You have this dream of quitting your soul sucking day job to pursue a photography business that fills your heart with joy and allows you the freedom to live comfortably. But, how do you turn this dream into reality? Where do you even start building your own photography business?
You are probably feeling overwhelmed and like there is so much to learn. This is normal, I was once there too. I get it. Starting anything new is going to be overwhelming, it’s going to be a bit scary, but it’s also going to be extremely exciting. You aren’t going to know everything and that is NORMAL. Heck, I am still constantly learning things as I grow my business but you start to get used to not knowing everything and being okay with it.
1. Figure out who you want to work with & what type of photography you want to do
- Your first couple months or maybe even year, you’re likely going to say yes to every single photography opportunity that comes your way. That is okay while you’re figuring out what you like, but in order to grow your business and charge more, you’re going to want to narrow it down to one or two types you LOVE and really focus on that!
2. Spend some time figuring out what type of edits you are drawn to and work towards creating the style you LOVE
- There are a ton of different styles out there so figure out what you’re really drawn to, is it more moody, more bright, more romantic and soft, more orange in their skin tone, or more brown tones to the overall image, etc.
- Once you figure out what you are more drawn to, that’s going to help you begin to create your signature editing look
- Don’t be afraid to play around with different edits but when you find something your happy with stick to it! From there you can slowly tweak and perfect it as your work evolves!
3. Once you’ve figured the previous two steps out, really curate and target your specific market
- You attract what you show! So, if you want to focus on couples and weddings – only post couples and weddings! If you want to focus on newborn sessions – only post newborn sessions!
- You can get really specific here too. For example, if I want to do more beach sessions, I can specifically post a bunch of beach sessions only, or if I want my couples to show up in a dressy outfit every time, I could curate my portfolio to only show that.
4. Be Consistent
- You want your work to be of consistent quality and edits so that future clients know what they can expect when they book you
- You also want to show up consistently on social media so more people can find out about you – this doesn’t mean you need to post everyday, it just means to find a consistent rhythm so your followers know what to expect from you. Maybe you post 3 times a week, maybe you post every single day, maybe you post once a week. Find something sustainable for you and your lifestyle.
- This is the long term game. If you are consistent, more and more people are going to find you and inquire!
5. Stop playing the comparison game
- THIS IS HUGE. At the very beginning it’s so easy to look at a photographer who has been in the business for years and years and comparing yourself to them. DON’T. Everyone is at a different stage in their life and business. Remember they started where you are at one point too. Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end.
- Stay in your lane, focus on your growth and only compare yourself to ONE person, YOURSELF. Compare where you first started to where you are now, that is going to boost your confidence big time! Always make sure to go back and look at your growth.
- It’s okay to be inspired by other photographers but often when you compare yourself to them you think you need to do everything they are doing and you DON’T. Find what works for you and create your own path! No one else is YOU and that’s what is going to make you stand out!
Finally, JUST START. It’s never going to happen unless you start. So just begin, don’t worry about being perfect. If you wait for perfection, you’ll never get it started because you’ll always find something you need to fix or work on. So here is your sign to just BEGIN and grow from there.
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