CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Friends, family, and people getting cheap images are not qualified to critique your work. the first two are supposed to tell you how good you are and the third just want more free/cheap stuff. Really, the opinions of friends and family are worthless.

Join a professional organization and have successful professionals evaluate your work. Be sure to be wearing your big-boy pants!

All those people are not your customers. PPA figures if you are not getting at LEAST $85-$90 for an 8x10 you are losing money with every sale, so when you start charging a price that will sustain a business those "friends" are long gone. "Going wild with appreciation" is worthless. Going wild with cash is a different story and all the counts.

Starting a photo business is tough today with all the wannabes out there (like you, actually). To succeed your work has to be REALLY good - not just good, be REALLY good. Your marketing has to be good and your sales talents have to be REALLY good. You have to sell in-person and never ever post the image online (for online sales - the dumbest way to sell. Well, there are some exceptions).

You need a business or sales tax license, liability insurance, and some backup gear. A website is a necessity. Do you have model releases from your prior sessions so you have samples to populate the website? Don't use free websites like Wix as that is a dead giveaway that YOU are cheap.

It can be done. figure three-four years of running a loss.

Muzzlehatch Loc: Mount Vernon, NY

:mrgreen: :thumbup: :lol:

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

My word! Advice from Roger Hicks in the original post and no response by the OP. Is the question serious or just trolling?

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

A highly practical suggestion I fear. Procrastination seems to be an issue.

Bushymonster Loc: Oklahoma City. OK.

Goon luck friend. Fist you have the desire. second you have the need to shoot, and learn. three listen to The Hods. four don't be scarred to ask questions and know and learn from you mistakes. five don't give up because mistake will be made. six be professional and have business card. seven be open mined and be yourself. seven have the right equipment and upgrade when you can. ten bring plenty of toys for kid shots 9lots of distraction and to grab kids attention. eleven be serious but joke when necessary. twelve love it and enjoy you. Your a good photographer and good luck you Can do it.
-Bushy
I am 100% I left out buy these folks know what they are doing so have your computer and have this site book marked

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Now more than ever since "everyone is a photographer" anymore.

So. "How do you make money with photography"?

Blackmail? Extortion?

Set up shop in a touristy area and do costumed-theme photos. People on vacation will spend money for souvenirs.

Jcmarino

We all started somewhere and learned from our mistakes. I started with a 5100 and did weddings. Started out charging 500.00/wedding. (I do live in an impoverished area) After watching classes on Creative Live, taking several workshops and classes, the next year I bought a full frame and raised my beginning price to 1K. Living in my "impoverished" area, my business doubled. First, determine what type of photography you want to do. Determine how much you need to make for the year to survive the way you want to live. Example: You want to do senior photos, and clear 50 grand a year. That will give you some idea of how many shoots you need to have. Now, what will it take to achieve that goal? That will help you set your prices and your marketing. For me, marketing is the hardest. I still work full time and my photography business is for vacations and fun. I determine where I want to go on vacation, cost and play money, cost of time, equipment, photo expenses, classes, workshops, photo insurance, I add all that up and add 1/2 again. Now I know what I need to do to get there and go for it. It has taken me 3 years but last year, I took my husband on our first cruise, bought lots of new equipment, took 3 classes and a workshop and never spent a dime of my own money, and had money left over to start this year out. I call that a success!

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

One thing you might want to consider as a means of finding an answer to your question is to Google photography clubs for Hernando County and Pasco County through www.Meetup.com. See what might be available in your own back yard. The reason why is because the leaders/founders of these clubs in all likelihood will have already been in business for themselves or know of members in their group who are. If there doesn't seem to be a club that is near you, then do what I did and join the St. Petersburg Photography Group through Meetup. There are more than 600 people, yes, SIX HUNDRED, involved in this group and I know for a fact that there are many on there who could advise on and answer your questions. This is an excellent way to get help because you'll have an opportunity to meet face-to-face with people and can establish relationships that might last a lifetime. Just a thought....

Here is a link to Spring Hill photography groups listed on Meetup:
http://www.meetup.com/cities/us/fl/spring_hill/photography/ $10.00 per year to join (West Pasco Shutterbugs)

Here is for the BIG granddaddy in St. Petersburg:
http://www.meetup.com/St-Petersburg-Photography-Group/ FREE to join

David Kay Loc: Arlington Heights IL

You folks are being taken here. Three years ago this user posted the same question and never responded to the suggestions once. Now another post of the same question and in two pages of replies the OP has never responded.

Impressionist

Take a course in the business of photography. You would benefit from one provided by The New York Institute of Photography. Check them out. Money well spent on a education you need with a certificate at the end that tells others you are a professional.

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

David, now, for sure, there is no reason for this person to ask the same question. My response, just above yours, informs about meeting local photographers by joining a club near him/her. Since this question has been asked before by this person, I have to really wonder about the sincerity? It could be that this person has a genuine desire to make money with photography but simply lacks the knowledge and the means to adequately start and promote a business as well as the confidence to go out and do it. That is why I suggested a way to actually meet someone to glean from for the answers rather than get on here and keep wasting people's time.

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

This is just a start but it is also the LAZY way to get your answers. You need to get with a real, live person who can advise and guide you:

http://www.kristendukephotography.com/starting-and-maintaining-a-photography-business/

http://photographyconcentrate.com/26-things-i-wish-id-known-before-starting-my-photography-business-part-1/

http://articles.bplans.com/successful-photography-business/

http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2013/jun/26/starting-photography-studio-business

http://business.tutsplus.com/articles/25-resources-for-starting-a-freelance-photography-business--fsw-22378

TommiRulz Loc: Corpus Christi, TX

Hi - I did not read all the posts so I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered - but do you have a website?
I started very simple - I was at an event taking pictures and someone asked if they could get my card and buy the pictures off the website. I did not have either of those things. So I got them - and I started selling the pictures like crazy!!! I don't sell prints - only digital copies and I keep my prices reasonable.
Your camera does NOT matter!!! It's all marketing
The people have to know where the pictures are and it has to be easy to buy them.
Good Luck

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

If all you want is some guidance for knowing what to charge for taking photos, here is your LAZY way to find out. You STILL need the advice of a real, live person:

http://parttimephoto.com/what-should-i-charge-for-my-part-time-photography-your-first-customer-series-part-3/

http://www.thephotoforum.com/threads/how-much-to-charge-when-first-starting-out.206675/

http://www.wikihow.com/Work-out-What-to-Charge-for-Photography

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

Making money as a photographer has very little to do with ability to photograph and everything to do with networking. The most successful photographers develop their name by having contacts that can get them jobs. Once they get the job, then they have to perform or they are out of buisness fairly quickly. But, if you are one of 50 photographers on a potential list for a job, the one that gets it is going to be the one with the best contacts. You have to market yourself (this means look like a pro, have professional appearing equipment, be on time or ahead of time, develop a good portfolio, have a good rapor with your subjects... and by all means, reputation is everything). Many, many great photographers are amateurs and many, many more professional photographers shouldn't own a camera. The difference is that a moderate photographer has connections, business savy, (talks a good game), and is in the price range. The other factor is that once the so-so photographer gets the gig, he/she doesn't mess it up by not getting the photos. Also, a good professional needs to be able to work quickly and decisively and not wast the subjects time. If you are shooting a wedding, you have to remember that while you are being paid to photograph the wedding, there may be 10 people there better qualified to shoot the wedding than you. You need to respect them and work with them rather than against them. They may NOT want to shoot wedding.. (Many of us don't) so they may be a good contact for additional jobs.