ‘Manage your Business’ category, where we provide expert tips, and resources, or simply talk about the challenges that small and medium businesses face every day.  If you have any thoughts on this blog or would like to chat about your business struggles and achievements, let us know in the comments below.  We love a good talk!

Amazing plan. It is really interesting. Thank you for sharing this information.

Glad we could help 🙂

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How to Start a Photography Business: The Definitive Guide

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Photography isn’t just a way of capturing a memory for many people. Photography is a fulfilling way to express yourself. It’s a way to interpret the world and make the invisible visible.

And for many who have strong photography skills, it’s a way to make a living and make photography a business.

Navigating the transition between photography as a hobby and creating a career by starting a photography business (or growing your photography business) can be tricky.

If you have strong photography skills and want to take the plunge and start your own photography business, there is much to consider.

Our team has helped hundreds of photographers start, grow, and market their photography businesses. And for the past fifteen years, I’ve mentored thousands of entrepreneurs formally through Techstars and Founder Institute and informally on starting and growing their businesses in photography and other industries. This guide shares actionable insights, experience, tips, and best practices.

With the right resources and strategies, starting a business as a photographer can be an inexpensive way to become an entrepreneur and your own boss.

How to Start a Photography Business:

• Develop and refine your photography business idea
• Write a business plan for your photography business

Hire an experienced business attorney

Decide your legal business structure, purchase business insurance.

• Set up accounting and bookkeeping

Assess your finances

Crunch the numbers, create a strong brand identity, build an online presence, create a sales plan, build your team, grow your photography business.

Develop and refine your business idea

Before you start your photography business, you must consider your strengths, weaknesses, and interests.

You probably know what kind of photography business you want to start. Maybe you want to start a wedding photography studio, or your heart is set on taking headshots and portraits.

No matter what angle you choose, evaluating existing businesses around you is important to see how much competition you’ll face.

Photography is a competitive industry.

More than 12,458 businesses in the U.S. specialize in photography. They collectively earn more than $6.5 billion per year. The industry is growing 2.5% annually and is forecast to grow 1.8% annually by 2024.

Despite the competition, a photography business can be fulfilling and rewarding.

Think about how you can integrate your natural skillset into your photography business to stand apart from your competition. Ask yourself the following questions, and take time to reflect on the answers:

• What skills set me apart?
• What is the purpose of my photography business?
• Who am I providing a service or product to?
• What is the maximum figure I can safely spend on this business?
• Do I need outside capital? How much?
• What kind of work/life balance am I looking to achieve?
• What are my expectations of being an entrepreneur?

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Find a niche

You’ll also want to consider the niche for your photography business.

Is your photography geared toward a particular group or segment of the population?

Are you looking to attract a particular demographic?

You’ll have a better chance at success if you start with a specific target audience.

Ensure you build your photography business to meet a specific niche’s needs to avoid overspending and underwhelming all of your potential customers.

You’re more likely to succeed if you start your photography business with a specific product or service designed for a particular group of people (for example, wedding photography or non-traditional weddings). And you’ll gain experience more quickly by concentrating on a specific area.

This is true for any business, not just a photography business. For example, in our definitive guide on  how to start a successful clothing brand or clothing line , we suggest that aspiring apparel entrepreneurs choose their niche too. Competing is too hard, especially when you start when you don’t specialize.

Here are some niches to consider when you explore the type of photography business you should start:

• Wedding photography business
• Fashion photography business
• Real estate photography business
• Portrait photography business (people and/or animals)
• Dog shows photography business
• Sports photography business
• Stock photography business
• Contract work photography business (covering local events, for example)
• Commercial photography business
• Local news photography business
• Image or video editing photography business (helping other photographers with edits)
• Product image photography business
• Food image photography business
• Travel photography business

Whatever type of photography niche you choose, make sure you’re passionate about it. That passion will come through everything you do, and your customers will appreciate and embrace your brand’s authenticity when you deliver photography services.

And be sure you assess your total addressable market to help you understand the opportunity better. Not every niche will be equally lucrative for photography businesses.

Write a photography business plan

Once you choose a niche for your photography company, it's time to write a business plan.

Although a business plan isn’t mandatory when starting a photography business, it can help you crystallize your business ideas .

A business plan is a document that outlines your business’s financial and operational goals. The business plan defines your company’s objectives and then provides specific information that shows how your company will reach those goals.

Your photography business plan doesn’t need to be 100 pages long. Numerous excellent templates can help you create a one-page business plan . Keep your business plan short and focus on the essential details. Think of your one-page business plan as a way to concisely summarize your business education about photography businesses.

Studies show that entrepreneurs who take the time to write a business plan are 2.5 times more likely to follow through and get their business off the ground. The work that goes into creating a business plan also helps new entrepreneurs build skills that will be invaluable later.

Your business plan should include a sales and marketing plan that defines your unique value proposition and how you will promote your business.

For actionable insights and free downloadable business plan templates, read this definitive guide on how to write a business plan .

Do market research

Before diving into your business plan, knowing the market you’re entering is important.

Business planning and marketing research help you to build a more successful photography business. This is true whether you’re just starting your new photography business or growing your photography business.

For example, if you’re planning to focus on weddings, assess the following:

• Who are your direct competitors? There may already be many wedding photographers in your area.
• Who are the top professional wedding photographers working in your geographic market?
• What makes the top wedding photographers in your area stand out from the rest of the competition? Sometimes, they stand out because they have strong photography skills. But some stand out because they have great business skills.

If you focus on real estate, your target audience might be real estate agents and professional home stagers. So, you’ll need to ask similar questions about that audience.

A lot of the work to come relies on information gleaned from market research. You mustn’t skip this stage so you have the data you need to make informed decisions.

There are two major types of market research: primary and secondary.

Primary research answers some key questions, such as:

• What factors do your potential customers consider when purchasing similar products or services?
• What do they think is working, and what needs improvement in their current choices?
• What do they like and dislike about the options currently available to them?
• What price do they pay? Do they feel it’s reasonable and provides good value?

You answer these questions by talking to potential customers. Surveys, focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and questionnaires are the tools of choice for primary research.

Secondary research is information pulled from existing sources.

Using currently available data, you can identify competitors and define your market segments or demographics. Key attributes like age range, lifestyle, and behavioral patterns are data points used to divide your target customers into segments.

Once you have this information, you’ll refer back to it repeatedly as you build and launch your business. Make sure you spend a decent amount of time collecting data, so your decisions are based on solid research.

Plan for all the necessary legal and logistical business considerations, and you’ll create a strong foundation for your photography business’s successful future.

Most small business owners dread talking with and hiring a business lawyer when starting a business. Some fear they’ll pay exorbitant legal fees or receive bad advice that will destroy their business. Others agonize over how to find a reasonably priced, competent business lawyer.

Here’s what you need to know to hire a good lawyer for your new photography company.

Most guides on how to start a photography business, or any other small business type, won’t include insights on hiring a lawyer. We think that’s a big omission because many businesses run into legal troubles, and by starting on the right path from the very beginning, you can reduce your business risk.

We’ve met many lawyers who are deal-killers. Overzealous and often inexperienced, they focus on the wrong issues and forget that their client needs the deal to move forward. When you talk with lawyers you’re considering hiring, ask them about one or two complicated negotiations and how they overcame obstacles.

Don’t make price your main criterion for hiring a lawyer.

Often, the least expensive lawyers are also less experienced – especially in the areas where you may need help. Paying a cheaper hourly rate might feel good initially, but in the end, you may end up paying far more than if you hired an experienced (more expensive) business lawyer in the first place.

Ensure your lawyer is familiar with a photography business’s peculiarities, has experience with clients starting a photography business, and has represented other photography businesses and small businesses.

Also – be clear about your budget and expectations. Your lawyer should understand that your budget is limited, and they should not waste it on irrelevant details.

Typically, the best time to start a relationship with a lawyer is before you start your photography company.

Too many people make the mistake of forming a company without consulting a lawyer. A good lawyer will help you find the right business structure for the business – and split ownership interests if you have co-owners – in ways that will protect everyone and give you flexibility going forward.

Before starting your photography business, you need to decide on the type of entity you need to register.

Your legal business structure affects everything, from how you file your taxes to your personal liability and whether you need to comply with any special additional requirements at the local, state, or national levels.

There are many different types of legal structures for various business entities . Choosing the best one for their photography business can feel overwhelming for new business owners.

Here are some of the major business entities you should look into:

• Sole proprietorship – this is the most basic business entity. A sole proprietorship means one person is solely responsible for a business’s profits and debts.
• Partnership – A partnership is a shared responsibility between two or more people who hold personal liability for a business.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC) – a structure that permits owners, partners, or shareholders to limit personal liability but still includes tax and flexibility benefits associated with a partnership.
• Corporation – this is an entity legally considered separate from its owners. Corporations can own property, be held liable, pay taxes, and enter contracts.

As a creative professional, chances are you’re starting small. Setting up a sole proprietorship or partnership may be the best fit if you’re going it solo, especially if your business will be home-based when you start.

It’s important to consider your future business goals, however. You want to choose a business structure that can accommodate the growth and expansion of your business.

Hire an expert to form your company and save time. Our trusted partners can help: Northwest ($39 + state fee) or Bizee ($199 + state fee) . We recommend Northwest. After evaluating the leading registration companies, Northwest stands out as our top choice due to its competitive pricing, exceptional customer support, and commitment to privacy. Pay just $39 + state fees and you'll get a free year of registered agent service, articles of organization, privacy, and client support from local experts.

Once you decide on your legal business structure, register with the government (typically your state and sometimes your municipality) and the IRS.

Your business structure determines the forms you need and where to register.

You can find a full list of the forms for each entity type on the SBA website . You can also find state-specific tax obligations on the same site.

You may sometimes need federal, state, or local business licenses and permits. The SBA’s database lets you search for business licensing requirements by state and business type. And remember to contact your municipality to see if there are local licensing or registration requirements. You’ll sometimes need to get a business license from your municipality too.

You may also need an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS.

This is not required if you’re a sole owner and don’t have employees. But you might want to get an EIN anyway to keep your personal and business taxes separate and ensure you can quickly hire when the time comes to expand your business.

The IRS has a useful checklist to help you decide whether you need an EIN to run your business.

If you do need an EIN, you can register online for free.

Also, remember that most states require you to register your business if the trade name you operate your business differs from your business’s legal name.

For example, suppose your registered company is an LLC, and the business name is Three Brothers, LLC. In that case, you cannot operate that business lawfully in most states if you’re selling products under the business name Three Tigers Photography. That’s because the registered name, and your trade name, are different.

Fortunately, this is not a difficult problem to overcome. You can simply register your actual trade name with your state (and or local government) by filing a “doing business as” (DBA) certificate. DBAs are also commonly called “assumed name,” “fictitious business name,” or “trade name.” Here’s a terrific resource that explains what a DBA is, the DBA state requirements, and how to file a DBA  for your business in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

You’d be surprised how many new business owners forget to protect themselves and their businesses by purchasing insurance before starting their business.

It doesn’t help to buy insurance after starting your business and incur claims.

Business insurance can cover property damage, theft, intellectual property lawsuits, and other incidents. Those can be very costly to small businesses, and you must protect yourself and your new business. This is true even if your business is home-based, as your home insurance might not cover your business.

Depending on your photography business niche market, you may need photographer insurance to bid for jobs or secure client work. Some companies require all of their vendors and contractors to have insurance.

And if you employ people, you’ll need workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. Coverage varies by location, and many general liability (GL) policies will cover workers’ compensation.

As a provider of photography services, you’ll want professional liability insurance so you’re protected against possible claims. You probably also have lots of expensive photography equipment, and ensuring those against theft, damage, or worse will ensure you’re prepared if disaster strikes.

Here’s a good read on the different types of insurance you should consider as a business owner.

Set up business accounting and bookkeeping

You'll need to set up a bookkeeping and accounting system to keep track of your finances when starting a photography company. Understanding your business’s cash flow is important and will also be important for tax-filing purposes.

Here’s what you need to know about accounting and bookkeeping for your new photography business.

Business accounting is how your business records, organizes, interprets, and presents financial information. Accountants analyze the financial condition of a business to help the business owner make better decisions.

Bookkeeping is recording, organizing, storing, and retrieving financial information related to your business.

Accounting services and bookkeeping do overlap. The main difference between the two is that bookkeeping is how you record and categorize financial information. In contrast, accounting puts the information to use through business analysis , strategy, and tax planning.

Start by hiring a bookkeeper

A great bookkeeper is not the same as an accountant. Many business owners hire a bookkeeper with simple goals: keep them organized, pay their bills, and prepare to hand off all necessary financials to the accountant.

Typically, bookkeepers are less expensive than CPAs (certified public accountants) and can be trusted to record and organize your day-to-day business transactions, keep your bank accounts balanced, produce simple reports, and assist with keeping your financial records in order.

Many small businesses will use an outside bookkeeper, paid hourly, to handle all entries, pay all the bills, and manage invoicing and receivables . Having help with this aspect of managing a small company can be indispensable, and the time it can free for a busy owner is invaluable. Plus, you generally won’t need to buy accounting software since the bookkeeper you hire likely already owns such software.

Review your accounting processes annually and make adjustments

Do not underestimate the importance of a periodic review of your bookkeeping, accounting, and tax strategies. At your peril, you neglect to look hard at the systems you have in place and the people managing those systems.

Are you doing your accounting most productively and cost-effectively? Does your CPA have the right level of industry knowledge to advise? Does your tax preparer have the skills and expertise to keep you (and your investors) on the right side of the law? And finally (the big one), can you find ways to reduce your expenses while maintaining high-quality controls?

Take the time to reconsider your overall accounting strategy and find ways to strengthen and improve it.

When you start a photography company, assessing your finances and startup costs is crucial. These numbers include tracking your sales and profits - but a smart business must account for much more than sales alone.

Business finance uses your company’s financial information to help you manage your money and make your photography business operations profitable and sustainable.

You have many business financing options.

That’s important because you need to determine your startup costs, how you’ll fund your new business, and how you’ll grow the business.

You’ll have difficulty building a sustainable, profitable business if you don’t understand the numbers.

Be extra careful to conserve your startup funds when starting a photography business. Don’t overspend.

Some purchases (like a professional camera for macro photography and a backup camera, plus lenses, memory cards, and other equipment) will be necessary and could make sense for your photography business. Still, others, like expensive and unnecessary equipment or a fancy car, will threaten your small business’s survivability.

You’ll need to set up a bookkeeping and accounting system to keep track of your finances. We talked about this above. Understanding your business’s cash flow is important and will also be important for tax-filing purposes. Your accounting and bookkeeping system will include income, expenses, capital expenditures, profit, loss, EBITDA, etc.

When you start a small business, you must track your sales and profits – but a smart business must account for much more than sales alone.

For example, many photography businesses tend to work on a contract. That means you must prepare for inconsistent revenue’s ups and downs. You need to know how much revenue you need to cover when things are leaner.

As you may be a company of one, you should also plan for health and life insurance and budget for vacations. Don’t be one of those entrepreneurs who never take time to step away for a while. Everyone needs a break, and your budget should consider that.

Here’s a simple budget you can use as a reference point when starting your photography business. This budget doesn’t include a studio or office space. All prices are one-time purchases or annual estimates.

• Two professional high-quality cameras : $2,000 to $5,000 each
• Camera accessories (bags, batteries, grips, etc.): $1,000 to $1,500 total
• Lenses: $1,000+ each
• Flashes (at least two): $700 to $1,000 each
• Lighting accessories (lights, tripods, reflectors): $1,000 to $2,500 total
• Backdrops: $500 to $1,000 total
• Props: $250 total
• Equipment travel cases: $500 to $1,000
• Multiple memory cards: $50+ each
• Two external drives: $120 each (backups)
• A computer: $1,500 to $2,000
• Reliable car or van: $ varies
• Website ( Wix , Zenfolio , SmugMug , Squarespace ): $60+ (annual)
• Lightroom and Photoshop subscription from Adobe: $120 per year
• Business name and company logo : $500 to $1,000 (one time)
• Business licenses and permits: $150+ annual
• Insurance: $600 (annual)
• Accounting and taxes : $500 to $1,000 per year (annual)
• Contracts: free to $1,000+ (annual)
• Business cards: $50+ (annual)

Optional expenses (these are not essential but will help you to build a stronger photography business):

• Video equipment if you will also shoot video
• Business training ( Lynda.com classes, small business coach, photography business paid groups)
• Assistant and other staff
• Studio and office space
• professional quality photography printer
• Photography workshops and classes
• Marketing materials

Managing a content-rich website poses unique challenges for photography businesses and could increase costs. Selecting a Content Management System (CMS) that offers comprehensive organizational capabilities, especially to help you organize WordPress media files and folders ,  is crucial.

Once you know how much it will cost to get you started, compare that with your funds. Then plan how you’ll make up any difference.

Even if you start a home-based photography business, you’ll still incur costs, so pay careful attention to your budget.

Run calculations to determine how much it will cost to create your business, allowing you to plan and think about pricing.

For example, if your goal is to make $75,000 per year after all expenses, and you plan to shoot weddings, you’ll need to figure out your expenses, how much you will charge per wedding (most professional photographers charge between $100 and $250 USD per hour (which typically works out as $25 to $100 per final edited photograph), and how many weddings you’ll need to shoot every year to reach your goal.

Every photography business is different. Or better put: you must differentiate your photography business to stand out from competitors.

Crafting a memorable visual identity is crucial to any creative professional’s success. This identity is increasingly important as Instagram and other social media blur the lines between a professional and a hobbyist.

As we’ve previously discussed ,

…your brand is your company’s public identity. Ideally, your brand should embody the best (and most essential) attributes of your company.

A brand represents how people know you and your business. It affects how customers perceive your reputation or the reputation of your company.

A strong brand is more important than ever in today’s competitive creative market.

Ask yourself these important questions:

• What identity/personality do I want my creative brand to project?
• Who will want my products or services?
• What can customers get from my products or services that they can’t get anywhere else?
• What can customers get from working with me that they can’t get anywhere else?
• What are my brand values?
• What is the most important part of my customers’ experience?

Your answers to these questions (and others like them) will build your brand’s core. All of your future branding decisions should expand on these ideas. Your business name , company logo , and website design should all grow from the concepts you laid out here.

If you feel stuck when thinking about visual design for your photography brand, look at these creative photography logo styles .

Remember that your business name plays a role in almost every aspect of your business. If you’re struggling to name your photography business and need ideas, look at the photography business name generator .

Whenever you make personal appearances, carry business cards  and  brochures in case people want to learn more about your services and give them your contact information. That’s a great way to find new clients.

Happy clients who love your photography will ask for extra business cards to share with friends and colleagues.

Some small business owners delay building a strong brand identity because they worry they might not have a huge budget. This delay can hurt you. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars building a strong brand identity. Here are a few pricing guides that can help you identify the sweet spot for pricing:

• How much should a logo design cost?
• How much do business cards cost?
• How much should brochure design cost?
• How much does website design cost?

If you’ve already started your photography business but are unhappy with your branding, this is the perfect time to rebrand your photography business .

A photographer's calling card is their portfolio and work samples. Today that means having a professionally designed website.

Customers choose creative services based on the brand, the person behind it, and the quality of the work presented to them.

The most effective way for creatives to show off their skills and personality is through their web presence.

Don’t believe us? A recent study shows that 97% of consumers research their purchases online before they buy something.

Start by ensuring that your website design truly embodies your brand. Visitors should understand who you are, the services you offer, your style, and the quality of your work.

Your website’s design and marketing copy should project your brand’s voice and identity. Here are some suggestions:

• Use your brand’s colors .
• If you are the primary employee, include a photo and bio. Customers want to know the person behind the site.
• Be authentic and avoid marketing “happy talk.” Speak the same language as your customers.
• Include high-quality examples of your work.
• Give site visitors an easy way to get in contact with you.

Aim to create a site that builds your brand, establishes your approach and style, and communicates your business’s value proposition. As with personality-driven fields (like real estate sales and other creative services), people are not just buying your services; they’re buying a relationship with you.

Self-hosted open-source portfolio apps allow you to combine your uniquely branded website with a gallery of your work.

Check out WordPress if you’re looking for a self-hosted solution. Many WordPress plugins are created specifically for photographers. For example, because photographers include many images on their portfolio sites, use an easy WordPress Image Optimizer like Imagify . After comparing many optimization plugins, that’s the one we use and love on the crowdspring blog.

Don’t use stock images or stock photography when building a web presence. After all, you’re trying to promote your unique photography business. Stock images will send the wrong image to your target clients.

Finally, a strong website design will lend credibility and legitimacy to your business. To learn more about great website design, check out Grow Your Small Business With These 7 Website Design Best Practices and 11 biggest web design trends for 2022.

Never forget the power of good old-fashioned market research when you’re ready to open your photography business.

Not every option will be cost-effective or practical; you should understand what choices will work best for your business.

Your photography business won’t succeed if you just take pictures. You can’t ignore the business side.

You need to create a photography business roadmap for your new business. As a starting point, ask yourself these questions:

• How will you sell your products or services?
• Will you work full-time or part-time as a professional photographer?
• What photo editing software will you need to create memorable photos for your clients?
• What will you choose as your pricing structure?
• Will you accept credit cards?
• Will you have a client referral program?
• How will you book clients?
• Do you need office space or studio space to meet with clients, or will you operate your business as a home-based photography business?
• What customer expectations will you set when you offer your services?
• How will you provide customer service for customers who have questions or problems?

Photography work can be a personal, intimate service, so a hands-on approach is often more effective and successful. Your website can help you generate leads , but your success is based just as much on the customers you say no to as the ones you say yes to.

What does this mean? It means getting up from the computer and on the phone.

You can’t just take pictures and ignore sales and marketing.

A quick call with a prospective customer can establish whether you’re a good fit for their needs. It saves you and your customer time and effort if there isn’t a good match.

This pre-work leads to the second part of your sales plan: the in-person consultation. You want to meet with your client before you pick up your camera so that you can work out their needs, expectations, and any critical factors in advance.

The ultimate goal is for your client to buy your work. You may have your particular style or aesthetic, but you also want to capture your customers wants. The in-person meeting is when you can establish these criteria.

Another part of your sales plan is what happens after completing the work. Post-sales customer care can be a place where you differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Present your work to your customers personally, and walk them through your thoughts and comments about the project. Many professional photographers are content to send clients and potential clients a link to an online selection of photos. An online gallery may be efficient for both parties but may turn your work into a commodity.

Add a personal perspective when you share your work so your clients and potential clients understand your thought process. Creating a great sales experience throughout the project can bolster work-of-mouth referrals.

Word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing tool, especially for professional photographers. As we wrote :

In fact, customers referred to a product are more valuable. A Wharton School of Business study found that referred customers have a 16% higher lifetime value and are more loyal.

Consider your sales plan beforehand to capitalize on every opportunity to close the sale and generate more. And remember to build an email list to update your and prospective clients about your photography business.

There’s a time in almost every entrepreneur’s career when you feel like you’re going it alone.

When you first start your photography business, there’s a good chance that you will be.

For your business to scale and grow, however, you’ll need help.

Many photography businesses are started by sole entrepreneurs who hire experienced professionals to handle specific business parts.

Whether you hire employees or work with contractors depends on your particular business.

At first, you should only hire for positions that provide the most immediate benefit to your business.

There’s no one right answer for what those positions might be – every business is different. As you plan what positions to hire, consider what aspects of the company pose the most significant challenge. It’s also crucial to recognize your limitations.

Hire an employee who is an expert in areas your business lacks expertise. Build a robust and well-rounded team to create a stable foundation for your business.

With all of that in mind, where should you start?

You may want your first hire to be a part-time assistant. Look for someone who is a jack-of-all-trades, eager to learn new skills, and with a strong work ethic. You’ll sleep better if you have someone in the trenches with you that you can rely on. And you’ll likely need someone to help you with photography equipment at photoshoots. And if you’re a great photographer but less skilled with photo editing, look for an expert with photo editing software.

If you’re new to marketing, a marketer can help you strategize your business.

One position you’ll need to fill is an accountant or bookkeeper. You need to track your expenses and revenue and keep good records for tax season.

The Legal Stuff

Of course, hiring staff or consultants for your photography business means you’ll have to deal with all sorts of legalities and paperwork. Hiring and signing contracts with professional service providers isn’t an area where you should “wing it.”

We went straight to the source to help you with some of the legal issues to consider. The hiring experts at Indeed recommend that you:

• Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) by applying on the IRS website (you’ll get your number immediately after applying!).
• Register with your state’s labor department.
• Fill out paperwork to withhold federal taxes from your employee’s wages.
• Set up workers’ compensation insurance if it is required in your state.

You’ll also need to decide whether you hire full- or part-time employees.

Part-time employees cost less. These cost savings can be an advantage when you first get started. As your business grows and you can afford it, you can expand their hours.

Full-time employees also require more paperwork to get set up. To gain complete insight into the hiring process, read Indeed’s step-by-step guide, “ How to Hire Employees .”

Your business is ready to go – your brand is a masterpiece of consistency and charm, your legal and business plans are all squared away, and you have a solid team behind your business.

Here comes the fun part – introducing your business to customers!

Look into newspapers and local magazines, trade shows, and public events where you can bring your brand and your work to the people. Any outlet that makes sense for your small business is one you should seek out.

Give your prospective customers an intimate view of your work and your business. You’ll want to develop a content marketing strategy to grow your business.

As a new, up-and-coming small business owner, social media is an inexpensive and easy outlet for all of the beautiful work you’ve created. As we previously explained ,

Social media gives you the ability to easily keep customers up-to-date on new products, store policies or sales. It also enables you to build a social rapport with current customers, while building low-pressure relationships with future buyers.

Maintaining Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook presence is important to build a following and connect with your market niche on social media. With the advent of micro-influencers , the potential reach a new business now has, especially on social media, is truly massive.

Most of your new business will likely come from word-of-mouth referrals. And as a result, your social media presence should be managed with intent.

Instagram is an obvious priority for photography businesses. You can post examples of your work to the platform, connect with customers, and use it to build your personal brand. But Instagram (and other platforms like Facebook) can also be where you post behind-the-scenes photos and videos to give prospective and potential clients an insider’s eye to your business.

There’s a lot to think about when starting a photography business.

But with this complete guide on how to start a photography business, you’ll have a competitive advantage to start on the right path to success.

Additional Resources for Photographers

If you want to sell your photos to stock image sites, here are the sites you should consider:

• BigStockPhoto
• Candidly Images
• CanStockPhoto
• DepositPhotos
• FreeDigitalPhotos.net
• Instaprints
• iStockPhoto
• Lobster.media
• ShutterPoint
• Shutterstock

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How to write a successful photography business plan a guide.

Are you looking to write a picture-perfect business plan for your photography business?

A business plan is a key step when you’re embarking on your career as a business owner. Whether you’re starting a business in the construction industry or a small bakery, your business plan is a road map to success.

When it comes to starting a successful business, so much hinges on your ability to structure and plan. That’s not to say that your plan can’t change, but if you don’t have a plan in the first place then things can become distorted very quickly.

Not all good businesses start with a business plan. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t advantages to be had in creating one.

Many business founders find a huge amount of value in taking the time to really hone in on their idea. It’s also incredibly useful to thoroughly research the market they’re hoping to enter.

They’re a fantastic way to entice investors, partners or even employees. They are also a great way to set long-term goals to keep your business viable.

But how exactly do you write a business plan? We’ll take a look at what a business plan is and the steps you can take to write a thorough and detailed plan for your photography business.

Here’s What We’ll Cover:

What Is a Business Plan?

Why should i write a business plan, how to write a successful business plan, key takeaways.

A business plan is a mission statement that a business owner puts together to describe their idea. It is seen as the blueprint for what you want your business to be, and how you envision yourself getting there.

A good business plan will have a high level of detail and will answer almost any question that an interested party may have.

Starting a photography business is a costly endeavou. So it’s important to get your idea in place and start making plans on how you are going to be able to fund it.

You’ll often see business plans associated with getting a business loan or bringing on board an investor. This is because any potential investor will want to evaluate the feasibility of a business before investing any funding.

There’s no one size fits all way to write a business plan, but most will include these steps:

1. Executive Summary

Your executive summary will serve as a preview of your business plan. This is where you will define the objectives of your photography business and detail your mission statement.

This space should be used to talk about big-picture goals and details – what your speciality will be, for example. You should also give an idea of what you believe sets your business apart, or what your USP will be.

2. Company Description

It’s important for you to have a vision for your business. It’s even more important to be able to communicate that vision to others. That’s what your company description is for.

Here you will outline how you plan on structuring your company. That will include whether you’ll be a sole trader, a limited liability company or another form of organization.

You should also include how you want to do business. Will you mostly be working in a studio? Or do you see yourself travelling around, moving from set to set and shooting on location?

3. Market Analysis

One of the most common reasons that a new business fails is because the owner neglected to properly research and analyse their market.

For example, you’re planning on starting a wedding photography business. But once you’ve done your research you see that there is a large amount of pre-existing companies. Or maybe the last five wedding photographers have gone out of business in the first three months.

Then your market analysis would show that becoming a wedding photographer may not be viable in your area.

Your analysis should show the reader what gaps in the market you will be aiming to fill. It should show that you have a detailed level of understanding and you fit into the structure of the market.

4. Goods & Services

Here you should expand on the services you plan on offering. Are you purely sticking to photography? Are you also going to offer an editing service?

Are you mainly going to be shooting commercial gigs or are you a landscape photographer?

5. Marketing Plan

This is an important part of your plan. It’s all well and good creating a niche business that fills a gap in the market, but if nobody knows your business exists then you won’t get very far.

Your marketing plan should be a comprehensive examination of how you plan to sell your photography. The things you’ll want to outline and highlight may include:

• What mediums you plan to use to market your business – ie. Instagram, Facebook, newspapers, radio or tv adverts etc.
• Your engagement – how to not only attract potential clients but keep and develop them into a customer base.
• Your brand – you should have a clear and detailed brand that makes you stand out and be instantly recognisable as a photography business.
• Your audience – who is your target market? What does your ideal customer look like?

6. Financial Plan

Arguably the most important component in your new photography business, creating a solid financial plan is key.

The first thing you should outline is the start-up costs. This would include your overheads such as equipment rental, rent if you’re basing yourself in a studio, website design and domain. Essentially everything you need to get your business started.

You’ll also want to start to get a realistic view on your financial statements once you’re up and running. That may include your balance sheet, projected cash flow and income, and any other estimated costs that you may incur.

If you are unfamiliar with the world of finance, you may want to seek some expert advice . Poorly managed funds are the number one reason that small businesses fail. So it’s in your best interest for your finances to be as organised as possible.

A business plan is no small feat. It will take time, effort and a lot of planning.

Most business owners will see a business plan as a labour of love. It may seem like a daunting task to begin with, but further down the line you’ll be happy that you took the time to make one.

The photography industry can be a tough nut to break. So the better prepared you are, the more likely you are to succeed and take your place next to the other professional photographers.

Are you looking for more business advice on everything from starting a new business to new business practices?

Then check out the FreshBooks Resource Hub .

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Writing a Photography Business Plan: Complete Guide

By Tata Rossi 16 days ago, Professional photography

To successfully start and develop your business, you should make up a photography business plan that will help you get stable increasing revenue.

A business plan for photography is like a map for a traveler – it specifies your goals and explains how to achieve them. It is a great way to assess your achievements and monitor your progress. Moreover, if you want to get engaged in some new projects, you should also include them in your plan and it will help implement all the ideas faster.

Finally, a photography business plan is something you can’t do without in case you want to attract new partners or investors.

Photography Business Plan: Key Elements

If you want to know how to start photography business with no money , you should get acquainted with the key elements of a photographer business plan.

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is an introduction to your photography business plan. It is a clear preview that defines your objectives as a photographer and your mission statement. Decide what photography genre you want to engage in. The most profitable genres are the following ones:

• Portrait photography
• Wedding photography
• Boudoir photography
• Newborn photography
• Studio photography
• Underwater photography
• Product photography
• Food photography
• Real estate photography

Later, when you already have your regular clients and orders, you may dive deeper into different specialties. But, to begin with, you should present yourself as a specialist in one particular genre (newborn, wedding or portrait photography) and prove that you are not like anyone else.

In this section, describe the key components for the success of your business. It may be the experience you provide during the shooting or how you promote your business. If you write all this down, it will help you implement your ideas faster.

2. Company Description

When you describe your company in the photography business plan, you should highlight the most important ideas about your business.

First of all, you should decide on the business entity you want to have. Research your business formation options and assess your current business state. If necessary, consult a lawyer or financial advisor and they will help determine what structure is the most suitable for you ‒ a limited liability company (LLC), general partnership, sole proprietorship, or another organization.

The next point is to describe where you are going to do business. For example, if you work much in a studio, it’s recommended to lease or buy some premises. However, if you shoot events, a studio is not necessary.

Also I recommend making photography business cards . It may be the only thing standing between your photography portfolio and your potential customers.

3. Assess the Competition

Every shooter should clearly understand who their competitors are. So, research your target market and demographic area, and decide on how you are going to win the clients.

You may use some analytics tools, like Quantcast , Alexa and Google Trends that will identify and assess competitors in the area and help you find new clients. It will also help you improve your services.

Besides, you may use the U.S. Small Business Association’s SizeUp tool . It provides the info on other similar services in the area and local consumer spending in that category, enabling you to size up the competition in your market.

However, mind that the coronavirus pandemic affected all types of business, including a photography one.

4. Consider Your Target Market

Writing a photographer business plan, you should research your target market. To begin with, do some research about photography in general and how the photography business is developing in your region. Only then you will be able to narrow down your target market.

Who are your potential clients? Who are your ideal customers? Learn as much as you can about them and you will be able to attract the right people. It won’t hurt to create a client profile and study photography marketing tips that will help you understand your potential clientele.

I believe that the following four customer segments should be primarily targeted:

New Parents . People expecting a child or those with a newborn child try to capture these magic moments to memorize them for long years. They don’t want just images on their smartphones. They want to have qualitative professional shots that will impress everyone. So, if you choose this photography direction, discover various newborn photo ideas and maternity photo ideas first.

Families . Many families regularly update their photo albums with new family portraits or pics from events. Some people take photos for their homes, offices, wallets or holiday cards. That is why I recommend learning more about family photography and considering some family photo ideas .

Area Businesses . Today, even the smallest company has its website and pages on social networks. Businesses want to create the best Internet sites providing pics of their facilities, portraits of the staff, etc. As a rule, businesses try to find one professional for a long-term relationship that will satisfy all their headshot photography needs.

Product Manufacturers . E-commerce is on its peak today, with businesses creating products and selling them online. Consequently, they need qualitative images for websites, brochures, spec sheets, and other marketing materials. Such companies don’t need a staff shooter so they outsource this task to freelance photographers or photography studios.

If you want to work in this segment, you should get acquainted with these food photo ideas , learn how to edit food photos and also look through some product photography tutorials .

5. Develop Key Marketing Strategies

We proceed with your photography business plan and you have already decided whom to sell your services to. Now it’s time to decide what strategies you apply to achieve your goals. What activities will lead you to success?

I often send a PDF of my recent work to advertising agencies and publishers. Remember that even famous photographers used to include external promotion in photography business marketing.

If you are a wedding photographer, connect with some bridal boutiques and hair saloons ‒ you may cross-refer your services. In case you are involved in commercial real estate photography , cooperate with real estate agencies.

Considering that social networks are rapidly developing nowadays, I suggest creating your pages on Facebook and Instagram so that your potential clients get acquainted with your works. For better results, learn how to have successful Instagram .

By the way, you may also use photography business apps to make your working process easier and more convenient. They will help monitor costs, organize photoshoots, promote business, etc.

Starting a podcast is also a way to gain authority in your field and attract customers to your marketing funnel. Imagine how many great (or not so great) photographer stories you can share with your audience! To learn more, we recommend this article about how to become an expert in your field through podcasting .

6. Think about Portfolio

One more point in your business plan for photography services should belong to your portfolio. It is a base of your previous works available for any user interested in your professional activity. For today, the most effective way to acquaint your prospective clients with your works is to create a photography portfolio using website builders .

Mind that your website should highlight your images and be convenient for users. Moreover, it should be easy to find your contacts there. Finding such project-based assistants is very easy because many skilled people favor modern freelance ideas and opt for remote work rather than a 9-to-5 schedule.

7. Determine Pricing Strategy

You should set up prices that will make your business competitive in the area. Will you have packages or provide à la carte services? Maybe, you will charge by the day, per shot, or by print or download. Moreover, you will have to decide how you will take payments from your clients. The most popular payment method in the photography business is invoices. It is a great way to get paid as quickly as possible.

8. Consider Your Operations Strategy

In this section of the photography business plan, you will have to describe in detail where you will work. Many portrait photographers arrange studios at home and work there. If you are a commercial shooter with clients and creative directors, you need to rent a studio.

However, depending on the photography genre you are involved in, you might not need a studio all the time. So, there is no need to rent a studio on a monthly basis. Decide what genre you are going to work in and where you will photograph more often.

In case you need a professional studio, I recommend learning how to find photography studio rental .

9. Define Business Participants

There are two ways here. The first one ‒ you will take pics and edit them by yourself. Yes, it will be cheaper since you don’t have to pay money for that. However, on the other hand, you will not have time to rest and you will have to turn down new orders because you have to edit photos from previous shootings.

The second way ‒ outsource retouching services . If you approach these guys, you will get at least three benefits.

Firstly, you will have some time to develop your business. Secondly, you will boost your productivity. Finally, you will not waste time on image post-production.

10. Financial Component of Your Business Plan

A solid financial plan is an integral component of each photographer business plan. A big part here belongs to startup costs. They include:

• legal advice
• website design
• essential photography gear
• advertising

To begin with, estimate how much money you need to cover these costs and how much capital you have in reality. You may consider such funding options as small business loans, grants and crowdfunding.

In the future, when you are already working and fulfilling orders, you may include other financial statements in this section, like a balance sheet, cash flow and income. They will help you create a cash-flow analysis and monitor the financial success of your business.

If you are not good at accounting and finances, it’s better to approach a professional for advice.

11. Make a SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is a planning technique used to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your business, opportunities open to it and threats that it might face. When you examine these internal and external factors, you will be able to create strategies to address challenges and find your niche in the market.

Making a SWOT analysis online , you may look at a business as a whole or consider some specific projects before they are launched. It’s often displayed as a matrix with each of the categories (strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats) occupying a cell on a table.

• Executive summary
• Company description
• Assess the competition
• Consider your target market
• Develop key marketing strategies
• Determine pricing strategy

How to Start a Successful Photography Business

Lisa Furgison

12 min. read

Updated May 10, 2024

Free Download:  Sample Photography Business Plan Template

If you have some creative photography chops, you might want to  open your own business . You’re not alone in wanting to turn your creative outlet into a money-making venture. Photography is a popular profession and hobby right now—and that’s the problem. As camera gear has become more affordable and consumer-friendly, and almost every smartphone now features a great camera, everyone’s a photographer. 

But, that doesn’t mean you should toss your dreams of owning a photography business aside. It just means you may have to work a little harder to set yourself apart from the flock of amateur shooters.

To help you find your photography foothold, we asked three professional photographers who started their own businesses to share their tips for success.

• 1. Write a photography business plan

For starters, wedding and event  photographer Peggy Farren  says  you need a business plan . Any serious entrepreneur will tell you that you need to organize your thoughts on paper. This detailed document serves as your roadmap, describing what your business is and how it will be profitable. It breaks down things like  cash flow , expenses, ownership, and competition.

“Photography is one of the most competitive businesses out there,” Farren says. “You need to be a very good business person to make a decent living. You’ll get there much more quickly if you start out right.”

Creating a business plan may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be if you have the right tools. Check out this free, downloadable  sample photography business plan . 

• 2. Assess your photography business startup costs

As part of your business planning process, you’ll need to  assess your startup costs . What are the essentials that you’ll need before you can really launch your business?

Camera equipment alone can cost upwards of $10,000, Farren says. You’ll also need  business licenses ,  insurance , a website, and accounting software like  QuickBooks  or  Xero .

What about a studio? 

Do you plan to start with a dedicated studio space or work out of your home? If you need office space, you’ll need to investigate commercial rental properties and figure that monthly cost, along with the cost of utilities, into  your financial plan .

• 3. Secure startup funds

If you have enough money in your bank account to start your business you may not need to borrow money, but many entrepreneurs need assistance. Many people who are starting a business for the first time end up asking family or friends for help, or keeping their day job until their business is self-sustaining. 

Whether you  ask friends and family for financial assistance  or  apply for a bank loan , you’ll need a business plan in place that lays out how you’ll spend the funds and when or how you’ll pay your lenders back. 

• 4. Figure out your personal finances

If you’re just starting out, realize that your business probably isn’t going to be profitable overnight. It took 18 months for Farren’s business to  break even  and make enough money to pay the bills. Like Farren, you might have to work another job to make ends meet until your business is generating enough money.

• 5. Get professional photography experience

You’ll need to show your prospective clients what you can do, and working alongside a professional photographer is a great way to get some experience and start to build a portfolio. Farren worked as a photographer’s assistant while starting her own business. 

Equally important is using that experience to put together a  photography portfolio  that demonstrates your skill. Consider your audience and build the portfolio around what they want to see. Keep it updated, so new potential clients can see current and relevant work.

• 6. Buy camera gear

When it comes to camera gear, Farren says you’ll need two cameras, two high-quality lenses, two flashes, and Photoshop and Lightroom to edit the images. Why two cameras? You need backup equipment. Even new equipment breaks, Farren says.

If you buy used gear, you can get everything for about $5,000, but Farren says $10,000 is more realistic. Of course, you can always upgrade gear as you go.

• 7. Determine your photography business pricing plan

How  much will you charge for your services ? It’s a tough question for every photographer, especially when you’re just starting out. Figure out what one hour of your time is worth. Let’s say your time is worth $50/hour. 

For every hour you spend shooting, you’ll spend about three hours editing. You need to factor that into your pricing. So, in this equation, you would charge $200 for a one-hour photo session. Of course, your pricing structure is your own, this is just a way to come up with a starting point.

• 8. Create a website for your photography business

Once you’ve  come up with a name  for your photography business,  you’ll need a website . There are free website templates out there, but your website is like your storefront. You want it to be impressive, so think about whether it’s better to have your website professionally created.

Your website should, of course, showcase your work. That’s what your clients will want to see. Keep your site organized by breaking your galleries up by category. Include a picture of yourself and a page that describes your background and experience. 

Contact information is also a must. It’s a good idea to list at least some of your prices. This helps manage customer expectations and keeps people from trying to negotiate for a lower price. Here’s what Farren uses as a pricing guide on her website.

Ok, you’ve got everything in place and you’re ready to start shooting pictures. Now, how do you get customers?

• 9. Create your own photography business brand

Jason and JoAnne Marino have a unique brand for their photography business.

You need to set yourself apart from others, according to husband and wife photography duo Jason and Joanne Marino. The pair own  Imagine Photography , a company that attracts couples who are interested in unique wedding pictures, not the conventional altar photos.

“You can’t be everything to everybody or you’ll fail miserably,” Jason Marino says. “To attract customers you must carve out a brand and style.”

Start by identifying your  target market . Do you prefer to do maternity shots? Newborns? Senior portraits for high schoolers? 

Figure out what makes you unique as a photographer and use it to brand your business.

• 10. Network for your photography business

As a photographer and a new business owner, you need to network your heart out, Marino says.

“You can be the greatest photographer in the world, but unless people know about you, it won’t do you any good,” he says. “Join groups, forums, clubs, collectives, whatever you can. Make sure these people know about you and respect you, and you’ll get referrals.”

• 11. Be an approachable photographer

As a photographer, you don’t just need mad composition skills, you need people skills too, Marino says. You want to make sure the client has a great experience. Not only will your client trust you, which results in great shots, but a good experience also means your client will refer you to others.

If appropriate, meet with your clients before the shoot. Wedding photographers set up engagement photo sessions as a way to get to know their clients before the big day. If you’re not offering wedding photography, make sure you sit down and talk with the client before you start snapping pictures. 

Make a little small talk and chat about expectations. Remember, you’re not just selling great pictures—you’re selling an experience.

• 12. Have a friends and family rule

Your friends and family will probably be some of your first customers, which is great. You’ll be extremely grateful for the opportunity and probably feel inclined to give them a discount. There’s nothing wrong with that, but remember, you’re trying to make a living. You should come up with a standard friends and family plan and stick to it.

• 13. Promote your photography business on social media

Social media is a great promotion tool, but it’s best to start out with one or two sites and use them consistently. Facebook might be a good option, but you might want to lean towards one of the more visual social media channels like Instagram. One of the most important pieces of keeping whatever channel you choose to use active and updated.

When the Marinos are working on a shoot, they share teaser pictures on their Facebook page like the example below. It’s a great way to showcase work and keep customers interested.

Grow your photography business

Now that you’ve got the wheels in motion, let’s talk about how to pick up the pace.

• 14. Market your photography business

Jane Goodrich , a New York-based children’s photographer, says one of the best ways to grow your business is to invest more in marketing.

Google ads for your photography business

Goodrich swears by  Google ads.  She uses some of her marketing budget to buy keywords that generate more website traffic. 

Team up with charities

Farren uses other unique techniques to grow her business. For instance, she teams up with charities that run high-end silent auctions.

“Not only are you getting your name in front of wealthy people, but in most cases, the clients will purchase much more than the free prints that come with the package they bought at the auction,” she says.

Generate an email list and add to it constantly

Through the years, Farren has also generated an impressive email list. She uses that list to send clients a monthly newsletter, which she says is her best marketing tool. She credits a lot of her repeat business to the newsletter as it keeps her business top of mind to her customers.

Whenever you’re at an event, set out an email sign-up form for people to opt into your newsletters.

Maintain a blog for your business

A blog is a great way to establish authority in your field. It’s an open platform to showcase your talent, tips, and opinions. Write about your experiences, your work process, your equipment, how you plan the shots, etc. The topics are endless!

15. Manage your photography business’ financials

It takes time to draw profits from your business, and it takes even longer to put a few bucks in the savings account. But saving money should be a priority as you grow your business. No matter what kind of photography you do, you will sooner or later hit a slow month, Goodrich says. Save money when you’re busy so the lean months are easier to handle. This is about paying attention to your  cash flow , or when cash comes into and out of your business. 

On that note, make your payment terms clear. Many photographers will require a deposit upfront and the balance before releasing photos to the client. Whatever your payment terms, make sure your clients know what they are. 

If you do invoice clients after you’ve already done a shoot, make sure you invoice immediately and that you’ve clearly articulated when payment is due. Waiting for clients to pay you can create a cash flow problem, even if you have plenty of business, and on paper, your business is bringing in lots of revenue. Until you have cash in hand, you can’t pay your own bills. 

• 16. Reinvest in your photography business

Once you have at least three months’ worth of income socked away, then you can start thinking about reinvesting it. From new lenses to better editing software, new pieces of technology can improve your product. To make wise decisions, make a list of the items you want. Prioritize the list and shop around for good prices before you spend your hard-earned money.

17. Diversify your photography business’ offerings

In time you’ll be able to add certain elements to the business that will help you diversify your revenue stream. Goodrich, for example, added maternity and newborn photos to her list of services. Rather than generating all of her income from children’s shoots alone, she was able to generate more money by branching out.

• 18. Improve your photography business

One of the best tips Farren says she can offer prospective photographers is to continue improving their skills. Take classes, watch educational videos, or schedule time to go take pictures of something completely unrelated to your career track—anything to keep your skills sharp.

• 19. Hiring help for your photography business

In the beginning, you’ll  wear all the hats . You’ll set up shoots, take the shots, edit the pictures, and place the orders for prints. When you’re just starting out, you can’t afford to multitask. However, once your business is established, it’s not a bad idea to delegate responsibilities, even if it’s on an as-needed basis.

To do this, Joanne Marino says you need to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you’re great at taking pictures but not so hot at editing, or you simply don’t enjoy it. If that’s the case, find a freelancer to help in that area. If you don’t know any freelancers, ask a colleague for suggestions or use freelance sites like  Elance  to post an ad.

As with any new business, you’ll have ups and downs, but if you’re committed to your craft and work to give each customer a great experience, you’ll earn a solid reputation as a go-to photographer.

• Next steps for your photography business

If you’re ready to start your own photography business, you can check out our free photography business plan example and template . Best of luck with your new business!

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Lisa Furgison is a multimedia journalist with a passion for writing. She holds a graduate degree in mass communications and spent eight years as a television reporter before moving into the freelance world, where she focuses mainly on content creation and social media strategies. Furgison has crisscrossed the U.S. as a reporter, but now calls Key West, Florida home. When she's not conducting interviews or typing away on her laptop, she loves to travel.

Table of Contents

• 15. Manage your photography business’ financials
• 17. Diversify your photography business’ offerings

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Thanks to the proliferation of smartphones with sophisticated cameras on them (for mobile devices, that is), it seems like everybody wants to try their hand at being a photographer. But not everyone has what it takes to start a business.

There’s a vast difference between those who can take the perfect selfie and those who can capture the perfect moment and call themselves professional photographers. If you’re wondering how to start a photography business, know there's much more to it than pointing your iPhone and slapping on a filter.

As with any professional endeavor, starting a photography business requires a significant investment of time and money to secure equipment, register your business, and build your portfolio. Luckily, the photography industry startup costs are relatively lower than in other industries. Depending on your focus, needs, and current equipment, you can learn how to start your photography business step-by-step as soon as today.

Step 1: Write a business plan

All business owners should write a business plan—that includes even solo photography businesses. A business plan is critical to outlining your services, understanding your target market, and setting your rates.

When you start thinking about these details upfront, it will help you start and scale your business to the heights you’ve always dreamed of. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy or tedious process either. Be sure to check out our guide on how to write a business plan to get you started.

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

Step 2: Register your business

Next, you'll want to register your business—meaning you legally establish your business. To do so, you should choose the right business entity for your business and choose a business name.

Choose a business entity

Many photography business owners register as a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC). Each legal structure offers certain benefits.

The most popular advantage of sole proprietorships is that they’re free to form. However, a sole proprietorship doesn’t protect you against personal liability.

Many photography businesses form an LLC because you enjoy additional benefits like reduced liability and choosing to be taxed as a sole proprietorship or corporation. Moreover, having “LLC” in your business boosts your professional appearance.

The entity you choose will have a big impact on your business, from taxes to liability and more, so be sure to consult with a business attorney or tax professional if you're unsure of the right choice for you.

Choose a business name

Dedicate some time to thinking about your business name. It will be your potential clients’ first contact with your brand, and you want to ensure you strike a good first impression. After deciding on a business name, do a quick secretary of state business search to ensure the name is unique and available.

If you’re operating under a sole proprietorship, you'll want to file a DBA when registering your business. As a sole proprietorship, your business name defaults to your own legal name. If you want to operate under a different name (one that mentions photography, for instance), you'll need a DBA. DBA requirements can vary by state, so be sure to do your research.

Step 3: Obtain business licenses, permits, and insurance

Your business now legally exists, but to make sure you continue to operate legally, your next step is to obtain the proper business licenses, permits, and insurance.

Business license and permits

Securing the right business license or permit is key to learning how to start a photography business legally. Be sure to check with your local city hall and state licensing board to ensure you’re complying with the necessary regulations.

Business insurance

You may not think it necessary as a photography business, but you should always look into insurance. Insurance adds another level of protection from costly liability disputes if you ever encounter a disgruntled customer. Do some research into business insurance policies to shield you from professional and general liability.

Step 4: Set up EIN, bank account, and credit card

To start doing business, you'll need a separate place for your money to live. That's where EINs, bank accounts, and credit cards come in.

Obtain an EIN

Even if you’re a one-person photography business, you should still apply for an employer identification number, or EIN, from the IRS .

Your EIN is the business equivalent of a social security number for an individual, and you will include it when filing your business taxes with the IRS. Moreover, your EIN is crucial when opening your business bank account and applying for a business loan in the future, should you decide to.

Open a business bank account

It’s always a practical idea to separate your business and personal finances. Mixing your personal and business finances can compromise any legal protections gained from forming an LLC. Even sole proprietorships benefit from this division because it makes bookkeeping easier come tax season.

One way to distinguish your business and personal finances is to open a business checking account . You can deposit cash or invoice payments collected from your photography gigs in this account. Also, remember to use these bank account funds for business-related expenses only.

Open a business credit card

A dedicated business credit card is another practical tactic for separating your business and personal expenses. You may be surprised that you have a separate credit score for your business. By regularly using your business credit card, you boost your business’s financial health, helping you secure a business loan in the future.

Step 5: Purchase or upgrade your equipment

Professional photographers have top-of-the-line (read: often expensive) cameras. But you don’t need brand-new, expensive equipment when you’re first starting a photography business. As you gain more experience and increase your income, you can upgrade your toolkit over time.

“As a young photographer, I started with more amateur equipment—a camera, a lens, and a flash,” says Alexa Klorman, owner of Alexa Drew Photography in New York City. “Then, as my business grew and as I started to get more clients and increase my price, I wanted to make sure that the quality of my photos was validated in what I was charging.”

Startup costs

If you’re serious about your photography, you’ll want to create a business budget that will help you grow your toolkit. Below is a list of recommended tools and accessories with approximate prices:

Camera : $1,000 to $2,000

Camera lens: $1,000

Memory cards: $50

External drives: $100

Laptop for editing: $2,000

Website hosting : $50

Backdrops and lighting: $500

Editing software: $20.99 per month (Photoshop)

Tripod: $100

Camera bag: $150

Accounting software: $10 to $30 per month for basic plans

Chances are, you already have many of the items on this list, like a camera and laptop, which can dramatically reduce your startup costs.

Build a relationship with your supplier

Whether you need a new camera body or lens, or something simple like a memory card, you need a photography equipment supplier. Amazon is often a convenient and inexpensive marketplace to source your needs. But the cheapest option isn’t always the best.

“I go to Adorama in NYC. I love going there because I know the people there; I always go to the same guys. They always give me a good deal—they’re honest and kind,” says Klorman.

When you first start your photography business, Klorman recommends establishing a relationship with a local shop to keep track of your purchases. Being a loyal customer can open opportunities for cost-saving deals and even client referrals. The best part: You’re supporting a fellow small business owner.

Step 6: Price your services

When starting a photography business, pricing your services is where many people get stuck. Your formula should include time, plus labor, as well as a fee for using your resources. Here are a few tactics to help you set your prices:

Choose your niche

The niche you choose will influence the value of your photography services. For example, a professional wedding photographer can charge $2,000-plus for their services. In contrast, a family photographer might charge $400 for a photoshoot.

Choose what you want to focus on—whether it’s weddings, newborns, corporate events, or some combination of multiple areas—and then start accumulating samples to showcase your abilities. As you grow your portfolio, you can eventually raise your rates.

Check out the competition

To get an idea of where to start, do what Klorman did: Look to your peers and grow from there.

“I looked up other photographers in the area, and I started pretty low on the pricing scale. Then every few months, I’d bump it up a bit, then bump it up a bit. And I’d always say, ‘I’ll wait to see if inquiries and emails drop off, and if they do, I’ll lower it back down.’”

Of course, don’t raise your price just to raise it. Once you find yourself working with your preferred clientele, you can stick with a price that works for you. Similarly, stay firm on what you charge.

“I find that people generally accept my pricing; they don’t negotiate so much,” Klorman says. “I have my price, and I’m pretty strict about sticking to it because it’s a fair price. Because I’m transparent with what my packages cost, generally when people contact me, they’re ready to book.”

Figure out how long each job takes

Part of what may affect your pricing is how long each photography job takes. Also, be mindful of your time beyond the photoshoot—processing, editing, uploading, and distributing your photos are time- and labor-intensive. Be sure to factor these steps into your price point, so you’re not underpaid for all your hard work.

Portrait sessions generally last between one-and-a-half and two hours. This produces somewhere in the range of 75 to 100 images, edited in both black and white and color. Events can lead to hundreds of photos, though it depends on how long the event lasts.

Don’t be alarmed if you need a bit longer than this when you first start your photography business. You’re still settling into your workflow and deciding what works best for you. With time and experience, you’ll finish things more quickly and with improved quality.

Step 7: Market your business and find clients

With your photography business up and running, the next step is finding clients so you can start earning money. Here are some strategies to market your business.

Referrals are the lifeblood of many businesses, and the photography business is no exception. The most effective marketing—the kind that professionals would kill for—is positive word-of-mouth referrals. And it doesn’t cost a dime. When you’re starting your photography business, think about how you can develop positive referrals.

Klorman stands by word-of-mouth marketing, attributing 90% of her gigs to be referral-based. “I pride myself on my referrals,” she says. “I don’t invest money in marketing. I would rather spend more time making my clients feel awesome, giving them amazing photos, and building a relationship with them.”

Leverage social media

Social media is no longer only a tool to connect with old friends and family. Now, it’s a real business tool helping them connect with their target customers.

If you want to upgrade your marketing strategy, go to where your target customers are hanging out. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, join local Facebook groups for soon-to-be brides. Chances are, they’re on the lookout for a wedding photographer—a perfect opportunity to pitch your amazing services.

Instagram is another great way to build your portfolio. Instagram is a visual platform, and your stunning collage of photos might inspire a future business inquiry. Also, you can expand your reach by contacting wedding photography profiles to feature your work.

Tips for finding your first client

But what if you’ve never done a photoshoot or worked with a client before?

If you’re wondering how to start a photography business with no experience, worry not. If you don’t have a portfolio, you can do a free photoshoot for your friends and family. Yes, you’re giving your time and labor away for free, but this is often necessary for new photographers. In return, these free gigs will build your experience and create sample pieces that you can market to future clients.

While posting your photography on social media can be helpful, you may want to build your small business website. Getting your own real estate on the internet creates a central resource for prospects to view your work and contact you. Also, having a dedicated domain name for your business adds a professional flair to your brand.

Step 8: Sell your photography online

Don’t limit your income to only the photography gigs you do with clients. You can also learn how to start a photography business by selling your images online. Many websites need stock photos to enhance their content and branding, and stock photo sites will pay to add your work to their database.

If you want to supplement your photography income, here are stock photo marketplaces you can visit:

Adobe Stock

iStockPhoto

Getty Images

BigStockPhoto

DepositPhotos

Shutterstock

Start Your Dream Business

The bottom line

Photography isn’t just a popular hobby; it can be a legitimate business, provided you have a passion for capturing timeless memories. Starting a photography business takes as much dedication as any other business, but the bonus is your work can be visceral and affecting. It’s also a business that is easy to start small and build up.

So, stop messing around with the photo apps on your smartphone. If want to learn how to start a photography business on the side and grow it into a full-time income, it’s time to take what you learned and get started.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

On a similar note...

Sample Photography Business Plan

Writing a business plan is a crucial step in starting a photography business. Not only does it provide structure and guidance for the future, but it also helps to create funding opportunities and attract potential investors. For aspiring photography business owners, having access to a sample photography business plan can be especially helpful in providing direction and gaining insight into how to draft their own photography business plan.

Download our Ultimate Photography Business Plan Template

Having a thorough business plan in place is critical for any successful photography venture. It will serve as the foundation for your operations, setting out the goals and objectives that will help guide your decisions and actions. A well-written business plan can give you clarity on realistic financial projections and help you secure financing from lenders or investors. A photography business plan example can be a great resource to draw upon when creating your own plan, making sure that all the key components are included in your document.

The photography business plan sample below will give you an idea of what one should look like. It is not as comprehensive and successful in raising capital for your photography as Growthink’s Ultimate Photography Business Plan Template , but it can help you write a photography business plan of your own.

Photography Business Plan Example – LensLegacy Studios

Table of contents, executive summary, company overview, industry analysis, customer analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management team, financial plan.

LensLegacy Studios, nestled in the vibrant heart of Minneapolis, is poised to revolutionize the photography industry with its innovative approach. Our mission is to provide top-tier photography services that not only capture moments but tell a story, creating lasting legacies through the lens. With a focus on utilizing the latest technology and creative techniques, we offer a wide range of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients. From capturing life’s most significant milestones for individuals and families to providing professional imagery that propels businesses forward, our studio is dedicated to excellence. Our strategic Minneapolis location allows us to connect with a broad clientele, ensuring we are an integral part of our community’s most cherished moments and commercial successes.

Our journey to becoming a cornerstone in the photography market is fueled by several key success factors and notable accomplishments. The expertise and passion of our founding team have been instrumental in shaping our innovative service offerings and customer-centric approach. We have successfully established a comprehensive portfolio that showcases our ability to cater to a wide array of photography needs, setting us apart in a competitive landscape. Additionally, our strategic partnerships with local businesses and our proactive engagement in networking activities have significantly expanded our market reach. These efforts have not only built a strong foundation for our brand but have also fostered a loyal customer base that appreciates the quality and uniqueness of our work.

The photography industry is witnessing a dynamic shift, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer preferences. Traditional photography services are being complemented with digital innovations, allowing for more creative and personalized offerings. This evolution has opened up new market segments, including personal branding and social media content creation, reflecting the growing demand for high-quality, engaging visuals. The competitive landscape is diverse, with studios differentiating themselves through niche specializations and superior customer experiences. Our strategic focus on leveraging the latest technology and trends positions us well within this evolving industry, enabling us to meet the expanding needs of our clients while staying ahead of market dynamics.

LensLegacy Studios targets a wide spectrum of customers, from local residents celebrating significant life events to businesses seeking professional photography solutions. Our primary market comprises individuals and families in Minneapolis, looking to capture weddings, anniversaries, and other milestones with high-quality, memorable photographs. Additionally, we cater to the commercial sector, including real estate agencies, retailers, and hospitality businesses, offering tailored photography services that enhance their online presence and marketing efforts. Recognizing the growing trend of personal branding, we also provide specialized packages for influencers, entrepreneurs, and professionals aiming to strengthen their digital footprint. This diversified customer base underscores our adaptability and commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our community.

Our top competitors include local photography studios that offer similar services. However, LensLegacy Studios distinguishes itself through a unique combination of cutting-edge technology, creative excellence, and personalized customer experiences. Our competitive advantages lie in our ability to deliver unparalleled quality and innovation in every project, coupled with our deep understanding of the local market. This enables us to provide services that not only meet but exceed the expectations of our diverse clientele, setting us apart in a crowded industry.

At LensLegacy Studios, our marketing strategy is centered around showcasing the breadth and depth of our photography services, complemented by competitive pricing. We offer a diverse range of services, from event photography to commercial shoots, all tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients. Our pricing strategy is designed to offer value while reflecting the premium quality of our work. To promote our studio, we leverage a mix of digital marketing tactics, including SEO, social media marketing, and email campaigns, alongside traditional advertising methods. Special promotions and partnerships with local businesses further enhance our visibility and attract a broad clientele. This comprehensive approach ensures that we effectively communicate our value proposition and engage with our target markets on multiple levels.

Our operations plan is meticulously crafted to ensure the seamless delivery of our services. Key operational processes include efficient booking, shooting, editing, and delivery workflows that prioritize customer satisfaction and turnaround times. We are committed to achieving several milestones, such as launching our business, building a robust portfolio, establishing a strong online presence, and fostering key partnerships. By securing high-quality equipment and software, and possibly expanding our team, we aim to enhance our operational capacity. Implementing an effective marketing strategy and optimizing our operational processes are pivotal to reaching our financial goal of $15,000 per month in revenue, while continuous improvement based on customer feedback will keep us aligned with our mission of excellence.

The backbone of LensLegacy Studios is our highly skilled and passionate management team. With a wealth of experience in photography, business management, and customer service, our leaders bring a diverse set of skills that drive our studio’s success. Their collective vision for innovation and excellence in the photography industry shapes our strategic direction and operational approaches, ensuring we deliver unmatched value to our clients. The team’s dedication to fostering a culture of creativity and continuous improvement is integral to our growth and sustainability.

Welcome to LensLegacy Studios, a new Photography venture based in the heart of Minneapolis, MN. As a freshly established local photography business, we’ve identified a significant gap in the market – the absence of high-quality local photography services. Our mission is to fill this void by offering exceptional photography solutions to our community.

At LensLegacy Studios, our portfolio of offerings is both diverse and specialized. We provide a wide range of photography services to meet the varied needs of our clients. These services include photography sessions that capture life’s most precious moments, event photography that documents your special occasions with a keen eye for detail, and photo editing and retouching services that ensure your images are picture-perfect. Additionally, we offer photography workshops and training for those looking to hone their skills under the guidance of experienced professionals, as well as commercial photography services tailored to businesses seeking high-quality visual content. Our studio is fully equipped to cater to all your photography needs, ensuring a one-stop solution for our clients in Minneapolis, MN.

Our strategic location in Minneapolis, MN, positions us perfectly to serve the local community with ease and efficiency. This proximity to our clients not only allows for convenient service delivery but also fosters a deeper connection with the community we aim to serve.

The foundation of LensLegacy Studios is built upon solid ground, with a unique blend of factors that poise us for success. Our founder brings invaluable experience from previously running a successful photography business, ensuring that we are well-versed in the intricacies of the industry. Moreover, our commitment to quality sets us apart from the competition. We pride ourselves on taking better quality photos and offering a wider array of packages, catering to the diverse needs and preferences of our clients.

Since our inception on January 3, 2024, LensLegacy Studios has made significant strides as a C Corporation. Our accomplishments to date include the creative development of our brand identity, with a carefully designed logo and a compelling company name that resonates with our mission and values. Additionally, we’ve secured an ideal location that not only serves as our operational base but also enhances our accessibility to clients. These milestones mark the beginning of our journey, laying a strong foundation for our future endeavors.

The Photography industry in the United States is currently a thriving market, with an estimated size of over $10 billion. This figure includes revenues generated from various photography services such as portrait, commercial, event, and stock photography. With the increasing demand for professional photography services across different sectors, the industry is expected to continue growing at a steady rate in the coming years.

One of the key trends driving the growth of the Photography industry is the rise of social media platforms and online marketing. Businesses and individuals alike are increasingly relying on high-quality visual content to attract and engage their target audience. This presents a great opportunity for LensLegacy Studios, a new Photography serving customers in Minneapolis, MN, to capitalize on the growing demand for professional photography services in the digital age.

Furthermore, advancements in technology have also played a significant role in shaping the Photography industry. The introduction of high-resolution cameras, editing software, and online platforms for showcasing and selling photographs have made it easier for photographers to reach a wider audience and monetize their work. As LensLegacy Studios leverages these technological advancements to enhance their services and offerings, they are well-positioned to succeed in the competitive photography market.

Below is a description of our target customers and their core needs.

Target Customers

LensLegacy Studios will target a diverse range of local residents seeking professional photography services. This primary customer base is composed of individuals and families looking to capture significant life events such as weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. The studio will tailor its offerings to meet the unique needs and preferences of these local clients, ensuring high-quality, memorable photographs that reflect their special moments.

Aside from local residents, LensLegacy Studios will also extend its services to local businesses in need of professional photography. These include real estate agencies requiring high-quality images of properties, local retailers looking for product photography to enhance their online presence, and hospitality businesses seeking captivating images to promote their venues. By providing tailored photography solutions, the studio will establish itself as an indispensable resource for the commercial sector in Minneapolis.

Moreover, LensLegacy Studios will also focus on the growing market of personal branding and social media content creation. As individuals seek to build their personal brands online, the demand for professional profile pictures and content that stands out is increasing. The studio will offer specialized packages for influencers, entrepreneurs, and professionals who aim to enhance their digital footprint with high-quality, engaging visuals. This approach will address a modern and rapidly expanding segment, further diversifying the studio’s client base.

Customer Needs

LensLegacy Studios understands the vital importance of capturing life’s most precious moments through the lens of a camera. Customers can expect high-quality photography sessions that not only meet but exceed their desires for capturing memories in a tangible form. This studio ensures that every shot reflects the depth, emotion, and essence of the moment, allowing residents to cherish these memories for years to come.

In addition to offering superior quality images, LensLegacy Studios recognizes the need for a personalized and comfortable photography experience. Customers have the opportunity to work closely with photographers who are not only experts in their field but also attentive to the unique needs and preferences of each client. This personalized approach ensures that every photography session is not just a transaction, but a collaborative effort that brings the client’s vision to life.

Furthermore, LensLegacy Studios caters to the growing demand for versatile photography services. Whether it’s capturing the spontaneous laughter of a family gathering, the poised elegance of a corporate event, or the tender moments of a wedding, customers can count on the studio to deliver with professionalism and creativity. By offering a broad range of services, LensLegacy Studios positions itself as a one-stop photography solution for the diverse needs of the Minneapolis community.

LensLegacy Studios’s competitors include the following companies:

Sarah Pierce Photography specializes in family, newborn, and wedding photography. Their services include on-location shoots and studio sessions, with packages tailored to meet a variety of client needs. Price points for Sarah Pierce Photography vary based on the type of session and package chosen, but they maintain competitive pricing within the Minneapolis market. The company operates primarily in Minneapolis, MN, but also serves surrounding areas. Customers include families, newlyweds, and individuals seeking high-quality, memorable photography. A key strength of Sarah Pierce Photography is their personalized approach to each shoot, ensuring unique and tailored experiences. However, a potential weakness is the limited scalability due to the personalized nature of their services.

Minneapolis Headshots focuses exclusively on professional headshots for individuals and corporate clients. They offer studio and on-location services, with an emphasis on creating professional, high-quality images suitable for corporate websites, LinkedIn profiles, and personal branding. Pricing is transparent and competitive, with several package options to cater to different needs and budgets. Minneapolis Headshots serves the greater Minneapolis area, targeting professionals and corporations in need of professional imagery. Their key strength lies in their specialization and expertise in professional headshot photography, ensuring high-quality results. However, their niche focus can be seen as a weakness, limiting their appeal to a broader audience seeking more diverse photography services.

John Wagner Photography is known for its commercial and editorial photography, serving a wide range of clients from small businesses to large corporations. They offer a variety of services, including product photography, corporate headshots, and commercial advertising imagery. John Wagner Photography operates across the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and even extends services nationally for larger projects. Their client base includes businesses and organizations looking for high-quality commercial imagery. A significant strength of John Wagner Photography is their extensive experience and versatility in handling a diverse array of commercial projects. A potential weakness is the higher price point, which may not be accessible for smaller businesses or startups.

Profeshie is a newer entrant in the Minneapolis photography market, focusing on affordable and quick professional headshots and personal branding photography. They utilize a mobile studio, allowing them to offer convenient services at various locations. Profeshie aims to attract individuals and small businesses seeking cost-effective photography solutions. Their pricing is among the most competitive in the market, making professional photography accessible to a wider audience. The company serves the Minneapolis metropolitan area, targeting professionals, freelancers, and small business owners. A key strength of Profeshie is their affordability and convenience. However, their reliance on a mobile studio might limit the range of services and the quality of lighting and backgrounds compared to traditional studio settings.

Competitive Advantages

At LensLegacy Studios, we stand out in the competitive landscape of photography through our unwavering commitment to quality and variety. Our team excels in capturing stunning, high-quality photos that not only meet but exceed our clients’ expectations. We understand the importance of those once-in-a-lifetime moments, and our expertise ensures they are immortalized with the clarity and vibrancy they deserve. Our edge in quality is not just a claim; it’s a promise we deliver on, with every click of our cameras. This dedication to excellence positions us as a preferred choice for clients seeking unparalleled photographic experiences in Minneapolis.

Furthermore, our adaptability and responsiveness to customer needs are exemplified through our extensive range of packages. We pride ourselves on offering a diverse selection that caters to various preferences and budgets, ensuring that no moment goes uncaptured due to financial constraints. From intimate elopements to grand celebrations, our packages are designed to accommodate the unique requirements of each event, providing our clients with personalized options that best suit their needs. This flexibility, combined with our superior photo quality, creates a competitive advantage that sets us apart. By choosing LensLegacy Studios, clients can expect a service that is as accommodating as it is exceptional.

Our marketing plan, included below, details our products/services, pricing and promotions plan.

Products and Services

LensLegacy Studios offers a comprehensive suite of photography services tailored to meet the diverse needs of its clientele. At the heart of its offerings is a range of photography sessions designed to capture life’s most precious moments. Clients can book sessions for family portraits, individual shoots, or special occasions. The average price for these photography sessions starts at $200, varying based on the duration and location of the shoot.

Event photography is another critical service provided by LensLegacy Studios. This service caters to a wide array of events, including weddings, corporate gatherings, and private parties. The studio’s photographers possess the skill to capture the essence and energy of each event, ensuring clients have lasting memories. Pricing for event photography is typically structured around the event’s scale and requirements, with packages starting at $500.

In addition to capturing beautiful moments, LensLegacy Studios excels in photo editing and retouching. This service ensures that every image meets the highest standards of quality, with attention to detail that brings out the best in each photograph. Prices for photo editing and retouching services start at $50 per image, depending on the complexity of the work required.

LensLegacy Studios is also dedicated to sharing its expertise through photography workshops and training. These sessions are designed for individuals looking to improve their photography skills, from beginners to more advanced enthusiasts. The workshops cover various aspects of photography and post-processing techniques. Participants can expect to invest around $150 for a basic workshop, with more advanced training sessions priced accordingly.

Finally, the studio offers commercial photography services, catering to businesses in need of professional images for marketing, advertising, or other commercial purposes. These services are tailored to meet the specific needs of each business, ensuring that the final images align with the client’s brand and objectives. Commercial photography services start at $300, varying based on the project’s scope and complexity.

LensLegacy Studios is committed to providing exceptional photography services at competitive prices. With a focus on quality, creativity, and client satisfaction, the studio aims to be the go-to choice for photography services in its market.

Promotions Plan

LensLegacy Studios embarks on a vibrant journey to captivate and engage customers through a multitude of promotional methods, with a strong emphasis on online marketing. They understand the power of digital presence and will harness it to reach a broad audience. Their promotional strategy encompasses a variety of tactics designed to attract and retain customers, ensuring that LensLegacy Studios becomes a household name in Minneapolis, MN.

At the heart of their promotional efforts, online marketing stands as a cornerstone. LensLegacy Studios will leverage social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, showcasing their portfolio of stunning photography. Through regular posts, behind-the-scenes content, and engaging stories, they expect to build a community of followers who are passionate about photography. Additionally, they will utilize targeted ads on these platforms to reach potential customers based on interests, location, and more, ensuring maximum visibility.

Email marketing is another tool LensLegacy Studios will employ. By collecting email addresses through their website and at events, they will send out newsletters containing special offers, photography tips, and highlights from recent photoshoots. This personalized approach will keep LensLegacy Studios at the top of their customers’ minds.

Understanding the significance of search engine visibility, LensLegacy Studios will invest in search engine optimization (SEO) for their website. By optimizing their site with relevant keywords, they expect to rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find them when searching for photography services in Minneapolis.

Beyond the digital realm, LensLegacy Studios will engage in community events and photography workshops. Participating in local art fairs and community gatherings will not only increase their visibility but also allow direct interaction with potential customers. Hosting workshops on photography basics or specific techniques will position LensLegacy Studios as experts in their field, fostering trust and credibility among their audience.

Referral programs will also play a crucial role in their promotional strategy. Satisfied customers will receive incentives for referring friends and family, turning their customer base into a network of advocates. This word-of-mouth promotion is invaluable and will contribute significantly to their growth.

In conclusion, LensLegacy Studios will deploy a comprehensive mix of online and offline promotional methods to attract customers. From leveraging the power of social media and SEO to engaging with the community and implementing referral programs, they are set to make a significant impact in the Minneapolis photography scene.

Our Operations Plan details:

• The key day-to-day processes that our business performs to serve our customers
• The key business milestones that our company expects to accomplish as we grow

Key Operational Processes

To ensure the success of LensLegacy Studios, there are several key day-to-day operational processes that we will perform.

• Customer Engagement: Interact with potential and existing customers via phone, email, and social media to answer queries, book appointments, and receive feedback.
• Scheduling Appointments: Utilize a digital calendar system to manage photography session bookings, ensuring clients have clear expectations for their session date and time.
• Equipment Maintenance: Regularly check and maintain photography equipment to ensure everything is in working order, including cameras, lenses, flashes, and other accessories.
• Session Preparation: Prepare for each photography session by gathering necessary equipment, reviewing client requests and session plans, and ensuring all settings are ideal for the shoot.
• Photography Sessions: Conduct photography sessions according to the client’s needs, demonstrating professionalism and creativity to capture high-quality images.
• Post-Processing: Edit photos using appropriate software to adjust exposure, color balance, and other elements to enhance the final images before delivery to the client.
• Client Deliverables: Provide clients with their images in the agreed format and medium, within the discussed timeframe, ensuring high satisfaction levels.
• Financial Management: Track income and expenses daily to manage the studio’s budget effectively, including invoicing clients and paying any vendors or contractors.
• Marketing Activities: Execute daily marketing tasks, such as updating social media profiles, posting recent work, and engaging with the community to attract new clients.
• Professional Development: Stay updated with the latest photography techniques, trends, and equipment through online courses, workshops, and industry publications.
• Feedback Collection: Solicit and review feedback from clients after the delivery of their photographs to identify areas for improvement and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Inventory Management: Regularly check and restock photography supplies, such as memory cards, batteries, and props, to ensure readiness for all sessions.

LensLegacy Studios expects to complete the following milestones in the coming months in order to ensure its success:

• Launch Our Photography Business: Officially open for business by completing all necessary steps to be operational. This includes legal registration, setting up a physical or virtual office, and announcing the opening through various channels to create awareness.
• Build a Portfolio: Develop a comprehensive portfolio that showcases the range and quality of our work. This will involve doing some initial projects possibly at a discounted rate or for visibility to capture high-quality examples of our work.
• Establish Online Presence: Create a professional website and active social media accounts to display our portfolio, share customer testimonials, and engage with potential clients. This online presence will be crucial for marketing and brand building.
• Network and Partnerships: Build relationships with other businesses such as event planners, venues, and local agencies to foster referrals and partnerships. Networking events, business associations, and community events will be key avenues for these efforts.
• Secure Key Equipment and Software: Acquire high-quality photography equipment and editing software necessary for professional-grade service. This includes cameras, lenses, lighting, and software for photo editing and management.
• Hire and Train Staff: If necessary, hire additional photographers or support staff to handle increased demand. Provide training to ensure the quality of service and consistency across all projects and client interactions.
• Implement an Effective Marketing Strategy: Develop and execute a marketing plan that includes digital marketing, local advertising, and special promotions to attract a wide range of clients from individuals needing personal photos to businesses requiring professional shots.
• Optimize Operational Processes: Establish efficient booking, shooting, editing, and delivery processes to maximize customer satisfaction and turnaround times. This includes implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) system to track bookings and interactions.
• Get to $15,000/Month in Revenue: Achieve the financial milestone of generating $15,000 per month in revenue. This will involve constantly reviewing pricing strategies, sales efforts, and cost management to ensure profitability and sustainability.
• Customer Feedback and Continuous Improvement: Regularly collect customer feedback to identify areas of improvement and success. Use this feedback to refine services, processes, and customer interaction to enhance overall customer satisfaction and loyalty.

LensLegacy Studios management team, which includes the following members, has the experience and expertise to successfully execute on our business plan:

Nathan Cox, President

Nathan Cox brings a wealth of experience to his role as President of LensLegacy Studios. His entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen were honed through the successful management of a previous photography business. This venture not only showcased his ability to lead but also his deep understanding of the nuanced photography industry. Nathan’s expertise lies in identifying market trends, crafting strategic business models, and leading teams towards achieving collective goals. His leadership is instrumental in steering LensLegacy Studios toward a path of innovation, growth, and lasting success in the competitive photography market.

To achieve our growth objectives, LensLegacy Studios is seeking financial investments. These funds will be instrumental in expanding our operational capabilities, enhancing our marketing efforts, and further developing our service offerings. With a strategic investment, we are poised to solidify our position in the market, attract a broader clientele, and achieve our financial milestones, ensuring long-term success and profitability.

Financial Statements

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Income Statement

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Cash Flow Statement

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Photography Business Plan Example PDF

Download our Photography Business Plan PDF here. This is a free photography business plan example to help you get started on your own photography plan.  

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If you’ve ever asked yourself: How do I market my photography business? …this is the guide for you!

Effective marketing for photographers is essential for success in 2024 – unfortunately, taking amazing images isn’t enough to succeed.

Customizable design solutions with content so it's easy to manage, market and grow your business.

If you’re stepping into the world of professional photography or starting a photography business , how do you find your first client? What do photography clients want?

… and when you have your ideal client, how can you increase your photography sales?

Photography marketing, advertising and promotion are your keys to success, so let’s dive in and create a marketing plan to build your photography business.

Table of Contents

16 Photography Marketing Ideas to Grow your Business in 2024

1. define your target audience.

You can be the best photographer in the world – but if you don’t have clients, you won’t be able to run a successful photography business.

The best way to get new clients is to understand who might be interested in your photography services and how you can reach them.

Let’s say you have a portrait photography business and you want to advertise on social media platforms. You need to know who your target audience is to define if you should be spending your budget on Facebook ads or a video marketing campaign for TikTok.

TikTok’s users are mostly under the age of 34, with the majority of them ranging between 16 and 24 years old. Facebook’s largest demographic ranges between 25 and 34 years old.

So, if you focus on senior portraits, your ideal clients are more likely to use TikTok. If you do engagement sessions, you’ll probably be better off advertising on Facebook.

That’s just one quick example to show you how important it is to understand your target market. The better you define your audience, the more clients you’ll get.

2. Invest in photography marketing materials

While creating a digital marketing strategy is undoubtedly important to market your photography business in 2024, having an offline strategy is still something to consider.

Most photographers’ target markets are online – social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, etc. However, it’s still worth the effort to invest in certain physical photography marketing materials.

You’ll have to decide which is most appropriate for your photography business, but in general, here are some of the items you might need:

• Business cards
• Greetings cards
• Price menus (see below)
• Client welcome packs (see below)

Give some thought to a photography slogan or tagline for your new business – something catchy and memorable that you can use on all the marketing material.

When starting your own photography business, it’s tempting to try and design your own photography marketing materials – after all, how hard could making a DIY business card be, right?!

In fact, investing some of your money into a graphic designer is usually a better idea – they’ll do it much better than you, and you’ll save lots of time and frustration.

If you don’t have the budget for it, another great option is to use templates – everything has been laid out by a designer, and all you have to do is replace the various elements with your own text and photos.

You can download some good Instagram Story templates here or see below for our selection of the best photography marketing templates.

3. Build a network

This is one of the best ways to get the right clients at your door, and it will help you grow as you can start to do cross-selling and upselling.

When you build a network with other professionals, you can create collaborations and partnerships.

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For example, let’s say you’re a wedding photographer. Every bride-to-be looking for a wedding photographer will also be looking for someone to do her hair and makeup.

If you team up, they can recommend you to their clients – and you can recommend them to yours. Maybe you can offer a discount if they hire both of you.

In every photography sector, there’s a professional that you can connect with. Suppose you do interior photography – partner up with home stagers and interior designers. If you do food photography, try to connect with chefs and food stylists.

Look for local businesses to become co-marketing partners with, and you’ll see how your clientele will grow organically.

4. Start a blog

Many photographers think of blogging as a profession on its own and don’t consider writing a blog as part of being a photographer.

Yes, some people make a living out of writing blogs that have nothing to do with photography. However, blogging can be an excellent marketing tool for photographers.

First of all, you can drive people to your website. Some of them will be colleagues that won’t become your clients, but some of them will be potential clients that were googling information on the type of services you offer.

You’ll build a reputation for being an expert in the subject that you’re specialized in. This happens only if you offer quality content, so keep the standards high, of course.

If these reasons weren’t enough to get you started on a blog, what about this: You can, in fact, make money out of your blog and build another source of income that’s completely independent of your photo sessions or artwork sales – and that’s always a good thing.

See here for how to start a photography blog .

5. Build a social media presence

Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no denying that you need to have at least one social media profile to grow your business and create credibility.

Each social media channel has a different purpose and vibe. While Instagram serves as a portfolio, LinkedIn is more adequate to share business news and insights – then there’s Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, and so on.

Choose the ones that are more suitable for your type of business, build a profile and keep it updated.

This can be very time-consuming and also distracting if you end up scrolling your feed every time you go in to post something. So, it’s better if you organize a calendar on what to post and when.

Then, you can take advantage of all the apps, websites and tools available to manage your social media most efficiently.

• Does Boosting Posts on Instagram Work?

6. Get featured

If you think getting featured in magazines, blogs, or Instagram accounts happens when the editor discovers your talent and calls to invite you… you’re missing out on great opportunities.

Of course, that can happen – but most of the time, the photographer is the one proposing to be featured. The important thing is that you need to target the right places.

A sports magazine won’t feature a wedding photographer, for example – you need to fit their audience.

So, do some research and start knocking on doors – figuratively. Some publications have open calls where you send your material to apply. If not, you should get in touch with the editor or the decision-maker.

It probably won’t yield results overnight, but neither does any other technique – growing a business takes time and effort.

7. Use Google My Business

Most people Google the solution for their needs. If someone wants to open a restaurant in New York and they need pictures for the menu, they’ll probably start by going online and googling “food photographers in New York”.

A Google My Business account is a free tool that allows you to show up in people’s searches and Google Maps. In your profile, you can add photos, describe your services, and add all your contact information. People can also see other customers’ reviews.

Also, you can keep track of how many people have searched, viewed, or interacted with your profile. You can even create a free website that automatically updates if you change the information on your profile – or you can connect it with the website you already have.

Just keep in mind that you can’t use Google My Business if you run your business completely online – you need to have a physical location.

8. Build an e-mail list

An e-mail list is useful to attract clients because they already know you and are interested in your services.

On the list, you can have past clients that you’re looking to turn into recurring ones. Also include current clients to keep them updated and potential clients who might need a little push to decide.

That’s why an email list can include news and updates about your business, discounts or a free gift, a referral program, or even season’s greetings during the holidays. Segmenting your emails is more effective – this one of the keys to effective online marketing .

To encourage people to subscribe, you can have a landing page, a pop-up on your website, posts and advertisements on social media, or you can offer a freebie.

Make sure you’re clear about your privacy policies and try to offer quality content instead of spamming people – otherwise, they’ll unsubscribe right away.

9. Encourage word of mouth with referral discounts

Word of mouth is way more effective than any type of advertising. Think about it, would you rather go to someone your friends recommended or someone whose ad showed up in a Google search?

Of course, Google ads are a great marketing idea – I’ve already talked about using Google business pages. However, a referral has an added value because people trust a good experience from someone they know.

So, the first thing you need is to have satisfied customers – otherwise, they won’t recommend you regardless of the benefits you might offer them.

Then, encourage them to tell all their friends by offering a discount or a free gift every time they send a client your way.

10. Organize a webinar

Organizing a webinar is a great way to grow your e-mail list, engage with your target audience and establish yourself in your niche.

You’ve probably signed up or attended webinars yourself, so you pretty much know how it works.

You shouldn’t offer something that you’re not going to deliver, and you shouldn’t spend too much time just selling yourself without offering quality content – otherwise, people will leave and unsubscribe.

Just think about who you want to connect with and think about what type of information is interesting for them.

If you make fine art photography, for example, offer a webinar about starting an art collection. If you’re a wedding photographer, offer a webinar on how to pose for your wedding photos.

If you don’t like the webinar format, you can offer other types of content – a behind-the-scenes look, for example.

11. Keep your website updated

Whether you have an elaborate photography website or a simple online portfolio , you should regularly update the content to keep popping up in search engines.

Also, because both photography and website designs are subject to trends, if your style of photography or the overall look of your website becomes outdated, you’ll be less appealing than other photographers.

Even a small change can make a huge difference. If you add a blog section, you can post regularly to refresh your website and encourage visitors to come back often.

If it’s completely image-based, then you can add a new gallery or change the main image on the landing page to change looks.

Bonus tip: Include a ‘News’ section and add social media integration to offer new content every time you post on your social accounts. That way, your website stays fresh without you having to dedicate much time to updating it.

12. Organize and update your database

We’ve discussed email lists as one of our photography marketing ideas, but you can also set up a database or CRM.

A database goes beyond an email list because it includes more than clients, and it can be used for more than marketing.

Your database can include clients, suppliers, marketing partners, etc., and you can use it to keep track of their situation and what stage you’re at in the relationship.

For example, you can keep track of which clients need after-sale assistance, which ones you’re waiting to receive feedback from, which contacts you need to follow up with, and so on.

You can include contacts from across your network – that means colleagues and other professionals from your sector you want to reach out to in order to find co-marketing partners.

Another part of your database can be dedicated to social media accounts that you can contact for possible features, business opportunities, etc.

Most photography studio management software offers a database feature.

13. Participate in charity events

I love this lead generation strategy because it’s not only effective, it’s incredibly rewarding.

There are lots of ways in which you can give back to the community and get your business name out there at the same time.

Pet photographers are incredibly organized in this sector – Focus on Rescue and HeARTs Speak are great examples of how much impact photography can have in helping others.

By volunteering their time and talent to photograph homeless cats and dogs, they build adopting campaigns with much success.

If your photography isn’t suitable for this type of thing, try donating artwork for a silent auction or donate part of your profits to the charity of your choice.

14. Develop short and long term marketing strategies

When you pass from enthusiast to professional photographer, you should build your marketing strategy in two stages.

One that will help you take off and help you pay the bills you’ll start getting from day one of your professional activities. And a second phase aimed to make your business grow – for example, creating brand awareness.

Short term photography marketing ideas:

• Limited time promos and discounts –  this will encourage people to hire you right away before the promotion ends.
• Sell your images or services at a local event.

Long term photography marketing ideas:

• Optimize your website’s SEO to gain online visibility – use popular photography keywords .
• Organize an online contest to gain more social media followers.
• Write guest posts to get featured.

15. Participate in targeted events

Credit: Markus Spiske

A great way to network with other professionals and get new clients is to attend fairs, conventions and other targeted events.

For example, fine art photographers can participate in art fairs; wedding photographers can visit bridal fairs, and so on. This is a great way to connect with potential clients that are actively looking for what you offer.

Also, regardless of your field, you should attend photography conventions. This will keep you updated on new trends and the latest technologies.

It’s also a way to expand your network of other professionals, which is enriching and helpful.

16. Consider hiring a professional

At this point, you’re probably exhausted and wondering how are you going to even take any photos if you have to do all this marketing stuff.

Well, that’s part of being a freelancer or small business owner. However, if you do this part right, you’ll grow big enough to be able to delegate these tasks to other professionals.

If you feel your business can benefit from it and you can afford it – why not hire someone who knows how to keep your business growing? That will help to free up your time so you can dedicate it to your photography.

This person can be a community manager, a marketing specialist or a PR representative – whatever it is that you need.  It’s not an expense – it’s an investment .

3 Best Photography Marketing Templates & Materials

Need a hand finding potential clients or planning a successful photography marketing strategy in 2024?

These photography marketing templates from Design Aglow will save you a ton of time, help define your brand and establish yourself as a sought-after photographer.

1. Lookbooks

‘Lookbooks’ are editorial-style templates that help showcase your best work and any photography products you sell (albums, prints, etc.).

Each Lookbook photography marketing template includes product mockups, placeholder text for you to edit with your own words, and an image for you to swap out with your best photography.

You can print them out to give your clients a magazine-style experience, or share them digitally so they can learn more about your photography business on their phone or tablet.

Each template includes:

• 16 customizable page layouts, sized 8.5×11″
• layered Photoshop PSD files for easy customizing
• professionally crafted and customizable content

Learn more about LookBooks and download them here.

2. Price Menus

Every photography marketing template needs a price menu to provide a way for prospective clients to see what it costs to hire your services or purchase your products.

Photography business owners typically share their pricing via websites or over email, but having a beautifully designed printed price menu will set you apart from competitors, and add considerable value to your offerings.

Marketing photography over social media and digital mediums is too common – stand out from the crowd with printed media to help attract your ideal client.

Learn more about Price Menus and download them here.

3. Client Welcome Packs

Whether you’re a wedding photographer or shooting freelance, having a well-designed client welcome pack is a great step to marketing your photography business.

Without knowing it, potential clients want to invest in an experience – not just a set of beautiful photos! Using a client welcome pack can really help with this.

As mentioned before, the fact that these photography marketing templates can be printed out and physically given to your ideal client will help you stand out from your competition – most marketing efforts these days are 100% digital.

Every Client Welcome Packet includes:

• Welcome Cards
• Camera Ready Guide
• Product Guide
• Session Experience Card
• Session Reminder/Business Care

Learn more about Welcome Packs and download them here.

Final Words

These are some of the best photography marketing ideas to grow your business which professional photographers are using here in 2024.

If you have any questions or you want to suggest any other strategies, leave a comment below – we’ll be happy to hear from you.

Check out these 8 essential tools to help you succeed as a professional photographer.

Includes limited-time discounts.

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Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.

Great read! For more insights into multimedia motion, check out https://kbmediacorp.ca/multimedia-motion/ .

Advertising photography holds a unique and captivating power to grab our attention, ignite our emotions, and ultimately persuade us to take action. It is a form of visual storytelling that seamlessly combines creativity, technical prowess, and marketing strategy to create impactful images that leave a lasting impression.

Thanks for reading my article – let me know if you have any questions.

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Unlock the EXACT blueprint to capture breathtaking iPhone photos!

iPhone Photography Basics: How to shoot a 365 project

W hat better way to learn the iPhone photography basics than by capturing an image every single day for a whole year? A 365 project might sound like a daunting task, but when you consider the thousands of photos that likely already exist on your iPhone or on iCloud , it’s an entirely doable challenge. In fact, there’s a good chance you use your iPhone camera almost every day anyway. The only difference here is that you’re going to be taking your photography that little bit more seriously so you can develop your skills as an iPhone photographer. 

Embarking on a 365 project will immediately give you a goal to work towards, adding a sense of purpose to the photographs that you capture. And if you plan your days effectively, you’ll be able to throw in your fair share of challenges along the way. This is integral in allowing you to develop your photography skills, just make sure you don’t become too ambitious too quickly. Just like an endurance race, a 365 project is a marathon, not a sprint. Shoot three sunsets and four sunrises in the first week and there’s no way you can keep that level of commitment up. 

So, if you’re thinking about starting a 365 project today, here are a few tips to help you avoid throwing the towel in so you can journey forth and become a better photographer…

Brainstorm photography ideas

There is quite simply no genre of photography that doesn’t benefit from planning. And a 365 project is no different. If you leave capturing your photo to the last minute every day, you risk running out of ideas and becoming frustrated. You certainly won’t be capturing your best work. 

As soon as you commit to a 365 project, brainstorm your ideas. Your iPhone’s Notes app is a great way of doing this, so you have access to them at all times. Write down the various genres you’d like to try and then get more specific with particular mini projects you’d like to work on. You can then start to plan your time more effectively and shoot more ambitious images.

Avoid unrealistic expectations

Vowing to capture 365 images in a single year is a huge undertaking and it’s easy to become disillusioned, especially if you set unrealistic expectations. A 365 project is anything you want it to be: a visual diary of your life, an excuse to take photos or a practice regime that allows you to build your skillset. Just don’t expect to capture an award-winning iPhone image every single day. Even the world’s best photographers would struggle to shoot their best work on such a consistent basis. 

Instead, allow yourself to find creative ways to come up with easy wins on days when you’re busy and save more ambitious projects for the days when you’ve got the time. If all you manage to capture is an artistic ray of window light, highlighting the cup on your desk one day, that’s not a problem. And while you should try your best not to miss a day, if you do, simply shoot two photos the next day and move on.

Keep a camera with you at all times

If you were shooting with a dedicated camera, this would be an extremely important step. But it highlights the real beauty of iPhone photography and why – even as a seasoned photographer – I take my iPhone Camera seriously . It’s the camera that’s always by your side, making it arguably the best camera you could use for a 365 project.

Whether you’re on your way back to the office with your lunch and you spot a fantastic piece of architecture, or you’re walking the dog in the evening and are met with beautiful golden light, or you’re off on a city break, your iPhone is the camera that’s always by your side.

Experiment with genres and iPhone tech

Experimentation is key if you want to use your 365 project to develop your skills, but it’s also a great way to get to know your iPhone camera inside out. I’m willing to bet that most iPhone photographers keep their camera on the main wide-angle lens and don’t deviate further. This is your chance to experiment with different lenses: try shooting a fun portrait with the ultra-wide-angle lens or if you’re lucky enough to have an iPhone 15 Pro Max , put that brand-new 5x telephoto lens through its paces. Explore functions like Pano, Portrait, and Night modes. Apply a filter and shoot in black and white or finally get round to learning how to edit iPhone photos the right way by delving into the Photos app’s editing functions. 

Challenge yourself

Just as you don’t want to set yourself unrealistic expectations, you also don’t want to go too far the other way. If all you do is take a quick snap every day, with little thought regarding composition , the quality of light, or whether or not you’re using the right lens, you simply will not improve as a photographer. You need to push yourself out of your comfort zone at certain times throughout the year. This might be trying a different genre like street photography or portraiture, it might be learning more about your iPhone camera and using the various features to their fullest. Either way, you have to push yourself to get better.

Share and collate your images

There really is something special about seeing a body of work. In a world where digital photography means we can shoot and move on, and the time-sensitive nature of digital media means articles and images are soon lost to the annals of time, seeing a collection of your images in one place is a really satisfying way to chart progress. It’s one of the main reasons why Instagram became so popular, after all. 

Creating an Instagram account for your 365 project is a fantastic way of collating your work and sharing it with others. It also gives your project an additional purpose and allows you to receive constructive criticism, garner inspiration from other accounts and receive positive comments to motivate you further. And if you don’t want to share your project online, you can create a folder in the Photos app, so you can still collate your work and browse through it in one place.

Find a photography partner

Persuading a friend, or even a group of friends, to partake in a 365 project is a great way to stay inspired and motivated, while also introducing a healthy dose of competition. This allows you to really immerse yourself within the project. Encouragement will spur you on and constructive criticism will help you develop. You may even find yourselves heading out together and becoming more ambitious with your efforts. But easily the most valuable by-product of teaming up, is an added sense of accountability. If you ever find yourself disillusioned or lacking the motivation to continue, your photography partner will be there to lift you up and encourage you to push on.

But I’m too busy to take a photo every day… 

Photography should be about having fun. Force yourself to embark on a 365 project and it could have an adverse effect. If your life is simply too busy for a 365 project right now, you can still use almost all of the tips above, but apply them to more manageable, mini projects. This might be taking a photo every time you walk the dog, only capturing black and white photography for a month, or focusing on a street photography project during a city break. Multiple ‘mini projects’ throughout the year may prove just as valuable as a 365 project. You're on the right track as long as you’re motivated to capture photos regularly.

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Garden tours, plants sales and more ways to spend time among flowers

Visit Maine's botanical gardens or get a sneak peek of what your neighbors are growing in their back yards.

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One of the loveliest ways to ease yourself fully out of the post-winter blahs and into springtime is to quit being a wallflower and instead surround yourself with living, blooming plants.

From botanical gardens to plant sales and garden tours, it’s time to make like the Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz” and while away the hours, conferring with flowers.

The waterfall at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Photo by Tory Paxson, Courtesy of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

TOTALLY BOTANICAL

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay is open for the season, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Maine Days are May 31 to June 2, when anyone with a Maine driver’s license or state ID gets in for free. Ditto for dads/father figures on Father’s Day (June 16). Advance registration is required. With more than 300 acres of gardens and natural spaces, including a waterfall, there will be plenty to see, smell and bask in the scenery.

Here are more things to do in Boothbay

A tour group walks on the boardwalk at Viles Arboretum in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Viles Arboretum is a botanical garden in Augusta with 6 miles of trails and more than 20 botanical collections. It’s open daily from sunrise to sunset, and admission is free. There are 224 acres with all sorts of flora and fauna to discover. Leashed dogs are welcome, and the visitor center is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Viles Arboretum offers medicinal plant walks, and although the May 18 session is full, you can still register for the June 15 and Sept. 14 events, lead by herbalist, homeopath and flower essence practitioner Debra Bluth. Tickets are $25. Advertisement

The Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve has four areas to explore on its property in Northeast Harbor: the Asticou Azelea Garden (dawn to dusk daily), the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden (noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday from July 9 to Sept. 8, reservations required), Thuya Garden (dawn to dusk daily, June 15 to Oct. 14) and Little Long Pond Natural Lands (hiking trails and carriage roads open dawn to dusk daily). On June 26, at the Wildflowers of Little Long Pond event, participants can wander around the garden’s fields and forest, spotting wildflowers along the way while practicing how to identify them.

Joyce Saltman, right, and Beth Anisbeck embrace a tree for 60 seconds during a tree hugging event sponsored by Portland Parks and Recreation, at Deering Oaks Park last year. Carl D. Walsh/Staff Photographer

TOURS AND MORE

2nd Annual Tree Hugging 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Deering Oaks Park, Portland. portlandmaine.gov The tree hugging is a family-friendly community gathering to celebrate Portland’s many trees. Park ranger Liz Collado will lead a sensory awakening and forest bathing session. Along with tree hugging, there will be a storytime, and you can touch a forestry truck and meet naturalist Noah Querido and Portland city arborist Mark Reiland. Just down the road, you’ll find Fessenden Park, on the corner of Brighton and Deering Avenues. The tulips have arrived, and it’s worth a visit to see them.

McLaughlin Garden Lilac Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 24. McLaughlin Garden and Homestead, 97 Main St., South Paris, $5. mclaughlingardens.org You’ll find more than 125 varieties of lilacs at the McLaughlin Garden Lilac Festival. Explore on your own or take a guided tour led by a horticulturist. There will also be family-friendly activities, and you can shop for native and unusual plants.

4th annual Woodfords Community Garden Tour 1-4 p.m. June 8. Woodfords Corner Community in Back Cove, Deering Highlands, Oakdale and Deering Center, $20 suggested donation. woodfordscorner.org Presented by Friends of Woodfords Corner, this self-guided tour features at least 10 gardens. As you make your way down the list, you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised by all of the hidden havens bursting with flowers, plants and impressive yardscaping elements.

Peony Society of Maine 23rd annual Garden Tour 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 8 and 15. Both tours start at 1348 Ohio St., Bangor, $5 donation. peonysocietyofmaine.net You’ll visit multiple gardens in Bangor, Winterport, Ripley and St. Albans, and your senses will be filled with countless peonies. A peony plant will be raffled off at the end of each tour. Advertisement

Hidden Gardens of Historic Bath 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 22. Sagadahoc Preservation Inc., 880 Washington St., Bath, $40. sagadahocpreservation.org The Hidden Gardens of Historic Bath house and garden tour features several homes in North Bath. Every stop on the tour will be a treat for your senses and may motivate you to make some of your own magic when you get back home.

Garden Conservancy Open Garden Days 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 29. Beckett Castle Rose Garden, Singles Road, Cape Elizabeth, $10. gardenconservancy.org You’ll see plenty of roses as well as ocean views at Beckett Castle, which sits right on the water, with views of five lighthouses. The castle was built in 1871, and its rose garden features more than 70 varieties of heirloom roses. A 50-foot stone tower doubles as the rose arbor entrance to the castle.

PICK A PLANT SALE

Tate House Museum’s Annual Plant and Herb Sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 18. Tate House Museum, 1267 Westbrook St., Portland, 207-774-6177.  tatehouse.org The wide selection includes perennials divided from the museum’s 18th century reproduction garden. Visitors can also make their own “seed bombs” and get a sneak peak at a new installation by artist Ashley Page from 10 a.m. to noon.

Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland Spring Plant S ale 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. May 18, Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, 217 Landing Road, Westbrook, 207-854-9771.  arlgp.org   Perennials, house plants and more will be on sale, and plants that don’t have specific pricing are “name your own fee.” Anyone interested in donating plants or pots to the sale should send a message to [email protected] .

Taking Root Plant Sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 1, Tom Settlemire Community Garden, Maurice Drive, Brunswick, 207-729-7694.  btlt.org This annual sale is organized by the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. Proceeds benefit the Common Good Garden, which provides food and gardening education for the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. Master gardeners will be on hand to help shoppers choose their best options.

Scarborough Land Trust Native Plant Sale and Spring Festival 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 1, Broadturn Farm, 388 Broadturn Road, Scarborough, 207-289-1199.  scarboroughlandtrust.org Visitors will find native plants, food vendors, local artisans, guided nature walks and activities for kids. To preorder plants, visit the Scarborough Land Trust website.

Maine Audubon Society Native Plants Sale and Festival 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 8, Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, 20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth, 207-781-2330.  maineaudubon.org More than 75 species of native wildflowers, shrubs and tree seedlings will be available, along with workshops, info tables and experts.

Staff writer Megan Gray contributed to this report.

Related Headlines

Headed to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens? Here’s what else to check out in Boothbay

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