Start A Portrait Photography Business - Business Ideas
Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.
You have been using your android or apple phone for years, taking photos of all your friends, kids, family, and anything that inspires you. Now, you leap and consider starting a portrait photography business.
Portrait photography captures a person’s essence, personality, identity, and attitude utilizing backgrounds, lighting, and posing.
To start portrait photography, hone your skills and acquire a professional camera and photo editing software. You can make money by selling photos on social media channels like Instagram or a stock photography website.
Starting a portrait photography business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.
If you're interested in how to sell portrait photography , or selling portrait photography online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.
Key Stats
Startup Costs
Min Startup Costs | Max Startup Costs | |
---|---|---|
Office Space Expenses |
$0 |
$7,000 |
Equipment & Supply Expenses |
$66 |
$700 |
Inventory Expenses |
$50 |
$9,750 |
Software Expenses |
$12 |
$575 |
Advertising & Marketing Costs |
$0 |
$3,000 |
Website Costs |
$13 |
$215 |
Specific Industry Expenses |
$0 |
$500 |
Total Startup Costs |
$141 |
$21,740 |
Successful Businesses
Business | URL | Rank | |
---|---|---|---|
PhotoBizX |
photobizx.com |
2,012,049 |
|
Jessica Monte |
jessicamonte.com |
3,175,049 |
|
Mark Lovett Studio |
marklovettstudio.com |
3,989,907 |
|
Kelly Heck Photography |
kellyheckphotography.com |
5,253,620 |
|
Mfinanga Photography + Motion |
mfinanga.net |
5,447,369 |
|
Atascocita Photography |
atascocitaphotography.com |
6,245,811 |
|
Laura Lee Creative LLC |
lauraleeeducation.com |
7,503,774 |
|
Brian Shumway |
brianshumway.com |
9,512,053 |
Pros & Cons
Pros | Description |
---|---|
Flexibility |
You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own. |
Ability to start your business from home |
It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning! |
Rewarding work |
Starting a portrait photography business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about. |
Scalable |
With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers. |
Meaningful business connections |
You never know who you will meet as a portrait photography business. This could be the start of an incredible business opportunity! |
Quick build time |
The average time it takes to build your product is quick - typically around 7 months. This will allow you to bring your product to market faster. |
Cons | Description |
---|---|
Crowded Space |
Competition is high when it comes to your portrait photography business, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies. |
Low margins |
The gross margins for your portrait photography business are typically around 65%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability. |
Work can be inconsistent |
As a portrait photography business, the amount of work assigned to you and schedule tends to be more inconsistent, which may make your income less stable. It's important to set boundaries and budget accordingly based on the amount of work you plan to have. |
Lack of benefits |
With a portrait photography business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming. |
Taxes |
As a portrait photography business, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it. |
No safety net |
Typically, as a portrait photography business, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times. |
- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 8,628 business ideas
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings