What I learned from running my professional photography business

It’s been a couple of years now since I started my own photography business in 2017. It’s been a rollercoaster ride so far and, hopefully, one that can continue on for a while still.

I wanted to share some of the lessons I have learned so far. Since there are many photographers in Belgium and even more outside of it, I believe this will also benefit many of those who are just starting.

Before we dive in, let’s talk a bit about my background as a business photographer. Partially to prove these tips are tried and tested, and to show you a bit of my story. As often, professionals’ tips and tricks are usually related to their specific geography, niche, and even age.

Fredography, business event and corporate portrait photographer in Antwerp

About eight years ago, I started my own photography business, Fredography. Initially, I was based in Antwerp; subsequently, I lived in Brussels, and I am now back in Antwerp. As a photographer, I serve all of Belgium, but most activities are focused on the Antwerp-Ghent-Brussels triangle.

As a photographer, I help businesses with corporate portraits and business event coverage. I also give smartphone photography workshops to people in real estate and content management.

This means that I work with businesses, whether they are solopreneurs, freelancers, or international corporate entities.

Enough talking about me; let’s learn the tips and tricks to help your clients!

Don’t be so shy!

One of the first lessons I had to learn. Get yourself together and go out and talk to people. A lot. Networking events, cold e-mails, and just other freelancers working in the coffee shop you’re at.

Another aspect of being shy for me was photographing people. Not in a portrait setting but in an event setting, where people don’t necessarily present themselves to be photographed, I really had to talk myself into it. “The organizer wants these types of photos. Make sure you have them,” I said to myself.

Now, it goes without saying, or even thinking, to me. As a beginner, though, pay some extra attention to this. Your client will see if their visitors’ faces are in the photo, not so much how you composed the shots. (Though the composition is still essential.)

Avoid taking shots of people’s backs as you get into corporate event photography. Or any type of event photography, actually. Faces are everything!

Reach out to your network and build new connections

Post updates on all your social media that you are a (business) photographer. Even on your private Facebook profile. Your friends might not have a shoot for you to do, but they will know someone who does.

It’s all about getting the word out there. And make sure to remind people regularly. Maybe not by posting ‘I am a photographer’ daily, but by posting your work. Saying what you did that day or week. 

Additionally, consider attending networking events and, of course, engaging online. Dive into the conversations happening on LinkedIn and Twi-…X. Try to focus on the conversations your potential clients for your photography business are in, though. 

It’s no use getting into a discussion with some other photographer about how far you should go in editing.

Make content for your (portrait) photography business website!

You probably already have some photos in your portfolio, as I do. So, put them on a website. NOW! Ensure that people visit that website. How? By providing them with value, such as blog posts about lessons learned, tips and tricks, and nice photo overviews of things that might interest them.

This way, you lure them in from Google and social media.

Be sure the content is helpful for your (potential) clients, though.

Talk to people and tell them about your business in (event or portrait) photography

Especially tell them about yourself. What you do, who you are, and why you do what you do. Be sure to also listen to them, as it’s usually good to know who you are talking to. It might be awkward if you offer your event photography services to the accountant of a business that never throws any parties.

The key here is to engage in a conversation, not a monologue. Listen and talk. There’s a great synergy between those two actions.

Optimize your editing routine

When the shoots start rolling in, you want to fill your days with as many photoshoots as possible. I specialize in photography for businesses, focusing on portraits, corporate reports, and event coverage. So I could do some portraits early in the day and then an event later on.

It’s nice to shoot that much… but—and this is a big but—you also have to select and edit those photos to deliver them to the client… on time.

Ensure you have a method to quickly and easily edit your photos. If you are overwhelmed by shoots and don’t enjoy editing anyway, perhaps consider letting someone else handle it for you. You can use tools like Imagen AI.

Get enough memory cards to shoot for days

I am highly organized in my memory card department. I shoot with CFexpress, which is a fast card with a large memory space. I need it for events and portraits as I shoot RAW. You probably do, too. Anyway, what type of card you shoot doesn’t really matter in this one.

Just make sure you have enough of them. I do one shoot per card, so even if the card isn’t complete, I will change it for the next shoot. I actually back the card up directly after the shoot. I upload all the raws to my Dropbox and then leave them on the card as an extra backup until I am sure the photos are safely delivered.

By the way, I use Sandisk CFexpress cards. I have 64GB and 32 GB, which I estimate I will need for the shoot. Of course, there is always plenty of backup in my bag, but it helps to manage the cards better.

Have a system to deliver your photos to clients

Look at all those chickens! I mean photos. Great, you have captured the moments, selected the best shots, and edited those… now get them to your client.

I work in very organized Dropbox folders. This way, I can find my photos within a few seconds—if I remember which month I created them. It also allows me to give partial ‘access’ to clients. For the actual delivery, I use Picflow

With Picflow, the client can download individual photos as well as the entire catalog. They can also comment on pictures for things they like or maybe things they want changed (especially useful for portrait feedback).

Get a contract template for your photography business

This one took me a while to get. I didn’t think of it, and everything was always in good faith on both parties. Now, I never needed it, but I did get one. It’s one of those things that are a bit annoying, but they make sure that you are fine, just in case.

Just in case of what? Well, anything. I visited a lawyer’s office specializing in contracts for creatives. They asked me questions about what I did, how I did things, and what issues I encountered and expected to have with my photography business. And based on that, they created a template for me.

When I receive a booking, I fill in the client’s name, the date, and the numbers, and that’s it! I send it over to the clients, they sign it, send it back, and we are both protected from any potential issues.

You may want to include cancellation terms and fees, copyright notices, additional editing hours, third-party usage terms, and other relevant details.

Aim wide but start niching down step by step from the start

When I first started, I thought I would make it as a travel photographer. Though I have the skills, I did not have a portfolio. So, I decided to take on some side jobs. Like corporate events, corporate portraits, corporate reports, … 

You get it; I fell down the corporate tunnel. And the funny thing is, I love it! I don’t think travel photography would’ve been my niche. I love doing it, but not full-time. Corporate photography is my niche!

So, try a bit of everything. Especially as you transition from being a hobbyist to a professional, you don’t encounter these types of photography. It’s only when you go pro that you notice these niches. So, try them out and see if it’s a good fit.

Use templates for your workflow.

You will notice that for every client, you do the same things. You send them a contract; you need to chase them to sign it, you need to prepare all ideas and do research, probably make your camera bag the day before, do the shoot, then select the photos, edit them, provide the images, invoice the client, … And repeat for every client.

I use a template in Todoist for every client. It has those tasks ready for me just to give them the proper timing. This way, I can provide consistent service and avoid forgetting anything. The same goes for some of my emails.

Invest in knowledge and experience over gear

Spending money on gear is a good idea at the start, but soon you’ll have the camera and lenses you need. There’s no need to buy a new body every year and get a big range of lenses.

Instead, as soon as you have your basic kit ready, start investing in knowledge. Buy books, follow workshops, and visit museums. Train your eye and hone your skills, rather than expand your photographic gear bag.

So, that’s about all I learned from having my own business in photography. I will keep learning more, and I will remember to add them to this blog!