Making Your Photography Hobby a Booming Business
Maybe you enjoy the quiet and solitude that comes with snapping land- and nature-scapes. Or maybe you prefer the social interaction involved with taking photos of families or newborns. Perhaps you have a wide range of photography interests, and you haven’t yet decided which one you love the best. But if you know you are a shutterbug and have been itching to turn that hobby into a booming business, you may want to consider one of the many opportunities available for you to carve out a niche for yourself.
While you may have a specific genre of photography that interests you and you’ve found that using Social Gone Viral has taken the Instagram account on which you share your images to the next level, keep in mind that not everyone is going to be able to make a sustainable living as a highly paid photographer. Instead, you may want to look at the many other business opportunities available to a talented photographer that, quite possibly, you’ve never considered before.
Make some cash teaching photography classes.
You have the talent, the knowledge, and the expertise, so why not get paid to share what you know? Area community centers, vocational schools, and even two-year colleges are often looking for instructors to teach classes in a wide range of photography coursework. When you first get started, you might find it easy to be a guest speaker or lecturer in a graphic design or art class until word gets out about your skill.
Perhaps you have a group of friends who would like to learn from you. Pick a day and charge a nominal fee for sharing your time and knowledge. Senior centers, nursing homes, and other adult communities are often places that look for individuals to offer short-term opportunities for their residents, so develop your pitch and sell yourself and your skill.
If teaching in person doesn’t appeal to you or you don’t have the time to travel to places, you may find that online photography courses may be your niche. Teaching beginner classes, developing and selling online tutorials, or creating your own YouTube channel and charging a subscription can be profitable ways to make money through photography instruction. If earning money without leaving your home sounds like a great gig, you may want to set up your own online website or try it out by joining one as a guest instructor. You may find that monetizing your expertise is easier than you think.
Take pictures that sell products.
Ecommerce businesses are on the rise, and many enterprising entrepreneurs are less than knowledgeable about taking pictures of their products. If you have the knowledge, skills, and interest in the still photography required to market someone else’s products, you may find yourself with a new job! Finding the best lighting, developing flat lays, and creating an intriguing composition of everyday items are highly valued and sought-after skills. Both small and large businesses alike will pay to have their products photographed and presented in the best way possible on their websites. Product photography for marketing is something you can do to help burgeoning businesses boost their brand.
Focus you photography on current events.
While photojournalism is one of the few photo-related fields that may require a degree, even casual photographers and capture pictures of people, places, and happenings that are worthy of publication. If you are a person who is often on the go and finds himself in the thick of things, you may find that shots you have in your roll may be able to be sold to newspapers, magazines, and other media. If you haven’t even considered this as an option, you may want to try your hand at it by attending some local events and seeing what intriguing shots present themselves.
Photojournalism is a fast-paced career that involves a wide range of assignments daily. From sporting events to crime scenes, photographers may find themselves working in stressful conditions such as natural disasters, accidents, or even war. But not all photojournalists chronicle human events. You may be adept at capturing images of nature, animals, or other still photos or digital video. If you want creativity and don’t mind chaos, you may want to look at opportunities in this field or start out slowly by capturing some images independently.
Snap pictures of pets.
Many pet owners are spending time, effort, and money on their furry four-legged friends. From higher quality foods to expensive accessories and medical treatments that extend the lives of their animals, many individuals are finding that taking candid, unplanned snapshots of a furry family member on their iPhone are no longer enough. Many pet owners are opting for professional photographers of their beloved animals, and talented patient photographers may be able to capitalize on an individual’s desire to memorialize their pets’ looks and personality.
Keep in mind there are other types of photography to consider that are better known and more traditional and afford you opportunities to create your own business. Wedding photographers are one good example of standard photography that can turn into a lucrative business. Regardless what you choose to do, it is often wise to study the habits and behaviors of some highly successful business innovators like Thomas Zaccagnino to see what type of personal characteristics and business knowledge matters in the long run. The possibilities for making money with photography are endless if you not only hone your artistic craft but develop a business-savvy mentality!
What suggestions do you have for a marketable photography business? Feel free to share your ideas below.
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