I can give you plenty of reasons not to start your own professional photography business:
- The competition is brutal, lots of people chasing the same customers
- The barrier to entry is low, for very little money can get all the equipment you need to start
- The workload to do this well is massive
- You are out in front with nowhere to hide
- Get it wrong and it matters, customers will call you out if you fail to perform
- If you have the skills to do this, you probably have choices, other people want you to work for them
These reasons are not to be taken lightly and have kept me in a loop of wanting but not doing. If you are reading this and thinking should I give it a go then read on.
Here are some of my top reasons for actually going for it and putting a dream into action:
- It is an itch that will not go away, I feel compelled to try, and try hard
- Nothing else in work gives me more satisfaction than someone really enjoying my photos
- Wedding days are amazing and to be an important part of the couples day feels fantastic
- When taking or editing photos I feel in the flow, time ceases to matter
- The right pressure adds to my energy, I will not let people down
- You get to work with people, lots of people and this fires me up
- I have done this for free for years, alone on a desert island I would still take pictures
I am lucky, I am positioned in Warwickshire, easy traveling to Birmingham, London, Leicestershire and all of the home counties. This means for me when I can get the important part of getting the photographs and customer service right I am ideally positioned.
I am lucky to have a number of successful careers, in the Army, the Prison Service and logistics management but never have I been challenged by such a diverse set of new skills to learn:
Photography to an exceptional standard
Photography editing to a professional level
Marketing and promoting the business
Sales and selling my skills
Web page design and trying to get it seen
Direct marketing and trade shows
Setting up a business, keeping books and tax
This makes this the most interesting and consuming work I have ever undertaken. I am only just starting out on this project. If it stopped here it would still have been a good use of my time. I am thoroughly enjoying all of the challenges. Normally to get on in work we specialise and become the master of a small section of the whole. This is a chance to try it all.
