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Virtually
anyone can make money from photography even with just a pocket camera and a
roll of ordinary film. Many projects included here require no special knowledge
or experience and some need only everyday photographic equipment such as most
individuals and families already own.
These tips
will help you get started:
* Draw up a list of suitable projects and make
notes about what to do next. List ideas, markets and venues for you to
photograph. Then start one by one to develop a portfolio of profitable
projects. The range of opportunities and profits is enormous and most people
should easily fill their days and their bank accounts from ideas contained in
this guide.
* Take your camera with you everywhere you go.
Opportunity can strike anywhere, at any time. The person who recorded Bing
Crosby's fatal heart attack during a round of golf earned himself a fortune!
* Have plenty of spare films and accessories on
hand. A back-up camera is essential. Aim to offer black and white and colour
photographs in respect of most promising opportunities.
* Keep
your eyes and ears permanently open for profitable opportunities. Make a diary
of events, deadlines, anniversaries, and so on.
* Start an ideas book and keep it constantly
updated. List ideas for markets, new projects you'd like to try, and so on.
* Always do the best you can and remember the
very best advertising comes from referrals and word-of-mouth recommendation
from satisfied clients.
* Keep on developing and improving your
techniques. Attend a refresher course if necessary and keep abreast of ideas,
markets and techniques gained from photographic magazines and newsletters.
* Have a business card produced and pin it
wherever prospective customers will see it: on notice boards in libraries and
community centres, in shop and post office windows, in factory and office rest
rooms, hospital and GP's waiting rooms, in online photographic libraries, on
print on demand sites like Zazzle.com and Café Press.com, and so on.
* Advertise direct to your target audience.
Small classified ads. in local newspapers and freesheets will attract clients
for wedding and family photographs. Niche markets such as dog lover's magazines
and mother and toddler publications are ideal advertising sources for portrait
photographers specialising in children and pets.
* Write to likely prospects. Local newspapers,
for instance, are prime targets for photographers specialising in local events,
on the scene newbreaks, profiles of local celebrities, and so on.
A
Handful of Profitable Photographic Opportunities
Paparazzi
This is
the popular name for photographers who follow the personality trail, sometimes
hounding Royals and politicians, television and film stars, even nine-day
celebrities like football pools and lottery winners, kiss-and-tellers and
dishonoured dignitaries.
Photographs
of royals and celebrities sunbathing topless or scantily dressed, even just
exercising, can net the opportunist thousands, sometimes millions of pounds.
Such
photographs are in high demand everywhere and the world rights to one exclusive
photograph can be enough to keep you in luxury for the rest of your life. Remember, however, that risks are greater
than for landscape and events photographers; so too is the pressure and public
outrage you might encounter.
Keep a
diary of dates and events where famous and infamous subjects might be. Study
the area well and arrive early to get a good position. Always take plenty of
spare film and equipment. Think how disastrous it would be to get there first,
find a wonderful vantage point, aim your camera at the celebrity looking
directly at you, and suddenly realise your camera isn't working. Real
professionals carry two of everything, always.
National
and international newspapers and magazines are your most likely, and most
profitable markets for celebrities with wide appeal. For subjects to interest a
small section of society, such as a local dignitary coming to open a county
fair, local and regional newspapers are a market worth trying.
Working
With Agencies and Photograph Libraries
This is
perhaps the most rewarding and profitable category of all for the freelance to
consider. Payment is good and established agency photographers can expect
regular guaranteed work for several years. Agencies usually sell on commission,
paying a fixed percentage back to the photographer. Some agencies work exclusive online, some
offline, many do both.
End
users for pictures range from newspapers and magazines to advertising
specialists, model agencies, and so on.
Hundreds of agencies and libraries operate in Britain alone, but that
does not mean the market is easy to break into. It isn't and only the very best
photographers will make it. When you do find an agency for your work, regular
commissions are likely, and the agency will expect you to commit yourself to a
long working relationship.
One
successful freelance photographer writing in Freelance Writing and Photography
tells how he lodges most of his pictures with libraries, leaving him free to
continue taking photographs while still expecting a useful income from them. He
further talks about granting restricted rights to some clients, such as
postcard manufacturers, meaning he can offer the same photograph to
non-competing end users. Recycling, it seems, offers high potential for the
organised photographer.
Study
agency requirements before submitting. Send only your very best work samples,
not photographs others have refused. Photographs must be clear, bright and
sharp. Perfect, in fact. Stick to the exact specifications for your target
market: subject, size of print, type, number, colour/black and white, and so
on. Don't send one or two photographs to an agency then sit back and wait for
the profits. It doesn't work like that. Most agencies want literally hundreds
of photos before accepting you onto their books.
Postcards, Greetings Cards and Calendars
Take a
look in any good newsagent or large book shop and you'll see hundreds of cards,
posters, calendars, and other items decorated with photographs of all shapes
and sizes. Most are taken by freelance photographers and submitted to
manufacturers of the products. If you
decide to do photography for this sector, decide whether to produce the items
yourself or to send photographs 'on spec' to established publishers.
If you
work alone look for likely outlets among gift shops, newsagents, souvenir
shops, art galleries, hotels, tourist information centres, and so on. Offer a
commission on all items sold through them.
Quality is of the highest standard, making this a tough market to break
into. More than this, careful market study is what distinguishes the successful
photographer from the also-ran You must know exactly what your target market
requires and make sure you offer them nothing less. Competition is fairly tough in a sector where
rewards can also be very high.
One
very successful photographer specialising in postcards reports high earnings
from taking, making and marketing cards himself, without involving shops and
other distributors. He says marketing is the key to success, emphasising that
it's pointless to be able to take great photographs for postcards everyone
wants to buy if no-one knows where to get them from. He tells us, no surprise,
that most postcards are purchased by tourists and holiday-makers and says the
real business of selling should be through shops and retailers in popular
tourist areas. Our subject began by studying popular tourist areas, including
London and York, where he looked at cards already on sale in these areas,
noting which sights were most popular, what photographic techniques seemed most
common, whether black and white or colour was the order of the day, and so on.
Then he
took some photographs himself, based on the findings of his market research. He
began by shooting popular subjects from unusual angles and trying to create
other things different about his pictures. He markets his work through
traditional retailers offering cards on a sale or return basis and returning
regularly to replenish stocks, take his earnings, and maybe add new pictures to
the range.
Find
useful contacts in Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook and place your images on
print on demand sites like Zazzle and Café Press where greetings cards are
popular sellers.
Travel Photography
Fancy
being able to travel the world, almost free of charge? Even better, how would
you like to be certain that every holiday and trip you take from now on is
going to earn you money, not cost you?
Anyone
who likes to travel, preferably to unusual, faraway places, can take
photographs of scenes, people and events to interest countless end users,
including editors of magazines and newspapers, photograph libraries, restaurant
owners and hoteliers, and many, many more.
More
than this, did you know you can even finance your trips in advance and generate
a lot of spending money by liming up clients for your work before you embark on
your journey? You didn't? Well, do we have news for you!
Offer
articles to accompany the photographs you take and the world truly is your
oyster. Alternatively, how about collaborating with a freelance writer and
planning worldwide trips from which you can both earn high profits, as well as
getting to see something of the world as you go? As a travel photographer
there's virtually no part of the world you'll be precluded from visiting,
however remote or uninviting. Naturally, you will want to visit places that
interest you, however, as well as generating plenty of photographs for clients.
Remember
that not everyone likes being photographed, sometimes for cultural, religious
or superstitious reasons. Always ask permission first. In some countries it is absolutely forbidden
to take photographs of military installations, docks, airports, religious
shrines, and numerous other sites. Make sure you know in advance what you can
and can not photograph. Ask tourist offices or buy a selection of good travel
guides.
Markets
are truly plentiful coming from all sections of industry, business and
commerce. For the main part, travel articles and photographs sell to local and
national newspapers and magazines, as well as to publishers of travel books and
periodicals, and firms with general or specific interests in the country or
countries you visit. But many other
markets await you, such as restaurant owners interested in popular overseas
menus and dishes, businesses needing information about their foreign
competitors, even writers needing photographs to accompany their own work, and
so on. There are many publishers, in
Britain and abroad, whose main interest lies in travel and travel-related
themes. Refer to Writers' and Artists' Yearbook for a comprehensive listing.
Specialise in Local Events
Local
events are popular with everyone, young and old. Photographs of the occasion
also have very wide appeal, to participants and others keen to report on the
event, such as newspapers and magazines, even schools newsletters and trade
journals, depending on individual circumstances. There's scope for anyone adept at taking
action photographs to earn a useful income purely from photographing at these
events. Try visiting a few local events
with a view to taking and submitting photographs to appropriate magazines and
freesheets. Alternatively, take photographs of visitors and participants which
you can offer to send when developed in return for a small deposit paid in
advance. For venues, consider: school
sports days, gymkhanas, cross-country events, rallies and exhibitions, and so
on. If you are good, local newspapers
might ask you to cover local events exclusively for them. Send a few sample
photographs to local editors. Visit local tourist information boards for
details of forthcoming events and keep your eyes open on the 'What's On'
columns of local and regional newspapers.
Pets
This is
another potentially insatiable and very profitable market for photographers,
especially if unusual end products are offered like jigsaws, photographs glazed
onto china, Christmas and greetings cards, and so on. Advertise in pet shops, shop and post office
windows, through advertisements in local newspapers, at dog shows and obedience
training classes, in pet lovers' magazines, etc. Alternatively, turn up at dog, animal and
agricultural shows, where you might work to commission. Ask a deposit for
photographs you will later post to clients with an invoice for the remainder
due. Horses, pigeon and bird shows offer similar opportunities.
Images
of pets and other domestic animals appear on many bestselling items at print on
demand sites like Zazzle and Café Press.
Children
Children
represent a very lucrative market indeed, whether you work to commission or set
yourself up in schools and supermarkets where customers approach you direct.
You can offer your services at swimming clubs and galas, school plays, mother
and toddler clubs, soft play sessions in sports and leisure centres, etc.
Another very profitable option is birthday parties and family celebrations.
When
working in schools, it's always a good idea to give a donation to the school in
return for a ready welcome next year. Many people think photographing children
at school is unnatural, mothers having dressed them up for the occasion,
meaning the whole thing is manufactured and false. That said, however, most
parents disagree, believing up-market professional images from you will
compensate for a preponderance of their own pictures of scruffy, badly-behaved,
'won't sit still for their parents' children. Professional photographers always
seem to bring out the best in their subjects, producing pictures, which
although stage-managed, usually seem to present children at their best.
Keep
accurate records about schools, classes, groups of children to be photographed
together, and so on. Always take a brush and comb, disposable ones if possible,
to tidy up your subjects. Background is essential, comprising a velvet curtain
or other self-coloured material, but nothing too bright or patterned. Good
lighting and flash equipment is vital.
For
larger jobs like this, check round local photographic firms to get the best
rate for high-volume developing. A
regular mailshot about your service to schools in your area should keep you
fully booked for months ahead.
Special Events Photography
Visit
well-populated events such as: craft shows, antiques roadshows, leek
championships, gardening competitions, art and craft shows, sports events, and
so on, offering to take photographs of the winners and others on commission.
Distribute cards to visitors and take a deposit with the remainder payable on
receipt of the photographs. Contact organisers and ask permission to attend the
event, if needed, in return for a share in the proceeds.
Most
tourist information boards hand out lists of future events in their area.
Better still, most offices have addresses of other boards throughout Britain,
meaning you could plan your entire year travelling to events all over the
country.
Readers' Letters Pages and Filler Markets
This
may seem a relatively lowly opening for the experienced photographer but it's
actually a market to which many very well-paid photographers, and writers,
exploit during their spare time or when more lucrative longer assignments are
at a premium.
It can,
in fact, represent a very lucrative opening for anyone who takes time to study
the exact requirements of the many magazines and newspapers requiring
photographs (sometimes with accompanying captions or letters) for their
readers' letters and fillers pages. Rewards range from a token pen or
stationery set, to high prize and cash awards.
Notice
whether editors prefer particular subjects, say dogs or children, landscapes,
and such and if a caption typically accompanies the photograph. Then focus your work on fulfilling editors'
and publishers' exact needs.
Keep an
eye open for highly popular silly shop signs and names, odd signs on the
highway, ambiguous notices, endearing animals and children, and anything
unusual or related specifically to your target magazine.
Obtain
a few back issues of target magazines and study the photographs they contain.
And, remember, you don't have to wait for unusual or interesting things to
happen, you can always set them up for yourself.
Aerial Photography
Aerial
photography is popular with householders, business and government organisations
alike and is simply a case of researching possible clients for aerial shots of
homes, business and government premises and expecting to sell a high proportion
of pictures taken. Cost of taking pictures is low and potential sales
particularly high. Your role is simply
to hire a plane with pilot, organise the flight path, and take photographs on
route.
If you
can, line up buyers in advance, for commissions photographs, request an upfront
deposit which can be used to finance cost of aeroplane, photographic equipment,
and whatever photographic and flying assistance is necessary.
When
commissioned photographs have been fulfilled and payment received, sell other
items door-to-door or offer via advertisements in local and regional newspapers
as well as from advertisements in shop and post office windows. Don't forget to offer sales on commission
through retailers, estate agents, tourist shops, and other potential high
street shops and offices.
Offer a
Range of More Exotic and Elaborate Photographic Albums for Traders
For
example, take ornate photographs of cakes and gourmet dishes, items the company
may produce very rarely, but still wish to have some means of displaying to
clients, in this case photographically.
Likely clients include confectioners, bakers, cake decorators, wedding
cake specialists, caterers and restaurants.
Visit prospects in person or by mail but always with a few sample
photographs from earlier clients.
Offer to Restore, Touch Up or Re-Photograph
Old, Faded, Torn or Damaged Pictures
Earlier
photographs were far less durable than today digital versions. They fade fast, damage quickly, and in just a
few decades few physical memories remain of the subject. However, using today's technology, a great
many of those earlier specimens can be darkened, re--photographed and restored
to near-original quality. Either offer
to restore old photos to resemble their modern day counterparts, or produce an
authentic sepia-toned type. Advertise in
local and national newspapers, photographic journals and newsletters, via
postcard and ephemera collectors' magazines, and personally at postcard clubs,
genealogy groups, and so on.
Visit Well-Populated Events
The
lies of craft shows, antiques roadshows, leek growing championships and
gardening competitions, art and craft fairs, sports events and more. Offer to take photographs of winners and
anyone else who commissions you to depict them and their creations. Hand out business cards in case anyone later
decides they'd like a memento, too.
Contact organisers of such events and request permission to attend. You may have to pay a stall fee or sometimes
you'll be asked to offer a fixed share of the taking back t organisers. Either way, it can be a great way to make
money fast.
Take Photographs of Children Visiting Santa's
Grotto
You can
charge customers or else ask organisers, normally shops, to sponsor you. Sell you idea to stores as a means of
generating after-Christmas custom, typically by taking photographs and a
deposit on the day and giving customers a date on which to return for the finished
photographs. Evidence suggests that most customers return for their photographs
and therefore bring increase custom to the store. A great selling point for retailers!
Offer to Glaze Photographs onto Plates and
Other Items of China
You
don't necessarily have to take photographs yourself, customers can bring their
own, but it helps further your career and profits as a five minute photographer
so aim to cover the whole spectrum.
Advertise in publications or take a booth at shows and fairs, alternatively
arrange to operate from space in another firms' premises, say a high street
store or market hall. Suitable glazing
materials and equipment can be obtained on eBay and other online marketplaces.
Turn Photographs Into Jigsaws or Table Mats,
Wall Prints, and Other Popular Novelty Items
You can
take photographs at various events or using pictures taken in the course of
other of your business ventures, by offering clients the chance to have
ordinary photographic prints transformed into collectible novelty goods.
Market
by direct mail or via stands at fairs and markets, exhibitions and special
events. You might also take photographs
on the day and arrange the transfer process later.
Alternative
ly, or as well as, upload your images to print on demand sites offering hundreds of different product types. The best include Zazzle and Café Press.
ly, or as well as, upload your images to print on demand sites offering hundreds of different product types. The best include Zazzle and Café Press.
Start a Line of Reproduction Prints of Old
Photographic Street Scenes and Special Events
Nostalgia
is big business and most people, though they can not afford the hefty prices
asked for original photographs (sometimes running into hundreds of pounds) are
keen to obtain copies for souvenirs or decorative purposes. We recently purchased and reproduced
photographs of the Titanic to coincide, very profitably, with the film and
intense media interest of anything related to the ill-fated liner. Photographs can be purchased as original or
reproduction postcards at postcard, ephemera and collectors' fairs (be careful
not to breach copyright) and can easily be re-photographed or scanned as
computer printouts. They will just as
easily sell in high volume door-to-door, through retail shops and souvenir
outlets, at craft fairs, or by direct mail to likely buyers.
Reproduction
views sell particularly well on eBay and Amazon, as well as on products at
print on demand sites like Zazzle and Café Press.
Tourist Spot Photography
Install
your camera at some busy tourist spot and take pictures of visitors, with or
without their prior approval, but be careful not to breach convention and
social codes. Approach subjects and
request a deposit against later fulfilment of finished photographs.