How to Make Money with Portrait Photography

Summary

This video offers five lucrative avenues in portrait photography, including headshots, solo portraits, social influencer shoots, wedding photography, and commercial work. It provides insights into each genre and tips for aspiring photographers to build a portfolio, gain experience by assisting professionals, leverage networking, and maintain professionalism to succeed in the competitive industry. The video also highlights the benefits of joining the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) for resources and support.

Takeaways

• 📸 Start with a clear focus: Specialize in a specific genre of portrait photography but be open to offering related services.
• 🎭 Explore various genres: Consider headshot photography, solo portraits, senior portraits, social influencer photography, and weddings as potential areas of expertise.
• 🏢 Understand the business: Overheads like studio space are important for certain portrait photography genres, such as headshots.
• 👪 Diversify your services: Offer a range of portrait photography services including couple, family, and newborn sessions to attract a broader client base.
• 🐾 Don't overlook niche markets: Pet photography can be a specialized and profitable area within portrait photography.
• 👔 Commercial photography offers broad opportunities: Specialize in areas like fashion, lifestyle, or product photography to cater to various commercial needs.
• 🛠️ Learn from the pros: Assisting established photographers can provide valuable insights and accelerate your learning curve.
• 🔗 Networking is crucial: Building relationships within the industry can lead to referrals and opportunities.
• 💼 Professionalism matters: Being punctual, delivering on time, and being a team player can lead to repeat business and recommendations.
• 🌐 Utilize online resources: Joining communities like PPA can provide essential tools and resources for growing your photography business.
• 📚 Build a strong portfolio: A focused and high-quality portfolio is essential for attracting clients and demonstrating your photography style.

Q & A

What are the five ways to earn money with portrait photography mentioned in the video?

The five ways to earn money with portrait photography mentioned are headshot photography, solo portrait sessions and senior portraits, social influencer photography, weddings, and commercial photography.

What is the main goal of a headshot in portrait photography?

The main goal of a headshot is to create a clear image that showcases the person's personality and character, usually used in a professional context.

What are some overheads to consider when starting a headshot photography business?

Some overheads to consider include the need for access to or ownership of a studio space for sessions and the potential for additional services like commercial or fashion photography.

Why might a photographer choose to specialize in solo portrait sessions and senior portraits?

A photographer might choose to specialize in solo portrait sessions and senior portraits to offer creative photos of individuals beyond traditional headshots, appealing to professionals and those seeking fun photo shoots.

How can social influencers benefit from hiring a photographer for their content?

Social influencers can benefit by having a photographer capture their content in various creative scenarios, ensuring high-quality visuals for their social media platforms.

What is the significance of PPA in the context of the video?

PPA, the Professional Photographers of America, is mentioned as a sponsor of the video and a resource for photographers to grow their business with benefits like equipment protection, customizable contracts, and marketing templates.

Why is it important for photographers to build a portfolio in their desired genre?

Building a portfolio in the desired genre is important because it showcases the photographer's style and work to potential clients, making it easier to book jobs in that specific area of photography.

What can a photographer learn by assisting an established photographer in their field of interest?

By assisting an established photographer, a photographer can learn about bookings, finding clients, marketing, running a business, dealing with issues, managing a team, and other valuable skills for their own career.

Why is networking considered important for photographers in the industry?

Networking is important because it helps photographers get to know people in the industry and make connections that can lead to job opportunities, recommendations, and collaborations.

What are some professional practices a photographer should follow when hired for a job?

Professional practices include arriving on time or early, delivering images on time, responding promptly, being pleasant on set, and working as a team to ensure the job is completed successfully.

What additional portrait photography jobs are briefly mentioned in the script for those interested in learning more?

The additional portrait photography jobs briefly mentioned are fine art photography, sports photography, journalism, and music photography, including live shows and musician portraits.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Exploring Portrait Photography Genres and Business Opportunities

The first paragraph introduces the video's focus on five ways to earn money through portrait photography and the various genres one can specialize in, such as headshot, solo portrait, senior portraits, social influencer photography, wedding photography, couple and family sessions, newborn photography, and pet photography. It also touches on commercial photography, detailing the breadth of opportunities within it, including fashion campaigns and e-commerce photography. The video is sponsored by PPA, which offers resources for photographers to grow their businesses. The paragraph emphasizes the potential for full-time careers in these genres and the importance of specialization and diversification in the field.

05:00

🚀 Getting Started in Portrait Photography: Tips and Sponsor Highlight

The second paragraph provides guidance on how to break into the portrait photography industry, even with no prior experience. It suggests building a focused portfolio in the desired genre, gaining experience by assisting established photographers, and the value of networking within the industry. The paragraph also highlights the importance of professionalism once hired, including punctuality, timely delivery, and being an enjoyable team member. The sponsor, Professional Photographers of America (PPA), is introduced as a resource offering insurance coverage, business tools, and a community for photographers. The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share their favorite tip and to explore PPA for further resources.

Keywords

💡Portrait Photography

Portrait photography is a genre of photography that focuses on capturing images of people, often emphasizing their personality and character. In the video's context, it is the central theme as the speaker discusses various ways to earn money from this type of photography. Examples include headshots, solo portraits, and social influencer photography, all of which are mentioned as potential specializations within portrait photography.

💡Headshot

A headshot is a specific type of portrait photography that typically includes a person's face and a bit of their shoulders, intended to convey their professional persona. The video script mentions headshots as a common service offered by portrait photographers, often used by actors, models, and business owners for professional promotion.

💡PPA

PPA stands for Professional Photographers of America, which is mentioned in the script as a sponsor of the video. PPA is portrayed as a valuable resource for photographers, offering business support, equipment protection, and various tools to help photographers grow their businesses.

💡Solo Portrait Sessions

Solo portrait sessions, as described in the video, are photo shoots where an individual seeks creative and personalized images of themselves, distinct from the more formal headshot style. This concept is used to illustrate another avenue for photographers to explore within the realm of portrait photography.

💡Senior Portraits

Senior portraits are a niche type of portrait photography that captures creative images of high school seniors. The script points out that while not as popular in Australia, senior portraits are a significant trend in the US, offering another specialization opportunity for portrait photographers.

💡Social Influencers

The term 'social influencers' refers to individuals who have a significant following on social media platforms and can influence others' opinions and purchasing decisions. In the script, they are mentioned as potential clients for portrait photographers, who may hire photographers to create content for their social media presence.

💡Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is a genre where photographers capture the events and emotions of a wedding day. The video script briefly touches on this area, noting that while it's a common way for portrait photographers to earn income, the video aims to highlight alternative avenues that do not solely focus on weddings.

💡Commercial Photography

Commercial photography encompasses a broad range of photography services aimed at promoting products, brands, or services. The script discusses this as an umbrella term for various specializations, including fashion photography, lifestyle portraits, and travel campaigns, which can be pursued by portrait photographers.

💡E-Commerce Photography

E-commerce photography is a type of commercial photography focused on showcasing products for online sale. The video provides an example of this by describing how a clothing brand might require a photographer to capture various angles and details of their garments for online listings.

💡Networking

Networking, as discussed in the video, involves building relationships within the photography industry. It is presented as a crucial activity for photographers to distinguish themselves in a competitive market, potentially leading to job opportunities through referrals and recommendations.

💡Professionalism

Professionalism in the context of the video refers to the conduct and work ethic expected of photographers in their interactions with clients and on set. It includes being punctual, delivering work on time, and being pleasant to work with, which can lead to repeat business and referrals.

Highlights

Today's video discusses five ways to earn money with portrait photography and how to start in the industry from scratch.

The video is sponsored by PPA, offering resources to grow a photography business.

Portrait photography can be specialized in various genres, with the potential to turn into a full-time business.

Headshot photography is a professional genre used for actors, models, and business owners.

Headshot photography may require owning or having access to a studio space.

Solo portrait sessions and senior portraits offer creative photography options for individuals.

Social influencers hire photographers for content creation in various creative scenarios.

Wedding photography is a popular genre but not the only way to earn from portraits.

Combining couple, family, and newborn sessions can be a full-time photography business.

Pet photography is a niche within portrait photography that can be pursued full-time.

Commercial photography is a broad field with opportunities in lifestyle, travel, and fashion.

Fashion campaigns require creativity and collaboration with various teams.

E-commerce photography is a common job in commercial photography, focusing on product展示.

Other portrait photography jobs include fine art, sports, journalism, and music photography.

Building a portfolio is essential for booking jobs in the desired photography genre.

Assisting established photographers can provide valuable insights and learning opportunities.

Networking within the photography industry can lead to job opportunities and recommendations.

Professionalism on set, including punctuality and teamwork, can secure repeat jobs and referrals.

PPA provides benefits and resources for photographers, including equipment protection and business tools.

Transcripts

hey everyone today I'm sharing with you

five ways to earn money with portrait

photography and how to get started in

these industries even if you're starting

from zero today's video is sponsored by

PPA where you can also find lots of

resources to help you grow your business

and I'll tell you everything you need to

know about them a little bit later on

first let's go through some different

genres of portrait photography you can

pursue and potentially turn into a

full-time business I find a lot of the

time with portrait photography you might

specialize in one of these genres

but also offer a sub genre on the side

as well so for example a full-time

commercial photographer might also offer

head shots in their downtime or wedding

photographers might offer family

sessions during the week or during the

quieter Seasons if you're interested in

doing portrait photography fulltime

hopefully this video can give you some

ideas on how you can achieve that and

for each of these genres I know

personally several photographers who

rely on this style of Photography

fulltime so first we have head shot

photographers a headshot is a photo of a

person's face usually including a little

bit of their shoulders in the frame the

goal of a head shot is to create a clear

image that showcases the person's

personality and character and these

photos are usually used in a

professional context such as for actors

models musicians business owners

corporations and other individuals or

businesses who need to promote

themselves and their careers a downside

to a head shop business is there are

some overheads you need to take into

account as you will need to have access

to or to own your own Studio space for

these sessions while it's interesting to

be able to provide some headshot options

which are shot Outdoors against

different kinds of backdrops with

natural lighting a head shot with a

white or black backdrop and Studio

lighting is the industry standard but

this can be a great business to have and

with a studio it also gives you options

to offer other services like commercial

or fashion photography to potential

clients next we have solo portrait

sessions and senior portraits these are

similar to head shot but I find some

people will often get in touch with me

when they want creative photos of

themselves rather than a more

traditional portrait like a head shot

these clients can still be professionals

like actors musicians and small business

owners but you also have the option of

photographing people who just want to do

a fun photo shoot to have some nice

photos of themselves we don't do this in

Australia but I see in the US senior

portraits are very popular which again

is a photo shoot where you set out to

create create creative portraits of

someone this one is a bit more Niche but

falls under the same category and that's

taking photos of social influencers

sometimes they will hire photographers

to shoot all their content for them

which I have also done before and it's a

really fun experience where you get to

photograph in a lot of different

creative scenarios the next genre is a

big one and that is weddings and I won't

get into this too much because I see a

lot of photographers getting in touch

with me saying that they want to do

portrait photography fulltime but they

can can only think of weddings as a way

to make money and they don't want to do

weddings so I was inspired to make this

video to show you that there are

definitely other ways to make money from

portraits that don't just involve

weddings so moving on there are lots of

photographers who make a living offering

all these Runners together so couple

sessions family sessions and newborn

photography and some photographers who

only specialize in one of these three

for their business I also want to add in

pet photography is technically also

portrait related and something you can

offer and yes I do know someone who does

only pet photography full-time and I'm a

little bit jealous of them finally we

have commercial photography which is a

very broad umbrella with lots of ways

that you can specialize within this so

you have things like lifestyle portraits

and travel campaigns for example I have

the most experience with fashion

photography within that you could be

doing campaigns editorials and

e-commerce I personally really love

shooting campaigns as you get to be

super creative and work with all these

wonderful teams a fashion campaign means

to capture images that promote the

Brand's Vision while showcasing their

products in a creative way these photo

shoots are usually done out on location

and require a large team of people

including a photographer models hair and

makeup wardrobe styling set styling

location scouters and the L goes on and

on depending on what the shoot requires

while that work is really amazing

realistically you'll be doing campaigns

every once in a while and day in and day

out jobs like e-commerce Beauty

photography product photography are more

common and will be your bread and butter

eCommerce is photography to showcase the

entire range of products available for a

brand so for a clothing brand you'll

have a studio space one or two models

and hundreds of clothes you'll need to

photograph you'll spend the day with the

models alternating so you'll be

photographing the front side back and

closeup of the outfit one model is

wearing while the second model is

getting changed into the next outfit it

and you'll continue that until you

photograph everything in the collection

so those are some of the genres of

portraits I have the most experience in

but there are even more portrait

photography jobs that you can get into

since I don't have personal experience

with these I'll just list a few in case

you're interested in learning more about

them so you have fine art photography

there's Sports Photography journalism

and also music where you can photograph

live shows and also musician portraits

for example so we know what kind of

portrait photography jobs there are out

there now I want to get into how to get

started in these industries and I want

to share with you how you can do this

even if you're starting from nothing

maybe you're feeling confident in your

quality of work and you're ready to make

the transition into becoming a working

photographer maybe you are already an

established photographer and you're

wanting to transition from one genre to

something new or introduce a secondary

style of work to increase the amount of

clients you can take on before we get

into that I want to let you know more

about the sponsor of today's video the

professional photographers of of America

who are an online community where you

can find heaps of benefits that are

essential if you run your own

photography business as a PPA member you

can protect your photography equipment

with up to $15,000 worth of coverage

protection from damage forced entry

theft and have access to data loss

recovery they also have resources to

help you get started with your new or

established photography business like

customizable contracts pricing guides

portfolio reviews marketing templates

and heaps more so if you want want to

learn more about PPA make sure to use

the link in my description to get a

discount on your membership so step one

is to start building a portfolio you

can't book any jobs unless you have

something to show for yourself while you

can have any genre of Photography in

your book ideally you want to focus on

creating a body of work in the genre you

want to be hir for if you already have

some photos in your book you'll need to

look through them and color your imagery

to focus on creating a strong body of

work for the photography you want to be

hired for if you don't have any photos

yet you'll need to look for people to

work with and do photo shoots with and

if you do this make sure you plan and

storyboard your photo shoots to make the

time you put into doing these shoots

worthwhile once you create the photos

you need you want to share them to your

social media and post them to your

website because you want any potential

clients to be able to scroll through and

see your style of work step two is to

assist an already established

photographer and even better if they

work in the field you're interested in

you will be able to learn so much from

assisting work and this is extremely

valuable to make your learning curve

into doing this full-time much smoother

and quicker when I first decided to

start making the transition into doing

photography for my career even though I

was interested in fashion photography I

was assisting a headup photographer and

eventually I was also assisting and

second shooting for a wedding

photographer although those genres are

slightly different to Fashion I was

still able to learn so much from these

two photographers that helped me with my

own business you will be able to learn

things like how to make bookings how to

find clients how to Market and run a

business how to deal when things go

wrong how to manage a team how to plan

and organize clients and the list just

goes on and on and on the third thing

you want to think about doing is

networking and I'm sure you've heard

this before and to be honest I didn't

quite understand what this meant or the

significance of this when I first

started doing photography but networking

basically means to get to know people in

the industry and get them to know you as

well many genres of Photography can be

extremely competitive you have a lot of

photographers that have a great body of

work and sometimes what sets you apart

are the relationships you've made there

are so many situations where this could

come into play such as a brand can't

shoot with their regular photographer

because they're already booked so that

photographer might recommend a few

people they know to the brand this could

be you if you did a good job assisting

them or they got to know you because you

got in touch with them a little while

back my final tip is when you do get

hired for a job make sure you are

professional that basically means always

arrive on time or early deliver images

on time respond in a timely manner be

nice on set work as a team to get the

job done you'd be surprised that

sometimes even just being an easy and

enjoyable person to work with is what

can get you hired again and again so you

want to make it as easy as possible for

people to recommend you and want to work

with you again because that basically

means more jobs for you in the future

let me know which one was your favorite

tip in the comments and don't forget to

check out PPA where you can get even

more resources for your photography

business by using the link in my

description but that is all I have for

today's video thank you so so much for

watching I make new videos every single

week so I'll see you all next time bye