How to Start Your Photography Business in 2025

Episode 189 - For anyone starting a photography business in 2025.

The Transcript page - https://photographysidehustle.com/189

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Transcript

Hey, how's it going? I’m Andy Jones, and this is episode 189 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.

The first thing I want to do is wish you a Happy New Year. I think 2025 is going to be a great year for you.

So, for 2023 and 2024, I started the year off with a “How to start your business in …” episode, and this year is going to be no different.

This is “How to start your business in 2025.” 

There are three things you need to be proficient at to have a successful business. 

They are: Basic Skills - Visibility - Sales.

So let’s start with …

Basic Skills
One basic skill is understanding what equipment you need to shoot your chosen genre. 

If you are going to be shooting family portraits you are going to need lenses with focal lengths from 24mm to 85mm. You could get a 24-70 2.8 zoom and a 70-200 2.8, or use prime lenses at 24, 35, 50 and 85mm. 

To make that decision, you must understand the benefits of zooms and primes. 

Now, you might have just got your camera, and the lens is an 18-55mm zoom. This is known as a kit lens, and it’s not suitable for shooting professionally. If this is you, I have a few episodes that cover lenses, so give them a listen and get up to speed.
The next basic skill you need is knowing how to use your equipment. Just reading a manual and understanding what happens when you change a certain setting isn’t enough.

Albert Einstein said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.” 

Now, I don’t know if Einstein was a photographer in his spare time. Probably not. He was a very busy man.

You won’t know how to use your camera properly until you get out and do a few sessions. After a while, it all becomes automatic. You won’t have to look at the back of your camera to change a setting.

So, get out there and use your camera as often as possible.

Your next basic skill is communicating with clients.

My first-ever session with my family members brought this skill home to me. I didn’t know how to pose them or how to give directions.

When I did my first wedding, I felt overwhelmed doing the family formals. It was like trying to herd cats. If you get into weddings make sure you get one of the wedding party, who knows everyone, to round them up.

For weddings or any type of portrait, get the client to give you a shot list. You don’t want to miss anything.

Communicating with your clients before the session will put you in the position to give them what they want. It makes your life much easier if you do it correctly.

The second thing you need to work on is …


Visibility
I want you to put your business in as many places and platforms as possible. The more touchpoints you have, the easier it is to get bookings.

The first one most people think of is Social Media. Now, I won’t tell you which platforms to be on. That’s entirely up to you. Just think about your audience.

If you shoot headshots for business people, maybe LinkedIn would be best. For family portraits, try Facebook groups for towns in your area. Pick two or three platforms; don’t try to be on everything.

Next is to make ties in the local community. Offer free shoots to charities, churches, and the local government. Doing free shoots will build your reputation in the community. It’ll also get you lots of paid bookings too.

I just want to mention something that needs to be considered, and that is age. I’m pretty sure that two wedding photographers who produced work of similar quality but were 26 years old and 48 years old, the younger 26-year-old, would get more bookings.

For family portraits, the 48-year-old photographer might get more bookings.

You need to have interests similar to those of your potential clients. So many photographers get their first opportunity taking photos of their kid's sports team for that reason.

Play to your strengths.

Another thing you need to do is link with vendors in your niche. 

If your niche is weddings, you can link with flower shops, jewelers, bridal stores, hotels, and banquet halls.

Pet photographers can link with pet stores, groomers, dog walkers, doggy daycares, and veterinarian offices.

There are so many ways to get bookings by linking with other businesses. If you are getting into pet photography, make a flyer offering a free 8x10 print to owners of puppies that had their first visit to the Vet's office. Or offer a discount for dog owners using the local dog groomer.

For weddings, place your flyers in vendor offices offering free engagement sessions. If the couple likes you, you could get the booking for the wedding.

Having as many touchpoints as possible will make it easier for people to find and book you.


Okay, let’s look at …
Sales
I am a firm believer in putting your prices on your website. Let clients decide if they can afford your services before they contact you. If you don’t put your prices online, the first question they’ll ask is, “What do you charge?”

Don’t waste your time answering emails and calls and never hear from them again. Qualify your clients by giving them all the information they need upfront. 

The client's first question should be, “Are you available on…?”

If you do a good job with your basic skills and visibility, the sales will take care of themselves. You won’t need to spend your valuable time convincing people to book you.

The more touchpoints your business has, the easier it is for people to decide you are the photographer for them. 

Okay, those are my ideas on how to start your business in 2025.

If you have any questions, you can find me in the Facebook group, Messenger, Instagram, and Bluesky.

I’ll be back next week with another thrilling episode.

Talk to you soon, bye.