Expert: Don Wood - 12/29/2006

Question
thank you very much for your reply.. i have gone to school for 4 years and had photography, but it has been at a high school class level, i did one year in college and this term im not taking any bc of my schedule, here is the site i messed up last time www.myspace.com/lempophoto, any pointers you could suggest would be great thankyou again . for taking your time out, we will charge more i know it seems cheap but we are trying to get started adn i dont want to charge too much without having an established rep first, it doesnt seem very fair to do that thankyou again
torrie
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

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do you need a liscence to start a photography business and how would you go about starting one.  I would like to start one and need some professional experiance. If you could take a look at some of my work that would be great www.myspace.com/lempophoto.com
sorry about the myspace address but i dont have another one. any tips would be great! thankyou so much
Victorria Lempo
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In the early days of my career, there were not many schools teaching photography other than photography connected to journalism careers. Every journalism dept. offered several courses in taking pictures, and doing the darkroom work. This was back in the days when to take pictures you had to think, exposure details included shutter speed and diaphragm controls (f stops). Now the problem is not in taking pictures but determining what you are trying to express with the beautiful exposures of which today's cameras are capable. So it falls to you to become the best in your field. If you try to start a career in photography without training, you will probably not last out the year. Prices in photographic endeavors are not governed strictly by the price of the final print, the price of the media you choose to get the picture, the amount of time you must expend to get that picture. Even the clothes that you wear should be counted, think wearing blue jeans to take pictures at a formal church wedding. groom in a tux, bride in wedding dress. Of course you will add in the expense of getting to the occasion, cost of the equipment you must have to complete the assignment, replacement costs of mis-handled equipment, not to mention your living costs, food, rent or mortgage.
Most states do not require a license for starting a photography business. You would have to ask someone about the requirements in your state. Most would require you to collect a sales tax, file quarterly estimated tax reports complete with your estimated tax liabilities. If this discourages from plunging into the business at the beginning there is the alternative of operating as a free-lance, weekend photographer. Most weddings are weekend affairs, portraits may be scheduled in either evening or weekends sessions. You will still probably have to register as a sales tax collector, check your state for this restriction.
I suggest that you go to get the most schooling you can get from the best schools you can afford. Your education should include both photographic courses and business courses. The more education you get the better you will succeed.
Surf the net searching for photographic training. I can think of the Brooks Institute in California, the New York Institute of Photography in NYC. There is a great range of training out there.  If you are looking to start a photo career and don't expect to have to put a great amount of effort in learning the trade, you will quickly fail.
This is a field in which you are either insanely busy, with no time to catch your breath or relax, or you are sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring and wondering where your next meal will be coming from, not to mention; rent payments, car payments, insurance payments, utility payments, equipment payments. You will still have to do these after you succeed but with the training you will have a better chance to succeed.
BTW, when I tried to go to view your work, my browser returned an "OOPS, we couldn't find your page."
Good luck, keep me posted, sorry to be so negative but I'd rather you succeed than to try, get discouraged and fail.
Don

Answer
Congratulations on your educational career. I still think that you need to get some business education in addition to your photographic education.
Most starting photogs think as you do, I'll charge less until I get some experience then I'll charge more. You will find that you will be very sought after if you charge very little beyond price of the materials used. Many people will want you because you're cheap. The problem will be when you attempt to raise your prices that they will go to the next newbie starting out and charging low prices. This is why you have albums showing your work. If someone wishes to choose you, they will do so. You must have something to show, then you perform with what they have chosen. I applaud you for wanting to stick to your guns in starting, it sounds as if you are wanting to be in a job which you control your own actions. I repeat that while you are building your reputation in after-hours photographic assignments, you should keep your daily job that provides for the living expenses like rent, utilities, clothing, food, etc.
I would advise you to take it slowly, don't rush into it, get some business courses, get some photographic education beyond what high school has to offer. Probably the high school had a yearbook and a small newsletter for the journalism classes. This will not provide much of a basis for wedding, or portraits. For that education you need to go to school, if only by a mail based, home improvement program.
Please don't rush in, be patient, it will come sooner than you think if you are patient. Good luck, keep me posted.
Don