How to start your own Photography Business as a Teenager.

How to start your own Photography Business as a Teenager

Young people are full of bright ideas that they could actualize. The problem is that they do not know how to go about it so most of those ideas just remain as that, ideas.

Unfortunately, teenagers now have to compete for side gigs with adults who are seeking to complement their income sources. However, it is not to say that it is impossible. It is much more likely for a teenager to start a successful business since many people will be willing to work with a hardworking and driven young person.

How to Start a Photography Business Step by Step

There are certain requirements necessary when setting up a business regardless of whether they are owned by a teenager or an adult. To set up your photography business for success, here are a few things you will need to do;

Carry out Market Research

Do not go into business blindly. That is one sure way of setting yourself up for failure. Carry out market research to find out who are your competitors and what are their strengths and weaknesses. Conduct research to enable you to understand the client base. What are their needs? No matter how unique you think your ideas are, there is probably someone out there doing something similar to it.

Market research will also help you determine your prices.  Ensure your prices are competitive to attract clients.

Decide on a business name and build a business plan

This is probably the hardest decision you will have to make when setting up your photography business. You need to be smart about the name of your business. It will be your identity and the first impression of your business to your clients.

Your business plan should include your Executive summary, mission and vision, the services you offer, market analysis report, and your financial plan.

Obtain a business license

Most teenagers doing photography business do it as a part-time job. However, if you are looking to grow your business to more than just a hobby, you will need a business license. A business license helps to build trust with clients and other people you might work with. It also helps to protect your business’s privacy.

Network

Networking is a great marketing strategy. Find a business in your area that you can work with such as caterers and florists. These are people whose services and your service complement each other. They are a great place to get started when looking for your first clients.

Set up a Portfolio

A portfolio is a professional way of showcasing your work to current and potential clients. Your portfolio could be hosted either on your blog or website or social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

How to start a photography business on the side

Today’s economy is making it difficult for one to achieve their financial goals by just depending on their wages. Hence the booming of the gig economy to help make ends meet. Equipped with a camera and skills, you can make photography your side hustle.

Decide on your niche

You have to love what you are doing for it to work out successfully. There are several niches in photography such as portraits, events, nature, and fashion. Decide what you love most and pursue that niche.

Make a financial plan

The purpose of your side hustle is to bring in more income. Decide upfront how much you are willing to put into your side hustle. Photography equipment is expensive. Decide how you are willing to go.

Schedule your time

If you are doing photography on the side it means that you have a regular day job or school to attend. The two should not have any conflict of interest in terms of time and clients. A side hustle is as demanding as any other business hence having a clear schedule is important.

Starting a Photography Business Checklist

Photography, especially if it’s being done on a professional level is more than just clicking the shoot button on your camera. below is a complete checklist of what you will need to get you started;

Equipment

Buying photography equipment for the first time can be very intimidating. However, if you do adequate research and consultation prior, you will have no trouble. Equipment you will need include;

Camera: a good camera is the backbone of photography. There are a variety of cameras in the market hence you need to find out which camera will work best for your photography niche.

Lenses: a lens will help to improve the quality of a photo. Lens prices differ with brand and size.

Tripod: often overlooked but a very important gadget in photography. A tripod will help you hold a camera in place when taking pictures. It is tempting to get the cheapest one in the market, they all serve the same purpose anyway. However, the cheaper ones are not strong enough to withstand the weight of a camera and might soon break.

Camera bag: some cameras do come with their camera bags. If not, you will need to buy a good camera bag to help you transport your camera from one place to another. A camera is very delicate and expensive equipment to buy and repair. You do not want any damages to it.

Backdrops and Lighting: this is especially important for studio and portrait photography. As much as natural lighting is recommended, sometimes the weather might fail you hence you need an alternative.

Computer: mainly for editing and storing your photos.

Editing Software

Photo editing software helps to fine-tune your raw images in terms of exposure, focus, saturation, etc. There is a lot of photo editing software that one can download both paid and free such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Skylum Luminar, and Canva just to name a few. With most of this software, you can also be able to organize and backup your photos after editing.

Extras

It is advisable to always have extra batteries just in case one dies down in the middle of a project. Also, a large capacity memory card, 32GB would be enough. With this, you will be able to take many shots without worrying about running out of space. Last but not least is a photo printer to print clients who might want their pictures in hard copies or for printing pictures to frame.

How to start a photography business with no experience

Thanks to advancements in technology, the majority of the people now have access to a fairly good quality camera on their smartphones. With so many self-proclaimed professional photographers, there is hope for anyone to become one too without any experience. Here is how to do it

Build your business plan

This includes the name, financial plan, list of services, creating your logo, building your portfolio, and registering your business.

Spread the word

Ask your friends and family to help you spread the word about your business. Word-of-mouth has been proven to be an effective marketing strategy. Be overly generous with your business cards. Do some free shoots for your friends to help you build your portfolio. When starting, do not limit yourself.

Get the right equipment

Starting a photography business requires more than a good camera phone. Research on photography equipment that will work for you. If you can, have an experienced photographer to guide you. Refer to the checklist above for what to buy.

Hire a professional editor

Photo editing is the backbone of photography. As a beginner, hiring a professional photo editor will be of great advantage to your business. Photo editing can be quite tasking hence by having a professional, you will be able to focus all your time on building your business. He/she will also be able to help you generate more sales if they do a good job.

Bottom Line

There is never a better time to tap into your entrepreneurial spirit as when you are young, full of energy, and with little to no responsibilities on your plate. Many teenagers have been able to build successful businesses hence, being young should never be used as an excuse.

There is plenty of potential in the photography business. With the right skills, guidance, hard work, and determination you can prosper in business as a teenager.