Do you have dreams to take pictures all day and enough money to quit your 9-5? We completely understand! Those with an eye for photography prefer to start their own photography business, perhaps in hopes of it replacing their day job. Starting out can be tedious but well worth it! Today’s post is a starter’s guide for your first steps in creating your own photography side hustle, including tips we found useful.
Steps to Getting Started in Creating Your Photography Side Hustle
- Educate yourself as much as you can. Knowledge is power and will go a long way creating your own photography business. Courses in photography, photo editing, and lighting & framing will be useful starting out. Apply what you learn constantly so you have a better understanding of the coursework
- Invest in high-quality equipment. The expensive equipment is worth the price tag and you get the results you imagined. Be prepared to spend $1,000 to $10,000 for your camera and the rest of your tools. Buy good photo-editing softwares like Photoshop or Lightroom. To get both softwares is best but you can purchase the one you don’t buy down the road. Get an external hard drive, too. Your computer’s disk space will thank you.
- Have a dedicated space for your hustle. It takes a lot of space to run a photography business so have a room or studio prepared for your hustle. Working at a dining room table won’t be viable down the road and having a space where you feel inspired and productive will enhance your craft. Fill your space with photographs or quotes that motivate you and surround you with peace.
- Start your social presence as early as possible. Build a website and start two to three social media platforms. We recommend Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are best for the visual arts. Engage with local companies and photographers
- Plan out your process with clients. How and where will you sell your photos? What’s included in your package(s)? Draft a contract for clients and determine how you will get paid. Having a process mapped out beforehand will make your life easier and will lead your prospective clients to think you’re more professional.
Tips When Starting
- Discover your niche. Create photos that are unique and signature to you.
- Learn SEO for your website and social media. This will help you gain traction on the Internet and geared towards your desired audience.
- Post and shoot for your target audience. There’s no point in posting beautiful animal shots when you’re wanting a wedding photography business. It would be confusing otherwise.
Sign up for any of the Pass Gallery plans to start off on the right foot and streamline your hustle to success. We hope this step-by-step guide helps you to starting your own photography side hustle and drop any of your recommendations of tips that helped you down in the comments.
