# How to get more relevant in the business



## donaldplozha (Apr 11, 2017)

I have been working as a freelance photographer since 5 years now, it is my passion and I would love it to become my profession as well, like full time. I have work sometimes, but I am not satisfied. Have tried advertising my work on Facebook and Instagram, but people seem to be swayed off by high prices just like by low prices as well! It is strange. In case you are interested, you can take a look at my Instagram Donald Plozha Photography (@donaldplozha) • Instagram photos and videos and I would love some advice on how to grow... I mean, I would be ready to do it all, even contact people, different ones, on a daily basis and ask them if they want to shoot some professional pics, but I don't know if that is a good idea overall so...


----------



## KmH (Apr 11, 2017)

Starting and maintaining a retail or commercial photography business is way more about having business skills than about having photography skills.

The first thing needed to establish and keep a photography business going is a well researched and written business and marketing plan.


----------



## table1349 (Apr 11, 2017)

^^^^^^^^^^^^
What Keith Said.

I would also add that professional photography is not about Facebook and Instagram images.  It is about being able to cover the bases as a photographer.  You photos are a bit helter skelter, predominately a combination of street shots and some semi portraits.  You need to define who you are as a photographer and exhibit what you can do.  That included in the marketing phase as well.  Selfies scattered all over don't sell you as a photographer.  

Portraits, weddings, are the two that will sell the most unless you have a good comprehension and skills at commercial photography.


----------



## KmH (Apr 12, 2017)

It's been a while since I've posted some basic, and approximate, full time photography business numbers.
The numbers will be based on a yearly income of $40,000 and will demonstrate numbers to reach *break even* - or no profit for the business that could be used for future expansion or as a bonus to income.

The first issue is 'shooting days'.
Working photographers can't shoot every day.
By necessity most of a working photographers time (well more than 50% of the photographers time) is devoted to doing business  tasks. 
Having, or not having, a studio can have a big impact on how many shooting days a working photographer can have.
Without a studio and shooting mostly outdoors on location weather and darkness tend to limit how many days a year a working photographer can shoot.
With a studio weather and darkness cease to be issues but the photographer's CODB is higher. 

Assuming a 6 day work week a working photographer that has a studio is usually only able to shoot about 3.5 days a week.
In addition working photographers are usually only able to shoot 45 weeks or so per year. Ongoing education, vacation, personal time off, weather all contribute to that about 45 weeks a year number.
So 45 weeks x 3.5 days per week = *157.5 shooting days per year*. We'll round that up and call it 160 shooting days a year.

The next consideration is what % of revenue a working photographer can hope to pay themselves as a salary.
How skilled the photographer is at running a business is a variable that is hard to account for.
Without a studio income can be as much a 30% of revenue, but revenue is diminished because the number of shooting days is limited. However, a poorly run business may not even realize 5% of revenue as income.
With a studio income can be as much as 25% of revenue, but again a poorly run business won't generate income at that level.

Using with a studio and 25% the basic math shows: $40,000 income @ 25% of revenue requires revenue of $160,000 a year. $40,000 / 0.25 = $160,000.
Using the 45 weeks a year a working photographer can shoot mentioned above - $160,000 / 45 = $3555.55 _per week_ average revenue the photography business must have to generate $40,000 in income.

Lets break that down some more. $3555.55 /3.5 days = $1015.87 in revenue that would need to be coming in for each shooting day.
If we assume 3 sessions shot each day - $1015.87 / 3 = $338.62 as the average sale needed for each client.

We can also use the 3 sessions each day to determine how many sessions we have to shoot for the year - 3 session per shooting day x 160 shooting days per year = 480 sessions per year.

In the real world the business needs to rather regularly raise prices and make a profit yearly to survive because costs, both business and personal, continually increase.

Based on some 30 years experience I can say that the reality is that an average sale of more than $500 per shooting session is more realistic as to what it takes to keep a retail business going.


----------



## Kroneberger0408 (May 10, 2017)

SO ive been reading this book: What They Didn't Teach You In Photo School: The secrets of the trade that will make you a success in the industry and its amazingly helpfull. You should check it out. It was some amazing advice about getting more involved in the buisness side of the photography business.


----------

