Just Curious...

[HotHolly]

Just curious...

The national median salary for a pro photographer is ~ $26,000.
(More stats here)

How many people in here are at, or have exceeded that benchmark? How long did it take you to get there? And do you have a physical location/ studio?

Thanks - I know that is a totally rude question...thought it would be helpful for the newbies. From what Im hearing, most photogs never come near the benchmark...

[Silvernic]

Wow, not exactly high paying is it?

[kamari]

WOW! Is that so!? Well I'm definitely in the wrong profession. I need to make to switch to PROFESSIONAL photographer. I'm still down at about $175/month.

...will trade pics for beer money...

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

Just curious...

The national median salary for a pro photographer is ~ $26,000.
(More stats here)

How many people in here are at, or have exceeded that benchmark? How long did it take you to get there? And do you have a physical location/ studio?

Thanks - I know that is a totally rude question...thought it would be helpful for the newbies. From what Im hearing, most photogs never come near the benchmark...

Please note that the median income listed is for salaried photographers. Those that work for someone and get a weekly paycheck. The average for self employeed photographers is less than $ 25,000 per year.

The survey TPPA did about a year ago puts the number for our membership closer to $ 18,000. I think that would qualify for food stamps.

If you treat your business as a business you can make a comfortable living at it. But most photographers will need to keep their day job, because they don't treat it as a business.

And yes I make above the national average and have for over 25 years, but I had to learn the business fundamentals AFTER I was already in business. That is the hard way to do it.

I attended the photography seminars that discussed marketing and promotions more than posing and lighting. It was a struggle, but I set goals and reached most of them.

For fifteen years I had two studios. Two years ago we closed our second studio because it was no longer profitable. It is hard to tell salaried people that have been with you for more than a dozen years that they no longer have a job, but it was a business decision that had to be made.

Does that answer your question?

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by bondarnes

The survey TPPA did about a year ago puts the number for our membership closer to $ 18,000. I think that would qualify for food stamps.

Yes, it does (my little bro works for human services). From what I've been reading (from forums, PPA, WPPI, and other photog mags) most studios never make it over the boundry from "hobbist" to "pro," (according to income levels).

Don, what pushed you over the top?

We've been open for about 1 yr (as a photo studio - prior to that I was a commissioned artist. Believe it or not, photogs make more money!) we've been rolling for 6 months with several shoots each month. We are getting ready to sign a lease on studio space as the next major step. I've been teaming up with the local small biz assoc. for help from the biz end of things.

Since you seem to be one of the senior/ sucessful voices in here - what made the biggest difference in getting established? Any other silent peeps that have had a good run, feel free to chime in...

Assume you started with nothing - what order did you progress in? Exquipemt, glass, bodies, lights, samples, albums, studio space, insurance, memberships (eg PPA), props, marketing, advertising, networking, etc.

What paid off? What was a landmine? And how much of a factor is time?

[Killeenguy]

ya know i don't like talking about this area much, partly to because i don't want to convince myself that the photography bussiness is based on your ability to provide a service, art, connection to and for the client. personally i like working as a photographer rather then owning my own bussiness. but i the reason i left my old job to persue my current employment is that i didn't agree with customer service tactics.
i'm a humble guy, and expect my photography as an art to carry my weight, besides my good charm ;).

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

Don, what pushed you over the top?

We are getting ready to sign a lease on studio space as the next major step. I've been teaming up with the local small biz assoc. for help from the biz end of things.

Since you seem to be one of the senior/ sucessful voices in here - what made the biggest difference in getting established? Any other silent peeps that have had a good run, feel free to chime in...

Assume you started with nothing - what order did you progress in? Exquipemt, glass, bodies, lights, samples, albums, studio space, insurance, memberships (eg PPA), props, marketing, advertising, networking, etc.

What paid off? What was a landmine? And how much of a factor is time?

Like most of you, I came to photography as a hobbyist. My dream was to be a newspaper photographer, so I came to UNT to get a photojournalism degree and worked full time at the Denton paper for a while.

After I graduated and realized that I didn't want to be chasing every siren at age 40 I went to work at the local camera store. That was a great experience and allowed me to build up my equipment. Then I found myself out of a job so decided to be a full time photographer. I rented a space and hung out my shingle. I started with one camera, three lenses, two backs, one background, and a set of Novatron lights.

About two years into it I was still really struggling until I met a man and woman giving four hour photography business seminars around the country to drum up business for his color lab in St. Louis. They gave out so much information in that one evening I felt like I was trying to get a drink of water out of a fire hydrant. The deal with the lab was "Our lab will help you grow your business for a small fee and all of your lab business". Fair enough, so my education began. That was the big change for me. Learning to run my business like a real business.

Any time I had a question or a problem I was on the horn to St. Louis and they usually had a solution or they would find someone who did. They helped me to avoid many land mines and take our business to almost a half million dollars in sales in ten years. And they made us keep records and track our business and set sales goals by the moth, by the quarter, and by the year. They held an annual four day marketing conference so all the photographers in their network could share what was working and what was not. I didn't have to come up with several new successful ideas each year. I only had to bring one or two good idea in to share then get ten or twelve from others in the room.

The first land mine I want to help you avoid almost closed my business the first year. I am going to suggest that you do nothing about signing a lease for studio space until at least May First. The reason (you may not know this just like me) is that the first four months of the year are always FAMINE months.

I opened my first studio Oct. 1 and business was great and got better and better so between Christmas and New Years I spent most of my money on new "stuff". Then I almost died. The only things that saved me was I had to pay six months rent in advance to lease the space and I booked several weddings and lived off of their deposits until May. Keep on networking and shooting on location, but avoid that extra overhead of a studio.

Don't worry about equipment and props and such. Work on your business. Spend some time every day planning. The stuff you need will be available to you when you need it. Just make do with what you have.

[HotHolly]

Thanks for that long message! Its very helpful. We have a little wiggle room on our lease. I was thinking about opening April 1st. The store isnt finished yet. So it may pan out for May 1st anyway. I'll PM you the details. Thanks for all your help!

[Michelle Allmon]

I made WAY more than that as a salaried employee/photographer. I quit earlier this year and my husband is working now so I can get things going. (He stayed at home when I worked.) Now I'm making peanuts. But I'll get there again. If I don't... I guess I'll have to go to "plan b."

[Michelle Allmon]

BTW, I see stuff like this all the time: http://austin.craigslist.org/bar/239644743.html
There was even one begging for a working car in exchange for wedding photography.

[TJPhotoGuy]

Originally Posted by Michelle Allmon

BTW, I see stuff like this all the time: http://austin.craigslist.org/bar/239644743.html
There was even one begging for a working car in exchange for wedding photography.

"I am loking to barter photo services for: a good old used car,A kayak,a good excircise bike,compound bow,laptop,ETC"

LOL! How sad.

Honestly, I think the words from Don are very enlightening, thanks for sharing that - however, I have to say it's all a huge turnoff. I guess i'm fortunate that I don't have to "run it like a business" since I have a day job, and I can still do photography when and how I want to and treat it like an art instead of a cold, dry business.

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by TJPhotoGuy

however, I have to say it's all a huge turnoff.

I was in your boat with painting...loved painting. Hated thinking about how much I needed to charge to cover the cost of canvas, paint, gesso, and all that. I just wanted to paint. Then I didnt like giving away my painting either.

After doing that for 10 years, doing the biz end of photography doesnt bother me as much. Except for the accounting part...and that part only bothers me b/c Im totally screwed if I do it wrong.

Anyway, off to finish off a bride! Ha ha (finish proofing and album layout)

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by TJPhotoGuy

I have to say it's all a huge turnoff. I guess i'm fortunate that I don't have to "run it like a business" since I have a day job, and I can still do photography when and how I want to and treat it like an art instead of a cold, dry business.

That's why we posted it in the Business section so as not to freak out the artists on here

[LadyShutterBug]

i was in the corporate world (working in administration for a very large not-for-profit healthcare system) before i left to start my business... so i had a great deal of horse sense where business was concerned before i ever even considered photography as a career... heck, it was because of that world i was in (everyone who's anyone had a degree, if not two, even the secretaries) that i didn't consider it a reputable career. i had my education, and damn if i wasn't going to use that degree that i worked for and was respected for. i had built a career and a name for myself in that industry.

i would never have even begun this business had i not been able to save up enough to go a few months w/o pay (and spending gazillions on equipment, marketing, etc.) and had the unwavering support of my husband.

people advertising their services in exchange for a "working car" on craiglist are quite obviously NOT the brightest crayons in the box... and if their salaries are figured in to any kind of "professional photographer" median, then that figure is WHACK.

planning makes perfect. you can't become a successful business owner on blind faith (or what do they call it these days, talent?) alone. millions of people have talent and an artistic eye... it's the people with that talent and some sensibility that will make it "in the real world".




*removing myself from the soapbox that has somehow made its way under my feet*

[Michelle Allmon]

YEAH! I like that! You go, girl! *kudos*