Earning Money from Photography
If you see photography as a quick route to riches you might want to think again, some sobering information on photographer salaries from The Online Photographer .
I do think it is worth pointing out that “salary” and “Income” to a self-employed person or to a company are not always equal (or declared), plus how many of these people who earn less than £5k a year are doing it on a part-time basis? What is the definition of “photographer”? Someone who has sold the rights to one image on Alamy could call themselves a “Pro Photographer”, someone who snaps the odd wedding could do the same.
The main reason for average low income is the same as any freelance industry where there is a low barrier to entry therefore a glut of low-experience people entering. It creates a buyers market and drives down fees for all but the top 2%.
Having said that it wouldn’t take too much for a determined person to earn a healthy side income, I have been thinking about it myself. For example a couple or few paid wedding gigs would put you over National Geo’s bottom end. The main factors are similar to any business:
- How are you different? The top photographers differentiate by style, portfolio, reputation, contacts, clientele …
- Specialism or generic? You might not make a big splash by being “another photographer” but perhaps a real estate photography specialist would get noticed?
- How do you advertise? Word of mouth is obviously the best route, so many are in yellow pages etc already, but how do you start that word of mouth trend?
- Etc
None of these are unique to photography, you could see the same problems facing any freelancer or small business.
Technorati Tags: photography, business, income
Tags: business, freelancing, income, salaries
I have often thought of doing some pro photography, however it’s not as straightforward as it may seem. A wedding could drag in a grand a week, however take into consideration what has to be done to earn that grand.
Consultation with bride and groom before to pitch
Meeting with bride and groom to discuss shots
stake out where you are going to shoot to work out where shots are best placed
wedding day (will need 2 photographers ideally or at least one assistant) - pretty much full day as you’ll be needed before, during and after (and possibly in the evening)
Photoshopping, probably a full day (at best half a day)
Meeting with bride and groom to provide proofs
Outsourced printing of materials
Delivery of albums (hopefully extra sets required)
that quick grand turns into a lot of work and your grand will include the materials which will make a massive dent in the budget (plus dont forget that tax man will want his bit too, if this is extra income he’s probably gonna take 40%
On the kit side too you’re gonna need two boddies and to get the print sizes required youre gonna need a 12mp camera.
I read somewhere that the average full time portrait photographer grosses 50K, take away the materials and running costs they are left with around 24K.
I quite agree to a point Mark, personally I have done two weddings and found it a fraught experience. Both couples were very happy though, and my single camera is a 8mp and there was just little me. On the back of the first I have been asked to do another in august. Keeping in mind they are willing to pay me to fly to another country rather than use a local photographer I feel pretty chuffed that I must have done an adequate job.
Prints and albums are where a lot of photographers make their incremental money but I guess not entirely necessary as many photographers websites now show some are moving away from the traditional step by step process towards the full monty luxury package (including what you describe but also engagement, dvd, practice run …) through to budget “here is your disk and single print”.
From what I understand £1k would be the very bottom end of the market where they wouldn’t perhaps expect as full a service as all that, plus I think you would not want to do any scale looking at a 40% bill, more likely work on a company basis.
Having said all that, while I do think about other types of photography work my nerves were so shattered I won’t be jumping at doing weddings in future. The problem with weddings is people aren’t too keen on coming back together for a second try if something goes wrong!
Its a very competative market as you say. There are lots of people out there doing it for practically nothing (there are some shocking sites out there). Producing good quality albums is what will seperate you from the rest of the people there with their canon ixuxs, there’s always going to be an amateur photographer at these events who will probably have a dslr.
I don’t think many people would incorporate a company for a few weddings here or there, however they would naturally if it was a full time venture (if they hit over 30K)
locally it would be a struggle, a thousand pounds is probably the most a lot of people in yorkshire will pay. 500 pounds for a digital only service is a much more realistic target.
This is a price list from a decent yorkshire based wedding photographer.
Wedding Package One
Forty prints up to 10″x 10″ in an album chosen from the Elizabethan range. Price £1065.00
Wedding Package Two
Forty prints up to 8″x 8″ in an album chosen from the Elizabethan Range. Price £876.00
Wedding Package Three
Thirty six prints up to 8″x 8″ in an album chosen from the Elizabethan Range. Price £798.00
Wedding Package Four
Thirty prints up to 8″x 8″ in an album chosen from the Traditional Range. Price £663.00
Wedding Package Five
Twenty four prints up to 8″x 8″ in an album chosen from the Traditional Range. Price £598.