The Business Side of Photography
The paperwork and number-crunching of a photography business are a splash of cold water on wide-eyed new pros, but just as essential as creative talent.
If you think distributing calling cards and signing up clients is all there is to a photography business, you've failed before you even start. Many amateurs launch a pro career on a portfolio of contest-winning pictures, thinking that creative talent and techniques are enough to go by. Mark Floro, U.S.-trained and running a successful photo business himself, shows you the real world of paperwork, business plans, marketing, and number-crunching. See why budgeting money is more important than earning it, and how to determine if you've really, really earned back the cost of your equipment and training.
Who should attend
- Photographers intending to turn pro, or who just turned pro, in any field of photography.
- Existing professional photographers who never put a correct business workflow in place, going strictly on "shoot and collect" cycle.
- Business partners of photographers and their managers.
What will be covered
- Preparing a business plan
- Registering a business (corporate, single proprietorship, or partnership)
- Securing permits and licenses
- Preparing legal forms (contracts, quotations, bills and statements, model releases)
- Ethical practices (issuing receipts, paying taxes, using licensed software)
- Pricing your services and computing markups
- Determining hidden costs and actual profit
- Depreciation of equipment
- Marketing: different ways for different fields
Prerequisites
Photography/business background or training in any field not necessary, but a good start.
Speaker
Mark Floro studied photography in the United States, and the curriculum included a class on setting up and operating a photography business. His own career in photography, started when he returned to the country, is itself a case study in how to turn right-brained artists into left-brained businesmen.
Comments from participants
I really learned a lot in this seminar and it helped me focus on a specific field of photography and suggested ways to earn more and maximize earnings. I think this seminar covered everything, one should know or consider in starting his/her own photography business.
– Kerry Clemente
The lecture was light, fun and easy to grasp.
– Kerwin Kaiser Yu
[The seminar] opened new doors and encouraged further exploration.
– Bryan Sales
Fun! And I learned so much from Mr. Floro and from my classmates. The sharing of experiences was instrumental in making the class a lively and enriching one.
– Clair Mogol (Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas)
The instructor addressed questions and concerns once they arose or became relevant, which put things in perspective. And yet, the course outline and the flow of the discussion were still organized.
– Jacqui Jacinto
The seminar inspires us to enjoy the photography business.
– Shianne Gomez (Pose n Play Studio)
The handouts were super helpful. Great knowledge resource.
– Sofia Genato, The Stork Studio
I really liked the way the speaker shares his personal experience related to each topic.
– Aldwin de Leon (Gradient Printshop)