What do you need for starting photography business? Talent, creativity and entrepreneurship are basic prerequisites for starting your own business as a photographer.
You can read in the risezoom.com guide for independent photographers which decisions and stations are still important in your founding phase.
What You Need To Start Your Own Business As A Photographer: Tips For Your Success
Photography: an industry in transition?
For many recreational and hobby photographers, photography has a touch of romance. Starting a business promises flexible working hours, artistic freedom and independence.
What many forget: The photography industry is changing and the margins are narrow. Since there is no longer any need to become a master, the barriers to entry into professional photography are lower than ever. At the same time, the necessary equipment is becoming increasingly cheaper.
Everyday medium photo - opportunities and risks
Photography is ubiquitous in all visual media. This is good for the market because the demand for stock photos and advertising photography for web content is growing rapidly. The downside is a stream of amateur photographers who sense their great opportunity: Photo editing apps and social media platforms such as Instagram suggest to many amateurs that almost anyone can take photos. In this context, the professionalism and originality of the photos produced are gradually becoming less important.
There is still good news: According to a 2016 Survey, 54% of the photographers surveyed rate the order situation as good or very good. 70% see the future prospects of their profession as positive. Eight out of ten respondents are of the opinion that you can make a living from an income in the photography profession. The complete study by berufsfotografen.com can be found here as a PDF.
Realism instead of romance: independent without false expectations
So how can you become a freelance photographer and be successful? Many business start-ups fail because the two most important pillars on which your independence should stand are underestimated: Thorough planning and realistic expectations of everyday working life and the salary of a photographer. Your starting point is a growing market and a flood of professional and semi-professional competitors. It is therefore important to maintain an overview and to know your own strengths.
Qualification and training in photography
The professional title of the photographer is no longer protected. Unsurprisingly, there is an ongoing trend among business start-ups in the photography industry: More and more amateur photographers are starting their own business part-time. In the above survey, around a third of the professional photographers questioned stated that they were self-taught or career changers.
In order to establish yourself as a self-employed photographer on a permanent and full-time basis, a lateral entry without professional experience is risky. However, many roads lead to your goal. It is up to you whether you acquire specialist knowledge of related vocational training, a photography school or a relevant university course. Certified further education and training courses can also add value to your CV. If you dare to set out on your own without professional knowledge, you need other strong references in order to be able to convince in the acquisition of new customers.
Supplement your knowledge: specialist journals and accompanying literature on trends in technology and design are indispensable helpers.
Personal Qualities
If you want to start your own business as a photographer, you should bring along other qualities besides talent and a sense of aesthetics. A high affinity for technology and software is a great advantage, because you are solely responsible for the correct operation and assembly of your equipment. Professional post-processing only works if you have mastered the common image processing and design programs.
Social skills are not to be underestimated in the everyday life of a photographer. In customer contacts and fee negotiations, good communication is the be-all and end-all. If you understand your customers' wishes and explain your own ideas skilfully, the end result will be satisfactory for both parties.
Trends and techniques change continuously. There should be no lack of curiosity and ambition to learn how to use new equipment or programs. Constant further training and specialization within your core business are the best prerequisites for securing lucrative and recurring orders.
Entrepreneurial know-how for photographers
As with any business start-up, you need basic entrepreneurial knowledge. Self-study in the areas of tax, accounting, marketing and sales is therefore highly recommended. Alternatively, there are various start-up seminars at IHKs and private providers. However, you also know your personal limits: Ask for expert advice if necessary. Tax and start-up consultants can help you with the finer points.
Expertise in photo rights and copyrights
Know and protect your rights! You should be familiar with German media law and copyright laws in order to protect yourself from misuse of your work . If you assign the rights to your images, the rights of use of the customer and third parties should be contractually stipulated.
Unfortunately, the Internet is a wonderful place to adorn yourself with someone else's feathers without any consequences. Regular research on reverse image searches can help you identify copyright infringements early on. Document copyright violations and use a lawyer to send warnings if necessary. An additional trademark registration is useful if you want to protect your name and logo from imitation.
Would you like to start your own business as a freelance photographer? Here we have put together all the important information in one package for you.
Setting the course: What kind of photographer do you want to be?
Not all photographer is the same. The job of the self-employed photographer offers many facets and areas of activity. The sooner you define which areas you want to cover, the easier it will be for you to make all of the following decisions.
If you want to start your own business as a photographer, positioning your company is the first step. In which and how many branches of the industry you want to specialize, depends primarily on your own skills and experience. In general, the more specialized you appear to customers, the more professional you appear compared to a large number of competing photographers. Typical areas of activity for photographers are, for example:
- Corporate
- Advertising (apartment, food, industry, fashion)
- wedding
- Events
- Studio photography (portrait, family / baby, application, nude)
- architecture
- Journalism / press
- floor
- Art and film
The professional field of the photo designer is to be delimited. Unlike the photographer, photo designers handle the preparation and follow-up for shootings according to the client's specifications. Above all, this includes the design concept for backgrounds, props, perspectives, motifs and light. The post-processing of the finished photos with image editing programs is also the responsibility of a photo designer. There is a large overlap here with the tasks of a self-employed photographer. Photo design is an independent, state-certified course.
Another branch of income for a photographer can be holding seminars, workshops and tutorials for amateur photographers. If you enjoy teaching, photo coaching is a possible, lucrative sideline.
When deciding how to position yourself, you should keep in mind that your business concept will guide the question of whether you will be classified as a freelancer or a trader by the tax office.
Business plan: calculate costs and fees
Is a business plan even necessary if you are self-employed as a freelance photographer? The answer is yes. If you want a realistic, clear assessment of all your expenses, precise planning is indispensable. Based on this information, you can calculate the prices of your services. If you work on a fee basis, you should not forget these ongoing costs in your price calculation:
- Equipment costs (cameras, lights, accessories)
- Office costs (rent or lease, ancillary costs)
- Material costs (office supplies, spare parts)
- Communication (mobile phone contract, parcel delivery, postage costs)
- Software costs (design programs, licenses, website)
- Travel expenses (train tickets, car rental, fuel costs)
- Advertising costs (online marketing, business cards, flyers)
- Company insurance (professional liability insurance, commercial insurance, insurance for your equipment)
- Loan repayment
- Company management costs (tax consultants, accounting)
- Formation of reserves
Don't forget about the private costs that you will also have to cover:
- Accommodation and utilities
- Food, clothes
- leisure
- Private insurance and retirement planning
- Other (such as medication)
Many newcomers sell their services below value. If you want to earn a living with photography full-time, you have to make smart calculations. Always do the math so that you can finance your living and build up reserves right from the start. Loss of earnings due to illness or unforeseen events can occur at any time. Therefore, remember to take sick days, weekends, vacation days and public holidays into account.
Based on this information and your expected tax rate, you can calculate your monthly salary and hourly rate. An online fee calculator for photographers can be found here, for example . An adjustment to the respective client with individual daily rates is common.
Funding for founders in the photography industry
Just buying the equipment to get started as a professional photographer can be a financial burden. If you don't have enough equity, you have many options. In addition to your house bank and other private credit institutions, you should also consider government subsidies:
Guarantee banks offer development loans especially for start-ups.
Business start-ups can apply for start-up grants at the Federal Employment Agency.
The EU(If you live in the EU) also offers grants for start-ups and young entrepreneurs of all kinds. The EU Startup Services website provides an overview of the programs .
KfW (If you live in Germany) offers loans for start-ups in all sectors.
Tip: The funding database of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy offers a good overview of all funding programs and financial aid at the state, federal and EU level.
Photographer: Commercial activity or freelancer?
Photography is one of the industries in which the transition between freelance and commercial activity is often fluid. The description of your areas of activity sets the course for your tax classification. The tax office checks whether you are primarily artistic and creative or whether you are commercially active.
Benefits of freelance photography
In contrast to traders, freelancers enjoy numerous privileges which, unlike other legal forms, save them numerous formalities.
- Exemption from business taxes
- No obligation to HWK membership
- Simplified determination of profits using the income-surplus-calculation (EUR)
- No obligation to draw up commercial balance sheets
- No formal registration procedure at the tax office
If you are self-employed as a freelancer, an informal application to your responsible tax office is sufficient for tax registration. In the following it will be checked whether your area of work corresponds to an artistic activity. If the delimitation is unclear, an expert is often called in to classify it. The benchmark is the "artistic level" of your work. Have yourself recognized as a freelance artist, permanent freelance work is possible.
Separable mixed forms: commercial and freelance activities
There is a middle ground for photographers who want to take advantage of freelance work but need to register a business. It is possible to record your activities differently for tax purposes if they can be clearly distinguished from one another. Artistic activities are exempt from trade tax and clearly commercial services with a craft aspect are taxed additionally. The prerequisite is a clean, accounting separation of income and earnings. Wedding and portrait photography, for example, is a typical craft activity if you then print and sell the photos. Press photographers are usually taxable freelancers.
It becomes difficult when the work is considered to be “inseparably mixed” because, for example, the customer is billed as a total work. In this case you have to pay business tax on the total income.
Purely commercial activity as a photographer
Photographers who do pure commissioned work, sell pictures and related products, and are mainly involved in handicrafts are usually classified as traders. In this case, going to the trade office is inevitable. Whether you found a sole proprietorship, a GmbH or a GbR, depends on your business idea and your individual business plan. Start-up experts can advise you on questions about the different legal forms.
The trade office decides whether your company is assigned to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce or the Chamber of Crafts. As a trader, however, you are required to pay contributions in any case.
Tip: It is essential to avoid the appearance of bogus self-employment . If you earn the majority of your income from just one (commercial) client, the tax office can subsequently determine a dependent employment relationship subject to social insurance.
Professional association for photographers
Regardless of whether you are a freelance artist or commercial photographer: You are required to take out occupational accident insurance from the Employer's Liability Insurance Association for Energy, Textile, Electrical, Media Products (BG ETEM). Please register yourself. An exemption for freelancers is possible under certain conditions, but the insurance cover is also not applicable. Inquire directly with BG ETEM for details.
Artists' social fund
When it comes to insurance, you should definitely think about good coverage. Most freelance photographers are subject to compulsory social insurance with the artists' social insurance fund.
Associations of the photography industry
There are numerous nationwide associations for photographers. The Central Association of German Professional Photographers, the German Association for Photography and the Federal Association of Free Photographers and Film Designers are just a few examples of interest groups in your industry. Voluntary membership can bring you many advantages: exchange of experience, support with legal questions, help with recognition as a freelance artist and much more.
Choosing a location for photographers: where to start up?
The location of your business start-up is of course an important factor, but your decision is directly related to your business idea. Most photographers nowadays do without their own studio because their activities do not require a shop with equipment. So you work from a rented office or directly from home.
You are now faced with the choice of whether to set up your company in a region with a large number of orders and where you can expect a high density of photographers. In more rural areas, there is often less competition, but the demand for photography services tends to be lower. International or Germany-wide catchment areas for orders are rather rare, unless your specialty is press photos or advertising photography. Typically, photographers work within 50-150 kilometers of your place of business.
Sales and Co. - Arrive in everyday photography
The everyday professional life of a self-employed photographer often consists of varied tasks that have nothing to do with the actual photography. You shouldn't underestimate this reality. Especially in the start-up phase, the time invested in actively acquiring customers and planning advertising measures will take up a large part of your time. The photographer survey by berufsfotografen.com showed that an average of around two days per month are spent on customer acquisition, job preparation and office work / bureaucracy. The follow-up to completed shootings takes an average of four days. The photographers surveyed invest one day each in further training and free projects. If you aim for around ten shoot days per month, the average total is 22 working days per month.
Marketing and customer acquisition for photographers
A professional, clear and search engine optimized website should form the basis of all your marketing activities. Potential customers can see what they are booking here in advance: A meaningful portfolio should depict your talent as versatile as possible. Reference customer lists help to underline your professionalism. Stay away from semi-professional website builders without an individual touch. Your online presence should reflect your taste and aesthetics as an artist. A consistent corporate design should also be reflected in your logo, business cards and other print advertising materials. The result should be a round image that fits your personality. In contrast to commercial advertising, addressing private customers can be more emotional.
Starting with your website, the focus of marketing is very dependent on your personal target group. Test which channels work and try out different addresses. Setting up your own business as a photographer and marketing yourself well doesn't mean you have to reinvent the wheel. It doesn't hurt to be inspired by good and bad examples of the competition for your own marketing ideas. A mixture of several strategies is often effective:
- Google Adwords Campaigns and Facebook Ads
- Social media profiles
- Customer acquisition by phone and personal introduction
- Referral Marketing
If you are contacted independently by interested customers, be sure to ask how the contact found you.
Especially in the initial phase of your self-employment, the time required for contact with customers and clients will be large. You may be able to generate initial income through stock photo portals such as fotolia and Shutterstock so that you can concentrate on acquisition activities.
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