If you are a photographer who just established your own photography business at the first month than I would like to say congratulation cause you are the one who dare to work on your passion of art. One thing that I wanna you to know that not so many people in this planet want to work in this niche cause they think that there is no future for being a photographer.
Trust me I got hundred of friends who belong to a photographer back in 2008 and now I saw them run other business that not related at all with an art. It’s fine cause they may have their own luck through their new business for sure but I always think in my mind about why not so many wedding photographer able to run their photography business over than 2 years?
I’m not going to tell you that marketing is one of the hardest part of running photography business cause I also saw some friends who stop their studio even they got so many couple to be captured in a year.
By the way my name is Bima and thank you for visiting my photography blog, I specialize in wedding and portrait session for over than 10 years so here in my blog I share every works that I did also some tips that you gonna need to know if you are in this business.
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I live in Yogyakarta Indonesia and really want to move to Melbourne someday, I just feel that I can grow my business better in that city cause for over than a decade I just live in this town and majority of my couple are coming from other countries. Wedding, I used to host a wedding session in big cities like Bali and Jakarta but if somebody ask me to shoot for portrait or engagement than I will fly thousand miles to such incredible place like Singapore, Maldives, and Hong Kong.
I do have a favourite photographer that I called them as a mentor, Yervant, Jerry Ghionis, and Joe Buissink. Due to my family is still stay in Yogyakarta so the closes place to learn more about photography business is by moving to Melbourne, I was thinking also to get a formal study and continue to work in that lovely city.
Why So Many Friends Stuck in Their Photography Business?
When I watch Joe Buissink seminar on Youtube,
He said that first time you run a photography business just because your love it but day by day you gonna face your own classical problem about paying your bills like food, electrical, internet, tax, or even marketing. At the rest you gonna have your next chapter problem about this business, here you must earn money as fast as you can even as big as you can. It ain’t false cause these what all photographer had in their life but trust me if you stuck your mind in this situation and don’t do anything that related to creativity or smart action than you gonna shut your photography business as fast as you cook an omelet.
This is the fact, I can make 3 (three) short conclusions that why so many friends of mine get their photography business stuck?
- They bored with what they do
- They don’t think they got a better future
- They don’t know how to promote their services
1 – Boring
I think that this gonna be the number one problem that every photographer will had. By the way I face this problem too back in 2012 cause during my first 3 years I shoot for traditional wedding which is too many cultural ceremony that bring me to shoot so slow. Therefor I modify my blog to find overseas market that bring me into fun and rock and roll wedding that full of moment that even able to make me cry while shooting.
At the end of December 2012 I stop my local market and move to overseas market, It ain’t easy cause I don’t shoot any photo session for over than 6 months and the worse is I don’t have any back up business that make me able to pay all the bills. This situation bring me into the darkness life ever cause I have a debt for US$15,000 at the age of 28.
Rather than stop my photography business, I prefer to work harder and goes to Bali periodically to learn with some maestro like Ricky Salim and Joe Buissink, I was so blessed cause this humble Hollywood Wedding Photographer get a couple who getting married in Alila Uluwatu, Bali.
So if you feel bored with your photography business than it must be something wrong inside, you might be shoot for just ordinary couple or you ‘only get money’ through this business but not for experience which is more valuable than money.
My suggestion is…Do something new!
2 – Better Future
Actually your future is not related with your business and it definitely related to your self so what you need to do is make over your self before modify your photography business. Try to wake up early and do blogging about your photography works, go to the most famous wedding planner in your country and introduce your self or even joining an international seminar and workshop that held by outstanding photographer.
Every business including photography will take you into better future as long as you work so hard in it. It’s about your mind and definitely your self, I always believe that photography will be my future and I will build an empire through it. Go trust your self before you trust anyone and once you do it than you must get everything that you think directly in your hand.
3 – Promoting Photography Business
It belongs to one of the most classical problem for EVERY business which is mean not only in photography. No matter you own a fashion, consumer goods, art, or construction business than the way you promoting your business is one part that you must know really well.
Joe always told us, “Go Sell Your Self, NOT Your Photographs!”
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So before you thinking about promoting your photography business than try to sell your self cause photography is always related with the artist. Dress up and make your self better, get a better self portrait on your blog, learn more about post production, or get your network larger by coming to seminar, workshop, expo, and some photographer event.
The First 2 Years is Your Milestone
2 years is meaningful to your photography business, if you can stand within your first 2 years than it would be great cause trust me not so many photographer able to run their business up to 2 years. Do something different even I’m not suggest you to do like what I did, shutting down my local market and move to overseas market cause you definitely need back up for this.
If you able to pass this first 2 years than I believe that your momentum will come, new client, new locations, better venue and so on and so far.
My first milestone after getting bored in photography business is by accepting an invitation as a guest speaker in KLPF event in Malaysia than I could shooting for client that live outside of my town which mean my blog work so good to promote my services. It would’s top here cause an overseas couple starting send me an enquiry to take a photo shoot in Bali, Maldives, Hallstatt, and Venice. I’m done with Bali and Maldives for several times and this year of 2020 I’m going to Europe and one place that I’m gonna visit in Hallstatt in Austria.
You can do it and I sure you will can do it, so believe in your self than you gonna get a better future through photography. Go keep walking if you can’t run but NEVER stop your work.
