Perhaps you and your partner want to start taking photographs as a part-time gig. You may even want to eventually want to grow it into a full-time business. Regardless of your long-term goals, starting a photography business is an excellent side-hustle option, especially if you and your partner have a shared passion for photography.
If you’re ready to invest your time and money into a common goal, then this article can help you figure out exactly what you need in order to get started with your photography side hustle.
How to Start a Photography Side Hustle as a Couple
1. Pick a Photography Niche
Another important step to take prior to beginning your photography side hustle is to pick a photography niche. There are a variety of popular niches that you can choose from as a couple. If you want to create stock photographs that are uploaded to the internet and sold for money, some popular categories include nature and landscape photography.
Many photographers choose to pursue a hustle that is focused on capturing major life events, such as wedding photography or birth photography. The niche that you choose to pursue should be something that is enjoyable for both you and your partner.
While you want to ensure that the photography niche that you select is in high demand, you should also take into consideration how much competition already exists within that niche in your geographic area. If a particular niche is oversaturated with competitors fighting for the same prospective clients, you may have difficulty gaining and retaining new customers in the long run.
Top Photography Niches for Couples:
- Wedding Photography-This type of photography is one of the most popular. But for the photographer, it is also one of the most stressful. A wedding is not only an important day for the people getting married, but also for all of the friends and family in attendance. You are responsible for capturing once in a lifetime moment while blending into the background then delve into retouching . Having a partner share the responsibilities during this momentous event will make the job much easier.
- Portrait Photography-Portrait photography is also a great niche to pursue. More and more people are looking for a good photographer to take personal and professional photos that they can share with their families or to help build their brand on social media.
- Family Photography-Taking a great shot of one or two people is tough enough. Now imagine taking great shots of a whole family. A family photography is a great side hustle for couples because of the work required to capture a great shot of a group of people. This is another niche where it is best to have a partner that can help get everyone to smile at the same time while the other person takes the shots.
- Event Photography-As the world returns to holding events in-person, event photographers are needed to capture the memories. Whether it is a party, corporate event, or club opening, event photographers will be seeing an increase in demand in the coming years.
- Newborn Photography-Most parents of babies think that their child is perfect. As a newborn photographer, it is your job to make sure they look that way on camera. Although taking baby pictures seems like an easier task than a group of people, newborn photography can be tricky. Babies often move a lot, cry, and can’t understand you when you ask them to smile. As a photography couple, you may be able to shorten the time it takes to get a great shot by sharing the responsibilities.
2. Get the Right Equipment
One of the most important steps that you can take if you want to start a photography side hustle as a couple is to invest in high-quality equipment. Depending on the type of photos that you plan to take, you may need more than just a high-quality camera body and kit lens. Oftentimes, photographers also invest in additional accessories, such as different lenses and light reflectors.
Sit down together and make a list of all the equipment that you will need to get started, and then decide how you will split the costs. Investing in the right equipment can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000. It all just depends on what you, as a couple, decide is a necessity to make your photography side hustle a success.
Here are some things you’ll need to get started
- A full-frame Camera- To get started you will need a good full-frame camera.
- A backup camera and battery-You will want to make sure you have a backup camera and batteries. This is especially important when doing wedding, event, family, and newborn photography. You want to make sure to not miss moments since they cannot be duplicated.
- Different Lenses-When selecting your gear, be sure to get great lenses. Having an assortment of great lenses can help make your images sharper and more attractive. For many photographers, having the right lenses is more important than having the right camera.
- Tripod-A sturdy tripod is going to be necessary with some photography niches and not so much for others. But you still want to have one in case a great opportunity presents itself.
- Backup Drive-Just like having a backup camera, you will also want to have a backup drive to house your pictures. Even if you choose to house your photos on the cloud, which is recommended, most professionals keep their photos housed in 3 separate places.
3. Build an Online Portfolio
One of the most effective ways to display your services and skills to prospective customers is to build an online portfolio. In addition to creating a Google Business Profile, for example, many photography businesses find great success in using their online portfolio to promote their business and gain new customers.
In addition to creating a traditional website to display your online portfolio, another popular strategy used by photographers is to display their work on various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The best part about creating an online portfolio is that it can be created in many different ways.
Whether you decide to create an online portfolio by using a website, social media platforms, or a combination of the two, building an online profile is another important step to take when it comes to growing your photography side hustle.
4. Offer Your Services for Free at First
One of the best ways to grow your business is to offer your services for free at first. In doing so, you will incentivize prospective customers to try out your services for the first time. Also, it is also an excellent way to start building a loyal following of clients for the beginning.
It is important to think about offering your services for free at first as a trade-off or investment. When clients try your services for the first time and are pleased with their experience, they are more likely to leave you a good review and potentially even refer the people that they know to try out your services as well.
In addition to helping you build up your clientele, offering your services for free at first is also a great way to build your portfolio and gain experience. Although you and your partner may have a lot of experience taking photos together in your personal lives, building your portfolio and experience together in a professional setting is important.
Once you can prove that you both have professional experience in photography, you will begin to build credibility within your niche and attract more clients in the future.
5. Ask Friends for Referrals
Another effective way to grow your side hustle is to ask your friends for referrals. By leveraging the power of word of mouth, your friends can play a crucial role in helping you expand your reach to prospective customers.
You may consider offering a few free photography sessions to your friends so that they can personally vouch for your skills and services. You could also create an incentive program so that friends earn a reward or free service for sending you a certain number of referrals.
Conclusion
Once you have decided to start a photography side hustle as a couple, there are a variety of important factors to consider before you can get started. After you have collectively agreed on a photography niche, invested in the necessary equipment, and built your portfolio, you can start promoting your services.
Ultimately, the most important factor to keep in mind is that you and your partner are in agreement about all business decisions that are made. This will help ensure the success of your business in the long run.
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