Someone just asked me a really great question:
Why, WHY would you start a photography business right now?
That's a big question. I'll break it down a bit into some bite-sized portions:
Well, first and foremost, I'm a good photographer. In fact, I am a pretty darn great photographer (with plenty of room to get better, believe me). I love it, I work hard at it, and I want to share that on a broader scale. Playing devil's advocate, I can see why the proliferation of pro-level cameras and equipment is making photography something that everyone believes they can do. And general market wisdom is correct: everyone can take a photograph. But it probably won't be a great photograph. I still believe that talent, training, and expertise make great photographs. So, I'm a professional photographer. If you want professional photographs, you still need me.
Second, I love to start businesses. I currently own a consulting business, a real estate investment business, and, now, little o photography. I am an entrepreneur. It makes me happy. And, as an added benefit, I can teach my children about entrepreneurship by example.
Finally, I see a need. I have a unique model: I give all of my clients the full files of, and rights to, every image I shoot. I don't charge for printing, copying, thinking about printing, maybe-doing-an-album, wait, how can I license these for a slideshow????, etc. etc. I charge you for my time. I'm not just a photographer--I'm a consultant and a photographer. One bleeds into the other. I keep low overhead and manage my resources, so I don't need to make money on printing and printing rights.
This makes me a rule-breaker. I'm supposed to charge you fees, fees, more fees, and package prices that make you wince. It's not wrong to work that way--I just believe that for family portraiture, it's outdated. Fine art photography? Sure. Commercial use photography? Sure (but Getty/Flickr are coming for you). I want to do something different because it serves my clients more effectively, and also creates a competitive advantage for me in the marketplace.
That's why I started a photography business, even in a tough economy, and even in a field where everyone believes themselves to be imminently qualified. I bring my clients something special--and that's why I'm booked out for the next 3 months :) I hope that trend keeps going!
I'm grateful for hard questions and the forum to give the hard answers. Here's hoping you have a person in your life who challenges you to do what is right, and to be able to say why --xo
*Erving Goffman--again!