Before You Decide To Be A Photographer, Know What You’re Getting Into…
You may have noticed, there has been an explosion of cheap photographers since covid hit (cheap in quality and prices), yet only a few ‘survive’ long term and they tend to come and go for many reasons.
Being a photographer is a beautiful dream to many, however the continuance rate of staying a photographer once one delves in is very low. This is most likely from three major things: lack of business/profit, burn out rate & operating expenses.
There’s a lot more to photography than just fun and frolicking in flower fields. The lack of business skills and the lack of knowledge of what it takes to be sustainable can wreak havoc on any business.
Acquiring Enough Business.
I’m here to tell you that posting a few comments on Facebook will not get you the business that you’re looking for. It takes implementing a multitude of different types of marketing, having tremendous motivation, and a tough back bone to go to the lengths necessary to create a successful photography business without quitting. Most people who start photography on a whim typically lack the business knowledge of consistently marketing in various ways day in and day out. In addition to marketing, your computer knowledge to keep your website and seo running smoothly is imperative. I see many businesses who try operating without basic staples such as a website which just boggles my mind. I would say that’s where 20% of my business comes from. Not all websites are the same. If your website does not connect to google and other browsing sites you’re just spinning your wheels. Just because you own a website doesn’t mean it’s working for you.
Burn Out Due To Endless Time Working…
The behind-the-scenes time it takes for photographers to find the work, take the shots, process the images and run the business (marketing, taxes, etc.) is a monstrosity. The average ‘dreamer’ isn’t prepared for the time that it takes to make stunning images happen.
One mistake a new photographer will make is taking on too much at one time. Just the photoshoots alone can wear you out if you’ve over booked.
Secondly the in-office time photography takes can be very overwhelming. For example, on average for every 1-2 hour photoshoot I take, I spend at least an additional 9 hours culling, processing, loading and delivering images. This doesn’t even count the time spent on general business, like marketing, invoicing, drafting contracts, fulfilling orders, keeping up with social media and filing paperwork which can take up every other second in ones’ life if you let it.
With multiple photoshoots going on weekly, these hours can add up fast, keeping one behind the computer until the wee hours of the night, multiple nights on end. Until you’re able to afford to sub out these tasks to an employee or an outside source, all of this time is on the photographer, themselves, to tackle.
The Expenses…
Be sure you’re understanding, before you’re wanting to enter the photography world, that it not only takes an exuberant amount of time, but also an enormous amount of Benjemin’s to keep things up and running. Photography isn’t just buy a camera today and live happily ever after. It’s more like, buy multiple cameras, huge processing computers, and a crazy amount of extras like continuing education, disks, lights, backdrops, transmitters, batteries, licenses, insurance, second photographer fees, venue fees, props, processing site fees, hard drives, back up services, websites, delivery sites, gear repairs, marketing brochures, cards, and listing sites, accountant fees, etc. etc.
Not only do you buy your ‘big things’ once, like cameras and computers, but you’ll need to buy them again, again and again as they crash and burn with so much use. So, plan on saving as much as you can each year so you’re able to re-invest it again back into your business. I find I’m purchasing new computers every couple of years, and multiple external hard drives quarterly. My cameras are being replaced roughly every few years or so as they get to be over 100,000-200,000 clicks or more.
This cycle can be taxing on people and wear one out quickly, but being aware of these things before you even start up can help to keep your ‘dream’ afloat with adequate planning and preparedness.
Need more? Feel free to reach out on my contact form if you’re wanting to mentor or learn photography at any time. For Photographers — Kimberly Domangue Photography, LLC