I receive questions about photography & about being photographed almost daily. I share some of my favourite questions on the blog, so that everyone can benefit from the answers.

Q: Do you feel that in order to start charging for photography I should have the highest quality of gear? I work with a Nikon D80 as it was all I could afford, and feel guilty about charging people, even though I do a good job?

It depends a lot on what you do. It’s definitely a fact that the equipment doesn’t a photographer make, and I know cases where, for example, people have sold pictures taken with a compact camera (or even an iPhone!) for huge billboard ads. I think if you’re doing editorial or fine art, or even portrait sessions, you can definitely start with low-end gear and just make sure your work speaks for itself (that’s what people pay for – your eye – not your megapixels or the paper pictures are printed on).

Another matter altogether is if you do something such as working as a photojournalist out in the field or shooting weddings. Weddings demand a lot from your gear. You need fast lenses and you need high ISO capacity for dark churches and dimly lit receptions. You need flashguns to be able to shoot in any conditions, no matter how dark or rainy it gets. And most of all, you need backups for all your gear. You’re in charge of the memories of a once in a lifetime day in your client’s life, and if you’re charging money for capturing those memories you will have to be able to guarantee that your gear is appropriate and that failure of any equipment is not going to stop you from doing your job.

Probably the most challenging thing about weddings is to somehow manage to not think about the challenges and relax. It’s really easy to feel the pressure of everything that could go wrong on a day that’s so important to the couple, but if you feel stressed about it, you’re not really able to fully concentrate on bringing your A-game. The trick is to be well prepared, of which good quality fully working equipment is a big part of. On the day you know that you are prepared for anything and then… let go. Just can then go with the flow and concentrate on finding the best frames you can.

Are you a photographer or an aspiring creative business owner? Her Lovely Heart is my way of helping heart-led creatives to run their businesses with purpose, freedom, and joy. By subscribing to the Inspire Your Inbox letters, you’ll gain access to a library of free resources and worksheets, plus regular letters of inspiration from me straight to your inbox. Click here to join and receive instant access to The Library.

I receive questions about photography & about being photographed almost daily. I share some of my favourite questions on the blog, so that everyone can benefit from the answers.

Q: I have photo skills but don’t know where to start in a business direction & don’t have money to buy better equipment or develop a nice brand image. HELP?

That’s wonderful that you want to start your own business! Congratulations on taking the first step and declaring your intention.

I’m not going to lie, starting a business is hard work filled with a hell of a lot of sacrifices, especially in the first couple of years. I suggest you hold on to your day job while you figure out what kind of photography you want to do. Draw up a business plan, research, research and research some more. Start offering your services at an entry level price and save any money coming in for gear and setting up your business. Connect with people who can help you with your initial visual identity, but don’t invest too much money on branding until you’ve been in business for a while and know exactly what your brand is about. The number one factor in succeeding is perseverance. The difference between survival, EVEN when you’re successful, is being prepared to work hard and stick. it. out.

So yes, it’s not a glamorous answer, but it’s the truth. If you’re prepared to work hard, always keep developing your skills to make sure what you’re selling is up to scratch, keep learning about the business side (as that’s what you’ll be spending most of your time on), and be organised, slowly but surely you will move towards full-time entrepreneurship. Do be honest with yourself about whether you love the idea of running your own business, as much as you love photography. If the answer is no, you might be happier being a photographer working for someone else.

If you do decide to go for it, learn to get comfortable with promoting yourself. Blog your work, interact with other photographers, network with people in the industry, just be consistently out there and the work will come. Don’t waste money on paid advertising when you’re starting out, you have all the free tools (such as different social media platforms) you need online, you just need to find the time to learn to utilise them properly.

Also. Don’t forget to HAVE FUN with it all!

Are you a photographer or an aspiring creative business owner? Her Lovely Heart is my way of helping heart-led creatives to run their businesses with purpose, freedom, and joy. By subscribing to the Inspire Your Inbox letters, you’ll gain access to a library of free resources and worksheets, plus regular letters of inspiration from me straight to your inbox. Click here to join and receive instant access to The Library.