Not pro, how to make money without undercutting

[peteg]

If you read this business forum a lot, you are doing yourself a favor.

You should do yourself another favor and get John Harrington's book Best Business Practices for Photographers immediately. Harrington is a successful Washinton DC based photojournalist/photographer,and a long timer poster at Sports Shooter. Business topics can be pretty dry for us creative types, but Harrington's writing is engaging and to the point. The book was written just a few months ago, so it's full of recent perspectives on current topics like microstock and digital technology. It's easy to read and overflowing with practical advice that every photographer can put to use.

You should also read his blog about photography business practices. Today he responded to this reader question, which is one that comes up frequently on every photo business forum:

"How do you go about building a portfolio when you are starting out without undercutting established photographers for a certain time period, even if you intend on staying in the business long term? It seems a catch-22. Without charging less why would a client go to an unestablished, unproven photographer when there is an established one charging the same price?"

Read his answer here