How to Start a Photography Business

Video Transcript

"My name is Anthony Maddaloni, and I'm going to be talking about how to start a photography business. Now one thing about starting a photography business is that you want to really, seriously consider what you're doing. Most people start out in photography as a hobby or something they really enjoy. Now this is sort of, I don't know, being a little, you know, you really want to look at it. Do I want to start doing something I really enjoy as a pass time and start it in to a business, because you might not really enjoy doing it so much anymore where it becomes a business. But, on the other hand, you might actually enjoy doing it more because you're getting paid to do something you enjoy. I mean, I'm trying to kind of make it a little bit comical, but to be really honest with you, it really gets to be that way sometimes for some photographers. Where as they started out doing something they love and ended up actually hating it and just doing it for money, and in the end, I think sometimes that really shows. So it's really something you want to think about, even before you begin doing anything. One thing about a photography business is that photography is extremely expensive, so your start up fees are going to be very high. But if there's a way that you can make them minimal, such as buying equipment that maybe has been used, or equipment that is on sale because newer technologies have come out, but you could still use that type of equipment for the genre of photography business that you start. So those are some aspects that you want to look at it. I really frown upon going out and spending a large amount of money on the biggest and the best new equipment to start a business that you've never done before. I can, I can't think of a bigger mistake a person can potentially make. So really, start out extremely small, take on photography jobs that are really making you a profit of, you know, not so much at first, just enough to almost break even, and then start building upon that and building upon your client base. And this goes for any type of photography. The more specific you are, the chances of you making are it are better. If you start a photography business specifically aimed at a certain clientele, or a certain demographic, your chances are better than just starting a photography business where you do everything from weddings, to bar mitzvahs, to baseball, to soccer, when you're all over the place, there's nothing you can really concentrate on to being the best at that in your area. People are going to go to you when you're the only person that does certain type of events, or photographs, let's say it's dancing. I don't know, I'm just thinking off the top of my head, let's say it's kids dancing. You're the best kid photographer in town that does that. You're going to get all that business. So those are just some ways that I would start a small photography business."