SUMMARY: Display your photography skills in the best way possible.

Before starting out trying to sell your digital photos or digital photography services, it is a must to create a portfolio sample of your work. This will give you practice taking photos, but more importantly, customers will demand first seeing how good you are before spending money. This is especially important at the beginning when you may not have many testimonials or references.

Be sure to purchase a nice photo album or portfolio book, not just something you pick up at a local drugstore. Also, ensure your photograph prints are of high quality with accurate color representation. This may require getting your photos printed professionally, such as at a camera store or>

SUMMARY: Categorize your photos to make it easier for your potential customers to find what they want.

When creating a physical portfolio or an>

SUMMARY: Increase your chances of taking great photos by snapping away more often.

Sometimes the main difference between a hobby photographer and a professional is the amount of pictures they take. Remember, you are using digital media, not film, so you are not wasting any money if photos turn out bad; you can always delete them later and reuse the media!

Take lots and lots of photos, with your subject’s blessing and patience, of course. Bracket your photos. Experiment with lighting. The more photos you take, the greater the chance that>

SUMMARY: Set up a workshop or class to showcase your digital photography talents and get paid.

No matter what type of service or consulting business you’re in, there will likely be some downtime between contracts. To monetize these periods of inactivity, consider showcasing your talent and knowledge by leading photography workshops, either in a class or studio setting, or outdoors at a remote location.

Of course, setting up a workshop will require some investment in time as well as an investment in cash. The class or workshop must be advertised. If you teach an indoor class, you have to handle facility rental and other issues. For outdoor workshops at remove locations, there are other factors to consider including insurance in case someone has an accident.

Classes and workshops, while monetizing downtime, are also a great way to meet fellow photographers, help others, and take some photos yourself during the experience.

SUMMARY: You may be able to make a little extra cash by selling digital photos to stock agencies.

Need a little extra cash? Consider selling your digital photos to stock agencies. This won’t make you rich beyond your wildest imaginations, but it can nicely supplement your income. Usually you>

SUMMARY: Not abiding by photography model contracts can cost you in the long run.

NOTE: I am not a lawyer and am not qualified to dispense legal advice!

If your digital photography work involves the use of models, consider having a lawyer look over the model release contract you and the model should sign before the photos are taken. If you do not abide by the contract and use a model’s likeness for other means not explicitly spelled out in the contract, you may be asking for trouble later>

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It may not be wise to show your potential clients dozens or hundreds of sample photos. Show a collection representative of your skills and subject areas, but try not to overwhelm people. Pick and choose your best works and use them as samples. If you show too many photos to clients right off the bat, they might get bored looking through your compilation, and it may show a lack of professionalism; they may think you are unsure which of your own photos are of the highest quality.

SUMMARY: Always distribute digital photos in media formats others can use.

Planning>

SUMMARY: A photograph> 

Full-color business cards can be much more expensive than black & white cards and they should not be handed out to just anyone (unless you have lots of dough!), but they can definitely attract attention.

You should consider making a few for important potential clients of your photography services, and be sure to place>

SUMMARY: Business opportunities can happen almost anywhere – keep your business cards> 

Always, always, ALWAYS bring your business cards along, especially when you travel! You never know when you might strike up a conversation with a potential client, especially if you are at a tourist location and shooting photos with a high-end professional digital camera. If you look like you know what you are doing, there is a chance someone may drop by to ask a question about what you do.