HOW TO START A PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

The photography business needs no introduction as it is something that has been practiced for quite a while now. Photography is basically the act of taking pictures professionally or just for fun. Taking pictures professionally has become quite the business in recent times, with people needing professionals to cover their events or take nice picture shots for them. These individuals who are involved in this business are called Photographers. And they are mostly professionals who have gone through a particular training and possess the neccesary skills to be able to properly take pictures and if they want, go into the business.

Pictures are meant to capture memories that can then be viewed later on. With the advent of smartphones, this has been made even more easier as individuals can just take pictures with their smart phones and save them in a gallery where they can find it later on. This has even received popularity as an aspect of photography known as phone photography which is getting increasingly popular by the day. Even from the business perspective, individuals can take photos from their phones and get paid for it. Sometimes, low budget businesses employ the services of these individuals for products shoots and things like that. And for this, you only need a smartphone with a good camera and also with some quality features.

As a photographer, one of the advantages of starting this business is that it can be started from the comfort of your home. Photography goes beyond just taking ordinary pictures. It involves other processes that can be conducted right from your home. The business also comes in two major forms, which either allows you to be a freelancer or work in a studio. This is similar to categorizing the business as either small scale or large scale. As a freelancer, you get to take pictures and do mostly everything from home. On the other hand, getting a studio means having a location where you’ll be doing everything concerning your photography.

The cost of starting the freelance or small scale photography business is relatively low as compared to the large scale aspect as one obviously requires more space, more equipments and even more services. As I’ve mentioned earlier, most times when people get involved in the business, it’s becaise they’re professionals and have gone through a special training to learn how to properly take a good picture. The training is highly recommended and individuals who would like to start can also take the training for better understanding of the processes involved and how to adequately get to produce quality pictures.

Starting the business is not really difficult after getting the required training and of course, when capital is already available. It just requires getting the equipments to be used and then going on to get customers. The equipments to be gotten will totally depend on your style of photography and also how you plan to set up. In the next sub heads, I’ll be discussing the steps involved in starting a photography business and some of the neccesary factors to consider to give you a good chance of making profit and also sustaining the business.

1. RESEARCH

The benefits of research to any business can not be overestimated. There are many things to be learnt about a particular business when one decides to start it. Mostly, they are things individuals are not aware of or things not common during the normal business practice. A proper research helps you review your business and the different options you might have to select from. The study is not only important for the starting stage of the business but it also gives insights on how to manage and sustain the business for several years to come.

Most times, research helps individuals come up with a better written business plan. The business plan, of course, needs no introduction. It contains all the information about the business and everything you have planned to help bring the business to light including ways you chose to to spend capital, plans to operate and also projections for the future of the business. A well written business plan is not just there for writing sake and it also comes with its benefits especially for individuals who have to look for ways to secure funds to kick start the business.

For this business, individuals must make research about the industry, ask questions about how things are done and take a very good look at competitors especially the ones who have been in the industry for even much longer. If they have a website or a flyer or a social media profile or anything that can help you learn a thing or two about the business, then make use of it. Also, look out for information on what people expect from a photographer. You can decide to do a quick survey by questioning people about what they would expect from photographers who cover their events. Put all the answers and information gotten from your research into good use and develop strategies with them.

2. GET ENROLLED FOR TRAINING

At this point you’ve decided that you use ready to start the business after completing your research. The next thing to do is to get enrolled for a photography training. This is very important as the business can only start if you’re well equipped with the neccesary skills required to be a photographer. Unlike phone photography which is really just something almost everyone who knows how to operate a smartphone can do, the use of a digital camera is quite different and requires special training to be able to professionally take pictures and go into the business.

You can either get a place where you can learn or get an expert who can help you with it. There are a number of training schools available for photography and you can just go on to enroll in one for a particular period of time which once completed, you must have been able to gain the skills to be a professional photographer. The internet is also available for training of this kind and even though it doesn’t involve any physical training, it is also quite effective for learning about photography. There are online courses provided on different platforms and YouTube is also available for practical videos on how to do certain things related to photography.

3. SELECT A SPECIALTY

Photography comes with different aspects and individuals who practice the business get to choose one or more of these aspects that they’ll be involved in. As mentioned above, you can either decide to do all your photography from home or rather get a studio where you’ll do everything from. From the studio you can have a customer book and take indoor photoshoots. But regardless of which ever one you take, there are different niches you might choose to specialize in. These niches determines the kind of photos you’ll take and the way the pictures would look. Some of the niches include event photography, fashion photography, portrait photography, landscape photography, food photography, sports photography, wildlife photography, photojournalism, documentary photography and many more like that. You can decide to either pick one you feel comfortable with or select more than one as long as you are sure you can cover it.

4. GET THE EQUIPMENTS

At this point, the materials needed for the business are gotten. The equipments to be used will depend on if you’ll have a studio or not. If you’ll be having a studio, you’ll definitely need to get some other equipments other than the basic ones that every photographer should have. Some of the basic equipments include a camera, tripod, camera bag, lenses, editing software, laptop, memory card, and photo printer. Lighting is another thing that can be required but it is mostly used when you’ll be working from a studio.

5. MARKETING

There are many ways you can market your photography business. One is of course, social media. Create a social media page and post some of your works there and look to get customers from there. Also, you can also create a website where you’ll post some of the photos you’ve taken. This is similar to a photo blog and it can even serve as a portfolio to showcase your work to prospective clients. In other cases, you can tell people and get connections at the events you cover. Sometimes, photographers also work voluntarily at some events to gain experience and also add pictures to their blog or portfolio. They can also find connections from there.

The business is one of the businesses currently practiced very well in the country today. It is a lucrative venture that will definitely bring you profits provided you properly set up the business and also you set out to be different to stand out from your competitors.