Show Description: In this episode, we chat about some of the biggest mistakes we’ve seen photographers make when starting a photography business. Follow along as we share our own experiences with making some of these mistakes and our best tips on how you can avoid making them in the first place.
Timestamps: The Biggest Mistakes Photographers Make When Starting a Photography Business
(00:20) 1. Pricing yourself the same as your competitors
(08:20) 2. Shooting what you think you should instead of what you want
(15:05) 3. Copying other photographers’ work instead of using it as inspiration
(21:56) 4. Not seeing yourself as the CEO of your company
(25:11) 5. Not having workflows in place
(41:24) 6. Missing out on being a part of a community of photographers
(47:01) 7. Spending too much on gear when you’re first starting out
Workflow & organization tools mentioned in the episode:
Trello
Pic-time
Brevite Backpack
SHOW NOTES:
Mistakes, we all make them, and that’s OK!
I wouldn’t be where I am today without making some disastrous mistakes along the way. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes, and you can do this in two ways.
You make your own mistakes, bump your head and learn a valuable lesson for next time or, you can watch other people make the mistakes, and you get to reap from all the lessons they’ve learned!
Me? I like to learn the hard way by making mistakes on my own. It’s just an inherent part of my nature. You could say I learn best by screwing things up hands-on.
However, if you’d prefer to save yourself some time and headaches, and avoid making some of those mistakes in the first place, then you’re in the right place!
This post will explain the five most common mistakes I see photographers make when starting a photography business.
Not only have I made some of these mistakes myself, but I witness fellow photographers make these same mistakes time after time, and they may not even be aware of it!
So today, I’m pulling back the curtain and shedding light, so you don’t have to be in the dark any longer!
1. Pricing yourself the same as your competitor
It’s crucial for any photographer entering the business to research and be aware of what the competition is offering and at what price. This research will help you set a benchmark for the range your pricing should fall within based on what you offer.
The problem with copying someone else’s pricing is that you don’t know the thought process they went through to determine their prices. You have no idea what their financial situation, lifestyle, and background may be.
Their pricing may be low because photography is just a side gig for them, or maybe they’re just getting started. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you may see sky-high prices. But again, you don’t know their process in-depth, how much experience they have, or the kind of value they offer their clients to justify such a high price.
Pricing is personal. Determine what your pricing should be by researching industry standards, determine your overhead and find a price that feels in line with the value you bring to the table. For more guidance on raising your prices, check out the related post below!
Related post: Scared of Raising Your Prices as a Photographer? Read This.
2. Shooting what you think you should be shooting instead of what you want
Figuring out what to shoot was a real struggle for me when I started, and I know the same can be true for other photographers.
The reason I got into photography was so I could make art. I was drawn to fine art and fashion photography, and I wanted nothing more than to be free to create art the way I wanted to.
But when I’d tell people I was a photographer, they would automatically assume that I shot family portraits or weddings. And this made me feel like I was being cornered.
I didn’t have a niche, I didn’t know how to articulate the type of work I did and I just liked to photograph everything and anything!
Thinking I should be creating the type of photography proven to sell, I started to look at other photographers’ work and emulate what they were shooting. Doing this taught me a lot but, I wouldn’t recommend you waste time photographing things that don’t make you happy.
I ended up burning out because I was shooting things that didn’t match my personality and lifestyle. So, I took extended break from photography to figure out what I really wanted to do.
During this time of reflection, I recommitted myself, but this time on my terms. Going forward my photography would represent my style, voice, and message, not anyone else’s.
3. Copying other photographers instead of using their work as inspiration
Unfortunately, copying each other’s work is all too common in the photography space.
It’s OK to seek some inspiration from the work of others, but there’s a fine line that you should never cross in the world of art, and that’s straight-up copying someone else’s work!
You can find inspiration in so many unexpected places! I find mine through paintings, philosophy, music, and nature, for example.
When you want to source inspiration from another photographer’s work, ask yourself what you like about their work, take some of those elements, and incorporate them creatively into your own.
For example: Do you like the colors they use in their photographs? Is it their use of eye-catching composition? Or maybe it’s the subjects you find mesmerizing? These questions can help you draw inspiration rather than jumping in to copy their style.
4. Not seeing yourself as a CEO
I know this may sound a little strange, especially when you are in a creative career, but having the right mindset as a business owner has a HUGE impact on how you ultimately handle your photography business.
Yes, you are an artist but, if you are going to make this your business, you HAVE to start thinking like an actual business owner.
You are the CEO! Well, unless you hire a CEO! But, for now, It’s probably safe to assume that if you’re just starting, you will be wearing all the hats, from accounting to marketing, sales, and even customer service.
But once you start taking your business seriously, others will too, I promise!
5. Not having workflows in place
When you’re first starting out, there’s so much to get done you may find yourself hopping around from one task to another without having a plan in place for your process.
If you don’t have efficient systems and workflows in place, you will end up wasting a lot of time.
Workflows are pretty straightforward. They are repeatable steps you perform to accomplish a specific task. You can create a repeatable workflow for your client experience, for example.
Start by writing down every step of the client experience, from the first moment of contact with the client, through shoot day, and finally editing and delivering their gallery.
Take a note of each small step that needs to be completed for each client. Having a pre-set checklist that is repeatable every time will allow you to track your progress with each client and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
My biggest piece of advice is to create a workflow that minimizes the back and forth between you and your clients.
You can create a workflow for just about anything in your business, I highly recommend you use this strategy to save yourself loads of time!
And if you’re into using tools to help you manage your projects and time, my top workflow management tool recommendations are Trello (free), Honeybook or Dubsado which is what we use 🙂 If you are interested in Dubsado you can have a look and sign up here!
Final Thoughts:
And there you have it! These are the five biggest mistakes I see photographers make when they’re starting their businesses.
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