PART TIME PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS CAN TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER LEVEL FINANCIALLY.

Part-time Photography Business is another business with not much capital and reasonable profit.

It can provide significant income. With a bit of talent and a reliable camera, you can start a photography business to augment your regular monthly income.
You can decide to make it mobile, which is where I will concentrate in my suggestions.

What you need
With mobile part time photography you may not need a studio  because you will be going out to meet your clients in occasions and events like, birthdays, weddings, picnics etc  
Practice your skills on family members and friends and you will soon be on your way to earning a second income from part-time photography. The capital required can rage from N138,000 to N150,000 and up to N20,000 income estimated weekly.

What to start with;

·         

1. Digital camera(canoe 700D or nikon) N93,000 2. Desktop \ Laptop(HP) N85,000 3. Card reader N3,000 4. Memory card 4 or 8gig- N3,000 5 printer Hifi, - 28,000 6. Soc phoshop, picasa, corel draw, DG photo art- N3,000 7. Flash soft box and soft box- N3,000

·         These are all price estimates.

Step 1

Choose a Specialization

Determine the type of photography you plan to pursue, for instance, if wedding photography interests you, research the wedding venues in your area such as churches, Gardens, historic buildings, schools and the local government office halls. Talk to the clergymen or managers of the event centers to understand how many functions are held each week, month or quarter. Based on the level of activity, you should be able to get an idea of how many possible clients are available in a given month. Keep in mind that weddings are most commonly held on Saturdays, so your weekends need to be free. This may work well for part-time work, especially if you work full-time during the week. Calculate the amount of income needed monthly to determine whether a single specialty is going to be suitable or whether you need to concentrate on more than one field. Other specialty photography areas you may want to consider includes birthday parties, holiday, family portraits and senior or graduation photos. Many of these types of photos are taken only at certain time of year, so you may need to offer photography services in several areas to sufficiently support your income needs.

Step 2

Invest in the right equipment

When you are starting out, it may be worth taking out a loan or seeking third party investment, that is if you don’t have enough capital. Think about which camera and lenses will be most appropriate for your chosen area of specialization and then select a computer and photo editing software. You have to note that a good camera will determine how far you will go in the business; good quality equipment will make a huge difference to your result.
Talk to other camera men at events to get advice.

Step 3
Get some training
It may not be easy to get another photographer to show you the ropes but you definitely have to learn how to edit and work with images.
You can search google for some good ones or you could visit some training centers close to you.

Step 4

Insurance and other incidentals

Register your photography business to ensure you are free to operate. There is always this peace that comes with doing the right thing in a right way. Get a favorable insurance policy for your equipment and your business in general, insurance is really cheap, its just 5% of the cost of the equipment.
(i know a friend who can get you good insurance). This is crucial, as simple accidents such as tripping over a tripod or lighting stand could put you seriously out of pocket if a client decides sue or even damage as u will be mobile most of the time.

If you will operate in Nigeria for example, register with Corporate Affairs Commission Nigeria and a photographers Association in your area.
Even though you will be operating from home, registering your business will help create a good image and hence, a good impression especially when you hand out business cards so do it with all seriousness.

Step 5

Building a portfolio builds credibility

To charge a professional fee for your photography, you will need to convince potential clients that you have the skill and experience to deliver the job and this starts with good packaging-your business name, your business card, etc.

Try all sorts of different types of photo sessions like children, couples, maternity, newborns, this will help you find your niche.
Remember to do some free photo shoots for ur friends and potential clients, it pays off with time. With some patience, creativity, and a lot of hard work, chances are you will surpass even your wildest dreams!

Step 6                       

Online marketing                 

1       Advertise your business online through, facebook, whatssap, 2go, , linkdin, myspace, advertise.com.ng, olx.com etc. don’t only use the social media for for just fun or waste of time , make it useful as it ought to be. Apart from online promotion, try and hand out your business cards and flyers, just make sure everyone you know, know about it. If you would like more information or you need help on any issue, please contact us. Find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/DaBusMan. good luck!