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-   -   Q for Steve (Photo biz) (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1884)

Bea October 28, 2006 06:27 PM

Q for Steve (Photo biz)
 
Is it ok to post this here? (I hope so. If not, if you would just delete? - Thanks!)

Steve, I am wondering...I was looking over your photo business & wondering if someone could really do that (start that business) on a shoestring? (& on a shoestring, I mean less than $200.)

Then...the learning curve...if you were to go to a pawn shop, you could get a good 35mm camera, but then to work it right would take a bit, so maybe an automatic?

Just wondering.
Thanks!

Bea October 28, 2006 06:58 PM

Re: Q for Steve (Photo biz)
 
mmm...yes. Thank you. I DO recall he was saying something about croping & photo software, that you really wouldn't need it. Does he photograph just animals or both people and animals? Cute photos on his site, tho.

Unregistered October 28, 2006 07:33 PM

Re: Q for Steve (Photo biz)
 
I think Anthony is right you need a digetal cameral and printer. You also need to market. You need to know how to do this. That more important than the business you in. You could also buy a going business with clients. Don't pay more than 3.1 of net profit. Look at the books and make sure you can pay the loan and pay yourself a profit. 1.2 or 1to 1 is better. And your in the right business people always want pictures.And you could have the same clients again and again.

Jason October 29, 2006 12:12 AM

Re: Q for Steve (Photo biz)
 
Hi Bea, I would think that in order to start this biz (old fasion photos) the largest initial expense would be wardrobe and other props.
Really you can get by with a point and shoot digital.
I would get a digital for sure as with film it is just another step and cost to the proccess.
I have seen some of Steves photos and I think that they are nice as well.

Notice the wardrobe and props in the OLD TIME photos.
This all cost money, but you can also collect it over time.
you need a variety of sizes and colors, the more the better really, so the initial investment could be more that $200 but it is a viable biz as I have seen it work in my area as well.

I wouldn't think that you would need to buy a great photo printer as you ould print a contact sheet and have them order from that.

Once you get the orders send them to a print lab to fulfill the orders.
Jason

As for your question about what he photographs....
I read recently that he isn't photographing pets anymore as he didn't like it.
Jason

Pete Egeler October 29, 2006 06:46 AM

Re: Q for Steve (Photo biz)
 
Hi Bea,

Have to agree with others in that I do not think $200 will get it right off the bat.

As far as the camera.. You'd probably be better off going to someplace like Wal-Mart, Target, Cosco, etc., and picking up a camera there. I wouldn't want to put my trust in one from a Pawn Shop if you're new to photography. In most cases, you'll end up with no instructions, etc.,

What ever you decide, take TONS of pictures. Learn what your camera will, and won't do. When you're 100% comfortable with your photo gear, then you can move forward.

If you check out this page, you'll see a free report that goes over some of the "gear" you need to have to get started. http://tinyurl.com/y54ymv

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask here or shoot me an email.

Pete

SteveSki October 29, 2006 08:50 PM

Re: Q for Steve (Photo biz)
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bea (Post 6366)
Is it ok to post this here? (I hope so. If not, if you would just delete? - Thanks!)

Steve, I am wondering...I was looking over your photo business & wondering if someone could really do that (start that business) on a shoestring? (& on a shoestring, I mean less than $200.)

Then...the learning curve...if you were to go to a pawn shop, you could get a good 35mm camera, but then to work it right would take a bit, so maybe an automatic?

Just wondering.
Thanks!




Hi Bea,

Do you really want to start a Pet Photography Business? What attracts you to it? Is it the income potential alone? Do you really love working with animals? Are you willing to photograph families? Can you handle screaming two year olds and kids who control their parents?

Yes my Money Making Photography System can swamp you with clients but it’s not all rosy.

Are you willing to pay the price and invest in the tools of the trade and focus most of your energy on sharpening your skills and learning new ones?

If you think that you are going to make a fortune in a flash with just a camera and one light – think again because although that’s all it really takes to get started – there is a lot more to the picture.

You can start with a good digital or 35mm film camera. I started photographing pets seriously with a $300 Auto-focus Canon Rebel 35mm film camera that I purchased at Wal-Mart but I seldom use my film camera anymore since purchasing a digital Canon Rebel camera. I paid $1500 for it two years ago but the same camera body is now priced at just $799.

If you are just getting started invest in one of those two cameras. Get the digital canon rebel if you can but go with a used film camera if you must. The most important step is to get started, make mistakes and learn as you go.

Realize that you are not going to make $5,000 next weekend if you don’t have a certain amount of skill and equipment. But if you enjoy photography, dealing with people and handling pets then a career in photography can be very rewarding.

It is easy for me to sell and market portraits of people and pets because I invested in good equipment and spent years working for several studios. Plus - pictures of loved ones - is something most people want to buy - so if you shoot them - they for the most part – will buy!

Walmart, Sears, JC Penney, Olan Mills and many other national portrait studios hire people with no photographic experience whatsoever and teach them all the technical picture taking skills in just two to three weeks time of OJT “On the job training”. That’s the easy part. Learning how to find and get the business is the real trick to succeeding as a self employed photographer but that’s something the national studios don’t want you to learn because once you do – chances are you’ll choose to quit working for them and become their competition.

Photography has spoiled me. The more I learn – the more spoiled I become - the more choosey and picky I become. When I was hungry - I’d photographed 50 sessions in a single weekend to earn $5,000. Now that’s just too much work in too short a time. Way too hard and stressful for us now. It was okay for awhile but now my wife and I prefer to stay home and shoot just a few sessions a day in our living room studio. Sure beats working as a travelling photographer and we now enjoy creating Antique style glamour photos of women over shooting cute pet portraits but still do a bit of both. We are just becoming more and more picky about who we will photograph.

Money is still important but quality of life is becoming more of a priority to us now. My wife and I can teach anyone how to make $500+ per day with a home based portrait studio provided you live in a populated area and can invest in a good camera, lights, props and computer. It is an ideal business for a husband and wife team. But it’s still just “Owning Your Own Job”. If my wife and I don’t photograph any sessions tomorrow our income stops. But we have two one hour sessions scheduled for today so that should net us a little over a grand.

Now some will ask – if you are earning that much – why sell information products that teach others how to do what you do? Why not just do more of what you are already doing? It’s because we ultimately we want to franchise our systems. And selling our knowledge and guidance to others is just the first steps to growing our little home-based studio into a world wide, world class business that can make us daily income without us having to do it all by ourselves. We don’t want to work that hard forever. But if you’d like to learn how to earn $500+ DAILY PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE AND PETS – we can teach you through our information products or on the job training.
Come to our place and learn hands on or if you prefer and can handle a bigger investment we can come to you and help you set things up, get you trained and get clients into your home based studio.

But this is not for everyone and although one can start off making money with just a camera and one light – to survive and thrive - will take investing in more training and tools then most are willing to do.

Cheers,
Steve Shulenski

http://www.PetPhotoBiz.com
http://www.EZPhotoCash.com
http://www.PetPhotographyBusiness.com
http://www.MoneyMakingPhotography.com
http://www.AntiquePhotographyBusiness.com

SteveSki October 31, 2006 11:00 AM

Re: I forgot to mention. . .
 
Hi Bea, I forgot to mention that if you go with a digital camera do yourself a favour and
ignore todays popular advice about choosing a camera with the highest number of MP's
and built in digital zoom.

Only invest in a SLR Digital camera that uses good old Optical Zoom.

Don't waste your money on the more popular point and shoot non SLR digital cameras.

Just go to google and type in Digital Zoom VS Optical Zoom and learn why.

The best buy for the money today is the Canon Digital Rebel.
I sell a lot of 20 X 30 inch canvas prints taken with my 6.1 MP Canon.

A 10 or 12 MP will set you back at least an extra thousand or two versus $799 for
the Canon Digital Rebel and the extra Mega Pixels won't make much of a difference
unless you plan on making prints larger than 20 x 30 inches.

And the cheaper digital cameras with digital zoom are the worst choice for portrait photography.
It's better to go with a cheap 35mm SLR film camera and a good zoom lens than using a
non SLR digital zoom camera.




Cheers,
Steve Shulenski

http://stores.ebay.com/MoneyMakingPhotography

Bea November 2, 2006 09:33 PM

Re: Q for Steve (Photo biz)
 
Steve,
I *must* say that you all do take some beautiful photos!!!
Also, just to let you know - - my daughter was sitting by me on the couch while I looked at the photos here & said ..."especially that background!" Then I remembered that you said your wife does those by hand! Beautiful piece of art!!!

Thank You for getting back with me - I am thinking & reading on your site!

Thanks,
Bea

SteveSki November 3, 2006 09:47 PM

Re: Q for Steve (Photo biz)
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bea (Post 6503)
Steve,
I *must* say that you all do take some beautiful photos!!!
Also, just to let you know - - my daughter was sitting by me on the couch while I looked at the photos here & said ..."especially that background!" Then I remembered that you said your wife does those by hand! Beautiful piece of art!!!

Thank You for getting back with me - I am thinking & reading on your site!

Thanks,
Bea


Bea

Thanks for the compliment regarding my hand-dyed backgrounds . . . they really set the scene to our antique photography and are great for almost any photo session.

Your mentioning it – reminded me that this was yet another information product I’d forgotten that I want to develop. If you check out on-line photography stores you’ll see that photographers will pay up to $500 for one of these backdrops.

Just a few yards of muslin and a bit of dye . . . I’ve been specialising in dye techniques for years and know how simple it would be for just about anyone to do this. I know it would make a great info product for photographers to learn how to make their own and save hundreds of dollars or as a great little business for someone wanting to supply ready-made backgrounds.

The thing is - if we all look deep enough – we all have something someone wants to ‘learn’ from us.

Thanks for the reminder!
Susha (wife of Steve Shulenski)
www.AntiquePhotographyBusiness.com

" Life is so simple really. Think though want people want,
watch what others fail to give them and provide it. Then bill ‘em." :o Stuart Wilde


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