Starting a New Journey?
I would love to give you some tips on starting this new adventure. When I first started photography, I was so excited but had no clue where to start. I knew that I loved taking photos and I k new that I wanted to capture those precious moments for others that they would treasure forever. If taking photos is something that you love to do, and you know your "why" then all you need to do is listen to these tips and tricks and put them into action.
- Get Legal. Plain and simple. If you don't take your business seriously, no one will. Not to mention its illegal to run a business with out the proper licensing and without paying taxes. It really isn't as hard to do as you might think and it is very important!
- Get the Proper Equipment. It can be really easy to get caught up in "all the things" but really starting out, you just need the basics. A professional camera (my favorite is Canon), a lens (there are so really learn about lenses and what you will need), a computer or laptop and an editing software like Lightroom or Photoshop (I use both).
- Learn Your Camera. Get OFF of Auto and ON manual! Yes there are cheat sheets out there but Pintrest isn't going to know what lighting and situation you are dealing with in the moment and when you are shooting outdoors, lighting is constantly changing. You need to know what all of your setting are and what to do when you need to change them.
- Learn Lightroom. As a professional, you should be editing your photos. You need to learn how to import your photos and edit them to your style. In my opinion, you should know photoshop as well, It can be a real game changer!
- Start a Website or Facebook Page. Facebook is a great place to start because your friends and family can help spread the word about you and your new adventure. It is really good to also have a website though and not rely on Facebook alone.
- Calculate your COBD. You need to know what to charge people and rather then grabbing some random number out of thin air, sit down and calculate your "cost of doing business."There are calculators online to help you but basically you figure out how much all of your expenses are, your time, your gear, insurance, education and taxes, etc. and it will give you what you should really be charging.
- Never Stop Learning. Even when you think you've learned it all, I promise you, you haven't. There is always something new to learn, some way to improve, something that you don't know. The minute you stop learning is the minute you're going to go into a rut. Invest in education because you and your business are worth it. You can learn a lot on your own but doors open and you learn so much more when you invest into education.
Really I could go on and on with this subject but I feel lie this is the basics. I have been doing this for a while now and it is my passion. I plan on starting online mentorships soon because I would like to share my passion with others! Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and learn something new, even if it isn't photography.
