Event photography business plan can be challenging to compile and to put together. But it can also be rewarding and satisfying.
It’s a serious aspect of photography and needs to be planned carefully, and most importantly you have to be confident in photographing events at all levels.
Adding some thoughts, ideas and advice from others who are in this field, can quickly putting on the road to making a great business idea.
When doing event photography, you could be dealing with big investors and event management companies that host and stage high profile speakers and celebrities.
So important that you have a good professional portfolio, website or an experience back ground in event photography.
This will help gain confidence in the client, and to achieve your goals.
In order to achieve the above objectives, it’s important to set out some protocols and an event photography business plan. This will give your potential client some confidence in your abilities to handle at times, a fast paced photo shoot.
Below are some pointers to help you set some foundation in building your event photography business plan.
Please be aware that the following points don’t necessary come in order, it depends on individual circumstances.
Event Management companies.
1. Its difficult to sell your business or market it, unless you have a good portfolio of images of event photography.
To help start of with a sufficient portfolio, it’s good practice to contact event management companies that stage and organise events.
Just google “event management companies”, and choose the reputable ones that meet your needs.
Talk to them and show them your passion in this field.
If you don’t have any images to show, then it’s important to show your enthusiasm in photography. Promote to them some of the photography you have done in other fields, for example, wedding photography or any commercial photography.
In order to build a portfolio of event photography, ask them if you like to join their fantastic team on the next event and would photograph the occasion for free.
It’s all about gaining experience and building your reputation out there.
This way, it’s a win-win situation for both parties. If they agree, you will have your first set of images for the event portfolio, and allow them to use your images.
Create a brand when putting event photography business plan.
2. It’s important to do this, as a you need to be associated with a brand and logo. Be different from the rest!
You need people to recognise you when you are out there and to associate you with the brand of photography you do.
Portfolio and a website.
3. The next step to build up an event photography business plan, is to make your images available on-line, in a form of a website.
Websites are a must for any business, especially in photography as its all about exposing those amazing images and creativity.
Also, its important to use social media, for example facebook, twitter and instagram to get those images out there!
Market your photography.
4. Another important part of your event photography business plan, is to market your work.
This slightly overlaps the above point, but deserves to be emphasised, as there are so many tools out there to expose your services.
The world wide web is a blessing.
Join photography blogging sites and discussion forums that have similar interests in event photography.
Here you can discuss and show off your images.
Also open a Flickr and a Pinterest account, as these tools are great for photography. It’s a great way to contact other photographers with similar interests.
Get yourself some business cards printed out.
These can be handed out on events, or generally when you are networking.
Equipment
5. This may seem obvious, but there is nothing worse then not having the correct lens or lighting when you enter a venue that you never seen before.
Its good practice to take with you a zoom lens for those awkward shots, a 50mm prime lens for portraits, and 18-55mm lens for a general walk around shots in the venue.
This will cover all eventualities and you wont be doomed to failure, by missing those key moments.
Back-up
- Its always good to have a professional photographer within your Event photography business plan, as standby.
Its important to have a trust worthy extra photographers that are willing to stand in for you, as there will be occasions where you may not be able to attend.
You don’t want to waste any important events or opportunities, by declining to shoot.
Contract
- Always a good idea to have a clear, uncomplicated and water tight contract to show the client.
It looks professional and clears any misunderstanding by both parties.
Software
- Taking the images at the event is the beginning of the process.
The real work starts in the studio or at home on your computer.
Shifting through those hundreds of images can be tedious and it’s important to invest in fast laptop/computer and software to post process those images.
The most popular software to invest in your event photography business plan are photoshop and lightroom.
These applications are popular and user friendly amongst the photography community.
In conclusion, the above points are basic markers in your event photography business plan, and it will hopefully give you a guide to excel in this field.
Like any other venture, hard work, planning and an investment is needed to get you started.
You must also be willing to work free or on a voluntary basis. In this way it will give you a chance to build that all important portfolio of images to display to the next client.
Most importantly, your attitude, professional and good images can take you to places you always wanted to photograph.
Credit for feature image: www.pxfuel.com