Pictures and movies have been a part of human lives for over 100 years now. It was the year 1815 the first camera was invented for public use. Since then we have the ability to capture all facets of humankind and nature. Cameras are so abundant- some may consider it an “invasion of privacy”. With its many uses, we will focus on making money with cameras and recording/editing equipment.
First, lets look at what is needed to start a production studio. Camcorders and cameras of all types are an abvious start. The more the better; when it comes to photography- this will allow more options during the EDITING phases of your projects. Keep in mind: the better your camera–the better your video results will be. But to keep things on a BASIC level; a camera with a built-in microphone, a Tripod, and a computer with video editing software will work for basic production. An external microphone and a lightstand with at least three lights is recommended. If you are wanting to add special background affects; a 150x200cm GREEN/BLUE screen will be great for your studio setup. These screens provide a color difference between skin tones and objects, so your video editing software can easily pick up the contrast between special affects.
Here are some different genres that your new business and look into and find a specialty.
WEDDINGS
Wedding photography is probably one of the more profitable ventures. It has a relatively low cost to entry and if you’re lucky enough to be in or know a lot of people in their early to mid 20s you have a pontential gold mine of a client base to tap. Wedding photography is a lot of work and a lot of responsibly. These photographs will have value to your client (even if they’re not the ones she has on her Pinterest board) because they will be the photographs that freeze this day in history.You’ll want to do the best that you possibility can and if you’ve never photographed a wedding let me tell you you’re not prepared. There is a million things that you need to know and the best way to learn these things is by doing.
Try to find a great professional photographer who’s been in the business for decades and ask if he will allow you to shadow him on two weddings prior – it’s the best thing you can ever do!
Real Estate
Okay so the global economy is still pretty much in the ICU, but things are starting to look a little better right? After all the housing market is slowly starting to come back to life and as it does there’s an opportunity here for a photographer to make some money on the side photographing interior and exterior shots for real estate agents to use in order to sell the house. Don’t fall for the “working for experience” line here; if you’re serious about making money the worst thing you can do is start out giving your time away for free so come up with a price and stick with it. The going rate for real estate photography is going to change based on region so you might want to see if you can find local rates in your area.
A Couple Ideas for Pricing Your Real Estate Shoot
A Flat Fee – Exterior only typically will be a simple job so you’d probably charge a flat rate for this. If they want interior shots too then you might want to charge on a per room basis.
Fee + Commission on Sale – I’ve seen this done before too, but typically you’ll have to have more of a reputation to demand a commission on the sale of the house. That said it’s worth a shot.
A Variable Fee – Set your rate based on the property. If you photograph a shack that’s going for less than $50,000 dollars you’d probably have a lower rate than if you were photographing something that’s listed for $1.5 million.
