Even though I consider myself a newcomer in professional photography, a career in which it can take decades to become established, I often receive inquiries about the business from photography students and amatures who are interested in going pro. I recently answered a series of questions from a photography student that I thought represented the type information that people are usually interested in. I have posted those questions and my responses here in the hopes that others might find them useful.
1. Please tell me about yourself and your business.
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. 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 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.
2. What was your greatest challenge in starting your business?
Pretty much everything. I’m a self-taught photographer and I have 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.
3. Is there any particular method you recommend for obtaining and keeping clients?
To obtain clients I get the word out in every way I can…public art shows, galleries, giving presentations and talks, direct mail, blogging, photography forums, creating a high profile web site 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.
4. What marketing/promotional strategies work best for you?
My web site, direct mail and word of mouth have done best for me, as well as making direct inquiries to establishments who might publish my work.
5. What is the competition like in your geographic area you operate your business in?
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.
6. What advice do you have for a student photographer desiring to enter the business?
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.
7. Name the top three threats to your business that exist today.
I’m not sure that I could identify threats other than general competition and the basic challenges of getting a 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, 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.
8. Do you ever use assistants or interns?
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 an assistant.