Pro photographers, fow did you start you business?

Manuel Madeira · Mar 26, 2021

Hi guys, im just curious to know how did you start your business in the different branches of photography.

Auer · Mar 26, 2021

Start by working for someone else.

Sirius Glass · Mar 26, 2021

Get a job using photography rather than being a photographer. That way you will have an income rather than growing deficits.

Wayne · Mar 26, 2021

Word on the street is that you can't make a living in photography anymore. But that doesn't mean you can't start a business and claim your losses (in the US anyway), as long as you are making the effort to profit.

I was "in business" for about 3-4 years. To start my business I said "I'm in business" and started showing my Cibachrome prints around town and trying to sell them to anyone who would look at them. I quickly learned I didn't really enjoy being a salesman. I don't remember if I ever broke even, but it was nice deducting all my photo expenses for a few years.

That's probably not the answer the OP was looking for but on the most basic level that's all it takes to "start a business" in the US. You say you're in business and you start acting like it, saving receipts, documenting income/outgoing, and probably file a Schedule C if you're a sole proprietor. But the OP is not in the US.

removed account4 · Mar 26, 2021

I got my start when someone asked me to make a portrait for a magazine article about them ..
then 2 years later I assisted local pros, then apprenticed with a portrait photographer
then .. voila. ..

pentaxuser · Mar 26, 2021

Hi guys, im just curious to know how did you start your business in the different branches of photography.

Isn't the OP just asking how you started your photography business rather than what he needs to do assuming that he even wants to start his own photography business? The question sounds as if he is asking for your stories and experiences that led to your starting your own business

I could be wrong of course

pentaxuser

Pieter12 · Mar 26, 2021

Wayne said:
Word on the street is that you can't make a living in photography anymore. But that doesn't mean you can't start a business and claim your losses (in the US anyway), as long as you are making the effort to profit.

I was "in business" for about 3-4 years. To start my business I said "I'm in business" and started showing my Cibachrome prints around town and trying to sell them to anyone who would look at them. I quickly learned I didn't really enjoy being a salesman. I don't remember if I ever broke even, but it was nice deducting all my photo expenses for a few years.

That's probably not the answer the OP was looking for but on the most basic level that's all it takes to "start a business" in the US. You say you're in business and you start acting like it, saving receipts, documenting income/outgoing, and probably file a Schedule C if you're a sole proprietor. But the OP is not in the US.

In the U.S. you still need to make a profit in 2 out of 5 years or else it is considered a hobby and you can't write off expenses.

BradS · Mar 26, 2021

Forty years ago (yes, 40 !) I was a senior in high school and I **knew** that I wanted to either be a photojournalist or a math teacher when I grew up. I had been taking photos for the school yearbook and somehow (I don't remember how, it all seemed serendipitous at the time but looking back, I think it might have been arranged unbeknown to me) managed to make the acquaintance of a local photo journalist. She let me tag along with here on some of her assignments after school and on weekends. She also introduced me to an editor at the local, small town newspaper...and he let me hang around the darkroom. I thought I was well on my way to being a pro photojournalist. At the end of summer following high school, I went away to University to study math. Along the way, I took a few jobs assisting professional wedding photographers.

I never started my own business nor did I ever become a professional photographer...

Wayne · Mar 26, 2021

Pieter12 said:
In the U.S. you still need to make a profit in 2 out of 5 years or else it is considered a hobby and you can't write off expenses.

At that point all you need to do is prove to the IRS it is actually a business and you are running it like one. I know this to be true, but I've never tried it, and fear of trying is one reason I stopped claiming my photography as a business.

mgb74 · Mar 28, 2021

Wayne said:
At that point all you need to do is prove to the IRS it is actually a business and you are running it like one. I know this to be true, but I've never tried it, and fear of trying is one reason I stopped claiming my photography as a business.

But there's the rub. You have to prove it to the IRS. They get to be judge, jury, and executioner (unless you go as far as to take it to court). The IRS will focus on different areas at different times depending on the level of abuse they think they're seeing. You might get away with it one year and be audited the next. If you truly run it as a business and can document that, you're probably OK. If you buy $5,000 worth of photo equipment, with little/no prior experience, and just throw an ad up on Craigslist, probably not. Best way is to make sure your business income covers expenses. And, keep in mind, the IRS can go back 3 years to audit (more in some cases).

wiltw · Mar 28, 2021

The ultimate in basic steps...

learn your craft well enough to provide your selected customer segment with quality work
search for a unique business name in your state
get a business license in your city
register with state for collection and payment of sales taxes
establish pricing based upon all costs plus payment of all of your time consumed for a job...NOT simply shooting time! But don't necessarily charge as much forthe mundane things anyone can do like 'driving time' as you charge for yoiur 'creative time' which uses unique skills and talent (shooting, postprocessing)
advertise your business and promote yourself to potential customers

wiltw · Mar 28, 2021

Pieter12 said:
In the U.S. you still need to make a profit in 2 out of 5 years or else it is considered a hobby and you can't write off expenses.

Unless you can prove intent to make a profit, via the 2 of 5 years basic measure, you can only write off expenses to offset to zero any income which was produced in that year!

Wayne · Mar 28, 2021

wiltw said:
The ultimate in basic steps...

learn your craft well enough to provide your selected customer segment with quality work

search for a unique business name in your state

get a business license in your city

register with state for collection and payment of sales taxes

establish pricing based upon all costs plus payment of all of your time consumed for a job...NOT simply shooting time! But don't necessarily charge as much forthe mundane things anyone can do like 'driving time' as you charge for yoiur 'creative time' which uses unique skills and talent (shooting, postprocessing)

advertise your business and promote yourself to potential customers

They live in Portugal

Pieter12 · Mar 28, 2021

Wayne said:
They live in Portugal

I am sure these basic steps are valid in Portugal as well. Maybe substitute another governing district for "state" but they all want taxes collected and paid, and most probably a nice run through bureaucratic red tape. You might have to pass an exam to get a license or join an official group to operate as a photographer.

wiltw · Mar 28, 2021

Wayne said:
They live in Portugal

The principals all apply, altough the collecting agency would be different.

"Businesses in Portugal are required to collect a sales tax of 20.00% on behalf of the government, which they must submit to the applicable Portugal revenue department in a periodical VAT tax return. The VAT is collected on all sales - even of raw materials.
Businesses may be required to register for a Portugal VAT number or other identifier to enable the government to track and verify VAT tax returns.
VAT collection is a responsibility of the merchant, and failure to collect and submit the appropriate tax amounts may result in severe penalties."

foc · Mar 29, 2021

I trained in a wholesale film lab in the late 1970s. The lab closed in the mid-1980s so rather than have no job I decided to open a minilab with my savings and redundency. I also trained as a professional photographer because I knew there was more money in shooting the film than processing it.

I freelanced for local papers, established a sucessfull wedding photography business and became the local leading commercial photographer.
Sounds impressive but remember we are in the stick, in the back of beyond, on the periphery of Europe.

The minilab became a retail photoshop and studio so this was the bread and butter and wedding photography was the cherry on top.
35 years later I retired and sold all.

BradS · Mar 29, 2021

wiltw said:
The ultimate in basic steps...

learn your craft well enough to provide your selected customer segment with quality work

search for a unique business name in your state

get a business license in your city

register with state for collection and payment of sales taxes

establish pricing based upon all costs plus payment of all of your time consumed for a job...NOT simply shooting time! But don't necessarily charge as much forthe mundane things anyone can do like 'driving time' as you charge for yoiur 'creative time' which uses unique skills and talent (shooting, postprocessing)

advertise your business and promote yourself to potential customers

an excellent summary. I would only add, Work Hard.

Pieter12 · Mar 29, 2021

It doesn't hurt to work for someone as an assistant to get a taste of what is involved in a pro shoot, from preparation to client interaction to delivery of the final images.

Pro photographers, fow did you start you business?

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