I’m in a position where I need to upgrade my camera and kit, however finance is a bit tight. I’m curious if there is anyone here that’s maybe not in business as such, but earns money from work they’ve sold?
I was thinking about getting involved with pet photography, leading up to family work. But I’m really not sure how to attract clients, even what basic gear I would need to do this effectively. I have a Canon 60D with kit lens and a 50mm 1.8 lens. With that I’ve managed to create some worthwhile shots, but I need to expand my creative horizons to make them pop more. I’m seriously considering buying a Yongnuo YN686EX-RT Speedlite to aid in this. I also have various filters, ND and CPL along with a shutter release remote and tripod.
Does anyone have any advice around how to attract local clients and what type of gear is actually required for this type of work?
If you are earning money, you are doing business for all practical purposes (especially taxes ).
I think you need the same kind of gear for pets you would use for people, a lens with a reasonable background blur and a body for reliable eye-based AF. A lot of cameras can do that these days, no need to buy the latest gear, but you would still be looking at thousands of dollars/euros. For studio work, you would need a lighting setup.
But you may be approaching this the wrong way. Being a freelance photographer requires some investment that may be significantly larger than just upgrading your kit for photography as a hobby. It is not only gear, but training and experience.
If you are serious about this, I would recommend that you get some training, eg by apprenticing with a local photographer, a course in a community college, etc.
Where I am located, there is a distinction between hobby and business. You can make a reasonable amount as a hobby without declaring it as business earnings. This is what I meant. Naturally, if I became really good at it and had an established cliente, I would turn it into a business. But for now keeping it low-key as a hobby is more than enough.
I have attended night classes that deal with DSLR photography and have been mentored by one of my country’s leading press photographers.
Like I said, at this stage I really only want to upgrade my camera and thought this maybe a good way of earning money as a hobby to that end. That and get some hands-on experience with pet photography in the meantime.
Thanks for your thoughts though and taking the time to reply, much appreciated.
Thanks for the clarification! I know someone in a similar situation, this person has built up a minor business doing “family moments” photography in a rural location where this was previously unavailable. The idea is to take quality pics of your family, especially the children, at home or a nice outdoor location while they are behaving naturally. Not traditional portraiture or event photography, just focusing on pics you can put in a family album. She uses a Sony APS-C setup with a few lenses. It grew out of hobby, she was photographing her own children, then birthday parties and kindergarten events, and the pics were so nice that people started to pay for them.
If I was in a similar situation, I would approach pet associations or events, saying that I was a learning pet photography and would cover their events for free initially, making sure that they make the pictures available with attribution. Then, after you build up a reputation, you can charge money.
I do all my work for free. That is thousands of photos for dozens of people every year. I definitely have a reputation!
I’m not complaining. I do it for the pleasure of being able to give back something to organisers and musicians who are giving music mostly free to the end listener (musicians and other expenses covered by sponsorship both personal and commercial). And I enjoy practising both the taking and the processing.
Whilst I have a lot more confidence in my photography now than I did even two or three years ago, I’m painfully aware that going professional in any way adds big responsibilities: to deliver, and to deliver on time. And the sometimes unpleasant task of actually getting paid.
And how do I tell people, sorry, I am asking for money now? That might be the hardest bit! How do you turn friends into clients!
Being a hobby jeweller, over forty years ago, things were simpler. There were gifts, and they were gifts… It led to people asking could I make something, or repair something, for them. And nobody expects a piece of precious metal (not even silver) for free. But the photography is different. I’d have to stop doing it anyway.
So… I contemplate it from time to time. And how the cost of an expensive hobby could be converted into a business expense. But, as yet, I don’t think it is going to happen.
I think the key is not turning your friends into clients, but charging money from people outside the circle of your friends who asked you to take photos.
I think that decent people would implicitly assume that if they are not your friend, and they benefit from your work, they should compensate your for your time and expertise. I am not talking about a few casual photos, but at least few hours on site + the post-processing later. If you do that for free for strangers, then you are a very nice person, but also pretty unique.
My son did quite a bit of dog photography. He would shoot at competitive events such as agility trials and flyball races. Then, people who had bought or seen his photos at the events would privately have him do portraits of their dogs.
FWIW, I would recommend proceeding VERY carefully and thoughtfully. I also realize mine may not be a popular opinion. Everyone is an individual, we all have different ways of “doing stuff” and we all react in our own ways, but at least consider the fact that “going pro” (to whatever degree) may end up impacting – and possibly destroying – your enjoyment of photography. At a minimum it could reduce your ability to do what you want. Certainly not assured, but definitely possible.
It can be insidious: At first the trickle of cash is nice, but after a while you realize that what was fun at first has now become confining 14 months later. You want to do other stuff (try other styles, etc.) but you’ve become attached to the cash from regular customers. E.g., it’s a beautiful afternoon and looks good for sunset. But Ms. Jones needs 27 photos of her little Pomeranian processed for his birthday party tomorrow. If she’s not satisfied and ends up at another photographer, others might follow.
Not trying to be a killjoy, I just think it’s worth thinking through.
I have previously owned and run a full time photography studio. One recommendation I have is just to advertise somewhere to find clients. Maybe in the waiting room of your local vet or at some dog club. The beauty with digital is if you do a shoot and the client is not happy with the results you can give them back the fees you have charged and lost nothing but your time. Chalk your time up to experience and decide if it was just a uncooperative dog or that the idea of photographing pets is not that easy. Just give it a try. Nothing to lose.
Another thing to consider (I had to arrange for it when my son briefly did some pro photography) is business insurance, both for your equipment and for liability. It isn’t terribly expensive, but you can’t overlook it.
Scenario: Suppose a child trips over one of your cords and gets hurt.
Yes, agreed! Which is part of the reason why I’d only want to charge something to go toward gear upgrades. I would be concerned that if it became a business, it would take my enjoyment away and I would want out. Because if you don’t enjoy what you do, then what’s the point? Thank you for your observation. I’m sure you’re not alone thinking this way.
An idea to consider (if it’s an option) is to see if a local animal shelter would let you take photos of animals awaiting adoption. There’s someone in my area that does that at a local shelter, using simple backdrops and lighting to have a “studio” feel. It could be a way to build up some practice and a portfolio while doing some good volunteer work.
For the specifics of how to shoot take photos of animals, it’s really not much different from people except you can’t easily direct them to do what you want…
Yer right…I photographed a lot of babies and kids and they are no easier than a pet. In fact most dogs can be taught to sit and behave. Never seen a dog cry and scream during a photoshoot with mum still insisting on continuing with the shoot. But I do like the idea of the animal shelter to make a start.
Working for free to begin (friends, family) is not a bad idea. If I were you, I would start amassing photos for possible inclusion in portfolios–both print and digital–to show to prospective clients: This is what I can do for you! Dogs and cats will be the most common subjects I would assume, but how about adding some photos of parrots on owner’s shoulder? Snakes draped around the neck? Hedgehogs held in hands? Horses in action? Bunnies!!
Some of your better photos can go on business cards, flyers, and a website. Also, I think you should assemble prints in an album to show what you can deliver–similar to a wedding album, if that’s what you’re intending to offer. All of this (along with high quality photos!) will make you look like a professional, experienced photographer.
I would start thinking about pricing for sets. How many prints, different subjects, different poses/activities, and what size will you offer at what price point? How much time will each completed project cost you?
I would also start thinking about the legal/contractual side of this. Who will retain copyright of the photos after you are done? Are property releases required for taking photos of pets? How will you handle model releases if people/kids are to be included? What contracts will you have clients sign and what will they include–you should likely charge not only for your time, but also equipment rental, mileage, and per diem if necessary. Doing the research and talking to a good lawyer are likely very good ideas. Not cheap in terms of time and money, but you don’t want to get burned later on and you don’t want to undercharge for your work.
I cannot help with the topics you asked, but I want to give a thought that I did not read yet in the comments, addressing the idea of charging below market, because you only want to compensate for gear upgrade. Please consider that if you offer your service cheaper than the photographers that have to make a living from their photography, you will not be the most popular person in these circles …
In my general area, there are several restaurants that have local art on the walls (sometimes photos, sometimes paintings). The pieces are for sale by the artists and the price is posted. I don’t know what the arrangements are between the artists and the restaurants, but I would guess that the restaurant would get a cut of the sales price. If you can find a situation like this, you might be able to sell some prints.
This video by Simon d’Entremont goes into the thought process of pricing your work. Not a bad watch.
I don’t know where you live, but here in Canada income is income and is expected to be reported as such. There’s no “well it’s a hobby, so you get a free pass.” At the same time, there is a thriving under the table cash economy that mostly evades the prying eyes of the tax man. Also, here at least, if your business does not appear to be capable of earning a profit now or in the future, then it can be considered not to be a business and I don’t think you can expense your costs (e.g., that lens you’ve been lusting over).
).
