If you have an eye for taking appealing images and enjoy working with people, photography may be the business for you. The more funds you spend, the better equipment you can purchase and more promotion you can do. However, there is no reason to spend over $2,000 to get your photography business up and walking. Beyond equipment, expenses may be minimal, as compared to other business start-ups. You will likely work from home and for yourself, eliminating the necessity to rent space or pay employees, at least initially.
1 Buy a camera that is of professional quality. Most cameras come with a functional lens and flash that are suitable to take a wide range of photographs including landscape and portrait. As your business sales progress, you can add different lenses to your collection. Expect to spend about $1,000 on a camera, $300 on a basic light kit and $100 on a tripod.
2 Purchase application to edit pics. Look for an older version of picture editing application, as it may be available less pricey than current versions. Search for downloadable application, which may be less pricey than off-the-shelf application. A basic editing program such as Photoshop Elements will cost about $100 to $200.
3 Take images. Taking images won't cost you anything. You will build your portfolio, get used to your camera and learn about lighting and how to get the best shots. Offer to take free images of your relatives and friends to get portrait experience. Ask professional photographers in case you can mentor with them or act as their apprentice.
4 Post your images on a photo-sharing site where consumers can purchase your pics. A photo-sharing web-site, such as SmugMug, will cost about $100 to $200 per year. You may prefer to set up your own web-site with a shopping cart, which may be more pricey to set up and maintain.
5 Market your photography business by posting fliers, newspaper adverts, Yellow Page listings and participating in local fairs, festivals and bazaars. Smaller events charge smaller fees for vendors to set up a table to sell their products. Expect entrance fees to cost about $25 to $50. Use a printing company to print several of your images in advance and frame the best to display and sell. Spend about $300 to $500 to print and frame your sellable images.
