How to Have a Career in Product Photography

Product photography can be a lucrative business, but there are many challenges to building a career in this business. You must have technical skill, an artistic eye and a mind for business. When you are an established business owner you may be able to delegate tasks, but if you start on your own you will have many business related jobs to go along with your photography career. This article will explain the steps needed to start and build a career in product photography.

Instructions

1. Take a photography class. Education is key. Whether you have years of experience or are just getting started taking a photo class helps hone your skills, gives you specific tasks to complete and lets you meet like minded people you can network with to build your career.

2. Study product photography. This may be a formal exercise for a class, but it needn't be. Just look at product product photography and think about it. You can find product photography everywhere, from catalogs to newspaper ads to huge billboards. Collect this photography and save it in a binder along with your notes. Compare and contrast the impact of each photograph you see. Try to imagine what it took to light that scene and how. Take the photos that fascinate you most and share them with your photography professor. Ask questions about how a shoot like that might be done.

3. Assist an established product photographer. No one is born a professional photographer. It is a learned skill and it is learned fastest when working for someone who is already in the business. You likely won't be paid much and the work may be long and hard, but pay attention, do what you are told and learn as much as you can about how the photographer does his or her work to meet the client's needs.

4. Read about product photography. Always study photography. Specifically how to get the right lighting to tell your story. Go to your public library and find books on product photography or lighting. Try reading numerous books to absorb as much information and answer as many questions as you have on how to photograph products better.

5. Pick a style of product photography to focus on. Many of the most successful photographers focus on one particular type of subject to learn as much as they can about presenting that subject best. For instance, there are people that specialize in just photographing light beer and there are others who photograph dark beer. You needn't get that specific to start, but the more specific subject you pick the better you can get.

6. Ask your employer to let you get more involved with the specific type of photography you are most interested in. If you are not working for someone who photographs that particular product often, find someone who does and work for them. As assisting jobs may not be full time, you can often work for more than one photographer.

7. Develop your craft and prepare to set out on your own. Talk to the photographer(s) you work with about your ambitions. They may be able to help you develop a plan on how to become a product photographer on your own or working with them.

8. Develop a business plan. Business plans are essential to keeping your business organized and profitable. In it you will define what you do, who your clients will be and how you will operate. See the link below for "How to Write a Photography Business Plan."

Tips & Warnings

• Always be on time. Always be willing to learn new techniques.

Resources

• Master Lighting Guide for Commercial Photographers
• How to Write a Photography Business Plan
• PMA - The Worldwide Community of Imaging Associations