Hey You,
I’m going to break down for you the cost of starting your own photography business on a BUDGET. If you're like me, you don’t have thousands of dollars saved to start your business and taking out a business loan is NOT the answer. Now if you're coming here because you were gifted a camera and you love taking photographs, so you figured why not do it for a living? Then it will be cheaper for you because the most expensive part starting out is the camera. For those of you who don’t have a camera I’ve included the cost of that too. It may or may not surprise you to know that it should not cost you thousands of dollars to start a photography business. Below is a breakdown of just how much it actually cost to START a photography business, eventually you will need to invest some money, but it is not necessary to start off.
The Camera- my first camera was of no cost to me because it was a gift from my husband (boyfriend back then). He bought me a Canon Rebel T3 which I just stopped using this past summer (I should have stopped a long time ago, but I was very attached to it). I realize not everyone has this advantage (and some of you do), but you can buy a camera with two lenses for about 500.00. Click here to check out the last camera I bought and use regularly. I also bought a backup camera online with two lenses and accessories for 400.00. This is probably the most expensive part of starting a photography business but also the most essential without a camera you don’t have a business. I also highly recommend buying a backup camera when your able to do that. Starting out I borrowed cameras from family or friends who never used them (I ended up buying the camera off them when I could). Nobody wants to get stuck at a wedding without a backup camera in case something happens.
Editing software- I use Adobe lightroom and photoshop which you can pay for in full or buy a monthly subscription. I pay 21.00 a month for my monthly subscription. This is necessary editing software for your photographs. Click Here to sign up for a one-month trial today! If you can’t buy anything else this is the most necessary item, you will need for your photography business. Without editing software, you can’t edit your photos. Click here to sign up for a one-month trial now!
Laptop/Desktop-The first laptop I used was one I bought from my brother for 200.00. You're going to want a decent laptop that can run your editing software and has enough storage space for your photos. I went through several laptops before buying one that worked for me. I personally use my laptop to edit my photos but as soon as I’m done with them, I upload them onto an external hard drive and delete them off my computer. Most everyone has a laptop or tablet that can be used for editing photos. Use what works for you!
Legal stuff- I paid 150.00 for my business name and license through the state of VT. It’s a 50.00 yearly cost. I had a friend who was just out of business school that helped me with this process in exchange for dinner. You do this through your Secretary of State website. This process may look different for your state so do your research! You will also need legal photography contracts which you can find online!
Websites- I use squarespace.com and I pay 26.00 a month for it. When I started, I did the squarespace.com one month trial and then ended up paying for the standard plan which works great for me! If you're not quite ready to dive into a website just yet it’s okay you don’t have to create one yet, but you should sign up for business accounts on Facebook and Instagram. It’s FREE advertising and when you're ready and more established create that website! Squarespace makes it easy and it’s customizable.
The URL- I bought my URL through Go Daddy- I can’t remember the exact amount I paid for it, but I think it was only around 12.00. This does vary depending on what URL you're buying. Make sure whatever business name you pick the URL is also available! Godaddy.com makes this process so easy!
Extras- USBs (I started out with discs that I would burn clients’ photos to and bought a huge pack for 20.00 or so), memory cards, external hard drives, and extra batteries. Click here for the external hardrive I trust with all my photos.
The total cost for ME starting out was around 200.00 not including the cost of my camera (because it was a gift) or my laptop because I already had bought it for school. Some of the expenses are monthly recurring expense but I only paid for one month to start or did a free trial! It’s a great way to start out without exceeding your budget. IYou don’t have to pay for it all at once either! I started out by paying for one thing at a time. When it fit into my budget, I would add something else until I was established. It may seem like a lot at first but it’s not when you're investing in something that you love. You're investing in yourself. Remember that once you are established you will be making money too. Use your resources, ask friends for help, barter when you can, buy gently used equipment and invest some money into yourself. You’ll be so happy that you did. As always thanks for reading reach out and tell me about your beginnings, I’d love to hear them :)
With Love,
Alishia
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