How Do I start my own Portriat Studio?

Answer 1

The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.

I recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* Photographers Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business: Everything you need to know to run a successful photography business by Vik Orenstein
* Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images Paperback by Bert P. Krages
* How to Start a Home-Based Photography Business, 4th Paperback by Kenn Oberrecht
* Shooting & Selling Your Photos: The Complete Guide to Making Money With Your Photography by Jim Zuckerman

I also posted links to some free articles in the source box.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

Depending on how much you know about photography, composition, etc., you may be able to start right off. You should scout around for office spaces for rent (or some other suitable structure) and get a feel for how much leasing it would be. Also take into account estimates for necessary equipment, props, lighting, etc. You should also consider the possibility of having employees. Would you do all of the creative stuff, while somebody else minds the phone and customers? Also consider taking some courses in accounting or book keeping, which are vital to understanding how well your studio is doing as a small business. Finally, when you have all of this planned, think about advertising costs. The first few months may be pretty lean in terms of money since few people will know of your existence. Take some of your best works and frame or enlarge them. Display them in your store or in a coffee book for walk-ins to look at. It's important to have a portfolio to show potential clients. When you have all of this under you belt, go to a bank and inquire about loans to help you get started. Good luck!

Answer 3

I think its a great idea, but you cant become a photographer overnight it takes time. I started off with a point and shoot and moved on up. I think you should just work on shooting portraits and lighting with the camera you want to buy and then slowly move up. But you cant have a business with this camera it wont give you the results people are looking for. I wouldn't suggest starting a business if you don't know all there is to know about photography. Just practice and work hard and do research now. And then you can move up.

Answer 4

It is interesting that my wife and I were recently discussing photography by comparing work of current typical professionals to that of the past. The current one’s lost (in our discussion) because they simply take pictures rather than creating art. For example comparing Ansel Adams work with photographs of landscapes dominates nearly anyone doing landscapes today. Or look at the portrait photography work of Yousuf Karsh. What to many portrait photographers of today are merely “pictures of people” were to Karsh character studies. Or studies of people’s lives such as by Nina Leen, or Jack Delan, or Jack Tuggener, or Mildred Grossman, or Alma Lavenson, and there are many more who all were connected through knowing their field (photography) as well as having a creative perspective.

Since you are asking the question, I suspect that you haven’t taken a class in professional photography. If you had you would likely have the answer that you are seeking. Knowing a cameras (of all types) and why one should be used rather than another one, or understanding the various types of lenses and when they should or shouldn’t be used, understanding filters and why they should be used, and all the other aspects of cameras and attachment equipment. Then there are all of the other tools such as enlargers and knowing how to compose a picture through such as cropping. Of course there is the management of such a business without which none of the rest mean anything.

Expand your question to include your experience, and geographic location and an estimate of financial capability and then a reasonable response might be possible.

Answer 5

You can start by spelling it correctly. But hey, at least you didn't spell it "portret" like I saw in an anthropology-themed website recently. A close-up picture of a Himba woman (a tribe from Africa) was captioned, "Portret of a Himba woman"; so I was looking at the woman's hairdo, or the stuff she was wearing--I actually thought "portret" was something she was wearing on her head or something. I even Googled™ the word, but got nothing. Then I figured out that the person meant to write "portrait." I couldn't believe people don't know how to spell such a common word as "portrait." And especially if they were aspiring anthropologists. I mean--rilly, (yes, I know--that's not how to spell "really," but I had a friend from the San Fernando Valley who talked like that, so that's how I spell it now, like a Valley Girl pronounces it); anyway, I mean--rilly, how many times do you see these words written in print and yet people still spell them incorrectly--over and over again? Am I the only one who pays attention to orthographic rules?