Posted by Sean Bagshaw on December 3, 2007 at 8:04 PM
Even though I consider myself a newcomer to professional photography, I often receive inquiries about the business from photography students and amatuers who are interested in going pro. I recently answered a series of questions from a photography student which I felt were representative of the types of questions I get asked. I thought I would post the questions and my responses here in the event that they might be of interest to some members of NPN. To read other articles on my blog you can visit http://www.outdoorexposurephoto.com
Q Please tell me about yourself and your business.
A My name is Sean Bagshaw and I live in southern Oregon with my family. I was a science teacher for 12 years and did a fair amount of traveling, adventuring and shooting photos as a hobby. The more I got into photography the more I started looking at it as a potential career (like so many of us). About four years ago I found myself in a position to leave teaching and start a full time photography business. I’m still a beginner in the pro photography world, but I work hard and I’m encouraged by the growth of my business. Right now my income comes from a range of sources: print sales through my website, stock image licensing, gallery sales and assignment work. Most of my work is landscape, nature and travel based, but I also do some commercial architecture photography. I tried doing some portrait work for a while, but it isn’t my bag.
Q What was your greatest challenge in starting your business?
A Pretty much everything. I’m a self-taught photographer and I had no prior experience in running a business. I am learning everything, step by step as I go. Living in a rural area I don’t have easy access to the resources and markets that I might living in a bigger city. I also don’t have large amount of money to invest in my business (marketing, equipment, inventory, etc.) so I do it in small steps and pay as I go. Perhaps the biggest obstacle was getting to a place financially where I could quit my teaching job and spend a few years building the photography business while still supporting the family.
Q Is there any particular method you recommend for obtaining and keeping clients?
A To obtain clients I get the word out in every way I can…public art shows, galleries, giving presentations and talks, direct mail, writing articles, blogging, photography forums, creating a high profile web site, submissions and so on. Word of mouth takes a while to get going, but with the right effort it eventually starts to build. To keep clients I try to be a true professional, provide top service, follow through on my word and back up my work with an unconditional guarantee.
Q What marketing/promotional strategies work best for you?
A My web site, direct mail and word of mouth have done best for me, as well as making direct inquiries to places that might publish my work. I have also found working with stock agencies and art consultants to be helpful, but it can be very tricky conecting with the right ones. The wrong ones can be more detrimental than helpful.
Q What is the competition like in your geographic area you operate your business in?
A For the type of photography that I do, I live in a pretty good spot. There are not a lot of other photographers taking the types of photos I do in the southern Oregon area, although there are loads of portrait photographers. When I go to Colorado or Utah I find myself side by side with many other photographers. Around here, I rarely run across someone else. As a result, I have photos that not everyone has. While I still love traveling to all the famous photography locations, I am really putting in an effort to become known as THE photographer in the southern Oregon region. Finding a nitch is important.
Q What advice do you have for a student photographer desiring to enter the business?
A Learn everything you can about the business end of being a photographer, make as many contacts in the industry as you can and be prepared to spend several years to become established. For most of us this is a long term project, not a get rich quick affair. If you are single and not tied to a location or needing to provide income for a house and a family, take advantage of the opportunity to experiment, explore, work for established photographers, take far flung assignments, hone your skills, develop your style and immerse yourself in your work. Doing it the way I did, starting at 36 years old with a wife, kids and a house, had some advantages in the areas of wisdom, life experience and work ethic, but many opportunities were not available to me. I didn’t have the luxury to be able to move around, take big risks, live on a minimal income or devote myself to the work and nothing else.
Q Name the top three threats to your business that exist today.
A I’m not sure that I could identify threats other than the intense competition and the basic challenges of getting any business off the ground. I know that some more established photographers who are used to doing business a certain way are struggling to keep up with changes in the industry, such as stock licensing practices, internet marketing, digital technology and the proliferation of people trying to break into the business. Since I’m one of the ones breaking in, it all seems par for the course to me.
Q Do you ever use assistants or interns?
A I haven’t, but that time is coming as my business grows. However, with the type of photography that I do, I’m more likely to need an office manager or marketing agent than a photography assistant.
Posted by Richard Wong on December 3, 2007 at 8:17 PM
Great idea Sean. It might be good to just fwd the link to people whenever they ask. I get emails and calls from students and hobbyists frequently but what really irritates me is some people who don't even bother to reply with a simple thank you afterwards. If I can spend 5-10 minutes answering questions, it shouldnt' be that hard to spend 5 seconds to say thank you. So I won't be responding anymore to this sort of stuff by email unless there's something in it for me.
Posted by Ron Niebrugge on December 3, 2007 at 10:48 PM
I hear you Richard!
I try to take the time to answer every question about the photography industry, Alaska or many other topics I am frequently emailed about, and I'm always surprised by how many people don't even send a one word email of thanks. I don't blame you for not responding. I have considered not responding, but I hate to ignore the few people who really do appreciate a response. I now do the same thing as Sean and place the answers to frequent questions on my blog and just point to the post.
Posted by Sean Bagshaw on December 4, 2007 at 12:07 AM
Ron and Richard, I appreciate your perspectives, and agree that a thank you certainly isn't too much to hope for. I guess I haven't been at it long enough to become agitated by the questions. I hope I don't. I admit that I'm even a little flattered that others might look to me as a source of information. Like Ron, I also try to respond to anyone with a real interest. While I can't yet provide a voice of wisdom gained from 30 years in the business, I hope that the information I have up to this point can help someone. I am very greatful to those who have shared their experience and knowledge with me, and I'm still getting great advice and wisdom from seasoned pros all the time. The willingness of others to share what they know may be more valuable then any other resource I have access to. I like the idea of keeping the information flowing, which is why I try to answer questions whenever I get them and why I decided to post this thread.
Hey Richard, I sent you an email telling you how much I liked your work and that we were both in Cali but you didn't respond.. :)
It is really nice to see all this stuff that you have experienced and I print it out for future reading. I am hitting the marketing hard as I ALSO want my dream of being a professional and having this support me... I am lucky, my daughter is grown so I can spend alot of time working on this...
I would appreciate any comments on my site. www.digitalsbydanna.com.
Thanks for all the advice guys, as an aspiring photographer I TRULY appreciate it.....
Danna
Posted by Richard Wong on December 4, 2007 at 1:34 AM
hey Danna. Thanks, yes I did get your email though I don't recall exactly when. I sent you a few links to professional business groups and forums. Did you email from a yahoo or google account? My email ends up in the spam folder often times when dealing w/ those 3rd party emails. Sorry if you didn't get it.
If you every have a shoot down my my way, I would love to observe you....
:)
Posted by Fred Weymouth on December 4, 2007 at 6:29 AM
Great information Sean, thanks for sharing.
Posted by Susie Hopkins on December 8, 2007 at 8:40 AM
It is very good information and I'm grateful.. It shows I'm not the only one.. I've been working my way up slowly and still expect a few more years before I'm established.. Always learning and growing.. I believe I've found a great forum here and am grateful for the tools offered..
Did you get a business license? I have been asked to do Pet Photography at a local Walk for the Animals. Do you all think I need a business license for this? When is the time to do this? Do I have to charge tax? and thereby get a Sales Permit? I am excited about this, they sent me an email from my site inviting me to the show...
The pet photo shoot sounds like a great opportunity! I suggest that you contact your local government offices to see if you need a permit/license. If you provide 'service' only, you do not collect sales tax on labor. If you make prints or sell images you have to collect sales tax. If that's the case, then you will need a California Sellers Permit from the Board of Equalization (BOE). There is a ton of info about this on the www.ca.gov website.
It is noteworthy to keep in mind that if you have business income in California and collect sales tax under a seller's permit, you must also report any business income and expenses on the Federal Schedule C for the tax year in which the income is earned and deposited into your account.
Here's an important addition or elaboration on your list:
Which classes or photo schools do you recommend?"
Our answer is that you're better off pursuing a business degree with a fine art minor and special focus on photography, reflective of the lesser roll technical photo skills will play in success after business management and general artistic training. Pick a very good business school which also has a good art department and at least a few photo classes. Business education will make larger contributions to your success than a bunch of extra photo classes, and sequentially, good art classes will have a bigger influence on the quality of your work than extra photo classes. You can pick up specialized camea classes from diverse sources after the fact once you decide which direction the market will take your business. Camera classes are mostly about pushing buttons, compared to fine art classes when it comes to instruction in composition, color theory, perspective, art history, etc.
Discussion
12 repliesQ Please tell me about yourself and your business.
A My name is Sean Bagshaw and I live in southern Oregon with my family. I was a science teacher for 12 years and did a fair amount of traveling, adventuring and shooting photos as a hobby. The more I got into photography the more I started looking at it as a potential career (like so many of us). About four years ago I found myself in a position to leave teaching and start a full time photography business. I’m still a beginner in the pro photography world, but I work hard and I’m encouraged by the growth of my business. Right now my income comes from a range of sources: print sales through my website, stock image licensing, gallery sales and assignment work. Most of my work is landscape, nature and travel based, but I also do some commercial architecture photography. I tried doing some portrait work for a while, but it isn’t my bag.
Q What was your greatest challenge in starting your business?
A Pretty much everything. I’m a self-taught photographer and I had no prior experience in running a business. I am learning everything, step by step as I go. Living in a rural area I don’t have easy access to the resources and markets that I might living in a bigger city. I also don’t have large amount of money to invest in my business (marketing, equipment, inventory, etc.) so I do it in small steps and pay as I go. Perhaps the biggest obstacle was getting to a place financially where I could quit my teaching job and spend a few years building the photography business while still supporting the family.
Q Is there any particular method you recommend for obtaining and keeping clients?
A To obtain clients I get the word out in every way I can…public art shows, galleries, giving presentations and talks, direct mail, writing articles, blogging, photography forums, creating a high profile web site, submissions and so on. Word of mouth takes a while to get going, but with the right effort it eventually starts to build. To keep clients I try to be a true professional, provide top service, follow through on my word and back up my work with an unconditional guarantee.
Q What marketing/promotional strategies work best for you?
A My web site, direct mail and word of mouth have done best for me, as well as making direct inquiries to places that might publish my work. I have also found working with stock agencies and art consultants to be helpful, but it can be very tricky conecting with the right ones. The wrong ones can be more detrimental than helpful.
Q What is the competition like in your geographic area you operate your business in?
A For the type of photography that I do, I live in a pretty good spot. There are not a lot of other photographers taking the types of photos I do in the southern Oregon area, although there are loads of portrait photographers. When I go to Colorado or Utah I find myself side by side with many other photographers. Around here, I rarely run across someone else. As a result, I have photos that not everyone has. While I still love traveling to all the famous photography locations, I am really putting in an effort to become known as THE photographer in the southern Oregon region. Finding a nitch is important.
Q What advice do you have for a student photographer desiring to enter the business?
A Learn everything you can about the business end of being a photographer, make as many contacts in the industry as you can and be prepared to spend several years to become established. For most of us this is a long term project, not a get rich quick affair. If you are single and not tied to a location or needing to provide income for a house and a family, take advantage of the opportunity to experiment, explore, work for established photographers, take far flung assignments, hone your skills, develop your style and immerse yourself in your work. Doing it the way I did, starting at 36 years old with a wife, kids and a house, had some advantages in the areas of wisdom, life experience and work ethic, but many opportunities were not available to me. I didn’t have the luxury to be able to move around, take big risks, live on a minimal income or devote myself to the work and nothing else.
Q Name the top three threats to your business that exist today.
A I’m not sure that I could identify threats other than the intense competition and the basic challenges of getting any business off the ground. I know that some more established photographers who are used to doing business a certain way are struggling to keep up with changes in the industry, such as stock licensing practices, internet marketing, digital technology and the proliferation of people trying to break into the business. Since I’m one of the ones breaking in, it all seems par for the course to me.
Q Do you ever use assistants or interns?
A I haven’t, but that time is coming as my business grows. However, with the type of photography that I do, I’m more likely to need an office manager or marketing agent than a photography assistant.
I try to take the time to answer every question about the photography industry, Alaska or many other topics I am frequently emailed about, and I'm always surprised by how many people don't even send a one word email of thanks. I don't blame you for not responding. I have considered not responding, but I hate to ignore the few people who really do appreciate a response. I now do the same thing as Sean and place the answers to frequent questions on my blog and just point to the post.
It is really nice to see all this stuff that you have experienced and I print it out for future reading. I am hitting the marketing hard as I ALSO want my dream of being a professional and having this support me... I am lucky, my daughter is grown so I can spend alot of time working on this...
I would appreciate any comments on my site. www.digitalsbydanna.com.
Thanks for all the advice guys, as an aspiring photographer I TRULY appreciate it.....
Danna
Thanks Richard and again, love your work....
If you every have a shoot down my my way, I would love to observe you....
:)
Thanks!
The pet photo shoot sounds like a great opportunity! I suggest that you contact your local government offices to see if you need a permit/license. If you provide 'service' only, you do not collect sales tax on labor. If you make prints or sell images you have to collect sales tax. If that's the case, then you will need a California Sellers Permit from the Board of Equalization (BOE). There is a ton of info about this on the www.ca.gov website.
It is noteworthy to keep in mind that if you have business income in California and collect sales tax under a seller's permit, you must also report any business income and expenses on the Federal Schedule C for the tax year in which the income is earned and deposited into your account.
Kind Regards,
-PB
Which classes or photo schools do you recommend?"
Our answer is that you're better off pursuing a business degree with a fine art minor and special focus on photography, reflective of the lesser roll technical photo skills will play in success after business management and general artistic training. Pick a very good business school which also has a good art department and at least a few photo classes. Business education will make larger contributions to your success than a bunch of extra photo classes, and sequentially, good art classes will have a bigger influence on the quality of your work than extra photo classes. You can pick up specialized camea classes from diverse sources after the fact once you decide which direction the market will take your business. Camera classes are mostly about pushing buttons, compared to fine art classes when it comes to instruction in composition, color theory, perspective, art history, etc.