How did you get started?

[Linda Bingham]

Thomas I do agree that all in is not for everyone but the question was

Looking for a quick summary from full-time photogs on how they became a photographer. Thanks!

Yes I had the luxury of a spouse with an income. 5 years ago when I started full-time I attended every class available, joined TPPA, attended seminars, etc. learning along the way. Never a formal education if you will. Trial & error what would work best for me in rural Texas and what wouldn't that is what I was referring to.

[Tom]

And like I said, I don't know your situation, am just commenting on what is very common and prevalent in this world.

Let me refer back to what Andy said:

I'm not sure about the point of the question, but remember that just because someone says they are a FT photog, doesn't mean they are good at it, nor making a living at it. I've seen many small businesses where one person went FT in a business and could do so only because they lived off the other spouse/partners income and insurance. Many times I've read from the pros that business and marketing was more important to their business doing well financially that their photography skills.

So the bare question is good, but it isn't necessarily complete.

If someone really wants to know what it takes to start, knowing the situation certainly helps. The advice of DIVE RIGHT IN might be great to someone who has a safety net, but not so great to someone who doesn't.

Never a formal education if you will.

A formal education would probably be more difficult for someone in Comanche than someone in Houston or Dallas. Even here, it isn't like we are getting the education that someone at Syracuse, Ohio or Western Kentucky gets. Personally, I had one class in high school and 3 hours in college that mainly focused on dark room techniques.

[kayumangi]

Well I've been in IT for 15 yrs and have been shooting since high school. I only started charging PROPERLY 3 plus yrs ago so am still pretty much a newbie.

From my POV I don't think I am ready to go fulltime yet. It's not because I don't do good photographs, but because I can't generate enough leads to match my income from IT, meaning my Marketing is nowhere near where I want it to be.

If you intend to go full time, try answering this question:

How will people know your business exists 365 days of the year?

And how will you attract those people who know you exist, to do business with you?


If you can answer those two then you're half-ready to go full time.

[WarrenG]

Originally Posted by kayumangi

And how will you attract those people who know you exist, to do business with you?

I usually stand at a busy intersection wearing just a Speedo, and a camera around my kneck, waving one of those cool looking signs that reads "Will shoot any event $49.99 with all images". I stuff business cards all around the edge of my Speedo so people can just come up and grab one. I use all the space on my expanding waistline and back to write my phone number and stuff on.

You would be amazed, but it really garners a lot of leads for me

[Linda Bingham]

A formal education would probably be more difficult for someone in Comanche than someone in Houston or Dallas.

Difficult at times but I am a member of TPPA and FWPPA, traveling an hour to hour/half to get a class is worth it to me, because I am full time. I enter print competitions so I will continually grow my knowledge and techniques to bring the latest edge to rural Texas. So if I had any advise to someone starting out jump in and learn from others that have gone before you.
1. Become a member of a photography organization it really helps.
2. Decide if you will be home based or have a store front studio.
3. Decide your business name, get a DBA, and seperate checking account.
4. Get your state sales permit. Check on local permits.
5. Write your business plan. (this is where alot of businesses fail they don't have a plan)
6. Market your business, facebook, blog, business cards, business to business marketing, etc.

I am fortunate enough to have had a wonderful background in marketing from my 8 years I spent selling Mary Kay Cosmetics and I have taken alot of past training and applied it to my photography business. Starting your business can be scary but I am an all in kinda gal so I just jumped in and used what I knew and learned the rest as I went along. I have said all along I don't have a corporate manual telling me how to set my studio or how to run my daily operations but I have learned through trial and error what works best for me from others at classes and seminars.

Good Luck Jim.

[Tom]

2. Decide if you will be home based or have a store front studio.

I would say that no one just starting out should even consider taking on the overhead of a storefront before you have a large client base. PPA teaches the same thing. You need a VERY sizable client base before considering a store. I believe their Jan 10 issue of their magazine talked a lot about that, but its been a while.