Making Money in Photography

[Pickled]

RobbieKB said:

I anticipate that my lack of studio experience might halt the pace I want to move at and I'm not sure how to resolve that quite yet.

If you fancy having a play with some studio lighting drop me PM.

[RobDickinson]

Read up onlighting and posing, strobist.org etc there is heaps and heaps of info to help here. If you have time theres no excuses..

Then practice

[DibblyDobbler]

Sounds like you're doing bloody well Rob, considering it's early days

[RobbieKB]

Pickled said:

If you fancy having a play with some studio lighting drop me PM.

I'll drop you a PM now - thank you.

RobDickinson said:

Read up onlighting and posing, strobist.org etc there is heaps and heaps of info to help here. If you have time theres no excuses..

Then practice

I read a lot and practice. The lighting and posing I am pretty confident with, it's using and setting up studio lights and knowing the power and distances from subject that require first hand know-how rather than knowledge.

DibblyDobbler said:

Sounds like you're doing bloody well Rob, considering it's early days

Thanks Mike. Yeah, it's getting there. It's certainly all about networking; I can tell that already!

[Pickled]

RobbieKB said:

Pickled said:

If you fancy having a play with some studio lighting drop me PM.

I'll drop you a PM now - thank you.

Replied

[RobbieKB]

RobbieKB said:

I want to keep good to my word for both my own benefit and anyone else in a similar position, so here's my monthly update.

It feels at the moment as if my 'business plan' is working well, despite being the polar opposite of what trustworthy people advise. I am kind of throwing mud and seeing what sticks and then exploring what it stuck to. To be specific, I'm doing photography in a certain area for a reduced rate, then taking that job to other similar companies and offering my services. This has got me a few jobs and a lot of provisional work that may or may not materialise.

October wasn't bad in the grand scheme of things, but I just about scraped by paying my outgoings with nothing left over. It was almost all restoration work with one engagement shoot. The bright side to this is, November is looking as if it will be a good month.

I have booked 2 weddings and their deposits will land this month. I have booked an engagement shoot (who may book me for their wedding off the back of it), a portrait session with a personal trainer for his website, some restoration work, a family portrait and I picked up a job working with a watch company. They are a fairly new brand and I am doing some macro images of their watches and then some fashion editorial stuff. In addition to the cash, they gifted me one of their watches which was nice. I'm going to use my work for them to approach other watch companies, two of which I spoke to beforehand who want to hire me but couldn't do so without proof I have photographed watches commercially before.

I have real ups and downs with confidence, but I'd say I'm generally satisfied with how things are going. I anticipate that my lack of studio experience might halt the pace I want to move at and I'm not sure how to resolve that quite yet.

So, I haven't updated for a few months but I will try my best to remember and continue to keep this idea going for what use it may be.

November was indeed a pretty good month. I earned enough to cover my outgoings and save a little. December was a big month for my restoration work as people wanted it for Christmas presents and I had a record month but restorations accounts for 75% of the income. I had mixed feelings about this as I want to build up photography but I'm certainly not ever going to turn down paid work. January has been very poor in terms of income but very rich in prospects. I'm confident February is going to be my new record month as I have two invoices out which equate to more than my current record.

The wedding photography has gone bizarrely well. I booked 1 small wedding and then off the back of that I got an enquiry for a full wedding. I did an engagement shoot for them, as I mentioned in my last post, which they paid for. From this they decided to book me. The engagement shoot photos then lead to another wedding enquiry which I treated the same way and booked an engagement shoot with them so they can see my style, find out if they like me and if they trust me to be their photographer despite no wedding experience. Just like the first engagement shoot, they booked me for their wedding as soon as they received the pictures from the shoot. This wedding is split over two days and is worth well over my record month on its own so I'm pleased (and nervous about that). Then from that engagement shoot I booked another 2 smaller weddings. I never dreamed people would want me to shoot their wedding as I have never shot a wedding but my portraiture and engagement shoots seem to suffice for them.

The watch company that contacted me really liked the work I did for them, gifted me several more of their watches and then booked me to shoot their newest range this month. From this work I then got a job with a company that makes fountain pens to do the same sort of commercial macro-stacking photography for them that I had done for the watches.

I also have countless irons in the fire about collaborating with companies to do all sorts of things but nothing concrete to report. I'd say I'm fairly pleased about how it's going. This will be my 6th month of business and I'm already on track to make the same amount of money as I did in my (rather st) full time sales job. That's not a large amount of money and this is in no way bragging, but it's a good start I think and encouraging.

If anyone has any questions (or suggestions), I'm all ears.

[Simpo Two]

To be honest I can't imagine a better start. Well done Robbie.

[RobDickinson]

Yeah well done, you are producing some quality work so not surprised its going ok!

[DibblyDobbler]

Well done mate - keep it up!

[theboss]

I looked at your website a week or two ago Robbie, based on something you'd posted here, and automatically assumed you were a fully seasoned pro with a very good website. To sit and read this thread now and to my surprise learn that you've only recently embarked on the venture makes your achievement all the more impressive - well done.

I was wondering what mileage there is in simply offering to assist a pro with a wedding shoot, on the basis that I'm a 'well kitted' amateur with an interest in portraits and candid photography and could offer to turn up FoC, shoot with my own gear and just turn the results over for whatever use or value they may hold.

Is that a good deal for the pro potentially, or would I be presenting myself as a total liability?

[4Lmike]

Well done! Sounds like you're off to a flying start

[Simpo Two]

theboss said:

I was wondering what mileage there is in simply offering to assist a pro with a wedding shoot, on the basis that I'm a 'well kitted' amateur with an interest in portraits and candid photography and could offer to turn up FoC, shoot with my own gear and just turn the results over for whatever use or value they may hold.

Is that a good deal for the pro potentially, or would I be presenting myself as a total liability?

It would give you experience (of using your kit in action and of weddings in general), but clear lines of distinction would have to be drawn so you, the pro, the couple and guests know what's going on and what's expected of each. Would the couple be happy with a newbie they've never heard of trampling around and taking up space? Maybe, maybe not. Some couples are extrovert and welcoming, others not so.

I think the best way to get some mileage under your belt is actually to do a wedding, making sure expectations are mananged and the price is appropriate.

[RobbieKB]

Simpo Two said:

To be honest I can't imagine a better start. Well done Robbie.

Thanks Simpo, I couldn't have had the confidence and the theory knowledge of weddings without your help.

RobDickinson said:

Yeah well done, you are producing some quality work so not surprised its going ok!

Thanks Rob, congrats on the Buzzfeed exposure by the way!

DibblyDobbler said:

Well done mate - keep it up!

Thanks Mike, I'll do my best.

theboss said:

I looked at your website a week or two ago Robbie, based on something you'd posted here, and automatically assumed you were a fully seasoned pro with a very good website. To sit and read this thread now and to my surprise learn that you've only recently embarked on the venture makes your achievement all the more impressive - well done.

I was wondering what mileage there is in simply offering to assist a pro with a wedding shoot, on the basis that I'm a 'well kitted' amateur with an interest in portraits and candid photography and could offer to turn up FoC, shoot with my own gear and just turn the results over for whatever use or value they may hold.

Is that a good deal for the pro potentially, or would I be presenting myself as a total liability?

Thank you, that's really kind of you to say and it means a lot. With regards to assisting, I think it has worth. I've had an opportunity to ease in to wedding photography but I know a lot of people prefer to assist for a few to get started. Incidentally, I'm actually taking an assistant with me on my first wedding to see how much it helps. She's an amateur with average kit but she's very personable and (without sounding like to much of a pretentious sod) she's got a real eye for portraiture. If she comes away with even 10 shots I end up using, I'll take her with me to the next wedding after that. I'm not in a position to really know how worthwhile having an assistant will be, but I plan to use her to wrangle people for group shots and maybe help with lighting and then I will instruct her to shoot the day as it happens. I.E, shoot whatever I'm not shooting so I get the widest coverage and maybe capture a nice candid moment that I miss.

With regards to assisting portrait shoots and fasahion shoots, I've outright turned it down for the time being. I know a photographer who works as an assistant for a top, top photographer in London and he's very talented himself. I just can't see what he gets out of it. Once he's au fait with the settings and direction, he's just getting a basic wage. He can't poach clients, he can't build his own reputation too easily; I don't know. Maybe I'm missing something.

4Lmike said:

Well done! Sounds like you're off to a flying start

Thanks Mike, it's going better than I expected I must say.

thelittleegg said:

Has anyone got any good advice on how to manage licensing of work? I've been through the AOP's business forms and it understand the terms they suggest to adhere to, and how to charge for extending the licence, but is that how people find it works in reality?

I'm afraid I don't know much about it, but I'm sure someone on here does. You might want to start a thread and see if it catches anyone's eye.




On Tuesday I took a very exciting job which I got through word of mouth and that I'm highly under-qualified for but they know that and don't care. I'll save the details for my next update in case it doesn't work out and I look like I talk rubbish.

[Rogue86]

A great start, well done!

[Simpo Two]

RobbieKB said:

Thanks Simpo, I couldn't have had the confidence and the theory knowledge of weddings without your help.

My work is done. Now I'm looking forward to the first of my commission cheques. I think you haggled me down from 15% to 10%?

[theboss]

RobbieKB said:

Thank you, that's really kind of you to say and it means a lot. With regards to assisting, I think it has worth. I've had an opportunity to ease in to wedding photography but I know a lot of people prefer to assist for a few to get started. Incidentally, I'm actually taking an assistant with me on my first wedding to see how much it helps. She's an amateur with average kit but she's very personable and (without sounding like to much of a pretentious sod) she's got a real eye for portraiture. If she comes away with even 10 shots I end up using, I'll take her with me to the next wedding after that. I'm not in a position to really know how worthwhile having an assistant will be, but I plan to use her to wrangle people for group shots and maybe help with lighting and then I will instruct her to shoot the day as it happens. I.E, shoot whatever I'm not shooting so I get the widest coverage and maybe capture a nice candid moment that I miss.

With regards to assisting portrait shoots and fasahion shoots, I've outright turned it down for the time being. I know a photographer who works as an assistant for a top, top photographer in London and he's very talented himself. I just can't see what he gets out of it. Once he's au fait with the settings and direction, he's just getting a basic wage. He can't poach clients, he can't build his own reputation too easily; I don't know. Maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks, and also to Simpo Two above. I'm not looking for a career change or to move into professional work, but rather just the opportunity to improve skills and gain experience - I would hope that I could provide some value in exactly the way you mention by standing in as an assistant and providing some additional coverage.

I've only had a camera for a few months and all my experience has been gained from photographing my own young daughters - they provide very varied photo opportunities as my youngest is very calm and composed whereas her older sister is completely erratic. I wouldn't want to pitch for a job myself for fear of screwing things up, and as none of my friends/associates are getting married in the near future so I don't have an opportunity to offer free photos on an informal basis either.

I'll perhaps try and reach out to a few local pros and see if anyone is interested - I have a few Lightroom albums I can share for anyone who wants to see what I've done so far.

[Derek Smith]

RobbieKB said:

So, I haven't updated for a few months but I will try my best to remember and continue to keep this idea going for what use it may be.

Great to hear. All it takes, it seems, is lots and lots of dedication and hard work. Oh, and luck and skill.

Who'd have thought it would have been as easy as all that?

[dave0010]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I wanted to bounce an idea off everyone here.

So In a couple of months myself and the fiancé are off travelling for a few months again. Whenever we do I always like to look at fun opportunities to earn a little local money and improve on a set of skills. This time I'd like to try and gain some more experience with portrait photography.

When travelling we often meet a large amount of people and make friends quickly, its also easy to get chatting to a english speaking person in another country I find.

The idea is simple to approach people and offer to take a few candid holiday snaps of them. Then simple email them the photos with a copyright water mark on and attach a paypal link. If they liked the photos they could make a payment that they think there worth £5,£10 maybe more. Id simple send them the photos then with the water mark removed.

This way I'd get great experience with different people and how to direct them for the best photos. Great experience learning either to use set present lightroom features that I've customised and earn some beer money!!

Yes everyone these days has a camera phone and probably a selfie stick but I think if I approached people the right way they may like the photos as a good holiday souvenir. What do you think?

[DibblyDobbler]

thelittleegg said:

I'm doing my first 'pro' shoot today on location near Old Street. I'm pretty nervous so just had to tell someone!

I did a dry run at home yesterday so I've got pretty much all the shots tied down, bar the inevitable changes and client intervention. Kit cleaned, batteries charged, memory cards clear and lenses sparkling. Just got to wait until lunchtime now, shoot starts at 1pm

Good luck! Pics later please so we can tell you what you did wrong

[DibblyDobbler]

thelittleegg said:

I'm sure the internet would be able to find plenty wrong with my work, but the internet can find fault in anything

But, it all went pretty well. It was fairly laid back as it's for semi-internal use so they weren't looking for a 100% perfect 'hero' shot but a range of versatile shots of the food for use in literature. I'm happy and my client is happy, so looks like a win all round. Just need to make sure they pay now . Oh, and find out what's wrong with the strobe head that kept on cutting out , luckily I had a pair of those heads and only needed one so swapped it for the other one.

Well done