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How to Start Photography Business without a Studio

professional freelance photographer taking picture of beautiful female model posing for photo shot in a home setting
Starting a photography business is easy, fun, and rewarding. However, starting any type of business is not without risk. The good news is that you don’t have to have a studio. You can start a successful photography business with no experience and without a studio. All you need is a passion for photography and willingness to learn.

Earning money with a digital camera is easier than you think. You don’t need expensive equipment, studio, or dark room to process photos. Most people have access to a digital camera, but not everyone has the skill to take quality pictures and the knowledge to turn it into a profitable business.

Starting a photography business may require a business license, which will vary depending on your local area. You should check with your city or county to make sure you’re complying with your local regulations.

Before you get involved in photography as a business, you should choose to specialize in certain type of photography. You may choose to specialize in stock photography, wedding photography, commercial photography, sports photography, fashion photography, portrait photography, or model portfolios photography. Each type of photography requires special skills and techniques.

You don’t have to lease a studio to start a photography business. If you ever need a studio, you can rent a studio by the hour. However, most of your photography will be outdoors.

You will need a DSLR camera with decent zoom lenses in the range of 24-70mm and 70-200mm. However, most professional photographers carry extra 50mm, 90mm, telephoto, and wide-angle lenses. The lenses you choose will be based on the type of photography you want to specialize.

You will also need a laptop computer to view, process, and print your images. With a laptop, you can view the pictures before you leave your customer’s location.

pretty female fashion model walking in forest

Once the pictures are saved on your computer, save them on CDs or USB drives in case something goes wrong with your computer. Always backup your pictures on an external disk.

You will also need to edit photos or use a tech to do it for you. However, it is a good idea to learn a photo editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop in order to remove imperfections or to edit pictures as required.

Your clients may request a print of the images. In the beginning, try to contract out your printing jobs to a specialized firm. Later, you can invest in a professional printer.

Succeeding in photography requires knowledge, planning, commitment, and dedication. You will need to focus on learning as much as you can about the type of photography you want to specialize in.

Try to learn about composition, lighting, and continue to develop your skills. Ask friends and family to help you build your portfolio.

You will also need business cards and brochures. Promote your photography business online through social media. Plan to join local association that offers education and networking.

By Robert Stevens – 2019 – Update 2020
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For additional articles written by Robert Stevens, see alliedpublishing.com/freelance-photography. Robert Stevens is the author of How to Make Money With Your Camera published in 2019.

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