So let's talk about why you're starting the photography business for a lot of people, it could be just making money on the side, it could be doing a full time business, the big thing is that you're able to really find your creativity and turn it into money. Now. This is gonna take time. Often. I've seen it take about a year to really be going and if you want to make it a full time gig, I would give it more than a year. A lot of times, you're gonna have two jobs at the same time while you're starting your photography business or if you're right at a school, you might want to start thinking about starting it while you're in school. Either way, photography like this can turn into a full time business or it can be a side business. So decide what type of photography you want to do and how you're going to practically do that while maintaining income at the same time. Because as you start with your photography, because you're not gonna be able to making a full time amount of money to really l...

ive off of to begin with, I would say, usually give it a full year before you're making a good amount of money. Um and that's even at working at it consistently day by day, a thing to consider about photography. And I used to think about this a lot when I was actually a lot younger, was photography kind of starts out as a hobby. It's something that you like doing. It's creative, it's fun, it's like painting or drawing or any other art form dancing. Um So when you start to turn it into a business, it becomes a little bit of a different thing. So really take your time to think about how turning your hobby and your creative and something you love into a business because it does get stressful and you do start to add in the idea of money, uh technical things dealing with other people. Um And this can be really great. It can be really awesome that you've turned your creativity into something that makes money and your hobby, that something makes money. But for some it can be a little difficult and sometimes it can take away from the hobby and the love for it. Um So really take your time to think about that and see uh you know, be aware that when you start your business that that could be a thing. Um and keep an eye on it and keep it in mind because you don't want it to like stress you out and take away from it because it's just gonna make the business harder to do if you really do love it and you really do see that it's turning yourself into a good business. It's it's a it's a new world, it's going to be so beautiful and so wonderful um that you're able to do something that you love every day. Um and honestly, like for me, I've started as a business and I've turned video and photo and teaching all into these sort of business aspects of my life. And I would say that 80-90% of it, I still just love, But there is like a 10-20% of just you know, business, emailing, accounting. Um you know, thinking long term, that is not my favorite thing to do but it does lead to having a job that I love to do way more often than not, so really make sure you take that into consideration before you get going or at least have it in the back of your mind because you can start doing this, you can always change your career at any time. Um but just you know, be thinking about all that being said, photography is a good business. It is going to always be needed, especially with the advent of social media where a very visual culture across the world. Um businesses needed other businesses, needed other websites, needed advertising needs, it, photography is not really going away in any aspect. Um and if you can teach yourself to be on that professional level, you'll have a step above most other people who just have their iphones shooting. The other thing is that photography can sort of be based anywhere around the world. So you don't actually have to be dependent on a location to being a photographer. You know, you could be a wedding or a portrait photographer in any location, be a travel photographer. So really, you can start this business from anywhere in the world versus having an industry in one single spot where you have to live. Um, so this really opens anyone up to anywhere or if you decide to move somewhere or you need to move for a partner in another career or you need to move for family or you just need to move to a lower income place or a higher income place, photography exists everywhere. You just have to adapt to the market that you're moving to and we'll get into that. So, keeping all this in mind, we're about to venture into really starting a photography business, um, you want to make sure that you kind of have an ethos about why you're doing this, it'll make everything else easier and it'll make getting through the hard stuff even easier. So that when you have the good stuff, the fun photography side of it, and collecting the money side of it a lot better. So try and keep all this kind of in the back of your mind as an ethos and philosophy and you'll shorter to be successful and everything else. As long as you take the steps necessary to do everything right

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Philip Ebiner

Professional video & course creator, photographer & teacher to 1mil+ students; 10+ years experience with 1000+ videos.

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Will Carnahan

11+ years experience as a cinematographer, camera operator, and photographer. Working with Disney, Nike, ESPN, PredPol and many others.

2,000+ classes ranging from fundamentals to advanced techniques.

Why Do You Want to Start a Photography Business

Why Do You Want to Start a Photography Business

Lesson Info

2. Why Do You Want to Start a Photography Business

Lessons

Welcome

Why Do You Want to Start a Photography Business

What Kind of Photography Business Do You Want to Start

Important Personal Note from Instructor Will

Case Study Starting a Photography Business

Quiz - Chapter 1

Introduction to Basics of Starting a Photography Business

Choose Your Business Name

Choose Your Business Structure

Register Your Business Name

Get Your Federal Tax ID

Get Your Business License

Get Your Business Bank Account

Register Your Online Accounts

Branding Your Business

Set Your Prices

The Photography Gear You Need to Start a Business

Case Study - Business Basics

Case Study - Equipment

Quiz - Chapter 2

Intro to Getting Your First Paying Clients

You Need to Prove Yourself

The Best Place to Find Your First Clients

What to Charge for Your First Clients

On Set - Partnering with Other Creatives

On Set - Getting Work in a Competitive Environment

Use Your First Shoot Wisely

Case Study - Getting Your First Clients

Quiz - Chapter 3

Introduction to Create Your Photography Business Website

Why You Need a Website and Platform Options

What Needs to Be On Your Website

Design the Perfect Portfolio

Case Study - Looking at Photography Websites

Quiz - Chapter 4

Introduction to Expanding Your Online Presence

Use Instagram to Grow Your Business

Use Facebook to Grow Your Business

Get Listed on Google

Get Listed on Yelp

Get Listed on Review Sites

Using Craigslist to Get Work

Case Study - Expanding Your Online Presence

Quiz - Chapter 5

Introduction to the Photography Business Workflow

Step 1 - Meeting Your Client

Step 2 - Booking Your Client

Step 3 - The Shoot

Step 4 - Editing Your Photos

Step 5 - Delivering Your Photos

Case Study - Business Workflow

On Set - the Shoot

On Set - Backdrop Placement

On Set - Paper Backdrop Rolls

On Set - The Back Light

On Set - Interacting with Clients

Quiz - Chapter 6

Intro to Business Infrastructure and Continued Growth

Productivity Tools to Make Your More Efficient

Get Business Insurance

Accounting Tools & Tips

Business Tax Tips

Scaling Your Prices Up

Use Conventions and Meet Ups to Grow Your Business

Case Study - Business Growth

Quiz - Chapter 7

Intro to the Selling Prints Section

Why Should You Sell Your Prints

Choose a Printer

How to Price Your Prints

Selling Your Prints Online

Selling Your Prints in Person

Wrapping up This Section

Quiz - Chapter 8