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Tradd
5-28-11, 11:26am
I've been thinking about what to do when I'm totally done with a program of classes I'm taking (2.5+ years). I have people on all sides telling me I should turn my photography hobby into a side business. I've got the eye, it seems!

I already have a niche - shooting Orthodox Christian weddings, baptisms, etc. Our weddings, especially, are very unlike Catholic/Protestant weddings so you really have to have a photographer who knows what is going on in the service. I've had several friends who got totally cruddy pics because the photographer was clueless as to what was happening. Since I'm a choir member at my own parish, I know exactly what goes in the services.

I've shot weddings and baptisms for friends, just because they were friends. I was singing and brought my little Canon PowerShot point and shoot along. One friend was so grateful I got the 40 pics at her wedding as the pro did a cruddy job. I simply uploaded all the pics to Walgreens website and she got to print what she wanted. I gave her my favorite shot framed for a wedding gift.

Last fall a friend asked me to be the only photographer at her wedding (at my church) and loaned me her DSLR. My first time handling one, so I shot on automatic, but it was such fun and the photos were pretty good. Another friend just loaned me his DSLR to shoot my goddaughter's dad's ordination to the priesthood tomorrow, but I'll have my own camera, just in case.

I recently took hundreds of photos over two days when our new bishop was consecrated and installed. One of my photos was (and still is) featured front and center on our diocesan website, while the pro's photographs are buried in an article about the event. :D Other photos from that weekend, and Easter at my church, were featured on other parish websites in the area or our national church website. I'm now acknowledged to be my parish's photographer. People will get others out of my way so I can shoot at various events.

I'd have to research to find out what other photographers are in the area that might concentrate on this niche. I know there was one priest's wife who did a lot, but she's retired for the time being, due to having small children.

I'm fortunate that I'm already known by a good many of the priests in the area due to my involvement (current prez) of local pan-Orthodox group, as well as just having friends in lots of parishes. I'm also a member of a well-respected parish with a well-respected priest, and I'm known to be very active - it's amazing what doors that opens and gets me leeway to do things I might not otherwise.

My only issue is that I need to get better camera. I've shot events with everything from an iPhone 3G, iPod Touch 4, two Canon PowerShots (my 18 month old one is much better than the one from 2005!), and a Canon Rebel DLSR. From checking around a bit, looks like a basic DSLR (I love Canon), with a wide angle lens and a longer lens will run me about $1K, plus I need to add a flash, extra batteries for camera, and a camera bag. I do have photographer friends (including one in anothe state who does weddings) to ask for advice and pick their brains.

I have an excellent eye and get incredible pics whatever I'm shooting with, but to do this for more than just a hobby, I need better gear. I've got a good sized portfolio already and people who would write references.

I'm thinking of just providing bare bones, especially for brides on a budget. I'll shoot the wedding and group photos at the church, but I won't do receptions. I don't want anything that will interfere with my full-time job OR involvement with my own parish.

Any thing else I've not thought of or you would like to add?

Float On
5-28-11, 12:04pm
but I won't do receptions.
actually my reception shots are my favorites from my wedding.


Having a niche is important in photography today. Keying in on your denomination is a very good idea because there are oodles and oodles of people getting into wedding photography.
I love my canon with extra lenses and lights and filters and studio set up, but I am considering Nikon the next time around. My canon recently needed a $300 repair but seems right as rain for now. My niche is jury shots and glass as well as other product photography (studio and very controlled environment). I personally don't enjoy doing people photography so it's not something I'm interested in getting into but was recently asked to consider doing some resort photography but would need to add another lens for the shots they want and really don't want to spend $1200 on a new lens right now.

Tradd
5-28-11, 12:49pm
actually my reception shots are my favorites from my wedding.


Having a niche is important in photography today. Keying in on your denomination is a very good idea because there are oodles and oodles of people getting into wedding photography.
I love my canon with extra lenses and lights and filters and studio set up, but I am considering Nikon the next time around. My canon recently needed a $300 repair but seems right as rain for now. My niche is jury shots and glass as well as other product photography (studio and very controlled environment). I personally don't enjoy doing people photography so it's not something I'm interested in getting into but was recently asked to consider doing some resort photography but would need to add another lens for the shots they want and really don't want to spend $1200 on a new lens right now.

Actually, I was thinking very practically when I said I'd not shoot receptions. I've got a full time job M-F 8-5. If I'm up until midnight shooting a wedding on Sunday evening, I'd have an awfully difficult time getting up for work on Monday. So that was along the lines of not interfering with my full-time job.

I LOVE shooting people! Maybe it's because I really enjoy people watching, and I'm an overly observant type. I notice things other people never even saw, with an eye for detail that makes for great pics. Never had any photography classes. I was a newspaper reporter for 18 months 20 years ago, and I had to take a lot of my own pics. Those were in the film days, and more than once I got reprimanded for taking too many pics, but that's how you get the good ones! I love digital photography.

When people see my pics from an event, they always say, "It was just like being there." I tell a story with my pics, guess that's from my newspaper days.

ETA: You don't have to be a rocket scientist to get good reception shots. I'm aiming for the budget-conscious folks. The ceremony shots are the most difficult. If someone has a tight budget, I could shoot the wedding itself and the group shots at the church, and then the couple could have good amateurs in their family/friends do the reception. I've done it myself for people (reception when they had a pro covering the ceremony) and it's not difficult.

I'm thinking at this time of offering bare bones service. Pics of ceremony/group shots after, uploading pics to an online album, and burning DVD of pics. I'd have to get another computer as my 3+ year old MacBook doesn't have a DVD-R drive, but until I had the money for that, I could just burn CDs of pics.

Tradd
5-28-11, 2:19pm
I just started a FB page for it (free at least!). And we'll go from there. Found out from another friend that the somewhat inactive photographer specializing in Orthodox weddings is moving out of the area! Lucky me!

KayLR
5-28-11, 3:41pm
Sounds like you've found your niche---got an opening (specialist moving away) and lots of connections. Word of mouth will no doubt get you lots of work. Good luck!!

Mrs-M
5-28-11, 8:14pm
To add to your already fabulous list, taking pictures of newly born babies! Who knows, you could wind up being another Anne Geddes! Just a little something extra for you to think about. :)

lhamo
5-29-11, 6:49am
This does sound like a really great niche. You've got the skill and the network. go out and make it happen! If you add in christenings, baptisms, etc. you could find yourself pretty busy. Who knows, maybe it will turn into something big enough to let you quit your day job. WOuldn't that be cool?

lhamo

chrisgermany
5-29-11, 10:54am
It might be worthwile to talk with a tax pro specialised in small businesses very early at the start of the side business.
Investments and expenses all over... A pro can help you to avoid expensive mistakes.

goldensmom
5-29-11, 11:45am
Been there, done that, lots of fun, lots of stress. I did a friends wedding once and word of mouth turned it into a side business of weddings, receptions and portraits. That was a while ago and technology has changed so much that I imagine it a lot easier and less stressful now. I used a Hasselblad medium format film camera and had all the paraphernalia that goes with it. I also did the developing and printing. I eventually bought a digital back for the camera and it was so much easier. Wedding and portraits got boring so I looked into doing stock photography but eventually lost interest altogether and turned my interests elsewhere.

I’ve seen many non-professional photos as good as or way better than professional photos. Whatever you decide, have fun, feel free to say no and quit when it becomes too much.

fidgiegirl
5-29-11, 1:36pm
As far as obtaining a nice SLR camera, keep your eyes open. I'm sure you know all the typical used-good sources. I have no fewer than six photography nuts on my FB friends list . . . wait, 8? 10? The ones who have businesses or just like it so much that they are always buying the latest and greatest. Well, that means they have last year's latest and greatest, or the one from two years ago, that they are unloading for cheap, and as far as I understand, they are still pretty great! Once one of them had one that was her backup camera and so it was barely ever used and she was selling it for a great price.

As far as interfering with your fulltime job, if you think big, well, maybe there will be no fulltime job to interfere with ;) Maybe this can be it! I know you say you are looking at it as a side thing, but maybe at some point you will think bigger. I am kind of there right now. Puglogic recommeded the excellent book "Making a Living Without a Job" by Barbara Winter and I've found it very enlightening. Also we had a small business meeting with a mentor from SCORE (thanks to another poster for that tip a few months ago, but unfortunately I've forgotten who!) and he challenged us to set a goal. We had just kind of thought, oh, whatever - but then when I started thinking about it I realized there is actually potential in this idea to be big. It's just a matter of growing it. So anyway, I am finding your thread interesting because I'm in a similar place, though not with photography, so I thought I'd share a little of my thought journey regarding the whole thing.

Tradd
5-29-11, 4:17pm
It might be worthwile to talk with a tax pro specialised in small businesses very early at the start of the side business.
Investments and expenses all over... A pro can help you to avoid expensive mistakes.

My choir director is a CPA. He's handles small busines stuff. :)

benhyr
7-1-11, 7:51am
I'll only comment on gear. I know I'm late to the party and you may very well have purchased everything!

What you'll end up paying for lenses will far and away outstrip any money you spend on a camera body so sort of shop backwards from those. Also, third-party lenses are great and a good economical path.

Don't ever buy the all-in-one do everything lens. Better to have a 24-70 or 24-135 lens and a 70-200 lens than a 50-500 lens.

Do, if you can, try the actual lens you'll be buying before you purchase. Either work local or with a place that has an exceptional return policy. Also, don't be afraid to buy used (after you research the lens and try it out of course!). Lenses retain their value much longer than a camera body ever will.

For the times when you aren't moving around shooting, buy the best tripod and mount you can afford and you'll only buy it once. This doesn't mean priciest and it doesn't mean biggest, but do get something better than the $20 one at Wal-Mart if you can (you'll find nicer ones are much more stable and a joy to work with). In my case, my DW bought me a Gitzo tripod with a Really Right Stuff ball head. The combo won't handle the weight of a 600mm lens (which I'd want a gimbal mount for anyway) but it's perfect... and, all told (tripod, head, brackets for both cameras and the telephoto lens) ended up right around $700. You can get a nice one for much cheaper and you can get a cheaper head, just make sure you shop value not cost.

For when you're shooting from a tripod, buy a remote shutter release. Even if you're right in front of the camera, firing with a cabled remote shutter release will give you more consistent pictures. You end up jiggling the camera a bit when you snap (by the same logic, it's best if you put the camera in mirror lockup first, but that's going a bit too far if you're not doing macro work)

It's digital, shoot lots!

Oh, and always have fun!

Gina
7-1-11, 12:44pm
Actually, I was thinking very practically when I said I'd not shoot receptions. I've got a full time job M-F 8-5. If I'm up until midnight shooting a wedding on Sunday evening, I'd have an awfully difficult time getting up for work on Monday. So that was along the lines of not interfering with my full-time job.

Perhaps up front you could put a time limit on how long you stay at the receptions, such as 9 pm. What time of day do most of the weddings in your church occur? Perhaps by the time midnight comes around, they are not going to be wanting a photographer documenting things. ;)

Tradd
7-1-11, 2:21pm
The weddings would begin anywhere from 3-5 pm.

Anyway, for a variety of reasons, I've decided not to do this. I'll still shoot friends weddings/baptisms if I'm already going, but that's it.

treehugger
7-1-11, 2:55pm
I see I am already too late with advice for a side business, but I still wanted to add (in case you decide to get into this in the future): look into renting cameras and lenses. I have a couple of friends who shoot professionally, and they both rent high-end lenses frequently, both for gigs, and to just try out new equipment.

Kara