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FROM PHOTOGRAPHY
A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TURNING YOUR PICTURES INTO PROFIT
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Making Money From Photography
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Welcome 3
Welcome...
Many enthusiast photographers dream of making a career from their

hobby and combine their passion and skill for picture-taking with earning a
living from it too. While many are able to turn this dream into a reality, the
harsh truth is that for the majority of amateur photographers, the
opportunity to live the dream and take pictures full-time is one that eludes
us. However, thats not a reason to be disheartened as there still remains
lots of opportunities to prot from your photos, even if youre not a
professional photographer. From working part-time as a photographer to
taking pictures to sell as stock, the chances are there for you to earn money from your
images and in this comprehensive guide, our experts will show you how. Weve dedicated
a large portion of this Magbook to social and portrait photography, which is where the
greatest opportunities lie to earn money on a part-time or full-time basis, but weve
covered other areas too. Weve also extensive ideas and information relevant to all
photographers on the basics needed to be a successful photographer, from creating a
brand for your business to the role social media plays to how you should conduct yourself
to ensure youre seen as a dedicated and conscientious photographer. If youve always
wanted to make a success of your photography and believe you could make money from
your images, then this guide has the information you need to succeed. All the best!
DANIEL LEZANO, EDITOR
MAKING
MAKINGMONEY
MONEY
FROMPHOTOGRAPHY
Produced by Digital SLR Photography at:

6 Swan Court, Cygnet Park,
Peterborough, Cambs PE7 8GX
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Editorial
To contact editorial phone: 01733 567401
Editor Daniel Lezano
Whyyoushouldaimtoprofitfromyourphotos
For most of us hooked on photography as a hobby, there comes a point
when people tell you that you should do it for a living. Chances are your rst
instincts are riddled with self-doubt, then comes a turning point when youve
developed your skills and condence to a level that you start to think its the
next natural step. Unfortunately, for some it can be a long, tough journey
between this bout of determination and actually making photography a
full-time living, especially if you go about it the wrong way. But, do it the right
way and youll nd you can earn and learn along the way. Im sure everyone
can agree that theres nothing more appealing or motivating than the thought of being able
to do what you love and be paid well for the privilege. Some refer to it as living the dream
and while this Magbook has been compiled to help readers reach that goal, weve gone to
great lengths to ensure that we provide you with the reality of that dream, so you have all
the information you need for a strong start in a competitive industry. Over the last two years,
weve investigated the protability of different money-making routes so we can tell you, in
detail and with authority, the best ways to maximise prot and where to invest your time
and money for the biggest return. Weve also rigorously researched different areas of the
market and been given invaluable advice and insight from leading professionals, industry
and business experts on how you can make money and build a successful career. However,
dont lose sight of the real reason youre trying these new ventures: your love of photography
and the satisfaction of people liking your work enough to pay for it. Good luck!
CAROLINE WILKINSON, ASSISTANT EDITOR,
MAKING MONEY FROM PHOTOGRAPHY
[email protected]
Art Editor Luke Marsh
[email protected]
Features Editor Caroline Wilkinson
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Designer Luke Medler
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Editorial Co-ordinator Jo Lezano
[email protected]
Editorial contributors:
Stuart Cooper, Brett Harkness, Ross Hoddinott,

Lee Frost, Esther Ling and Martyn Moore
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Display & Classield Sales: 0207 907 6651
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FELIX DENNIS CHAIRMAN
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Felix Dennis, Halo or Dennis Publishing and
may not be reproduced, whether in whole or
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Digital SLR Photography is a registered trademark.
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Making Money from Photography ISBN 1-907779-79-5
Printed by Benham Goodhead Print (BGP)
Contents
6 Introduction
Take the first steps to success by figuring out

what route best suits your ability and ambition
10 Chooseyourfield
Learn the truth about the earning potential of

various fields of professional photography
14 Buildingyourbusiness
Setting up your business is one thing, building

it for success is another. Find out how to...
14 build your brand
18 Create your logo
20 invest in the web
24 utilise soCial media
30 master the art of blogging
35 Socialphotography
Portraits and weddings are big business and

our in-depth guide tells you how to make it pay
36 learn how to aCt like a pro
40 profit from portraits
48 the basiCs of wedding photography
54 how to work a wedding shoot
62the seCrets of workflow and albums
91 Profitableprojects
If youre after a bit of pocket money to help

fund your hobby, this section has all you need
71 Essentialequipment
92make money from stoCk photography

94sell your images as greeting Cards
96beCome a mobile portraitist
98start up a market stall
100sell work in Cafes, hotels & galleries
102buy and sell on ebay
72 wedding photography outfits

76fast telephoto lenses reviewed
78buyers guide to portrait lighting aids
Master the basics of business and the

fundamental steps to starting up your own
We guide you through what gear you might need
81 Jobsinphotography
Find out the truth about making a full-time

living in the industry and earning from...
82landsCape photography
84 sports photography
86 wildlife photography
88 travel photography
turn to PAgE 130 to fInd out ABout

our fAntAStIC SuBSCrIPtIon offErS
105 Businessmatters
106banking and funding

108registering your business
110why tax doesnt have to be taxing
112what type of insuranCe do you need?
114 what insurers dont want you to know
116get the latest on photography law
118Copyright Confusion gets Clarified
120the big question: rent or buy?
124 AdviceCentre
We tackles those bewildering business-related

questions youve been wondering about
making money from photography
132
PAGES
OF EXPERT
ADVICE AND
INSIGHT
6 Introduction
WANT TOTURN
YOUR PICTURES
INTO PROFIT?
Are you serious about making money from your photographs or
contemplating turning pro? Then take your time, ensure youre well
prepared and dont rush into anything until youve got all the facts.
Here we provides you with the key factors you need to think about
OR MOST OF US who ponder on the

prospect of generating an income
from our photography,
what stops us is the thought of an
oversaturated market combined with our
own self-doubt and not knowing how to get
started. Now, if we told you making money
from your photography would be easy, we
would be lying. However, in this new series,
we aim to equip you with everything you
could possibly need to know about how to
improve your chances of generating an
income and, more importantly, keep the
money coming in. What you do with this
information is down to you. You might adore
your day job and want to make a little extra
cash to fund what can be an expensive
hobby, take the rst steps towards
becoming a semi-pro or a weekend
photographer, or it may give you the tools
and the condence to take the plunge and
turn professional. Whatever your intention,
there will be plenty for you to take on board
in this guide and apply to your own
money-making schemes. Well take a look
at the hard-core fundamentals of building a
business, with advice from accountants and
industry experts, as well as providing you
with insight into the types of photographyrelated jobs that are on offer. And for those
of you who simply want to earn a little extra
pocket money, well be investigating the
ways you can sell your images directly and
indirectly to customers so you know where
to invest your precious personal time and
turn a prot. So stick with us as we not only
build up your photography skills, but also
your bank balance.
For those of you who would eventually
like to make photography a full-time or
part-time career, our rst nugget of advice
is to make sure you get at least a few
fully-paid photography jobs before you
pack in the nine-to-ve. Take the time to
research the routes to establishing a
photographic business and talk to
professional photographers already
working in your eld of choice. Find out not

only ways to get work but if theres even
enough work out there, as many sectors
are shrinking. Try to hear rst hand what
life is like as a semi- or full-time pro. While
digital may have made professional image
quality more attainable, its also made
competition erce in nearly every sector.
So while making a bit of pocket money
could be quite achievable, if you want to
make it so that half or even all your income
comes from photography, youll need to be
prepared to put in the work, as it wont be
easy. Chances are that you will spend more
time in front of a computer than you will a
camera, editing pictures, chasing clients
and uploading images, not to mention
managing your accounts and marketing
material. And if youre a weekend
photographer, it will be even tougher as
youll have to nd a way of doing all that
while balancing a full-time job.
A sensible photographer, however, will
keep their day job and work weekends and
evenings, building their client base,
experience and portfolio. It would be
foolish to believe that if you turn
professional you will instantly be on the
receiving end of a full-time income, unless
of course you manage to secure yourself
one of the rare salaried photographic jobs
in the industry. The vast majority of
photographers, however, will have to earn
their money through self-employment,
which means starting a business. Not only
does this come with a plethora of factors to
consider such as taxes, banking, branding,
marketing and insurance, you need to be
prepared not to turn a prot in the rst
three years, as very few new businesses
do. However, if photography is really your
passion, whats three years of working
hard to build a business you love when it
could lead to a lifetime of living the dream?
Digital cameras and the internet have
opened up many more avenues for all
levels of photographers to potentially make
Toreallymaximisethe
benefits,youneedtobe
preparedtoputinthe
timetodevelopyour
photographyskillsand
marketknowledge
money, so the opportunities are denitely
there to cash in on. Though to really
maximise the benets, you need to be
prepared to put in the time to develop your
photography skills and market knowledge
as well as sustain an unyielding
determination to improve and succeed.
Too often talented photographers struggle
to make money from their photography,
LEADING PROSATWORK Introduction 7

PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
while other mediocre photographers

manage to have a protable career all
because they have the business acumen
and perseverance. The title professional is
not necessarily a reection of technical
ability or creativity, it only means that you
try to make most of your money from
photography. There are many gifted
amateurs whose images are capable of
rivalling a professional photographers, so,
for this reason, just because you might not
be a professional shouldnt discourage you
from pitching yourself as a photographer
worth paying for, if you think your images
are good enough. However, if you feel that
you do not have the skills yet to go semior full-time pro, concentrate on your
technique, building up experience, and
start trying to make money slowly.
If youre ready to make some serious

money and to put the effort in, you may
want to start thinking about setting up a
business. For anyone whos never been
self-employed this can seem like a very
daunting prospect, but its actually rather
simple. The rst step applies to nearly
everyone reading this, who earns more
than 6,475 a year and is intending to sell
their work to make a prot, however small,
and that is to register with HM Revenue &
Customs. You need to register with them
once youve received your rst pay cheque,
and are therefore actively trading, You can
either register as a sole trader, as a partner
or as a member of a limited liability
partnership or company. If you fail to let
HM Revenue & Customs know within three
months of trading, you might be slapped
Keycontacts&resources
BusinessLink: For personalised, free
advice for how to set up a business, contact
Business Link: www.businesslink.gov.uk
TheTaxOffice:For advice on ling
your yearly tax return call O845 3000627
HMRevenue&Customs: To register
as newly self-employed: 0845 9154515
Companies House:To register your
business name or set up a limited company,
contact: www.companieshouse.gov.uk
Rights:For information on your rights
read the UK Photographers Rights Guide:
www.sirimo.co.uk/2009/05/14/
uk-photographers-rights-v2
Essentialread:The Freelance
Photographers Market Handbook 2012
8 Introduction
ISTOCK PHOTO
Youneedtothinkaboutthetypeofinsuranceyouneedforyourequipmentand
whetheryouneedpublicliabilityandprofessionalindemnityinsurancetoo
with a 100 penalty fee, and if you do not
register at all, and therefore neglect to pay
tax on your new earnings, chances are youll
pay a lot more than this in nes and
possibly even jail time. Well be covering
topics including registration options, types
of businesses you can own, tax and
write-offs in more detail in the Business
Matters section of this guide, But for the
moment, generally speaking, registering as
a sole trader is the way to go for most
photographers who are making a little extra
money, and semi-professionals. It requires
no registration fees, you keep all your prots
once theyre taxed as income and accounts
are fairly straightforward to keep. The only
downfall is that youll be personally liable for
any debt that your business runs up.
If youll be requiring business loans and a
fair bit of investment, you might want to keep
your business debt separate from your
personal nances by registering as a private
limited company. However, while this means
that if your business goes bust youre not
personally liable, it will open you up to
additional fees, requirements and
responsibilities, including registering with
Companies House. Finally, for those of you
wanting to shift career paths in one go and be

your own boss, but need support to
run a business, you could invest in a
photography franchise. You buy the licence
to use the established brand name, products,
services and management support.
Depending on the terms of the franchise
agreement, you might have to pay an initial
fee, ongoing management fees or a
percentage of your turnover to the franchiser,
and the way you operate your business might
also be dictated, but at least you do not have
to start a business from scratch.
Alongside registering, its worth
arranging an appointment with your bank
to discuss setting up a business account
and potential funding sources that you
might need for set-up costs such as
photography equipment, computers,
software and even business premises like a
studio. Even though you may only be doing
the odd weekend wedding or selling a few
images via a stock library, it will be a lot
easier to manage your income and
expenses from a dedicated account,
saving you time and stress when it comes
to lling out your end of year tax return.
(See page 106 for more advice on banking
and funding.) Youll also need to think

about the type of insurance you need for
your equipment and, depending on
the eld of photography youre working in,
whether you need public liability and
professional indemnity insurance too.
Finally, you can get to the creative, and
arguably much more enjoyable, part of
building a business: building a brand and
marketing yourself (see page 14 for more
information on how to do this).
Now, at this point, youre either excited
and raring to get going, or terried by the
level of commitment needed, and
questioning whether youre ready to go
part-time or full-time pro. Our advice is, if
youre not sure, start slow and pick out the
information that can gradually start to
make you money be it small amounts at
rst until youre condent you can take it
a step further. But remember to keep this
guide in a safe place for when youre ready
to refer back to it later. To make it easier for
you to distinguish what stage youre at,
and what information to take on board,
read our photographers proles and then
look for your symbol in parts of this guide
that offer you custom advice.
LEADING PROSATWORK Introduction 9

PHILMAKANNA
Whichtypeofphotographerareyou?
This guide will prove essential to all levels of photographer, but relating yourself to one of the three
main types below will help you identify the information in the guide thats most relevant to you
AVE A READ OF OUR three

main types of photographer.
By identifying with one of them,
you will quickly and easily be able to see
how the information in our guide relates
to you and how your chances of success
vary according to the areas and topics of
photography that we are covering. You
may nd similarities in more than one
description, so make sure to read all of
our advice as it will help greatly improve
your chances of making money from
your photographs.
BEGINNER
INEXPERIENCEDAMATEUR
Youve probably been taking snapshots

on a compact for a while, but havent had
a DSLR for long. Youve caught the photo
bug and love taking pictures of anything
and everything, but get frustrated that
you dont have all the fundamental
knowledge needed to take full control of
your photos. So, you often shoot in a fully
automatic mode when you want to be
sure you get a decent shot, while
experimenting with the various modes
and learning from your mistakes. You
regularly photograph your family and
friends and you try to dedicate some
spare time to shooting interests, such as
the garden, landscapes or portraits. In
terms of gear, youve the basics: an
entry-level DSLR with a kit lens, possibly
a budget telephoto like the 55-200mm.
Youve a nice little gadget bag, a basic
tripod but few if any specialist bits of kit
like a ashgun. You rate your
photographic skills as OK, but could do
more, but among your many near
misses, youve some shots you rate as
very good to excellent.
ENTHUSIAST
ADVANCEDAMATEUR
Youve used a DSLR for a number of

years and quite possibly owned a 35mm
DSLR too. You rate yourself as a very
competent photographer who knows
most, if not all, of the basic requirements
to get a perfectly sharp, well-exposed
image. Youre recognised by those you
know as a very good photographer and
most likely have been asked not only for
copies of your images, but also to take
some shots of friends and family too.
Your passion for photography is as
strong as ever and while youve a good
level of expertise, you crave new ideas,
techniques and skills to learn, to help
expand your talents. You dont earn
signicant amounts of money from your
photos, but youve a strong idea that you
could do based on comparing your work
to others, from what youve been told
and from your modest successes so far,
which could involve shooting the odd
weekend wedding to selling images on
stock libraries.
Youve a decent camera outt based
around a mid-range DSLR (with possibly
an older, entry-level model as a back-up).
Your lenses are all good quality and as
well as a good standard zoom, youve a
telezoom, an ultra wide-angle and
possibly a specialist lens like a macro, as
well as a 50mm f/1.8 and a creative
option like a Lensbaby. Youve a
ashgun, sturdy tripod, a good quality
gadget bag or backpack and quite
possible have, or are thinking of getting,
a lighting system. You are fairly
competent in Photoshop and other
digital techniques and print your best
images on a high quality inkjet printer.
SEMI PRO
ADVANCEDENTHUSIAST
You may not have a full-time job as a

photographer, but you know you have
the creative skills and competency to
make serious money from photography.
Taking pictures is a major passion in
your life and you rarely go anywhere
without your DSLR, as it would pain you
to see a great photo opportunity and not
be able to capture it. For this reason, you
own a premium compact that you can
carry around with you for when a DSLR
isnt practical. You want to live the dream
of going pro but unfortunately, for
whatever reason, the time isnt quite
right, but you have a rough plan and a
strong desire to one day make a living as
a pro. Youre skilled at most photo
techniques, but read photo magazines
for inspiration and ideas and to see how
others earn a crust. You regularly enter
photo competitions not only to try to
win, but as a challenge to help you
improve your skills. You earn a modest
but good income from the odd job, such
as portrait or wedding shoots, selling
images to local businesses and from
commissions from online stock libraries.
Youre on your second or third DSLR,
having upgraded to a model youre now
satised delivers the quality you need.
Youve a good mix of lenses, with some if
not all being premium optics. Among
your f/2.8 zooms you have a 50mm,
100mm macro, a premium wide-angle
and maybe a teleconverter and/or set of
extension tubes too. Youve a decent
collection of photo accessories including
reectors, lighting, a remote release, a
couple of tripods and gels/diffusers to
use with your dedicated ashgun.
10 Choosingyourfield
SHOOTING
FOR SUCCESS
With so many areas of photography to choose from, it can be difcult
to know where to invest your time, resources and energy for the best
chance of a return. We take a closer look at what areas of
photography offer you the best opportunities to earn money
VERY GOOD IMAGE that you capture has the potential to make you money, its just
a case of knowing how and where to sell it. By our reckoning, there are three main
areas that a photographer can make money from: services, products and stock.
Each one lends itself to some elds of photography more than others and, depending on
the types of images youre selling, has varying prot potential.
Services refers to commissions, whether its shooting a wedding, a portrait shoot, for a
newspaper or for the National Trust. Normally this will be a at fee, however, if its a
commercial shoot, its usually an hourly rate, normally amounting to between 500 and
1,000 a day. Services can also be extended to teaching photo courses, which hold huge
earning potential for those photographers with the experience and expertise to run them.
Products are where the money can really be made, especially in social photography, as
you may often nd that clients spend just as much if not more buying their images in
their various guises as they do on the actual shoot. For many photographers, such as
landscape, travel and ne-art photographers, selling images is their main source of
revenue, whether thats online, in stores or directly to customers. Stock is fairly selfexplanatory, but well be going into that in more depth over the next couple of pages.
The very rst thing you need to do is decide what eld of photography you want to
concentrate on. There are several areas of photography that are harder to get into than
others and suit full-time pros rather than enthusiasts. For instance commercial
photography, be it fashion, food, products or beauty, normally requires a few years
working as an assistant before getting to know the right people and tools for breaking into
the business. You could start learning the trade as a part-time assistant if youre willing to
wait even longer and probably not earn much money in the process. Photojournalism,
again, is a difcult job to get into by relying on commissions from newspapers and
magazines, but a good way of kick-starting this career is to fund your own assignment
and then pitch it to publications when you return. Other areas of interest might be lm
stills, press, beauty or corporate photography there are a lot of different avenues to
investigate, each with different types of rewards to be reaped.
Targetthepeoplewhopay
If its money you want, the biggest earner

has to be social photography, which
includes weddings, portraits and events.
Not only will you be paid for the service,
but the potential for selling products is
massive because you have a captive
audience wanting to pay for the images.
While photographing weddings is a huge
responsibility and shouldnt be done
unless youre condent about your
abilities, a family portrait session is more
fun to do and you dont need a studio:
lifestyle portraits are perfect for the
outdoors where kids can enjoy themselves
and relax. Or you could invest in a lighting
system and go to your clients house for
the shoot. Depending on how involved you
want to get, selling albums and prints,
rather than giving clients a DVD of images

can be a real moneymaker and it ensures
that everyone they show your photos to is
seeing them at their best. Often, if youre
trading, you can be eligible for trade prices
on printing and presentation methods too,
which can leave you room to apply a
healthy mark-up for the customers,
making you a tidy prot. How much you
charge is up to you, there are no rules or
regulations to guide you, but its a good
idea to check out the local competition as
you dont want to price yourself out of the
market. Weddings can range from 600 to
3,000+ depending on the package
offered and the duration of the wedding.
Even as a weekend photographer you have
the potential to earn several thousand
pounds a year.
The myriad of events you can photograph

is endless but sometimes seasonal, for
instance football tournaments, Christmas
parties, proms and school dances. So,
grab yourself a portable printer and your
camera, take shots of people on the night,
print them immediately and sell them for
10 each. Normally the venue owner takes
a slice of your prots, but youll still
potentially walk away with a healthy sum.
EARNINGPOTENTIAL:SOCIAL
BEGINNER ..........
Do a shoot for friend and family for 50
ENTHUSIAST......
Earn thousands doing a few shoots a year
SEMI-PRO...........
Youre only limited by how hard you work
LEADING PROSATWORK
Choosingyourfield 11
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
Casestudies
AdamBurton
FULL-TIME LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER
Adam Burton is one of the UKs leading
landscape photographers. Hes the author of
three photography books, with two more in
the pipeline for 2011, and his images have
graced the covers of more than 100
magazines, books and calendars. Hes the
kind of photographer who makes going pro
look easy: his images are of the highest
quality, he has a stream of commissions
from a wide range of commercial clients,
and, best of all; hes entirely self-taught.
Learning the nuts and bolts of
photography from reading magazines and
putting the techniques into practice, Adam
went from novice photographer to a leading
professional in under eight years but says
its still incredibly difcult to sustain an
income, especially from landscapes, as
theres so many people doing it. The best
route for me has been to try lots of different
things. While I still make money from stock,
its not as much as I did: now I sell pictures
through Getty for as low as 1.40. I produce
photography books, do tutoring, sell prints
through my website and license images for
various uses such as greeting cards,
calendars, brochures and books.
To make money from photography you
have to be exible, have plenty of clients and
lots of different revenue streams. You have
to be a good business person and really
efcient to help your business stand out
from the crowd. Building a good reputation
is important too as once you become
recognised as a good photographer, thats
when things start to get easier.
Atoughmarkettocrack
Of all the different types of photography,

landscapes is probably one of the most
popular to practice, but also one of the
toughest to make money from. Too many
photographers shoot landscapes as a
hobby and then practically give their
images away, reducing the need for
companies to buy them.
It used to be that landscape, wildlife and
travel photographers could rely on stock
agencies to supply them a solid income.
But as this part of the industry is now
overwhelmed by mind-blowing
submissions from enthusiasts and
amateurs, as well as the professionals, it
has driven the price of stock down, making
it difcult to earn a living from. There are
some talented photographers who have
managed to make these types of

photography a full-time career, for instance
travel photographer and regular
contributor Jon Hicks jet sets around the
world for the stock library Corbis Images.
There are also a fair few outdoor
photographers who manage to sustain a
full-time income, but its no longer from
one main source such as stock libraries.
However, it still has the potential to earn
photographers a few hundred or thousand
pounds over time.
For pros to keep their head above water,
they have to bring in different revenue
streams. Some photographers do courses
and workshops at home and abroad, get
publishing deals or self-publish photo
books and calendars, or work for
photography magazines and the National
ADAM BURTON
Thereareafairfew
outdoorphotographers
whomanagetosustaina
full-timeincome,butits
nolongerfromonemain
sourcesuchasstock
Trust, while others try newer avenues such

as selling their images printed on roller
blinds. It takes initiative and funding to get
ideas and products like this off the ground,
but you could try pitching your images to
companies that can create, or at least sell,
the products for you, such as interior
design rms or The Art Group. Check out
www.55Max.com for really inspiring and
affordable ideas.
EARNINGPOTENTIAL:OUTDOOR
BEGINNER ..........
Earn a few hundred from selling stock
ENTHUSIAST......
Sell your images on a market stall
SEMI-PRO...........
Keep your ngers in lots of pies!
LEADING PROSATWORK
Choosingyourfield 13
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
Takestockofyourimagebank
You could be sitting on a gold mine and not

even know it. OK, well maybe not a gold
mine, but at least the funds for a new lens
or digital camera. Most of us will have
some great images stored on memory
cards or on a hard drive that weve
forgotten about, because we do not know
what to do with them, but the stock photo
marketplace is an ideal way to put these
generic images to work for you.
Joining a stock agency normally requires
you to register and submit a selection of
your best work. The agency will then judge
the quality of the images and decide
whether to allow you to contribute. If all
goes well and your images are accepted,
they will show your best picture on their
website for companies and individuals to
license. Youll get a cut of the clients
licensing fee, but how much varies from
agency to agency. Alamy offers 60% of the
sale, which is generous.
While the industry is saturated by stock
photo agencies, most are owned by Getty
Images and Corbis Images, each with their
own image standards and requirements,
licensing rules (rights-managed or
royalty-free) and prices. These big
agencies can be very selective of who they
work with, normally sticking to pros who
have been providing them stock for several
years. Microstock sites, on the other hand,
such as iStockPhoto and ShutterStock, are
open to all levels of photographer and
Microstockcanbeoneof
theeasiestwaystomake
money.Youmightonly
earn10pershotbutif
yousell1,000inayear
thatsafairbitofmoney
reach a huge audience, however they pay
less than the bigger agencies. As long as
your images pass the sites technical
requirements for image quality, Microstock
can be one of the easiest ways to make
money, especially if you have the volume,
You might only earn 1 per picture, but if
you sell 1,000 images a year thats a fair bit
of money in your pocket. One way you
could get involved with Getty Images is via
its Flickr Collection. Instead of submitting
images directly to Getty, click on the
Request to License link on your photo
page and Getty will assess your portfolio
for their collection. Its known for some
contributors to have earned thousands
through this partnership.
EARNINGPOTENTIAL:STOCKPHOTOS
BEGINNER ..........
Stock is easy to earn a little money from
ENTHUSIAST......
Its a good platform for selling pictures
SEMI-PRO...........
It wont be your main moneymaker
Wheretosellimagesonline
The internet has created a brilliant platform
for selling pictures, whether it be via stock
libraries, third-party websites such as Red
Bubble, eBay or your own website. There are
several companies that enable you to set up
a facility to sell your pictures through your
website, for instance, Clikpic and Livebooks.
Toppocket-moneytip
Try getting your photographs on the walls of
businesses such as galleries, cafs, banks
and ofces anywhere that could capture
the interest of your target market. You might
also want to try setting up a market stall or
selling greeting cards in a local art shop.
Read Protable Projects for more details.
BUILD YOUR BRAND

How you market your photography is arguably as important as your skills as a photographer in shaping
your success. Read on for expert advice about branding your business and essential marketing tools
ESPITE THE IDIOM dont judge a

book by its cover, most of us still
prejudge the quality of a product
on how professional it looks. Its the same
with photography: in a market thats
bursting with excellent photographers
amateurs and professionals alike its
difcult for consumers to know where to
spend their money for quality and value.
So, before they even look at your work,
rightly or wrongly, theyll judge you on your
brand and it has to effectively
communicate what your all about.
As a photographer, getting the brand
right has got to be the most important
thing, after knowing how to take a
half-decent shot, says Nige Burton,
managing director of Freebird New Media,
which specialises in brands for
photographers. Photography is one of the
rare trades these days that can make a
really good business, despite the economic
climate, if the formula [for branding and
marketing] is followed correctly.
Everything that a photographer puts
out about their business should be of the
highest quality to reect their service and
images. If you give out a cheap, tacky
business card, people think: cheap, tacky
pictures. Its better to have few, great
promotional products than lots of average
ones says Burton. Regardless of what level
of photographer you are, no element of
your business should appear amateurish.
It must all look professional, slick and from
the same camp. Invest in business cards
made from a heavy stock theyre not very
expensive and a well-designed logo with
company colours that feature across all
your promotional material. You dont have
to spend a fortune, you just need to make it
look as if you have.
With word of mouth generating the most
amount of business, its not unusual for
your website to be a clients rst point of
contact with your work. It therefore needs
to represent you and the image quality
they can expect from hiring you. Again, you
do not have to spend much on a website,
just follow these few pointers. Make sure
you have a strong homepage that displays
your best images to hook them in, that it
runs efciently and is easy to navigate. If
someone has to wait for a website to load
and isnt wowed by a striking image from
the outset, theyll get bored and move on
before youve even had a chance to show

them what you can offer. You have about
three seconds before a viewer decides
whether theyre going to look any further in
to your website or move on, according to
Burton. Thats not a lot of time to make a
good rst impression, so make it count.
A good website allows potential clients
to react to your images. The website
should be doing its job in the background,
allowing the imagery to speak for itself.
It shouldnt be too plain as it wont
enhance the imagery and it shouldnt be so
complicated that it jars the viewer and
overwhelms the images. You need to nd a
balance that enables your website to be a
platform that encourages people to browse
through your images.
You should also be very selective about
what images you display. Too many
Everythingthata
photographergivesout
abouttheirbusiness
shouldbeofthehighest
qualitytoreflecttheir
serviceandpictures
photographers try to cram in as many
pictures as they can on their website, most
of which are average at best. If you use 12
or 14 fantastic images, people will think
you take every image like that.
When a client visits a website, says
Burton, they want to see your images, then
they look for your brand to assure them its
a quality, professional service. If theyre still
interested, this is when theyll move on to
read about you. Tell them a little about
yourself, but dont give them information
they dont need like the fact you have a dog
called Chipper and like cheese on toast.
Keep it strictly business, relating
everything back to why they might want to
hire you. If you struggle with this side of
the website, consider hiring a copywriter to
do it for you. Finally, make it easy for them
to contact you and make sure the website
is search engine-friendly, as its your
number one marketing tool.
We often get clients who want to charge
1,500 for a wedding but spend 200 on a
website, and they cannot do it it doesnt
work as it doesnt reect the quality thats
expected of a photographer charging

1,500. You get what you pay for and while
people do need to watch their pennies, its
important that they get the best brand they
can for their budget.
Whatmakesagoodbrand?
As photography, especially portraiture and

weddings, is a bespoke service, a brand
should reect something of the individual
photographers personality and how they
take pictures. It also needs to be designed
to target the type of people who make up
the broadest part of your market. For
instance, 90% of the time, its the woman
who selects her wedding photographer or
family portrait photographer, so you have
to pick a branding and logo that appeals to
women the same way a car or sports
photographer should have a logo that
appeals to men. The only generic eld of
photography is wildlife and landscapes as
this is all about the quality of imagery and
less about the photographer.
A good place to start creating your own
brand is to build a mood board comprising
images, words and colours that you like
and you think represent your style of
photography and personality. From there
you can ask yourself the difcult questions
to help dene your companys identity:
1. Who are your customers (i.e. age ranges
and type of person)?
2. What adjectives would you use to
describe your company? For example.
friendly, professional, innovative, safe,
funky, relaxed, efcient etc.
3. What makes your business different
from your competitors?
4. What areas of your business do you
want to bring to the foreground?
5. What do you want your company
colours to be? (For swatches visit:
kuler.adobe.com)
6. What are you going to call your brand
or company?
The worst logos, according to Burton,
are those featuring Clip Art its the kind of
thing youd see in newspaper adverts in
the late 80s and early 90s. Getting your
companys name right is equally, if not
more important than the logo design.
Weve found what works really well is just
to have the persons name with the word
photography after it. It sounds simple but
a lot of photographers tend to come up
LEADING PROSATWORK
Buildingyourbusiness 15
PHILMAKANNA
WhatshouldIdo?
Beginner(25-50)
Design your own logo using Photoshop or

use a generic logo that you can download
from companies such as www.vistaprint.com
and network on Facebook and Twitter. If you
want to start marketing in other avenues,
then invest in some business cards and a
templated website, from the likes of www.
clikpic.com, so people can view your work
and contact you.
Enthusiast(100-300)
Ifyouwanttocreatealastingbrand,onethat
encouragespeopletolookatit,thenusestrongcolours
buttonethemdownwithmutedcolourstosetitoff
with really contrived names and we have to
force them to think what thats saying to a
potential client. Some names suit a
companys name more than others, for
instance you might be called Paul Pratt,
and Paul Pratt Photography isnt the best.
But if you use the middle name instead, it
becomes a more professional Paul Mark
Photography. Its all about what a name
conjures up in the mind of a client.
When choosing fonts for your brand,
you have to think about how it will look on
screen. Its not so important with your
logo, but with your website, there are a few
fonts you should stick to so its easy to
read, one of which is a strong Sans Serif.
With a logo, the biggest mistake I see is
people mix too many fonts: there shouldnt
be more than two really. Sometimes
people have four words with four fonts and
it jars. Its a case of stepping back from the
logo and asking yourself, like you would
with a picture, is it balanced right, is it
pleasing? For colours, you should avoid
bright yellows and reds. Theres quite a bit

of colour psychology that goes in to
picking a brands colours, and while yellow
and red are bright and vibrant to get your
attention, they soon make you feel
uncomfortable and you dont look at it for
long. If you want to create a lasting brand,
one that encourages people to look at it for
a while, then use a strong colour but tone it
down by adding muted colours to set it off,
rather than two strong colours that can jar
against each other.
While you can create your own logo and
brand, dont underestimate its power of
persuasion so make sure it reects your
worth. If you really want to grow your
photography business, think seriously
about investing in a professional brand as
it will pay dividends in the long run.
If you want feedback on your own logo
design or website, you can contact
Freebird for their opinion and advice, or
another design company, but you may
need to pay a small fee for the service.
If youre a dab hand at Photoshop and have

a creative eye, try designing your own logo
or contact your local university or college to
see if a graphic design student can do one
for you. You may need to pay them but you
can expect it to be a fraction of what a
professional would charge. You may also
want to try contacting design companies
such as Freebird to discuss what they can
offer you for your budget. If you only have
100 to spend, it may be that they can
design you a brilliant logo and then you can
opt for a templated website instead of a
more expensive custom-built site. As youre
serious about your photography, get a
business card that says it; www.moo.com
offer very affordable and high-quality
business cards. Youll probably need to get
some letterheads and return address labels
too, which you can get relatively cheaply
from www.vistaprint.com.
Semi-proandprofessional
(500severalthousand)
Depending on your budget, and how much

income youre generating from your
photography, you should look to get a
professional design company such as Clock
or Freebird to create you a complete brand.
Most companies do packages that include
custom logo design and website design as
well as print media such as brochures,
pamphlets, letterheads, compliment slips
and business cards. But, most importantly,
youll get one-to-one contact with a designer
and copywriter as youre developing the
brand together. Doing this will really give
your business a strong start.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Marketing tips
Getting people talking about your photography is the easiest, cheapest and most efcient way of
promoting your business. We give you some advice on the best ways of getting your business noticed
HILE BRANDING gives you a

foothold in the market, a
solid marketing strategy will
give your photography business a leg
up. The best way of making marketing
work for you is to have lots of ngers in
lots of pies and, if youre serious about
developing your photography business,
create a years marketing plan, doing
something new each month to expand
your contact base and bring in clients.
Some of the best photographers are
highly self-critical, always striving to do
better and are rarely satised with their
images, which can make it very difcult
for them to promote their work. As a
result, too many amateurs and
enthusiasts undersell their services.
The solution is simple: either nd ways
of building up your condence, such as
winning competitions or getting more
on-the-job experience, or get someone
else to be your alter ego and push the
business for you. Were not suggesting
you hire an agent, but milk your friends
and family as theyre likely to be some of
your biggest and most loyal fans. Then
once you get some clients, provide them
personal and professional service and
theyll become your mouthpiece. As
most business comes from word of
mouth, its time to get people talking...
Besocial
Get involved and connected with local

businesses. Join business networking
groups as they can offer an abundance
of support and contacts to help develop
your business. Offer your photography
services to them for free in exchange for
them promoting your business. For
instance, approach a new restaurant or
venue to see if they need images to hang
on their walls or offer to do promotional
pictures for a childs clothing store, as
long as they recommend your childrens
portrait business to their customers. If
youre a wedding or events
photographer, try and build relationships
with local venues and event decorators.
Give them images youve taken of their
work while at an event and the next time
someone asks them to recommend a
photographer, your name will be the rst
to roll off their tongue.
Haveanonlinepresence
A website thats searchable via Google

is crucial for giving your business a
platform to showcase your work. A blog
is a really important part of your website as

not only will it make your site more
searchable, its a place where you can brag
about all your latest photography work that
may not relate to your main business. You
should look to update your blog at least
twice a week, even if its just a strapline and
a couple of images (turn to p20 for advice
on increasing your web hits). Dont
underestimate the power of social
networking sites either. Set up a company
Facebook and Twitter account to keep your
followers updated with your latest work
and link it to your website and also other
businesses from your networking groups
for cross promotion.
Getfreeexposure
Unless you try to get a commission from a

magazine, its unlikely youll get paid to
feature your images on their pages.
However, dont let this put you off. Submit
your images to a suitable magazine and
Ifyoureseriousabout
developingyourbusiness,
createayearsmarketing
plan,doingsomething
neweachmonthto
expandyourcontactbase
ask for a credit for instant exposure. If
youre a wedding photographer, think
about all those brides-to-be and mothers
youre showing your images to. Look at
local magazines too, such as Hertfordshire
Life, to see if theres any content you can
contribute. Having your images published
also gives you instant credibility, its like
winning a competition. There are endless
magazines in the market from gardening
and travel to hiking and country living, just
take a visit to your local newsagent and sift
through the shelves. Research the
magazine thoroughly and pick the pictures
that best suit their content, then submit
them to the Features Editor in the form of a
contact sheet, with details of who you are
and what you want. Once youve been
published, shout about it: add it to your
blog, Twitter and Facebook!
Getyourworkseen
Displaying your images at trade shows are

a brilliant way of having your work seen by
new people, but often it requires a hefty
outlay in terms of renting a pitch and
promotional material, so make sure you
invest your time and money in the right

one. Do some research about the show
that interests you to nd out whether the
people that attend are the types who
might hire you. For instance, if you
mainly do portraiture, go to the shows
where you know families attend. Provide
visitors with some brochures or folded
pamphlets that they can take home with
them and attract them to your display
by offering balloons to children and a
prize draw for the adults. To begin with,
avoid national shows; they may be
bigger and attract more people, but
competition is erce. Youre better off
staying local, as this is more likely where
your clients will be. Check out country
shows and craft fairs too, and try to do a
large regional event at least once a year.
Keepintouch
Even though your commission may have

ended, it doesnt mean your relationship
with the client has to. If you shoot
weddings, for instance, send the couple
a custom-made anniversary card and
send all your clients company branded
Christmas cards. If youre a social
photographer, send your cards out by
the latest the end of November, giving
time for people to hire you for a portrait
shoot before Christmas. Setting up an
email newsletter is also an excellent way
of keeping your business at the forefront
of peoples minds: send them regular
updates of your latest work with links to
your website and blog.
Marketyourself
You are your best marketing tool, so you
need to sell yourself just as much as your
talents as a photographer. Remember
that people buy people, if they like your
attitude and feel comfortable around you,
chances are theyll hire you. Make sure
you know your business, be presentable,
personable and professional as well as
exible to your clients needs. Even if
youre not 100% satised with your work,
dont let anyone else know that. Pick only
the images you love to put in your
portfolio; being proud of the selection will
make selling your images much easier.
Clients will pick up on your attitude
towards your work, so make sure its
positive. As you market yourself more,
youll hopefully draw attention to your
work but it wont all be positive. Dont let
feedback knock your condence or take it
too personally, everyone will have an
opinion, but do keep an open mind to
ways you can improve too.
HOW TO CREATE
YOUR OWN LOGO
IN PHOTOSHOP
If youre looking for a simple logo to promote your part-time
enterprise, theres no need to pay for a professional designer.
Follow our tips for creating your own branded logo
NCE YOUVE come up with ideas for your companys identity, including its name,
a logo, perhaps a slogan too, and some key words that dene your business, its
time to put these ideas into action. For the purpose of this step-by-step well use
the name, Caroline Ann, and the word Photography to give the logo context. But before
you start designing yours, here are a few things you should bear in mind
Keep ItSimple: Unless youre a wiz with Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator,
its best to keep your logo clean and clear: leave the complex designs, images and
illustrations to the design pros and concentrate on the text.
Dont opt forstyle oversubstance: Experiment with different fonts, font sizes,
colours and the positioning of words, nding a balance between readability and a style
that gives clients the right impression about you and your business.
Test if youre using the right font: Ask a friend to say the rst thing that comes to
mind when they see your logo: if its child-like, and youre going for professional, or vice
versa, then you know youre on the wrong track and giving clients the wrong impression.
Give the companys name prominence: Make sure the important parts of the logo
are bigger and better than the less important words, for instance Photography shouldnt
overpower the companys name, in this case Caroline Ann.
Avoid gimmicks: If you double-click on a text layer in the Layers palette, it will open a
Layer Style dialogue box that offers loads of style options such as adding shadows, bevels
and embossing. These can easily be overdone, making your logo look cheap and
amateurish so best to steer clear. The same with the Warp Text too in the top toolbar.
1)Createyourcanvas
Click File>New. As this logo is intended for

print, ensure the Resolution is 300 pixel/
inch; Color Mode: RGB; Width: 5 inch; and
Height 3 inch. You want a le size of at
least 2MB (look in the bottom right-hand
corner of the dialogue box for the Image
Size and adjust the width and height to see
it increase or decrease). Name the le, in
this case Photography logo for print and
then click OK.
2)Workondifferentlayers
Select the Text Tool and create a text box

on your canvas. Instead of using one text
box to hold all the text for the logo, create
separate text boxes for each word so you
can alter the size and position of the words
using the Move Tool. We create one text
box for Caroline, one for Ann and one for
Photography. This also creates different
layers in the Layers palette, which allow me
to edit each part separately.
3)Pickyourfont
Our default font type is Times New Roman,

which looks rather boring, so using the top
toolbar, experiment with different fonts and
font types (Bold, Regular Italic), sizes and
colours. If you have more than one part to
the logo, for instance two or three words,
you could try varying the font and style for
each word but make sure they work well
together. See the panel for examples of
what to avoid.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ALL THESE LOGOS CREATED BY FREEBIRD (WWW.FREEBIRD.CO.UK)
Whatworks?
Here are some examples of type to use
and what type to avoid:
Avoid calligraphy; its very dated.
Unless your company is focused on kids

portraiture, for instance, use fonts like this in
moderation as they rarely look professional
or appeal to an adult market.
Try mixing different fonts and text types
Use shapes to make your logo more

dynamic. For simple shapes use the
Elliptical or Rectangular Marquee Tool
4)Getmorecreative
To make the logo a little more individual,

we pick out the A thats in Caroline and
Ann to make a feature of it. We use the
Move Tool to reposition elements in the
logo, clicking on the correct layers, and
also changing the size of individual letters.
Wrong: Keeping the C as small as the
roline and ann makes it illegible.
Right: Making the C as big as the A
adds balance and improves readability.
5)Saveforprintandweb
You should save three versions of the logo:

a .psd le so you can edit the logo later; a
JPEG version of the high resolution logo for
print; and a lower resolution image for your
website. Your current logo should already
be in a .psd format, so to save it as a JPEG
go to File>Save As and select JPEG from
the Save As: drop-down menu. Now close
the .psd le and open the JPEG image,
then go to File>Save As and rename it
Photography logo for web. Now click

Image>Image Size and change the
Resolution to 72 and select Bicubic
Sharper (best for reduction) from the
Resample Image drop-down menu to
preserve image quality. Click OK and save
the changes (File>Save).
When applying your logo to your website
or promotional material, make sure its in
the top left-hand corner as this is where
the eye is drawn to rst.
INVESTINTHEWEB
You may be a fantastic photographer, but if no one sees your pictures, how will you ever get noticed?
Having a website presents your photography to the world and is easier and more affordable than ever!
O YOU HAVE A WEBSITE? If the

answer is no, then the next thing
you need to do is book a day off
work and dedicate the time to setting one
up and uploading your images. Sure, you
may have a Facebook account or have
images uploaded to Flickr, but if you want
people to take you seriously as a
photographer worth paying for, then you
need to have your own dedicated website.
Its worth pointing out right at the start
that having your own website is far easier
and much more affordable than you might
think. Uploading images from your
computer to your website is as easy as
downloading from your camera to your
computer, while the annual fee for a
great-looking website to proudly display
them on can cost the same as a couple of
memory cards.
Whyhaveawebsite?
Along with your camera kit, a website may

prove to be the best investment you make
for helping you make money from your
photos, so you need to build one that
reects the quality of your photography
and your brand.
MADETEMPLATE
1 READY
FAST&AFFORDABLEWEBSITES
If you want your own website, by far the

easiest option is to take advantage of one
of the many companies offering readymade website templates for
photographers. With this option, you
simply choose your favourite template,
pay an annual fee and then upload your
favourite images. Depending on the
package you opt for, you can add extra
options, for instance, more galleries, a
shopping basket allowing visitors to order
prints, email forwarding, client areas and
so on. Its the easiest option and also the
most affordable, making it by far the most
desirable choice for amateur and
enthusiast photographers. Those looking
for a more professional website may need
to consider one of the rms that produce
bespoke websites.
However, that said, many professionals
use this option and have done well by it.
Regular contributors to Digital SLR
Photography magazine Mark Bauer and
Helen Dixon are both successful landscape
As photographers, the main purpose for

having a website is to be able to showcase
our best images. Before the arrival of the
internet, we could only do this by exhibiting
work on gallery walls, or in magazines.
Now, we have the potential to allow a
worldwide audience access to our photos.
However, thats just the start of what a
website can offer photographers.
Regardless of whether youre a hobbyist, an
enthusiast or a pro, you can set it up so that
visitors have the opportunity to buy prints
from you. In its most basic form, this could
be by providing a contact email address.
Better still is a simple automated set-up
where visitors choose the size of print they
require before ordering and paying online.
Of course, if you are serious about
wanting to earn money from your
photography, youll want to have a website
that works harder at selling your services
as a photographer than just selling images
you may have already captured. In other
words, you want potential clients to visit
your website and, having seen the
standard of your work, want to book you to
take pictures for them. Your website,
therefore, should be viewed as the most
powerful brand extension that you have to

offer, so you need to be sure it sells you as
a photographer the best it can.
The most sophisticated websites have
private areas, accessed via password, that
allow clients to log in and view their image
galleries and to select their favourite
images. Your website also enables you to
promote how busy you are and the
diversity of your work. While image
galleries allow you to do this to some
extent, a far better way is to have a blog
where you regularly comment on your
shoots, allowing clients to add their
comments too. Its also worth having a site
that has links to your Twitter and Facebook
account and check that its iPhone
compatible, so prospective clients can look
at your site and be updated with your latest
work on the go. Its a brilliant way to
reinforce how busy and popular you are!
Settingupyourownwebsite
Thankfully, you dont need to construct

your own website as there are various
options available that leave you time to
concentrate on choosing the images you
wish to upload and the accompanying text.
photographers who use Clikpic to

host their websites. In fact, they
became contributors by being
discovered on Clikpic. Many social
photographers also use the likes of
Bludomain for a more sophisticated
offering. Either way, remember to
check what the technical support
services are like and how easy it is to
manage the sites content yourself.
Verdict:This
This option is affordable and
the latest templates in general are
attractive and professional looking. Its
denitely the best choice as a rst website.
Most offer a free trial period too!
SUITABILITY:TEMPLATES
BEGINNER .............
Affordable, easy to set-up and maintain
ENTHUSIAST.........
A good solution if youre testing the waters

SEMI-PRO..............
Looks professional but is unlikely to match
your businesss brand
Checkoutthefollowing...
CLIKPIC: WWW.CLIKPIC.COM:
From 35 per year. Free 14-day trial.
AMAZING INTERNET:
WWW.AMAZINGINTERNET.COM
From 25 per month. Free 30-day trial.
FOLIOPIC: WWW.FOLIOPIC.COM

PHOTIUM: WWW.PHOTIUM.COM
BLU DOMAIN: WWW.BLUDOMAIN.COM
From $50 per year. One-off payment.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Timetrial:ThreehourstocreateawebsiteusingClikpic
Daniel Lezano takes up Clikpics free trial offer
to see how easy it is to set up a website.
1)Add w
ords
2)Upload
images
Probably like most of you reading this, Ive

wanted my own website for quite a while but
never had the time to set it up. I still havent the
time, but this article has forced me into it! Im
trying out Clikpic, one of the UKs most popular
with photographers, to see how fast and easy it
is to set up my own website.
I register for my free trial, click on the
automated email and quickly set up my
account and password. I download the
comprehensive User Guide PDF, following the
steps in section two and three on how to add
words and images. I prepare a selection of
images to upload and decide to divide my
website into images taken on a DSLR and some
of my favourites shot using the Hipstamatic app
on my Apple iPhone 4. From start to nish, it
took three hours to set up a basic website with
three gallery pages proof that Clikpics system
is fast, works well and delivers on its promise.
Ive still to determine what domain name to
give my site, but for now, you can visit the
website at: www7.clikpic.com/daniellez
3)Check
it works
4)Websi
te ready!
2 BESPOKEWEBSITE
UNIQUEBUTEXPENSIVE
The template option is one that will suit the

needs (and budgets!) of most amateur and
enthusiast photographers, but those
looking for a one-off design that reects
their individuality and customer appeal,
may need to dig a little deeper and pay out
for a website to be custom made. The
benet is that you can have a website that
looks like no other. As with option one,
there are a number of rms that can build
photographers a bespoke website to suit
their needs, but they are considerably
more expensive, often ranging from
several hundred to thousands of pounds,
depending on how elaborate it is. But if you
feel that your photographic business will
benet and ourish from a totally unique
website, then it could be money well spent.
Youll be dealing with companies that have

produced websites for other
photographers, so you can expect them to
have a good appreciation of your needs
and be able to deliver a website with the
facilities you require to make it the best
possible online shop window for your
business. Bear in mind when shopping for
a designer that you want one that offers
continual technical support once the site
has gone live, and a management interface
thats easy for you to use. After all, you
dont want a website that looks fantastic
but where you havent an idea how to
gure out how to update its content.
Verdict: An option for those
photographers who want to emphasise
their unique style and provide the
impression theyre successful and at the
WEBSITECREATIONSOFTWARE
CREATION SOFTWARE
3 WEBSITE
MOSTINVOLVEDOPTION
The other option of course, is to create

your own website. Its obviously by far the
most time-intensive and wed only
recommend considering it if the template
option doesnt appeal or you dont fancy
paying out a large amount to another
company to create it for you. While its
possible to build a website using
Photoshop, there are a number of software
packages available designed specically
for this purpose. They vary in features,
exibility, the amount of web hosting space
provided and, of course, price, but all will
demand your time, so think long and hard
before you choose this option. Weve listed
below four of the more popular website
creation packages.
Verdict
While the initial cost may be attractive,

youll need to dedicate considerable time
and need a high level of expertise to
understand the fundamentals of web
creation. The exception is Apples iWeb, a
superb, attractive and easy to use package.
SUITABILITY:BUILDYOUROWN
BEGINNER .............
Seriously? You should be taking photos
ENTHUSIAST.........
Only try this is youve lots of free time

SEMI-PRO..............
Unless you have the know-how, your time

is better spent developing your business
MR SITES TAKEAWAY WEBSITE FROM 20

WWW.MRSITE.COM
On offer are three packages (Beginner,

Standard and Pro) each offering additional
features and online storage space. With the
Beginner packages on sale for as little as
13 and the Pro package available for
around 50 (its guide price is 100);
top of their game. Its expensive, so youll

need to be condent that its an investment
that will reap rewards.
SUITABILITY:BESPOKEWEBSITE
BEGINNER .............
Your money is better spent on camera kit

ENTHUSIAST.........
A little OTT until youre making money

SEMI-PRO..............
First impressions count, so consider it
AMAZING INTERNET:
WWW.AMAZINGINTERNET.COM
Various options, starting around 1,000

FREEBIRD: WWW.FREEBIRD.CO.UK
Various packages, starting around 1,200
PHOTOGRAPHYWEBSITEDESIGN.CO.UK
Flexible packages, starting from 595
Toptendos&donts
Mr Site has proven quite popular, although

a fair amount of know-how, patience
and free time will be required.
MAGIX WEBSITE MAKER 4 40

WWW.MAGIX.COM
This package isnt aimed at photographers,

but has enjoyed success with those who
want Flash animations and static images.
As with most of these packages, its
interface is more than most novices can
handle, but for those wanting an animated
website, its a good choice, especially as it
can be found for 20.
APPLE IWEB (ILIFE 11 46)
WWW.APPLE.COM
Its no surprise to discover that the easiest

web creation package for Mac users
comes from Apple. iWeb would normally
be recommended, but Apple announced it
would be switching off the MobileMe
service handling iWeb, making it defunct.
ADOBE DREAMWEAVER CS5 400

WWW.ADOBE.COM/UK
This sister package to Lightroom and

Photoshop offers incredible power and
sophistication, but unless youre an expert
with cash to burn, wed suggest you steer
clear of this 400 package.
RECOMMENDEDREADING
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE 7.99
From the publishers of Digital SLR

Photography, this Magbook offers expert
advice for computer-savvy individuals
keen to build their own website. You can
order a copy of the 2011 edition for 6.96
from www.magbooks.com
However you create your website, here are

our golden rules to follow:
1) Display a selection of stunning images
rather than lots of average ones. Always
choose quality over quantity,
2) Flash animation and slideshows may look
great, but HTML loads faster and is handled
better by Google.
3) DowhatyoucantoimproveyourSEO
seepanelopposite.
4) Keepthesitesdesignsimpleand
professional;avoidtexturisedandbusy
backgrounds.
5) Make the navigation simple, visible and
all thumbnail images clickable. Functionality
is key to keeping viewers on your site.
6) Makesureitseasyforpeopletocontactyou.
7) Choose an obvious domain name your
name followed by photography for instance.
8) Add elements that make people want to
return, such as a blog.
9) Make money from your site by adding a
shopping basket.
10) Add links to Facebook, Twitter and RSS.
Jargonbuster
Domainname:The web address people will
typein,eg:www.joebloggsphotography.com.
Emailforwarding:A facility that allows any
messages typed into your website to be
forwarded by email to you.
Flash: Software used to create sophisticated
animated graphics for websites.
Hosting:Your website and all the elements
within it, such as the images, will need to be
stored on a computer known as the host. If
youre uploading lots of high-res images,
ensure your website host offers a package
with a suitably large capacity 2GB should
be the minimum.
HTML:The code used to construct websites.
SEO(SearchEngineOptimisation):A
mechanism that raises your website up in
Googles rankings vital if your business
relies on your website being seen
Template:The core design of your website,
although its often customisable.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Makesureyourwebsiteisseenbyalltherightpeoplebyfollowingthesesimplesteps...
Domainnameandhosting
Two important considerations when preparing
to have your own website are what it will be
called (domain name) and who you have to
host it (web hosting company). Think carefully
about what name you give your website. Most
photographers use their name, with the word
photography or something similar after it.
Spend a little time working out some options.
As well as what comes before the dot, you need
to think about what comes after: do you want
.co.uk, .org, .com or one of several other
options? Wed suggest you buy both .co.uk and
.com for your website. You can discover if your
choice of domain name is free using one of the
web hosting websites listed below. Expect to
pay around 4 a year for a .co.uk domain and
10 per year for a .com. Youll need a company
to host your website and while you may opt to
go with the same company that designed your
website, make sure you can take your domain
name with you when you leave. Most hosting
companies provide you with options to choose
the amount of web space you require, a
number of email addresses, decent mailbox
capacity and 24/7 web support. Weve listed a
selection of the most popular below, visit their
websites for details of the packages they offer.
1&1: www.1and1.co.uk
The Image File: www.theimagele.com
Fasthosts: www.fasthosts.co.uk
Webfusion: www.webfusion.co.uk
Search EngineOptimisation(SEO)
If you want your website to be seen by as many
people as possible, you need to spend time
improving your SEO. Its a mechanism that can
help your website appear higher up the rankings
of Google and other search engines. You can pay
rms specialising in SEO, but wed suggest you
give it a go yourself rst by following our tips:
Use keywords (words that people might use when
searching for your site or images) to each page.
Check their searchability on Google Adwords.
And use the most important words rst.
Install Google Analytics on your site so you can
track how it is performing in searches, monitor
your websites trafc and where viewers are
coming from. It can be particularly useful if you
want to know how effective your marketing is.
Add your business to Google Places.
Make sure you include descriptive text on your
website about your services and products for
search engines to index.
Use descriptive page titles for the top of your web
browser using keywords youd expect people to
search with, along with your name. Eg: Beautiful
portrait photography, Peterborough | Joe Bloggs.
Use HTML on your site rather than Flash Google
is much better at recognising HTML or at least
have a HTML mirror site.
Maintain a blog regularly to generate trafc to
your site and new searchable content.
Get as many reputable websites to post links back
to your website to improve trafc.
A fewmore things toconsider...

Your brand is important, so ensure you have a
decent logo design and place it in the top left
corner of your screen.
Make sure you use a well-known font and that
its legible. We recommend Verdana, Georgia
and Times New Roman, in that order.
Flash technology doesnt display correctly on
many devices, and there is very little content
for search engines to nd. The use of Flash also
means that the site takes too long to load,
which often discourages users from staying on
the site (on average, a user will wait ten
seconds for content to load before moving on).
Alternate the home page image so every time
someone revisits, they see a different image,
and dont have the same image visible when
they click through to the site to avoid
repetition. Try showing a selection of your
images on your homepage, but avoid
introductory Flash slideshows; viewers are likely
to lose interest if they have to sit through it.
If youve not completed certain pages, ensure
theyre removed from the websites navigation.
Avoid using music on your website as it can
prove distracting, repetitive and intrusive.
Alternatively, turn the music off as default,
giving the user the option to switch it on.
Finally, pick your strongest images that reect
your talent, brand and services and have them
ll as much of the web page as possible for
maximum impact.
BOOST BUSINESS
WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Understanding social networking and using it to your advantage can be of huge benet to your business.
So love it or loathe it, online social networking is here to stay and we say if you cant beat it why not join it?
FEW YEARS AGO websites were

the new thing everyone had to
have and few people knew how to
get one. Now websites are an essential
commodity for anyone wanting to run a
successful business and especially for
photographers who want to promote their
work. Making phone calls and submitting
images on disk has become outdated as
the world of emails, FTPs and websites
have revolutionised the way we interact.
Now theres a new revolution: social
media. Its become the way we share news,
develop relationships with strangers,
conduct debates and promote our
products and services, to name just a few.
Of course, theres no substitute for
face-to-face communication for building
valuable relationships, but the inception of
Twitter
If you thought Twitter was for

celebrities and their stalkers, youre
not entirely wrong. Its also used by the likes
of politicians, who want to effectively
communicate their campaign messages,
magazines that want a quick way to connect
with an audience and photographers looking
to promote their work.
As a marketing tool, Twitters wide social
net has the potential to explode a business.
Its an extremely powerful way to connect with
people and share information, to build new
relationships and stimulate interest in your
photography and services. You can use
Twitter to keep abreast of trends, what your
industry peers are up to, equipment launches
and discussions on topics you care about. You
can also use it to drive new trafc to your
website and blog, build relationships with
potential clients, announce achievements and
generally generate interest in you.
Joining Twitter is easy and takes minutes.
Simply go to www.twitter.com and click sign
up now, follow the instructions and youre
ready to tweet. OK, theres a little bit more
consideration needed than that but thats
basically it. When you come to choose your
username, make it memorable, use keywords
you think people will use when searching for
you on Google, for instance your business
name, and keep it short. Enter your prole
information, such as your website and blog
URL, a short biography and then upload a
social media has made it far easier to

connect with more people globally than
ever before. Social media gives you the
scope for reaching more people,
particularly potential clients, without
necessarily having to leave your ofce.
Most consumers or industry professionals
such as photo editors expect you to have
an online presence in the form of at least a
website. It used to be that when someone
made a referral it would be followed up
with a phone call, but now its usually with
a web search. And its highly likely if youve
no web presence a potential client will
doubt the validity, professionalism and
quality of your business, perhaps enough
not to take the enquiry any further.
Working with social media sites is a
daunting prospect, especially if youre not
photo to personalise your prole and to put a
face to your business.
Start out by nding people youd like to
follow, such as friends and family members,
photographers you admire and publications
you enjoy reading. If you want to nd topics
that interest you, type the topic in to the
Twitter search box. If you want to tweet, write
a message into the box at the top of the
Twitter page and if you want to comment on a
post by a user simply post the message the
same way but add the username. For
instance, @DigitalSLRPhoto, thanks for this
fantastic Magbook! Now people can click on
the username to go to that users page. Before
you start tweeting, though, read Twitters
section on Rules and Best Practices as
breaking these rules might result in your
account being suspended.
While its good to have followers, opt for
quality over quantity; people who you can
contribute to and can contribute to you and
your business. The best way of doing this is to
target your tweets to a specic audience so
you know the content youre posting will be of
interest to the majority of your followers and
that theyre likely to retweet to their followers,
building your database of contacts. Youll nd
it easier to attract and retain these followers if
your voice is clear and simple not muddled
with content that doesnt relate to them. If you
need to target multiple audiences, say you do
fashion and lifestyle photography, consider
running separate Twitter accounts.
that computer literate or web savvy, as for

many its difcult to know where to start,
let alone how to make a productive
marketing tool out of it. There are three
main social networking sites you should be
getting involved with: Twitter, Facebook
and LinkedIn but the most important
resource for building an online presence is
your blog, which in many respects is what
youre trying to drive trafc to via those
other social sites.
In this section, well try to help you get
your head around why you should be using
social media, how to use it to grow your
business and the pitfalls you should avoid.
Swiftly folllowed by invaluable information
about how to create and manage perhaps
the most important aspect of your social
media empire: your blog.
Twittertoptips
1) Follow the top Twitter users or big names
in photography to watch how they use
Twitter and the type of content they post.
2) To get the most from Twitter you need to
be an active member. The more people you
help, the more interesting resources you
post for your followers and the more you
contribute to conversations, the more other
members will help you. Before you bombard
followers with updates about your latest
shoots and expect them to take notice,
establish yourself as a valued member.
3) Join Google Analytics for free to monitor
your success at driving trafc from Twitter
to your blog or website. You could also join
TwitterCounter (at a cost) to keep track of
how many new followers you get daily.
UsefulTwitterresources
Bit.ly Lets you shorten your URLs (links) to
cut down the characters for your tweets.
TweetPhoto.comorTwitPic.com
Use these to share your photos on Twitter.
TweetReach.comSee how many Twitter
members saw your post and shared it.
Twitterfeed.com Feed Twitter with posts
from your blog, Facebook page or any other
networking site with an RSS feed.
WeFollow.com Find out the top people to
follow in photography in terms of inuence
and their number of followers.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
Keepontopoftweets
Its easier to tweet regularly if

you do it from a mobile device
such as a smart phone or an
iPad, as you often have
instant access to Twitter to
make real-time updates.
Follow us on Twitter:
@DigitalSLRPhoto
Q&A:GettingthemostfromTwitter
Alittle birdietellsmetojoinTwitter,
but whatisitandhowdoesitwork?
In short, its a mini blog, or microblog as its
known by IT experts. Its a form of social
messaging centred around you posting (or
tweeting) comments, updates about your
business or personal life in no more than 140
characters for your followers (people who
subscribe to your updates) to read. Its purpose
is different for different people. Some use it to
keep in touch with friends and family, the media
use it to keep the public informed by reporting
news, while writers and photographers use it as
a business and marketing tool to build up a fan
base and industry connections.
How oftenshouldI useTwitter?
Its best if you get involved with Twitter as much
as you can, and not just to post about yourself.
Its all about building relationships and you can
only do this by staying connected, therefore
try to tweet at least two or three times a day
but make sure its something of value to your
followers, not just that you had eggs for
breakfast. Unless someone is looking for your
tweets, chances are they will quite quickly get
buried under all the other updates they receive
from the other people they follow, so it helps to
constantly put up fresh content.
Can Iusethesameaccountfor
personaltweetsandbusiness
updates? Its good to show some personality
in your tweets but you need to tweet content
thats valuable, and not just about your personal
life, to keep followers interested. The exception
would be if youre a high-ying, living the dream
photographer with stories that everyone wants
to read. If thats the case though, chances are
you wouldnt be reading this article!
sure what you say is of value as youll have more

followers watching you than you might if you
were posting to your camera club.
Howcan Iincreasemy number of

followers? Remember its quality over
quantity, and you want your quality followers to
be spreading the word about your content to
their quality followers, and so on, to expand your
reach. Do this by encouraging your subscribers
to retweet your comments and pictures by
posting something interesting. Its important to
ll out your biography too as anyone accessing
your prole will want to learn about you before
they click Follow It, adding you to Twitters
Suggested Users page so more people can add
you. Contributing to conversations will also
expose you to more people. The beauty of
Twitter is that anyone can contribute to any
conversation, so dont be afraid to chime in on a
conversation between users, even if theyre big
names in the photography world. Just make
Can Iselect who follows me? Your Twitter

prole is public by default, so everyone can read
your updates whether they follow you or not. If
you want to restrict who can read your updates
you can protect your tweets by approving each
and every person who requests to follow you.
You can do this by going in to your Account
Settings>Settings and checking the box Protect
my Tweets. You can also block people you dont
want following you but it wont stop them from
reading your prole if it remains public.
Howcan Ilearn about current trends?

Participate in Twitters Trending Topics to join
global public conversations and to nd out what
topics are being tweeted about the most.
Trending Topics are listed on the sidebar on the
right of your homepage.
QHowcan Ilinkmy Twitteraccountto

my website? Get the HTML code off Twitter
to create a link. This way i someone reading your
blog wants to subscribe to your tweets, they only
need to click on the link. For details on how to do
this, visit Twitters Help Centre.
Facebook
ISTOCK PHOTO
Chances are if you dont already

have a Facebook account, youve at
least heard of it, even if youre not entirely
sure what it is. Facebook is more than a fad,
theres even been a movie made about its
founding and close to 700 million people are
active members, using it to connect with
friends, family and business contacts. Most
people use Facebook to post pictures,
promote events, broadcast details about their
lives and keep tabs on just about everything
and anything from their Facebook friends to
companies and organisations. 50% of users
log on to Facebook daily, making it a great
marketing venue for businesses and easy to
maintain regular channels of communication
with people who love your work and can help
to develop your fan base.
There are several similarities between
Facebook and Twitter, but Facebook blurs that
line between personal and professional as
customers often share much more
information about their everyday lives on
Facebook. Not everybody is a member of
Twitter, or actively tweets, but many more
people are members on Facebook, which
means more customers especially if your
photography business mainly deals with the
public. It has huge referral potential too, as
now more than ever people refer to their
social networks for recommendations, and
clients share your work and their experiences
with their online network, which is usually full
of local people ideal if you photograph
portraits or lifestyle images, local sports or
local landscape photography.
As well as being able to promote your work
via your personal Facebook page, there are
innite numbers of groups on Facebook that
act as platforms for discussing topics,
exchanging advice, critiquing images and to
generally generate a buzz about your work.
WhyuseFacebook?
Why marketing your business through
Facebook can have huge benets:
There are 700 million active users on
Facebook, with 50% logging in daily.
The average user has 130 friends.
700 billion minutes per month are spent
on Facebook.
The average user is connected to 80
community pages, groups and events.
Entrepreneurs and developers from more
than 190 countries build their business with
a Facebook platform.
ISTOCK PHOTO
Nowmorethaneverpeoplerefertotheirsocial
networksforrecommendationsandclientsshareyour
workandtheirexperienceswiththeironlinenetwork
And if you cant nd the right group for you,
create your own.
When getting established, you cant rely on
editors to publish your work or for big
commissions to come your way, so you need
to nd ways of self-publishing your work.
Facebook is one way of doing this and can act
as an avenue that sends people to your blog.
There have also been instances when
photographers, pros and amateurs alike, have
found that by posting their images of
newsworthy events on sites like Facebook or
Flickr, they can get picked up by the press
because theyve gone viral.
As with Twitter, the key to promoting your
work via Facebook is to understand the
community youre targeting and what
motivates them to connect with you. Once
you know that, you can work on engaging with
them and building relationships and an
awareness of your work. While you could do
this from your personal prole page,
eventually you might start to struggle as you
attract more business contacts and it
becomes difcult to maintain relationships
with friends while still appearing professional.
In 2010, Facebook launched a page for
businesses called Fan Page specically so
that brands could promote themselves for
free. It was a fortunate move for
photographers as it meant you could try to
distance the personal from the professional.
You can customise your business page with

content to target prospective clients, such as
adding photographs and behind-the-scenes
videos to your shoots, linking to your blog or
Twitter, hosting photography-related
discussions or even launching studio
promotions and offering exclusive discounts.
Its quite simple to create a Fan Page: go to
www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and
youll be faced with different options for your
business, but the three you want to choose
from depending on your set-up are: Local
Business or Place, Artist, Band or Public
Figure or Company, Organisation or
Institution and follow the step-by-step
instructions. You need to upload a prole
picture, but unlike your personal page, this
doesnt have to be a picture of you. It could be
the image you use on your promotional
material and business cards, or just a
beautiful image youve taken that you hope
will catch someones eye. Its an opportunity
to promote your businesss brand.
Setting a page up wont be enough to entice
people to join you. You need to market your
page by mentioning it everywhere possible:
post updates on your blog and your other
social networking sites. Its even worth adding
a note to your business cards or other
promotional material inviting people to join
you on Facebook and follow you on Twitter.
This should help to get the people you do
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
HowdoIgetacustomURL?
By default, Facebook assigns a long,
complicated string of numbers and letters
to your Fan Page URL, which isnt ideal if
you want to direct trafc to your site. To get
around this you can create a custom, or
branded, URL for your page such as
facebook.com/your business name. Firstly
verify your account. Then you need to get 25
different fans to click Like on your page, and
you will be eligible for a branded URL. This
should be fairly easy to do, especially if
youve got a prole page, as you could get
25 friends and family members to do it for
you. Now go to www.facebook.com/
username and apply for your URL.
Socialmedia:Usefulresources
TweetDeck.com If you work with more
than one site, this tool will help organise
your activity on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
etc to make it easier to handle.
TwitterApp Automatically loads your
tweets to your Facebook status.
Seesmic.com Make your life easier by
managing all your social networking from
one place, your desktop or mobile device.
know on board but how do you access those

other 700,000,000 members waiting for an
invitation? Word of mouth, Im sure we can
agree, is the most powerful way to gain new
business, so the benets of connecting with a
small fraction of these members are huge.
The best way to do this is to give your current
members something to talk about, something
of value that interests them, because as soon
as they click the Like button for your post, it
shows up on their newsfeed where every one
of their followers can read it. Another way is to
target a broad audience by joining discussions
in various groups or communities. If youre an
outdoor photographer, for instance, instead of
just trying to nd those elusive editors,
National Trust big wigs or tourist board
contacts, link in with nature photography
groups, landscape appreciation groups and
even local groups who like to photograph the
same locations as you. Its these places that
your potential clients are likely to search if
theyre looking for new talent. If youre a
portrait photographer, its a similar situation:
join communities for portrait photography
and contribute to local groups not specic to
portraits, such as those for new mums or
mother and toddler groups, as this is where
you might pick up customers who live in your
area. Most photographic associations like the
MPA, magazines and photography companies
have Facebook pages where you can
contribute to the community and learn from
their members. Like Twitter, depending on
what type of photography you do and whom
you want to target, its a good idea to set up
different Fan Pages. For instance, Digital SLR
Photography contributor Ross Hoddinott has
a Fan Page for his own work but also a Fan
Page to promote his courses with
photographer Mark Bauer.
Andtherest...
While Facebook and Twitter are the

major workers when it comes to
building your posse of dedicated followers,
there are a few others to consider too.
LinkedIn, which launched in 2003, is a
dedicated networking site for professionals to
connect with colleagues and professional
contacts. Similarly to Facebooks Fan Page,
you can create a company page, join
professional groups and make yourself known
to potential business contacts in the trade and
clients. Its a great method for marketing and
to expand your contact and client base. Unlike
Twitter and Facebook, its invitation-only so
you control who you connect with by
accepting their invitation. Its something
worth considering if you want to connect with
magazine editors, photo editors or art buyers,
not to mention any of the 23,325 members in
the Photography Industry Professionals
networking, Canon EOS or Nikon photography
group. Posting status updates here can be a
very effective way to keep in touch with
editors youve worked with in the past,
especially if they move companies, and for
new editors to nd you.
Other websites you might want to consider
include Flickr, which is fantastic for building
up contacts with photographers and
improving your Google rating and is
increasingly the place where publications go
to nd great pictures. Google is also currently
launching Google+ , which is designed to rival
Facebook, so thats worth keeping an eye on.
Theres also YouTube for posting behind-thescenes videos or tutorials. Forums are also
brilliant as you can contribute to
conversations, get advice from fellow
photographers and invite more people to
follow you on Twitter, Facebook and to read
your blog. Good sites include ePHOTOzine.
com, digitalslrphoto.com, Redbubble.com
and DeviantArt.com.
Once youve built a strong online network of
contacts, youll be amazed at what you pick
up and who gets in touch. Youll have access
to new ideas, current trends and contacts to

help develop your business, and be able to
connect with people around the world who
you wouldnt otherwise have been able to.
Youll not only have a network of people
marketing your business for you, youll have a
global support group ready to help answer
any photography or business-related
questions. Social networking sites are
fantastic learning platforms, places you can
watch and learn from your favourite
photographers, view their latest work, read
their opinions, and even ask them questions.
Do we have you convinced yet?
If youre new to social media, hopefully it all
seems a little less daunting than before you
started reading this article, but its worth
remembering too that all the strings to your
online presence have to tie in together for
maximum benet. Social networking sites are
primarily used to drive trafc to your website
and blog, so more people can see your
images. Its therefore crucial that your
website, and the photography featured on it,
is good enough to clinch the deal that your
online networking has been selling. Its no
easy task and takes daily maintenance to stay
on top of it and to develop relationships, but in
many ways its made building and expanding
your business easier than ever.
Beware:Protectyourimages!
Theres always a down side to every up side
and while social media has its benets,
posting your images to these sites isnt
without risks. Most predominantly its the
potential for misuse of your photos. The
best way to limit this risk is to resize them to
72dpi and 700 pixels on the longest side,
with a watermark logo. It might not stop
someone stealing them, but its an effective
deterrent and it means you know that even
if the image was stolen it could never end up
on a billboard. Another option is to link the
images in your post directly to your own
website instead of uploading photos to the
Facebook or Twitter site.
Casestudy:LindsayAdler
Lindsay Adler is an NYC-based fashion and portrait photographer, and author of The Linked
Photographers Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media. Caroline Wilkinson nds out
about the impact social media has had on her business and the pitfalls to watch out for
HE SINGLE most important thing

I have done for my career is to use
social media. When asked what two
pieces of advice Id give any new
professional photographer, I always say the
rst is dont be afraid to ask. Dont be afraid
to ask advice from that photographer you
admire on Twitter, dont be afraid to ask
that gallery you think your work would be
qualied to be in or to ask a publication if
theyd be interested in featuring some of
your pieces. And two, build relationships
via social media. The biggest way to getting
jobs is through recommendations and
social media makes that much easier.
Within six months of using social
media, it became a moneymaker for me.
People like to connect through online
media now. Once it was by letter, phone
and then email now its the likes of
Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and LinkedIn. By
posting new work on Twitter or my blog,
Ive sparked the interest of magazines and
publications, and Ive even had clients
schedule appointments via Facebook. If
someone hears about you and is interested
in learning more about your work, you have
to provide somewhere they can go online.
For established photographers, someone
thats been around for 30-40 years, social
media is not as important as theyve
already built a reputation, so while it can
still help grow their business they could
make do with a website. But for people just
getting started, online social networking is
essential to get people connected to you
and your work.
When I moved to London to become a
fashion photographer, it quickly became
clear that it would be no easy task. Id send
good pictures to magazines, but nothing
ever came of them, so I started a blog and
used good keywords to describe my
images. Within two months a magazine got
in touch with me having come across
some of my beauty photographs while
researching for a feature about body art.
When my visa came to an end, I moved
back to New York City to do fashion
photography, but before that I posted on
Twitter: Moving to New York in a week,
cant wait. Someone replied back Im in
New York, I have a studio, do you want to
share it? Its extremely difcult to nd a
studio in NYC and to have someone
approach me would never have happened
without the scope of social media. Twitter
also works well if Im looking to buy new
equipment as I tweet for advice and Ill
usually get 15-30 responses from people
suggesting what I need.
I tweet two or three times a day about

various things. One of the benets of
Twitter is it makes conversations really
easy and casual. Ive had magazines that
follow me and post hey, love your
pictures, would you be interested in doing
something for us? Ive found interns on
Twitter by posting what Im doing and
asking if anyone wants to help. I can follow
a very successful photographer, watch
what theyre doing and learn from them.
Usually if theyre using Twitter the way it
should be used, and I ask an insightful
question, typically theyd respond to me.
How often do you send an email to
somebody and it gets ignored? As Twitter
only requires a 140-character response, its
Themissinglink? Lindsays book offers helpful

advice and insight and is on sale for 10.99.
really quick and easy to get back to people.

To get a feel for Twitter I started by
following the big names in photography to
see how they did it and then followed their
lead. I tend to passively follow someone
until they say something of interest and
then comment. For instance, Ill follow
certain magazine editors, keeping quiet for
a while. I watch until they say something
that relates to what Im doing or inspires
me and then I Ill tweet an insightful
comment. If they think its interesting,
theyll usually respond, starting a
memorable conversation so this person
now knows who I am.
When posting your own content on any
social media site, its important to target a
specic audience and to create a social
networking presence that appeals to them.
For instance, in the US, graduation pictures
are really popular, so when I was working
as a portrait photographer, I contacted

students in my local area offering them
high-end fashion-style portraits. I posted
the images on Facebook and offered free
pictures to anyone who shared the link
with their friends. Within six weeks I had
more business than I could handle as I had
reached out to people in the area and given
them something theyd like to talk about.
While there are benets to social media,
it has its perils too, and over-sharing is one
of them. There are some people who share
absolutely everything thats going on in
their life and theyre very successful
because people connect with them as a
person. It is, however, a very risky thing to
do because when you have something
important to say about your recent work,
awards or your musings on your eld of
work, it can get lost in the noise. Its a
strange balance as while you need to
remain professional, you also want to show
your personality, express your likes and
dislikes and the type of person you are. No
one wants to have a conversation with a
business, they want a conversation and
build a relationship with a person. Theres a
ne line between the two.
You can also lose your private identity
online. If somethings annoying me and I
want to put it on Facebook, I cant any
more as some of my clients might follow
me and as a business I dont want to offend
or upset anyone. Maybe I went to a party
and have great pictures of my friends, but
as its not a professional presentation of
myself I wouldnt necessarily put those
pictures on Facebook. Even if you have a
Facebook Fan Page, you can never
guarantee your clients arent going to look
at your personal page. My Fan Page is a
great tool for me as I dont share any
business-related topics or recent shoots
on my personal page. But I get a lot of
clients who request my friendship on
Facebook. Its commonplace now, if you
meet someone you like, to add them as a
friend on Facebook to keep in touch and an
eye on what theyre doing. So sometimes
its a little challenging because if you reject
a clients request, whats that saying to
them? You can change a lot of privacy
settings to restrict access to the content of
your personal page but Facebook changes
its rules all the time and when they do that
it means everyone can see everything on
your page until you reset your setting.
Having some kind of content on
YouTube can also be useful. While most
searches are done via Google, the second
highest number of searches are done on
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
LINDSAY ADLER
WithinsixweeksIhadmorebusinessthanIcouldhandleasIhadreached
outtopeopleintheareaandgiventhemsomethingtheydliketotalkabout
YouTube. Ive had people contact me
because they found a behind-the-scenes
video to one of my shoots, an introduction
to a class I was teaching or a gallery
showing something I did. Its putting extra
content out there. You dont have to spend
ages on it, but YouTube is highly linkable
and people really like videos and also like
to share them with friends and family. If
youre in the videos it also helps people
connect with you, as they can watch you
talk and put a face to your business.
The most important part of your social
media is your blog because it is a way to
show your personality and that youre
consistently producing high-quality work.
You should be sharing stories about your
work, successful shoots, something people
can interact with. If theyre looking at your
photos on Facebook their interest can get
diverted to another page or if someone
posts a comment, but if you get them to
your blog theyre exposed to your branded
identity. Theyre able to experience your
brand and your photos the way you want
them to without distraction. There are
many other reasons why a blog is
important, but its a great way to
communicate your brand.
If youre going to create content for your
blog, share a resource that someone would
want. For instance, as a wedding
photographer you could post your top ten

tips for looking great in your wedding
photos. It doesnt necessarily do much for
you as a photographer, but if a bride sees it
and likes it, shell share it with another
bride or her bridesmaids and now youve
got all these people and potential clients
looking at your blog because youve
created something useful for them,
something they would want to link to.
The mantra is gure out who your
audience is and what you want to say to
them and where you can nd them online.
For example, as a wedding photographer
my audience is female, engaged 18-40
year-old women. So where can I nd them
online? Maybe you have a local bridal
magazine and maybe it has a blog: if so,
put a guest post on that blog to drive trafc
to your site. Or perhaps target certain
groups for brides on Facebook. You could
also place an ad on Facebook as it allows
you to directly target women in a certain
age group in a certain geographic area as
soon as they switch their relationship
status from single to engaged.
I try to segment all my target audiences
and then I try to gure out what content is
most important to them.
You want people to be able to connect
with you in as many forms as you can, but
I always try to lead people back to my blog
and try to make it obvious what my Twitter

link is, what my Facebook link is and
LinkedIn link is. On Twitter its not always
easy to get people to look at your other
work, so I have it linked to my site and blog.
Whenever I add to my blog I always post an
update on my Twitter or Facebook Fan
Page to say Hey Ive posted pictures of my
recent beauty shoot on my blog, check out
the new photos with a link to my blog. You
can activate automated Facebook or
Twitter posts for when you update your
blog but theyre rarely descriptive. Doing it
yourself gives you a chance to inject some
personality in to the post.
If youre focused and provide good
content to the right audience, youll see a
return, which is one reason I wrote the
book. When I tried to build a network I
made lots of mistakes and wasted time not
knowing what was the right content. As Im
not particularly tech-savvy, I forced myself
to learn about blogging, URL shorteners,
Twitter, etc and the best practices for using
social media. Putting it all in a book meant
that other people can nd success quicker
and get back to what they love:
photography. The usefulness of social
networking for getting people interested in
your work shouldnt be underestimated, as
the more people who know you, the more
business youll get.
BLOGS: STEPS
TO SUCCESS
Learn the basics of blogging to give your business the best
chance of success by providing yourself with a platform to
be loud and proud about your latest news and images
T SHOULD BE at the centre of your

network, its the destination you want to
drive all trafc to, the place you can
showcase your brand and personality, and
clinch those clients. Its the ever so powerful,
inexpensive yet priceless new media
champion: The Blog. If youre asking: Whats a
blog?, were wondering where youve been
hiding and you obviously didnt read our article
on social networking for your business. If you
did read it, however, youll have an idea how the
whole social media monster operates and the
key role a blog plays. The next step is to learn
how to create one, the guidelines to
maintaining it and to using it efciently for
building your prole and trafc to your website.
The beauty of blogs is that they enable you
to self-publish. No longer do you have to wait
for that magazine commission or book deal to
raise your prole. Blogs can help grow your
audience by connecting with current and
potential clients. One way it does this is by
turbocharging your Search Engine
Optimisation (SEO): your ranking when
someone searches for you online, for instance
via Google. Even without the blog being read,
search engines index new content to help
people nd you if they search for content
youve written about. Aside from this, a blog
can boost your prole by offering viewers a
deeper insight into your work and your brand
you can use it as your marketing
mouthpiece. Ultimately, a blog helps you to
build an audience who shares your content by
backlinking (posting links to your blog on their
site: one of the most powerful ways to boost
SEO), increasing the visibility of your brand.
To do any of this successfully, you need to
provide content thats compelling for your
clients, whether thats via inspiring or
cutting-edge imagery, humour-fuelled tales
about your shoots or practical advice: its for
you to decide what best ts your brand. While
images are an essential commodity for a
photo blog, they shouldnt be the only
commodity; which is usually the pitfall of
most portfolio websites. Giving your audience
content of value or a resource that they will
want to share with their contacts will help with
your SEO and expand your reach. You can use
a blog to disseminate thought-provoking
commentary on the industry and pose
Emailmarketing
A blog is great for delivering information and
showcasing your latest photography, but
youre relying on your audience to take the
time to visit your blog or to react to your
updates on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to
see it. One way around this is to invest in
email marketing, which enables you to send
the content directly to your contacts. By
packaging up your blog posts and sending
them via email, you can keep old clients
abreast of your new work and push yourself
in front of potential new clients, too. Its often
not a free service, and takes time to
construct, so its worth doing right, otherwise
you risk your investment heading to the
trash. It sounds obvious, but the best way to
get someone to read it is to give them
something they want to read by tailoring the
content to their interests.
Emailserviceproviders
Analyse that
Use Google Analytics to monitor

the frequency and type of trafc
reading your blog and visiting your
website from your blog. Find it at:
www.google.com/analytics/
MailChimp [mailchimp.com]
VerticalResponse
[www.verticalresponse.com]
DotMailer [www.dotmailer.co.uk]
Vistaprint [www.vistaprint.co.uk]
questions to your audience, inviting them to

comment as another way to get them
connected to your brand. Photographer
Chase Jarvis (blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/)
does this well take a look for yourself.
Its the same with product reviews. A
well-written review of new photo gear can
generate interest, especially if you accompany
it with images taken on a shoot while using
the kit or, even better, a behind-the-scene
video thats linked to YouTube. People want to
hear from people who know what theyre
talking about but, to sustain interest, its
something you have to do quite regularly.
How-to articles and lists are another
effective way of delivering useful content.
For example, How to pose for your wedding
pictures, 20 portrait ideas or a list of your
top photographers compels readers to post
links to your blog. If you want to take the lead
from a pro, look at Joey Lawrence (www.joeyl.
com/blog/). In addition to posting detailed
explanations and insights into his shoots,
Ourtipsforemailmarketing
Keep your marketing message consistent
by designing the newsletter the same as
your website and other branded material.
Use your business name in the Subject
eld so its easily identiable.
Avoid sending the email Mondays or
Fridays as its likely to be given less
attention than if it was sent midweek.
Send the email monthly or bi-monthly
to keep your audience engaged.
Have someone proofread your newsletter
and test all the links before sending it you
dont want your rst impression to be poor.
he writes in-depth articles his latest being

How to create a photography portfolio.
Photographers will love it as it gives them free,
expert, practical advice (perfect for promoting
his tutorial DVD), Im sure the companies he
plugs love it enough to link the article to their
website too, and it also adds to his credibility
as a high-end pro for his commercial clients.
All in all, creating a buzz about him, his work
and business, as well as boosting his SEO by
creating additional links to his website. Thats
what we call blogging for success!
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
Blogplatforms
You dont need to pay for a custom blog or
know how to communicate in HTML to have a
brilliant blog these days. Of course, paying a
little extra or having that technical knowledge
can make your operation slicker, but its not
essential, especially when youre rst starting
out. With quite a few free blog services
available, its worth taking the time to
investigate the different options, to nd out
what they do and dont offer, and what free
really means. Do make sure that, whichever
service provider you go with, you have the
features to develop a good design, build a
community and communicate your brand and
work effectively. Here are a few we feel are
worth looking at: most are free, while a few
require a monthly subscription.
WordPress/www.wordpress.com
This is one of the most widely used blogging
platforms. For basic templates, its free to use,
but with the option of payable upgrades, you
can install various plug-ins to extend the blogs
functionality, widgets and customise the blog
to suit your content. It has an easy-to-follow
set-up and interface to make managing and
updating your blog a breeze, but you cant use
your domain name.
Blogger /www.blogger.com
One of the rst blogging services to be launched
in 1999, Blogger now owned by Google is free
to use, but requires you to create a Google
account. Its a basic blog with limited
customisation capabilities compared with other
platforms, but as its connected to Google, it ties
in well with other Google products, such as
Google Adwords.
TypePad /www.typepad.com
An easy-to-use blogging service that can be
connected with your LinkedIn prole so your
professional contacts get regular automatic
updates of your posts. You get similar benets
to WordPress, such as widgets for your
Facebook and Twitter account, customisable
design and templates, and an easy-to-manage
interface. You also have the ability to view
statistics that help you monitor where your
readers are coming from and their activity,
as well as a customer support team of expert
bloggers waiting to answer any of your
questions and provide help when needed.
A free trial is available, otherwise membership
starts from 5.43/$8.95 a month.
FotoJournal/www.myfotojournal.com
Although specically designed with professional
photographers in mind, FotoJournal is a new
blogging service, so only currently offers a handful
of designs to pick from. Like most services, it can
link to your Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other
social networking sites with ease. The downside is
if you want some of the more advanced features,
like Google Analytics, more storage or Priority
Support services, you have to be willing to pay for
the privilege (up to 9.70/$16 a month).
Tumblr /www.tumblr.com
Featuring an abundance of customisable
design templates, youre sure to nd something
to t your style and brand. If you have HTML
know-how, you can even formulate your own
design. Tumblr is one platform that has social
and mobile networking nailed: you can blog
using an iPhone app or even via email, you can
automatically update your Twitter when you
post and publish to Facebook and, best of all,
its free to use.
WordPress(self-install)/
www.wordpress.org
If you host your own server, you can download the
WordPress software and install it yourself so you
can use your own domain name and enhance your
SEO. This requires some technical knowledge.
www.larajade.co.uk/blog
A british-born, 22-year-old fashion and advertising
photographer, now residing in New York City, Lara Jade
uses her blog to provide her international followers
with an insight into her work and life as a photographer
in the Big Apple. Since establishing her business at the
young age of 17, Lara has built a solid social media
network thats now bursting with millions of other
photographers and artists who follow her work as a
source of inspiration.
Lara shares with us why she thinks blogging has
played such a large part in her social media success:
It keeps my followers interested and gives me a
platform to immediately show new content and
behind-the-scenes images of my shoots and training
days. For me, blogging provides followers with insight
into the life and work of photographers, enabling them
to connect with the person not just the
photographers product.
LARA JADE
LaraJade
LARAS TIP:Keepthedesignofyourblog
consistentwithyourwebsiteandlinkittoyour
Twitter,FacebookandLinkedInaccountsto
maximisemarketingpotential.Bloggingisan
excellentwaytodevelopinterestinyourwork.
Offerfollowersaninsightbyposting
behind-the-scenesimagesandreports.
www.brettharknessphotography.com
Social and commercial photographer Brett
Harkness recently relaunched his website having
had his portfolio site converted into a blog-site,
replacing many of his image galleries with blogs,
thanks to design rm Flosites. Heres what Brett had
to say about his change of approach: I used to
update my website twice a year, but Id update my
blogs four times a week, so it seemed logical to use
this platform instead of the usual gallery, which we
now feel is a little old hat. People are now used to
working with blogs and having relevant and current
information instantly accessible. So we have a
wedding and lifestyle blog-site, a training blog-site
and galleries only for our commercial, fashion and
travel work. Since relaunching our site, our trafc
has doubled. As soon as we blog about a wedding,
we link the blog to the venue of the shoot, they link
back to us, we put a link to the blog post on
Facebook and Twitter its all driving trafc to it. If
someone rings us asking to see images from a
certain venue, we only need to send them the link to
that blog post and its on their desktop. Ive designed
a couple of blogs before and wanted to jump out the
window, so, for this one, I knew exactly what I
wanted, but asked Flosite to design it as it was
quite technical and part of an extensive
refurbishment of the site.
BRETTS TIP:Dontputtoomuchontheblogat
once:limitittotenpictures.Iveseenblogswhere
theyveposted30-40picturesshowingthebest
ofthewedding,butitleavesnosurprisesforthe
clients.Keepitupdatedbecauseifpeoplevisita
blogtoseeitsnotbeenupdatedforamonth,itputs
themoffitalsohelpsyourGoogleranking.Make
sureyourenameyourimageswithyournameand
theplacetheygotmarriednotthecouplesname
(egJoe&Jane2011.jpg),asithelpssearchengines.
BRETT HARKNESS
BrettHarkness
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
KaranKapoor
www.karankapoor.com
Advertising photographer Karan Kapoor is
new to blogging this year, but he has already
seen his website trafc almost treble as a
result. I can use it to post information about
my shoots and images that wont necessarily
make it into my portfolio. For instance, if Im
abroad doing a shoot, I might post one
picture with a caption saying: Im in
Barcelona shooting for X, what an
experience!, or I might post a more
extensive story with a selection of images
from a shoot. People in the imaging
business like to see what photographers
have been doing. I try to post at least once
every month and I also use sites like LinkedIn
and Behance.net its quite phenomenal how
many hits I get on my blog from contacts
reading my updates on these sites.
I try to keep my posts business-related, such
as awards and latest photography projects,
personal and commissioned.
Blogplatforms
While its not essential for you to have a
bespoke blog, Nige Burton, director of design
company Freebird, gives us his views and
advice for managing a photo blog.
Having a professionally designed blog is as
important as having a professionally designed
website if your customers are to take you
seriously. A blog is a great way to keep in touch
with existing clients as well as attracting
searches for potential new ones. Its always
best to design something bespoke but then
integrate it with a tried-and-trusted platform
like WordPress, as its designed to be easy to
use and has built-in SEO advantages.
Its vital, if you go down the route of having
a blog that you keep it regularly updated. Id
recommend a minimum of once a week, but
more if possible. Theres nothing worse than
your clients looking at a blog that hasnt been
updated for six months. Diarising this for the
same time every week often works and is as
important as anything else that makes it into
your schedule. A blog post doesnt have to be
long, but a few paragraphs of sharply written,
relevant copy are worth their weight in gold.
Remember what people are expecting from
a photography business, and keep it
image-heavy but with some order, and feature
only your absolute best work. Make sure it
remains completely corporate and within your
established brand. Remember: a blog for
business is not the same as a blog for pleasure,
and your audiences will be quite different. Mix
them up at your peril.
KARAN KAPOOR
KARANS TIP:Keepyourblogpostsshort
andrelevanttoyourreaders.Thinkabout
whatyouraudiencewillwanttoread.
Postingreviewsofphotographygearisgreat
foryourphotographerfollowersandmight
meantheyshareyourpostwithothers,but
makesureyouaccompanyitwithbeautiful
imagesfromtheshoot.Yourprospective
clientswontbeinterestedinthespecsofa
pieceofkit,buttheywillbeinterestedin
seeingtheworkyouvecreatedwithit.
LEADING PROSATWORK
Socialphotography 35
PHILMAKANNA
SOCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Learn all you need to know about running a portrait or wedding photography business
ITS TIME TO
ACT LIKE A PRO
You dont have to be a pro to act like one. We take a closer look at
how some of the most successful UK social photographers conduct
business and build their reputation alongside their bank balances
E DO NOT DO photography for

the money: its our passion,
says Kristie Harkness, co-owner
of Brett Harkness Photography. While this
statement is probably true for most
photographers, its an easier sentiment to
swallow for those who have a protable
career in photography than for those
struggling to fund their passion. Whether
youre trying to pay for your weekend
tech-habit, give yourself a bit of disposable
income or hope to earn enough to support
your family, money is a major motivator.
And Im sure we can all agree that the
more we earn the better.
No matter what the scale of your business,
or how long youve been selling your images,
the way you conduct yourself and your
services puts a price on your value and
inuences how much clients are willing to
pay. If you look like an amateur and behave
like one, people will think youre an amateur
and want to pay you accordingly. If you want
to maximise your income by charging
professional prices, even if youre a parttimer, you need to be prepared to deliver a
consistent professional service. Its a reason
why some photographers are enviably
lucrative, while equally talented
photographers ounder.
Every arena of photography has its own
professional code of conduct, but social
photography like weddings and portraits is
a service-driven sector, so just as much
emphasis should be placed on the
customer experience as on image quality.
If you demand hundreds of pounds for a
wedding but expect to turn up on the day
having done no preparation, wearing jeans
and a T-shirt, take a few snaps and give
them a disc of non-edited images, then
dont expect much work in the future. And
frankly, if some sucker does hire you, its
unlikely to result in referrals or to help you
develop a reputation for quality.
Your reputation is your ticket to higher
earnings, but its also fragile and easily
tainted so you need to deliver high quality
service consistently. Once youve built a
reputation for quality, youll be more in
demand and eventually be able to do fewer
shoots for more money. If you work hard,
you may even be able to afford the same
attitude as Brett and Kristie.
The customer experience should start
from the moment you answer the phone to

a prospective client. To give the air of
professionalism the Harknesses want to
convey, Kristie makes sure shes at her
desk in the studio ready to answer
business calls at 9am. Not walking around
a busy Tesco. While very few of us can
afford the luxury of a studio and will initially
at least be shooting alongside our day job,
we can follow pro photographer Esther
Lings lead and simply answer the phone
with your name and a smile on your face.
It makes you sound happy and people like
to hear from happy people. If you answer
the phone miserable, its not a great start.
After initial contact send the prospective
client a brochure, invite them to look at
your website and to meet with you to
discuss what it is that theyre looking for.
How quickly you correspond with people,
whether through brochures, email or
phone is really important for securing the
client, says Kristie. For your business to
appear professional, your brand and what
it represents needs to be reected in the
way you deliver service and be backed up
by your blog, website, portfolio,
promotional material and brochures, to
form one streamlined package.
Investing time to develop a relationship
with your client will pay dividends in the
long run too. Set up a meeting with them
to discuss what it is they want and expect
and, where a wedding is concerned, make
regular contact to see if you can help with
their planning and to arrange a prewedding shoot that prepares you both for
the big day.
DottheIsandcrosstheTs
Depending on the type of photography,

there is a certain amount of paperwork to
be aware of to protect both parties. A
verbal contract with a deposit at booking
is enough for a portrait shoot. However,
a wedding photographer needs a written
contract to ensure both parties are
covered in case anything unforeseen were
to happen. It doesnt have to be anything
big or scary, just a few terms and
conditions. A lot of weddings get booked a
year in advance, so if the couple decide not
to go through with it at short notice you
could be left out of pocket. This safety net
has proved valuable for Brett Harkness:
Weve just had a wedding cancelled and

we had already turned work away. This is
why in our contract we specify a nonrefundable deposit and in our cancellation
clause it says if they cancel between 100
and 90 days before the wedding, they still
have to pay 50% of the balance, explains
Kristie Harkness. Their contract also
requires the balance to be paid four weeks
before the wedding and states that they
retain all copyright of the images. It also
says that do whatever they can to nd a
replacement photographer if for any
reason Brett cant make the shoot (this is
why having a posse of photographers in
your network pays off!).
Even if you plan to do the occasional
wedding, make sure you get the clients to
sign a contract, no matter how nominal the
fee. While a cancellation policy might not
be a concern for you, outlining the image
rights should be. Even if its friends or
family that youre doing the wedding for,
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
BRETT HARKNESS PHOTOGRAPHY
Yourreputationisyourtickettohigherearnings,
but itsalsofragileandeasilytainted,soyouneed
toofferhigh-qualityserviceconsistently
you never know what might happen in the
future, and good friends should
understand that business is business.
While the photographer owns all copyright,
often clients will want to know whether
they can get their images on disk. Detailing
the copyright in the T&Cs means you can
stipulate their terms of use, including
making them aware that you can use the
images for your marketing material.
However, if you plan to submit images to
magazines, be courteous and ask them for
their permission anyway. If you do give
images on disk, Esther Ling advises
putting a clause in the contract that
stipulates that they can print the images
for personal use but they cannot resell
them, nor can they edit the images in any

way. By doing this, youre asserting at least
some control over how your images might
be seen by prospective clients. Esther
bundles her T&Cs in with her booking
form, making it less intimidating for clients.
Here she has the bride and groom write
down all the key details of whats been
agreed for their wedding: date, time, cost
as well as ceremony and reception venues
to make sure everything is in black & white.
Although contracts arent necessary for
small portrait shoots, you do need to have
your clients sign a model release form if
you think youll want to use any of the
pictures commercially. And if youre
photographing children under 18 years old,
you will need to get parental permission to

allow use of the images in magazines too.
For commercial, landscape and fashion
shoots, on the other hand, a contract is
very specic to a client, and should detail
the length of the image licence and terms
of use, for instance whether the images are
to be used worldwide or just in the UK.
With the web being such a vast
resource, you can nd all these
documents online or, if youre struggling,
photography forums are brilliant if you
need help. A lot of photographers are
willing to share their contracts. Similarly,
if you join professional bodies like the
Master Photographers Association
(MPA), you get access to their legal
advisors and documents such as model
releases and contracts. The website of
the Association of Photographers is a
good place to start to download T&Cs,
commissioning invoices or usage
guidelines for commercial shoots too.
Professionalpractice
Most jobs come from recommendations,

so while youre on a shoot youre also
marketing yourself to all the guests.
Expect your images to be seen by friends
and family, and make sure youre always
representing your best work. If youre
shooting a wedding, dress smart but
comfortable black shoes, trousers and a
shirt and tie as basic. Esther Ling goes as
far as dressing like a guest, as she nds
people are less intimidated by a guest with
a fancy camera, enabling her to get much
more relaxed reportage shots. Lifestyle
photography is rather different in that its a
much less formal environment, but still
warrants looking smart/casual.
Every photographer will develop their
own rules, for instance professional
photographer Stuart Cooper never barks
orders at wedding guests or tells them
they cant shoot over his shoulder
because, for him, its important not to
bring negativity into the wedding day.
When working with children on a portrait
shoot, Stuart leaves his camera in the car
and spends time with the children so that
they get used to him before he even starts
trying to take pictures. Theres also no time
limit on the shoot, he dedicates a day to a
client so theres no pressure to rush,
encouraging them to relax, which helps
him get better pictures. Also when it
comes to boudoir or maternity shoots, hes
very careful to nd out what the client is
comfortable with: I always makes sure
Anna, my wife, comes on these shoots with
me and we show the client a portfolio of
maternity pictures from fully clothed to
nudes to get a feel for what theyre looking
for and comfortable with doing. Rather than
just coming out with so, do you want to strip
off or not, as thats just uncomfortable.
Stuart never touches a model either.
Instead if he wants them to get into a
particular pose hell demonstrate it rst,
turning his back to offer some privacy
while the model gets in position.
Post-shootprotocol
From start to nish, the aim is to exceed

clients expectations and the best way to
do this is to manage them. In the same
way you show the client examples of your
work before they book to make sure they
know what to expect, you should try to
under-promise and over-deliver where
possible. Stuart Cooper, for instance, tells
his customers their album will be done in
eight to ten weeks, but delivers in six.
The viewing is a chance for clients to
relive the shoot and is a process that
shouldnt be rushed. It can take anywhere
up to three hours, sometimes longer, to
select their images and decide what
products they want to buy. While a lot of
photographers cannot afford their own
studio to hold viewings, a lot of very
successful photography companies bring
Toptentips
1)Its all too easy nowadays to conduct
business by email but dont! Pick up the
phone or arrange to meet with the client as it
will help build a better relationship.
2) Dont leave anything to chance. Prepare
thoroughly by taking time to get to know
your clients and what it is that they want.
3)Happy clients lead to future clients.
By delivering the best service you can and
exceeding their expectations, youre setting
yourself up for referrals.
4)When you arrange to meet your clients for
a chat or viewing, make sure the venue is
comfortable yet professional. If its at your
home or studio, ply them with tea, coffee and
biscuits. If its a wedding viewing, round off
their experience with glasses of champagne.
5) Always be early to a shoot and
generous with your time.
6) Aim to under-promise and over-deliver.
7) Always carry business cards with you
everywhere you go.
8) Invest in promotional material like
brochures and branded folders for your
booking form and contracts.
9) Be business-like but also open and
approachable so your clients feel relaxed
and comfortable during the shoot.
10) Always conduct yourself professionally,
whether youre with friends or other
photographers, as you never really know
who youre talking to.
slideshows and products to a clients

house, or network with hotels so they can
use a conference room for a small fee or in
exchange for images of the venue, says
Kristie Harkness. You can use a room in
your house to host client viewings too, but
make sure its private and away from
family life. However you go about it,
presentation is key.
Projectors can be picked up for around
200, but initially, if youre starting out and
say spent your last penny on a new lens,
you could hook your laptop up to a TV,
burn the slideshow to a DVD or borrow a
projector. There are loads of ways you can
do it if youre resourceful, says Kristie.
Not everyone does a viewing either,
although they do offer the best opportunity
to make more money by up-selling
products. As an alternative, you could
make a proof book, upload a slideshow
online or have the client select the pictures
off your website. Its about nding what
best denes your business and the type of
market you want to cater to. Similarly with
products, some people want it on a disc
and thats it, others want to give a
product, she adds. There are many album
companies on the market to suit all levels
of product, from small photobooks to large
hand-mounted albums. Check out the
likes of Bespoke Photobooks, Loxley
Colour and Graphistudio for more details.
If you do decide to include or sell products,
invest in at least one sample album, ideally

with your images in or with the cover
products, so clients can see whats on
offer. You can then build on this as your
business grows. It also helps to have a few
framed or canvas prints on the walls to
give clients ideas of how nished products
will look. If this is out of your budget, opt
for a chevron package from companies like
Kaleidoscope Framing Limited to give the
clients at least some visual options.
If you see them struggling, try to offer
advice on the types of products you think
suit them, suggests Esther. For instance,
will the album be living on a shelf most of
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Thecustomerserviceshouldntendoncetheshootsfinishedorwhentheyve
receivedtheirbeautifullypresentedproducts.Maintainingtherelationshipiscrucial
the time or would they like a coffee table
book thats suited to being on show? Tell
them what covers wear better than others
and what sizes suit their types of images.
The customer service shouldnt end
once the shoots nished or when theyve
received their beautifully presented
products. Maintaining the relationship is
crucial to get referrals and repeated
business. Esther Ling sends her clients
anniversary and birthday cards to
reconnect and as a gentle reminder that

shes around. Shes found it often results in
repeat business such as maternity, baby or
family portrait shoots.
If youre serious about making money
from your photography you might want to
consider joining a professional body like
the MPA, the British Institute of
Photography or the Society of Wedding
and Portrait Photographers for support.
They each have their own codes of
professional conduct that they expect

members to adhere to. But even if youre
not a member, following their standards
(details are available on their websites) can
be good business practice. Clauses such
as client condentiality, upholding the
standard of your work and dealing fairly,
honestly and helpfully with clients and
suppliers are pretty basic principles that
can only help your burgeoning reputation
and, hopefully, your bank balance.
HOW TO PROFITFROM
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Looking for a new career and love taking portraits of friends and family? Perhaps contemporary portrait
photography is the way to go. Find out how to start up and run a successful lifestyle photography
business with our realistic and expert advice from some of the countrys leading professionals
TS ONE OF THE MOST popular types

of photography in the market today,
but what is lifestyle photography? To
advertising agencies, who coined the term,
its photographically recreating a certain
lifestyle for the purpose of selling. To some
social photographers, it means
photographing clients in their home going
about their daily lives, or outdoors, to
incorporate their style of life into the
images. And for the high street studio
photographer, its delivering informal
portraiture that ts with the clients life. For
instance, it used to be that anyone going to
a studio to have their picture taken would
wear their best dress or suit, but more
people now want photographs that reect
their lifestyle, and prefer to wear the likes
of jeans, shirts and no shoes. But
regardless of how you plan to conduct your
business in a studio or a clients home, the
important aspect of lifestyle photography
is to capture emotions, personalities and
the essence of clients relationships in an
artistic, facilitating fashion.
Words like relaxed, candid and
natural are plastered across the websites
of countless self-proclaimed lifestyle
photographers, yet few reect these
adjectives in their work, with their portraits
looking posed, formal, unprofessional or
showing little to no signs of life. Its
therefore clear that more and more, the
term lifestyle photography is being used
as a marketing ploy to dress up
photographers work as contemporary
portraiture. If youre to make it in this
competitive market, and to set yourself
apart from the hoards of other striving
portrait photographers, you really have to
do what it says on your tin and produce
outstanding work, as well as deliver
outstanding service.
Manchester-based photographer
Brett Harkness believes that, in part,
geography plays a large part in success.
If youre north of Watford then think about
it seriously. The lifestyle market is a luxury
right now its not at the top of peoples
list. To make a living from just
photographing kids, for instance, youre
going to have to be producing something
thats got the wow factor, if youre to get
the clients in without selling your soul to
the devil and giving everything away on
disk. Its probably the hardest side of

photographing society that there is now
and certainly for the last 18 months.
If hearing this hasnt sent you running
for the hills, then the rst thing to do is
consider joining a trade association such
as the British Institute of Professional
Photographers (BIPP) and/or The
Master Photographers Association (MPA).
You get access to awards, qualications,
promotions, training days and marketing
advice. While you need to be a full-time
photographer to join the MPA, you can be
part-time and still get the support and
some of the benets of the BIPP while you
work towards your rst qualication.
Youregoingtohaveto
producesomethingthats
gotthewowfactorif
youretogettheclientsin
withoutgivingeverything
awayondisk
Talking about what it takes to make it
in this business, portrait photographer
Frazer Visser, from Hamilton Studios in
East Grinstead, West Sussex, makes an
elementary but often neglected point:
Whats fundamental to every portrait
photography business is consistently good
photography, whether youre presented
with a screaming newborn or a family of
20, three difcult children and a dog. You
have to constantly deliver high standards.
The client knows whatever they bring to
us, however grotty the children are, we will
rise to the challenge and deliver
consistently good pictures. If theyve loved
a large canvas print on their friends walls,
then they know that we will produce
photography equally as good for them.
They come in knowing what theyre going
to get; that condence keeps the clients
coming back and the referrals coming in.
A large part of lifestyle portraiture relies
on the professional friendships you forge
with the clients. To get great images, they
need to be happy and relaxed. Its so
important that you get along. You can start
building that relationship at the time of
booking by having a chat with them about
their lifestyle and what they want from the
shoot. You may nd that your client is a

London socialite who likes his designer
fashion and spends his weekends at his
familys stately home or that shes a
farmers wife who hates anything formal
and wants photographs by her dilapidated
barns. Clients need to be treated
differently and many will welcome your
advice on the best clothes to wear and
insight in to how the shoot will go. You also
need to think carefully about how youll go
about photographing them, as each client
deserves the special treatment to get the
best from the shoot. One way of doing this
is to adapt your style to suit the subject, for
instance you may take studio lights to the
stately home but you wouldnt to
photograph the farmer as it doesnt suit
her organic style. Another way to keep the
experience special is to dedicate the entire
day to the client so as to concentrate on
creating a beautiful array of images for
them to potentially want to buy.
Meeting the client at their home before
the shoot is a great way to gauge the
clients lifestyle, tastes and what they want
from the session, by getting a quick
glimpse in to their lives and their
characters from the way its decorated.
From a selling point of view, its also a good
opportunity to take note of what wall space
theyve got so that later, when theyre
seeing the images at the viewing, you can
make gentle suggestions for where
potential framed prints or canvases could
work well. For instance, if the clients home
is very minimalist, there are certain items
that may suit their lifestyle and taste, such
as perspex blocks and acrylics rather than
big, embellished frames.
Sometimes, you have no choice but to
arrive at a house cold and have to think on
your feet, once youve had a look around.
You may nd that the clients apologise
because they think their house is too small
or feel that theres nowhere lovely inside or
in the garden to use as a backdrop. You
have to reassure them that its not the
case, as theres always somewhere. Sit
them in front of a door or a garden gate if
you have to, they may look at you a little
strangely at rst but because youll use a
wide aperture to blur the background, all
youre looking for are colours and texture.
Ideally the clients will have beautiful big
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
BRETT HARKNESS/ WWW.BRETTHARKNESSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
ESTHER LING/ WWW.ESTHERLING.CO.UK
Spendtimejustobservingtheireverydayinteractionsaroundthehousetogetthem
comfortablewiththecamera,thenmovethemsomewheremoreunusualtothem
BRETT HARKNESS
ESTHER LING
ESTHER LING
windows or french doors that ood their

house with natural light, so all you need to
use is a reector. If, however, the clients
home is less than ideal, head straight for
the door. Not to leave but to use. Every
house has a front or a back door and if you
sit the subjects in the doorway, turn all the
lights off indoors, and meter for the skin
tones, the background turns black and you
have gorgeous diffused light on their faces.
The rest of the shoot you can then do
outdoors. Or, if your style is more strobes
than sunlight, take the studio to the clients
home and use studioash or ashguns to
breath life in to the shoot.
Portrait photographer Esther Ling
advises, if you can, to spend some time
just observing their everyday interactions
around the house to get them comfortable
with the camera, then move them
somewhere more unusual to them. This
way you put them at ease as they know
you have the shots that they want and the
rest are just a bonus even though nine
times out of ten theyll buy your more
artistic images. Try different angles and
perspectives without making the subjects
feel like theyre performing for the camera.
You may need to get them in position but
its by talking to them that you put them at
ease and can elicit the natural reactions
like laughter that make the best images.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Professionaladviceandhandyhintsonhowtotackleyourthreekeyclients...
BRETT HARKNESS
If theres a group of teens, photograph

them together rst to get them relaxed
and to capture some animation between
their friends and/or siblings. Then leave
the parents at home while you go for a
walk around town with them individually
to look for funky background and for
more of a fashion shoot, if appropriate.
With teenagers its not about big smiles,
its the slightly sultry and moody shots
that they see in magazines that they want
taken of themselves.
Families: You need a lot more light

when working with groups to be able to
get enough depth-of-eld. An old indoor
favourite is the French doors as theyre a
great source of diffused natural light, or
any door thats wide enough and opens
up to an outdoor space. Why not try
swinging the sofa around to face the
French doors and positioning the family
around the sofa so theyre lit by the
ESTHER LING
Teenagers: The age of a teen

seems to be getting younger and younger.
Every 11-year-old wants to be a teenager,
so you need to gauge the childs maturity
as this will help you decide whether you
should be posing them in a fashion style
or be playing games. If you shoot a teen
with the family there, theyll react
differently than if they were on their own.
Teenagers can be very self-aware and
outwardly condent, they want to look
good and usually want their photographs
taken too so can be very willing models.
While you might not have a make-up
artist with you on the day, teenagers
usually want to change looks quite
frequently throughout the shoot, so start
off by looking through their outts and
factor in time for costume changes.
BRETT HARKNESS
Babies&children: Unless you

want to specialise in photographing
newborns and know how to do it well,
youre better off waiting until the child
can hold its head up or sit up, otherwise
there are only so many things you can do.
Try to use natural light as much as
possible, as using ash around a baby is
not a great idea, but if you have to do it,
do it quickly and only take a few shots as
you can damage their eyes. Babies also
mimic you, so if you smile long enough at
them eventually theyll smile back.
Toddlers are the best age of child to
photograph as you can just have fun with
them and theyll react much more to you.
Take them out in to the garden or a eld,
have them run or jump in puddles. Make
it a fun experience to keep their attention
as it will be gone in a matter of minutes.
You have to know what you want and you
have to be in walking distance from your
background. Youll probably have to use
natural light most of the time because
the children are always active and you
cant be running after them with a
ashgun. But if you do want to do a ash
shot, save it to the end when theyre
exhausted and sitting down.
Some parents can be quite pushy,
always telling their children to smile and
looking over your shoulder, but while the
big smile shots are important as the
parents love them, try to also capture
them while theyre playing. Shots of them
acting naturally and not looking at the
camera or from behind will give the
parents a choice when they come to the
viewing. Nine times out of ten, the clients
think they want just the big smiles, head
and shoulders or full-length shots and
tight facial crops, but when they see your
more candid images theyll be blown
away and spoilt for choice.
diffused sunlight coming through the

door. If natural light is limited indoors, try
mixing studioash with the daylight by
bouncing softbox-mounted ashes off the
ceiling to give you the aperture you need
(f/8 or f/11) to get the whole family sharp.
When dealing with groups try and opt
for symmetry and balance where you
can. For instance, dont put the widest
person at the end unless there are two of
them and they can act as bookends,
otherwise place the biggest person in the
middle of the composition and have
them perhaps holding a child on their
knee. If you decide to take the session
outdoors, walking shots are great for
families as they dont always have to be
looking at the camera. Ask them all to
look at your assistant or a plane in the
sky, as this way theyll be more inclined to
look in the same direction. If the kids
dont want to walk, have the parents
swing them to add energy to the pictures.
Becomeastudio-basedphotographer
Working from a studio is a different business from being on location. Here we provide insight and
advice on ways to make a studio-based business work and how to use it to produce perfect portraits
HE BEAUTY OF BEING a lifestyle

photographer is that you can run
your business from anywhere as
theres no need for a permanent studio.
If youre organised and prepared, you
can turn the clients home into your mobile
studio as well as conducting the initial
meeting and viewing there. But,
if youre someone who likes to have the
business come to them and prefers
working in a controlled environment,
you might want to consider being studiobased. You could rent a premises or
convert a space, like your garage if you
want to work from home. You will need
more than a white backdrop and a basic
studioash set-up to look the professional,
though. If your studio is at home, youll
need a separate area for clients to wait in
before having their photos taken, a suitable
dressing room with mirrors for clients to
change in and a viewing room with plenty
of pictures and products on display. Ideally
all of these should be areas that cant be
intruded upon by roaming children or
disrupted by family life. Ideally, if you can,
the studio should have a separate entrance
entirely so that no clients have to walk
through your home to reach your business.
The words Venture-style photography
are guaranteed to make discerning

professional portrait photographers cringe,
but as much as some may loath the
franchise, you have to admire what theyve
pioneered and its popularity with the
masses apart from its price tag. White
backgrounds, simple lighting set-ups and
images full of colourful personality. Its an
efcient and protable business model,
but one we wouldnt advise an
independent to try. You need to build a
business on relationships and you couldnt
do this if you operated a daily conveyor belt
of clients. Whether you work in a studio or
a clients home, its best to limit yourself to
one client a day so you can focus on
delivering a great customer experience,
without the pressure of a time schedule
hindering your creativity.
As a studio portrait photographer, having
a detailed knowledge of how your camera
works is a benet, but dont over-estimate
the importance of this technical knowledge.
Knowing what every button on your camera
does wont make you a better studio
photographer on its own. Whats more
important is knowing how to get what you
want from the client, being able to interact
with the clients effectively and getting the
lighting and posing right to make the
images so appealing that the client is

willing to hand over lots of money for them.
Unless you know exactly what you want
and how to get it, studio photography can
be challenging as you have absolute
control over the environment and you
somehow have to elicit reactions that may
not come as naturally as they do if the
client was at home. This means singing,
dancing whatever it takes to get the shots
you want in the studio.
Its really important to control the sitting
too. Having children running around or
jumping up and down, with you chasing
behind them and snapping away, is not the
best idea in a studio environment. Not only
do you have to consider the safety hazards,
but you also cant be changing the position
of the studio lights every 30 seconds to
keep up with the kids. You need to know
what you want to achieve from a session
and learn to manipulate the shoot to make
sure the kids sit still and look at you long
enough to get it. Remember, its the eye
contact that often makes the portrait.
Using a tripod is a really good way of
drawing your subjects attention to you.
As the camera is set up on a tripod, it
means you can concentrate on engaging
with the client, and there are various things
FRAZER VISSER AND HAMILTON STUDIOS \ WWW.HAMILTONSTUDIOS.COM
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
BRETT HARKNESS
Theessentialkitlist
Standardequipment
A DSLR and back-up camera

A telephoto zoom lens. We recommend a
70-200mm f/2.8 for supreme quality
A portrait lens. The 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8
would be perfect and cost-effective
A wide-angle lens for the family portraits
such as a 24-70mm f/2.8 is a good choice
For shooting on location or in the clients
home, you could opt for a portable ash
system like Elinchroms Quadra Ranger
System, if your budget can stretch that far.
Otherwise opt for a couple of ashguns, a
Lastolite Ezybox and wireless triggers like
those produced by Pocket Wizards.
And dont forget some large reectors!
Studio equipment
Youcanplaypeek-a-boobehindthecamera,usetickle
sticks,havetoysfallingoffyourheadorbubblespopping
onyournoseanythingtogettheirattention
you can to do that encourage them to look
at you and get the right expressions. For
instance, with a young baby, you need to
get in very close to them, as they cant see
far, and lock eye contact with them to get
their attention. As they get older you can
play peek-a-boo behind the camera, use
tickle sticks, have toys falling off your head
or have bubbles popping on your nose
do anything that gets their attention. If you
had the camera to your eye the whole time,
you wouldnt be able to interact with the
client very well, while this way you can play
with them while remotely taking the shot.
The more children you have in the
picture, the more difcult it can be and its
Two or three studioash heads with

attachments such as barn doors,
honeycomb grids and softboxes. We
recommend Bowens or Elinchrom
Props such as seats and rugs
Backgrounds: Even though a white and
black background should be a staple, variety
is key so make use of your wall space to
create different backgrounds. Perhaps invest
in different coloured paper rolls, or even
plaster a corner with patterned wallpaper
while keeping another bare brick, or paint it
white, for added texture.
Toptips
even more important to be in control.

Theres nothing worse than if youre doing a
shoot and theres granny in the background
and parents to the side calling the children
or telling them to smile. If this happens, try
to encourage the adults to sit down out of
the way so the focus is on you and the
camera. Its important that all eyes are on
you, and whether its a smiley shot or not,
their expressions are the same.
As well as lifestyle photography, you
might want to offer other forms of
portraiture too such as boudoir, pets or
even ne-art photography, like British
Professional Photographer of the Year
winner Lisa Visser has done, but you have
Ask an experienced professional

photographer, someone you admire, to
critique your work. Its important to nd out
what youre doing well but, more
importantly, what could be improved. It
might be demoralising but by picking your
work to pieces, it means next time you go in
to a shoot, at the back of your mind youll
know the things you have to watch and
correct. It could be small details that you
miss during shooting, like where the
subjects hands are, or sitting them up
higher that make all the difference. Joining
trade associations like the MPA and BIPP
are great for this reason as youll be able to
get your portfolio critiqued, often live, and
receive invaluable feedback.
businesses in exchange for them referring you to

their clients, putting a link to your website on
theirs or distributing your marketing material.
4) Keep your blog and Facebook page up to
date. Adding new content to your website will
improve your search engine optimisation and
encourage prospective and current clients to
return to see your new work.
5) Create an email database of everyone whos
been in contact with your business, from
photographers and suppliers to current clients
and enquiries. Create an e-newsletter to send
out once a month with some of your most recent
work and links to your blog.
6) Working from home, especially at the
beginning when you may not have much
business, can be lonely and unproductive. Take
your laptop out for lunch or the afternoon and
base yourself where youll be interacting with
other local businesses. Again, you never know
who you might get chatting to and what

prospective clients you might meet.
7) Subscribe to the RSS feeds of other
photographers and photography websites to
keep on top of latest work, marketing and
changing trends and techniques.
8) Keep up with your continual professional
development by going on courses, business
and photographic, to develop your style, skills
and to meet like-minded individuals.
9) Send handwritten thank you cards to every
client along with birthday cards for their
children and Christmas cards for the family.
Enclose a voucher for a free sitting or product
to entice them to come back.
10) Focus your business and marketing
material towards delivering the best client
experience possible, rather than centering it
around your products and services, as this is
what will get you new customers.
Toptenmarketingtips:
Forget advertising, give yourself a jump-start by
adding some of these cost-effective marketing
methods into the mix:
1) Offer your customers an incentive for
referrals such as a free print from their last
shoot for every new customer they refer to you.
2) Sell products, not a disk. By controlling how
your images are presented youre controlling
how youre marketing yourself. Consider your
clients home as your gallery and youll be
surprised at how many customers you get from
seeing your work on someone elses wall.
3) Join local business networking groups. You
never know whom you might meet: an owner of
a play centre or a childrens clothing store
perhaps, or even other photographers. Creating
these business links can be invaluable, as not
only can you pick up new leads such as so and
so has had a new baby or is pregnant, but you
could offer to shoot marketing material for these
LISA VISSER\ WWW.HAMILTONSTUDIOS.COM
to be sure your style will sell. When Lisa rst

started developing her award-winning
ne-art work she would have to start a
shoot with the staple lifestyle images that
she knew clients would buy and then throw
a few of her ne-art shots in to the mix.
I wasnt sure if people would like the
style of the work I enter in to competitions,
but it became really popular and the
mums seemed to appreciate that side of
photography. Eventually I would like to be
doing 100% ne-art photography, but for
the moment Ill sufce with 10% high
street lifestyle and 90% ne-art.
People want portraits for a lot of
different reasons, sometimes its a record
for the family, other times its a special
occasion and sometimes its for
grandparents. The style of photography
people want seems to change depending
on its purpose, and the ne-art shots are
because they want something different
and stylish for their wall. Theyre not doing
it for an updated shot and theyre certainly
not doing it as a present for grandma,
theyre doing it for themselves.
Lisas business partner, Frazer Visser,
continues: If you come in to the market
with a new and interesting style, it has to
be something that people want to buy. You
cant be arrogant about your niche, you
have to be willing to adapt as otherwise
youll be stuck before youve started. As a
studio, if we hadnt changed over the years
we wouldnt be here now. If we were still
doing the traditional handpainted
background and potted plant in the corner,
we would have fallen at the rst hurdle.
Toptips
Never give copyright to your clients. If you
sell prints, you need to make it clear in your
terms and conditions on your website that
your clients are not allowed to duplicate any
prints they buy from you. Never give them
copyright, otherwise you wont be able to
use any of the images for your marketing
purposes and you can miss out on future
sales. Its also a good idea to keep their
images backed-up for at least a year in case
they contact you wanting to buy more.
Peoplewantportraitsforalotofdifferentreasons,
sometimesitsarecordforthefamily,othertimesitsa
specialoccasionandsometimesitsforgrandparents
Yourpre-businesschecklist
Before you set up shop, here are a few things to
consider doing to give yourself a strong start:
1) Create a business plan and open a business
bank account (see p106 for more details).
2) It sounds obvious, but make sure you have
enough funds, or a second income, to support
yourself while the business is growing. Contact
a nancial planner or your bank for advice on
small business loans if needed.
3) Build a strong portrait portfolio using friends,
family and test shoots.
4) Branding: Come up with your name and
design yourself (or commission) a logo that
reects the quality of your work and the
personality of your business.
5) Website: This is your number one marketing
tool: it will be your shop window and is

fundamental to attracting new business. Make
sure it oozes personality and professionalism,
leading with your images, and link it up to your
business new Facebook, blog and Twitter pages
to increase your online presence.
6) Business cards: The second most important
piece of marketing material. If you dont have
much money to invest in marketing at the start,
at the very least buy some business cards.
Cost-effective companies include moo.com,
Vistaprint.co.uk and Printexpress.co.uk.
7) Get adequate insurance to protect your
equipment, business and clients, such as public
liability and professional indemnity. Contact one
of the major insurers such as Aaduki or Glover &
Howe for advice on exactly what you need and

check what permits you need if youre to run a
business from your home.
8) Set up an accounting system so you can keep
track of your expenses and income in
anticipation for submitting your year end tax
return once you register as self-employed.
9) Rent or buy the equipment that you need for
the studio and/or location photography;
post-production; premises, if you want to hire a
studio; and even consider opting for a credit
card machine for when you have to take that
rst big transaction.
10) Read the Business Matters section (starting
on page 105) of this guide for details and advice
on how to set up a photography business.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Like most artisans, photographers struggle when it comes to selling their work.
We offer you some advice on how to make a prot a less painful process
BRETT HARKNESS
Suggestedsuppliers
Folio Albums
www.folioalbums.com
Kaleidoscope Framing
www. frames4photographers.com
Loxley Colour
www.loxleycolour.com
OneVision
www.onevisionimaging.com
Queensberry
www.queensberry.com
IFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY has

huge potential to be a lucrative
career but relies upon your ability
to sell to be protable. Its usual to charge
a client between 50 and 200 as a
non-refundable sitting fee at the time of
booking to cover the cost of your time but
after that your income is based on how
much the client is enticed to spend on
their pictures. Before you decide what to
charge, do some research and scope out
the local competition to make sure you
wont be undercutting or pricing yourself
out of the market. Flexibility is important
too, as if youre offering a session fee for
60 but your client wants you to travel
200 miles to meet them, chances are
youll barely cover your costs. Most
lifestyle photographers assign a base rate
for local and studio-based sessions, but
put a disclaimer on their website to say
this price might increase depending on
the location of the shoot.
The next stage is pricing your products.
Its not uncommon for photographers to
put on average a 75% mark-up on the
trade price of their products. You have to
consider the time it takes for you to
prepare and edit the images, postage and
packaging, and other overheads for
operating your business such as
equipment, studio hire, insurance,
marketing material, courses and above
all the value of your talent and
expertise. Figuring this out may seem like
a tall order but its even taller once you

factor in your market. Theres no point
offering a Queensberry album from
500, or framed prints from 300, if its
not affordable for your clients. The same
way a 50 coffee table book and 70
frames probably wouldnt convey the
sense of quality a high-end client wants.
Shop around for suppliers and products
that reect the quality of your
photography and business but are also
suitably affordable for the majority of
your market. There are lots of suppliers
to choose from so you wont be short on
choice. Post the price list on your website
so that clients know what theyre getting.
Most photographers nd they sell what
they show, so make sure your viewing
and sales areas are uncluttered with lots
of big pictures on the wall in products you
want to push. If youre doing the viewings
at the clients home, then you need to
take samples along with you. It is a pain
to have to lug all the equipment with you
but, on the ip side, it means you can
literally show the client what the products
will look like on their walls. Alternatively,
Kaleidoscope Framing sells a
Photographers Sales Box (320 plus
VAT), which is ideal for the mobile
photographer and holds all your
customised product samples. If you can
help it, dont put your clients images on
your website for them to buy. It rarely
works. Your best chance at making some
money is at the viewing and allowing the

client to buy products.
Being good at sales is really important
if you want to be a social photographer.
You can be the most fantastic artist in the
world but if you cant close a deal, youll
end up penniless. Training courses can
help if it doesnt come naturally to you,
but one way to make it easier is to be
acutely aware of whats selling, changing
trends and tastes via peoples reactions
to certain photographs. Lisa and Frazer
Visser advise posting new pictures on
your businesss Facebook page and
observing which images get positive
comments. You can do a similar thing
during the viewing by recognising what
images people are oooing and ahhing
over, what products people are buying
and perhaps more importantly what
theyre not and what pictures people
are liking in your studio or website gallery.
Then the most important step is to tailor
your style to match the market, and this
means keeping your style fresh by
constantly developing new techniques to
add to your repertoire, as if you do the
same thing year in year out its unlikely
clients will come back. Try to create
images that clients couldnt dream of
producing, as this is where certain
lifestyle photographers are failing.
Photographing people in a eld is one
thing, but adding creative ash is
another. You have to step it up a notch.
IMAGE BY THE FRUITION TEAM/KALEIDOSCOPE FRAMING
Mastertheproducts,pricingandprofit
MAKE MONEY
FROM WEDDINGS
In this comprehensive guide about wedding photography, explore
your style and the basics of the business, learn the essentials of
marketing and pricing and how to keep ahead of the competition
EDDING PHOTOGRAPHY is an
easy way to make a fortune,
right? Wrong. Unfortunately
this is the all-too-common, nonchalant
misconception that many photographers
have, and it often results at best in a
business that struggles to get off the
ground, and at worst some very unhappy
clients and disastrous wedding
photographs. Were not saying that
wedding photography isnt protable, it
certainly can be, or that its extremely
difcult. The fact is though that its not
contrary to popular belief something that
just anybody with a half-decent DSLR and
a couple of lenses can do well. In this major
section, well be equipping you with
everything you need to know about
wedding photography, from how to get
started, securing clients and conducting
wedding shoots, to post-production,
workow and album design. All that we
hope is that by the end of it, if you still want
to give weddings a go, you approach it with
the right conscientious attitude and the
respect that it and your clients deserve.
Few great wedding photographers will
say they do it just for the money, as frankly
the moneys not enough to relieve the
pressure of knowing you only have one
shot at capturing a couples special day.
Wedding photography is a passion, a huge
responsibility and commitment, though
its also very rewarding. Theres such
satisfaction in seeing a couple overjoyed
with their pictures, and knowing that theyll
be treasuring your work for a lifetime. It
gives people so much pleasure, which is
probably one reason why so many
photographers dont mind doing weddings
for free at least initially.
Findingyourfooting
As the market is busting at the seams with

wedding photographers, you have to be
prepared to compete for clients. Talents
not enough in this market: a lot of brilliant
photographers are struggling to make
ends meet while average photographers
ourish, and this is because too often
photographers lack the essential business
skills to market themselves properly.
Youve got to start off in a market that
youre comfortable in advises wedding
photographer Brett Harkness. Its
important that you dont start targeting

high-end clients and big budget weddings
before youre ready for it. It only takes one
mess-up and word will get around. Also,
your charges have to be right for what
youre delivering, so if youre charging a lot
of money the customer experience has to
reect this, from the way you answer the
phone and the brochures you send out, to
the coffee you serve clients when you
meet. It also determines your market,
which in turns determines your brand and
how much you need to invest in it.
Your brand should reect you, your style
of photography and your approach to
weddings and business the way you want
others to see it. You dont need to invest
money in professional branding at rst, in
fact its probably worth avoiding it for the
rst year while your business evolves, but
if you come to make the business a
full-time enterprise its worth considering.
Its important to make sure your brand is
consistently and accurately represented
Fewgreatwedding
photographerssaythey
doitjustforthemoney,
asfranklythemoneys
notenoughtorelievethe
pressureofonlyhaving
oneshotatcapturing
thespecialday
throughout everything you do and your
marketing material, as this is what helps
you look like a professional, even if youre a
weekend wedding photographer.
If youre going to spend money on
anything though, you should look to invest
in a decent website because as a social
photographer, this is your shop window.
Clients will make a decision whether to
contact you within seconds based on how
professional, sleek and functional your
website is and how your online portfolio
looks. Bland template websites simply
wont cut it in this industry. The website
should reect your brand and style as a
photographer, but you dont need to invest
in an expensive custom website.
Companies like Bludomain, Clikpic,
Amazing Internet and Freebird all offer

design-orientated templates or affordable
bespoke websites specically for
photographers so theyre polished and
professional. Many of the websites also
feature the all -important blogs, Twitter
and Facebook links so that you can keep
your clients and future clients updated
with all your latest photographic work,
personal and professional, adding to your
authenticity and search engine ranking.
Networking with local suppliers like
bridal stores, orists, wedding planners
and venues are crucial for getting your
business off the ground and to build your
basis of referrals. You will need support, so
join your local networking group to meet a
variety of small business owners, as you
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ASPIRE PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING
never know where it could lead and build

up relationships with other local
photographers. Networking with
competition can prove to be a lifeline.
Photographers are very supportive of one
another and having contacts ready to
support you when you need it means that
if you ever have technical questions about
kit, technique or business, you have
like-minded people to bounce ideas off,
and who can bail you out of a wedding if
you fall sick or cant make it on the day.
Getting on the preferred supplier list at
wedding venues is also a superb way to
draw in clients as they often make a
decision based on a recommendation.
First of all, research the venues that you
want to work with. Think about the type of
clients they attract and whether its the

same client that you want to draw in. What
types of weddings does the venue
specialise in? Does it have a hook like a
lake, a grand, charismatic interior or
extensive grounds? How much does their
typical customer pay to be married there?
And be sure to suss out the standard and
style of photographers they already
recommend to see where you t in
for instance if they only have traditional
photographers and your works more
contemporary that might be the open door
you need. Before you approach whoever is
the gatekeeper, have your objectives clear.
How many weddings a year would you like
to do at this venue, what can you offer
them for instance are you willing to do
promotional pictures to replace their tired

marketing images and put a link to the
venue on your website? Send them a
formal letter with a contact sheet of your
images, a business card and brochure then
follow up with a phone call a couple of days
later to set up a time to meet. Go equipped
with branded business cards, brochures
and your digital and soft-backed portfolio
that sell your best images, so you can
prove to them that your business ts with
their brand and core values. If you learn to
sell yourself and your services, always act
the professional even if you only shoot the
occasional wedding and be diligent with
your networking, theres no reason why
you cant develop a successful business on
whatever scale suits your situation.
Howmuchshouldyoucharge?
When taking the rst steps into a creative

market thats highly competitive and
unregulated, like wedding photography,
one of the most difcult tasks is to put a
monetary value on your service. Most
photographers start at a low price because
they have low condence, then as their
condence grows with experience they
charge a little bit more. But there are
others who ooze condence but have no
experience and enter the market charging
1,500 2,000 straight away. Knowing
the value of your service and having the
condence to stand by your prices should
be something you tackle early on. You can
probably increase your prices by 20% a
year without alienating your referrals, who
are pre-sold on what you charged for your
last wedding. But it could take years to get
to a level where you can charge the going
rate that you deserve, which right now is
around 1,500. And if you decide to
drastically increase your prices overnight,
you could be saying goodbye to all the hard
work youve done building up a referral
base in that market. Youre actually much
better off doing weddings for free with the
purpose of building a portfolio and
condence then, when youre ready, start
charging what you should be. But
remember to tell those clients who youre
shooting for free how much you would
normally charge, that way if a friend asks
them how much you were they know to say
the right amount.
Its true that with a higher price tag
comes higher expectations and this can be
daunting for new wedding photographers.
But by charging professional prices youll
appear more professional and probably

attract more clients.
Finding your price bracket comes down
to a lot of variables: you need to be
competitive so that youre not
undercutting or pricing yourself out of the
local market and gure out how much you
need to earn to be protable otherwise
whats the point? There are lots of liabilities
with weddings, so you need to factor in the
cost of insurance as well as the wear and
tear on kit, mileage, gear hire, an assistant,
marketing; everything that it takes to run
your business. Plus, and perhaps most
importantly, your time and talent. One way
of pricing this is by giving yourself an
hourly rate, and not just for the wedding
day but for the time it takes for postproduction and album design too. The
average is around 50 an hour.
The cost of an album can be as much as
600, depending on who you use, which
youve also got to mark-up if you want to
make a prot. So some photographers
offer this as an optional extra and instead
give the images on disk. While there are
many arguments fore and against this, it
really depends on how precious you are
about your images and whether you want
to risk clients editing the pictures and your
work being misrepresented, or miss out on
extra income from reprints. You could put
a clause in your contract to protect your
images but you still wont have control over
the print quality. Alternatively, you could
offer clients a free CD with the images
from the album or at an extra cost. It really
depends on how you want to conduct your
business and the value for money you wish
to offer clients.
Findingyourpricecomesdowntoalotofvariables:youneed
tobecompetitiveinthelocalmarketandfigureouthowmuch
youneedtoearntobeprofitableotherwisewhatsthepoint?
Whatshouldyoudoifa
friendasksyoutoshoot
theirwedding?
Manage their expectations Ask them to
show you images that they like and be
honest with yourself, and them, as to
whether you can produce pictures of a
similar quality. If you dont feel youre up to
the task, tell them but offer to be a second
photographer on the day. This way you dont
take the risk, they get extra images for free
and you have a chance to gain some
experience and pictures for your portfolio.
Prepare, prepare, prepare Arrange a
pre-wedding shoot with the couple so you
both feel comfortable on the day knowing
what to expect from one another. Scout out
the wedding and reception venue in advance
for backgrounds and natural light.
Be equipped Read our section on wedding
kit to nd out what gear you need to rent or
buy for your experience level.
Get a shot list Have them write you a list of
essential pictures and use it as a reference
on the day. Theres nothing worse than
realising too late that you didnt get a picture
of the happy couple with grandma or a
full-length picture of the bride in her dress.
Learn about lighting Most wedding
photographers rely on natural light for their
shots, avoiding direct sunlight for the risk of
bleaching details in the dress, ruining
pictures with deep shadows and squinting
subjects. So, learning how to control and
diffuse natural light is essential. In case you
have to use direct sunlight, or theres a lack
of natural light, you also need to know how to
use ll-in, bounce or off-camera ash.
Enlist help Ask a friend, your partner, or a
member of the wedding party (ideally an
usher or best man) to help to organise the
groups and to hold reectors when needed.
Having someone there to do crowd control is
also an asset, this way when youre
photographing the bride and groom there
isnt a hoard of guest paparazzi distracting
them from looking at your camera.
Play it safe Set your camera to Raw and
aperture-priority mode. Youll have greater
exibility and scope for recovery later in
post-production if you get the exposure
slightly wrong than if you were to use JPEG.
Working in a fully- or semi-automatic mode,
also enables you to focus on interacting with
guests and capturing spontaneous moments
that youll miss ddling with settings.
Be directive but not disruptive As the
photographer, its your responsibility to get
beautiful pictures that capture the day
without interfering. For most of the day the
photographer should be a y on the wall,
rarely seen or heard, so set your camera to
Quiet mode if you can and draw out the inner
photojournalist. The more guests are aware
of you, the less likely youll capture
spontaneous moments and natural
expressions. But when it comes to the
couples and group shoots, its your time to
take control. Dont be afraid to be bossy but
also keep the atmosphere light and relaxed
so you can re through the shots while
keeping everyones spirits high.
Business cards Most new work comes
from word of mouth and referrals, so make
sure you go equipped with business cards.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Potential clients judge your worth on the quality of your photography, so a decent portfolio is crucial.
We explore the right and wrong ways to create and showcase your portfolio to maximise sales
TARTING OUT AS a wedding

photographer can be a bit of a
chicken and egg dilemma: to get
paying clients you need a strong
portfolio but to get the portfolio, you
need the clients. This is probably why
most new wedding photographers start
out shooting the weddings of friends or
family for free, or as a second shooter.
Its a great way to build a portfolio but it
doesnt always give you a chance to
explore and develop your style or
creativity as theres limited time at a
wedding to experiment, and as a second
shooter youre often restricted by what
the main photographer wants.
Setting up a mock wedding shoot,
also known as a test shoot, on the other
hand can be a really effective means of
building a portfolio that you think
presents your talents and style in the
best light to potential clients. It also
gives you the opportunity to perfect your
photography and lighting skills, as well
as try out new techniques that you can
later use at an actual wedding. As youre
in control of the shoot, you can work
slower and be more methodical about
taking the shots perfectly than you
would at an actual wedding, where
youre governed by the days schedule
and capturing the couples story. Its also
far easier to push your boundaries and
to trial-and-error your creativity when
you dont have paying clients in front of
you or looking over your shoulder, as you
dont have to worry about looking
incompetent or unprofessional.
Keeping your portfolio fresh and
current is really important for staying
ahead of the competition, as is pushing
your photography skills, so test shoots
are good practice for any photographer
no matter what level theyre at or
however long theyve been a wedding
photographer for. Lifestyle and wedding
photographer Stuart Cooper
endeavours to do at least two or three a
year, giving him an opportunity to
update his portfolio with images that
reect the current wedding trends, as
well as try out new creative ideas.
Whenever you do a test shoot, its
worth doing them well and quite often
its good to get other people involved as
part of a networking exercise too. The
skys the limit with what you can do and
get from these types of shoots. If theres
a venues recommended supplier list,
for instance, that you want to be on but
youve yet to shoot any weddings there,
Keepingyourportfolio
freshandcurrentisreally
importantforstaying
aheadofthecompetition,
asispushingyour
photographyskillswith
testphotoshoots
approaching the management to ask if you
can use the grounds for the test shoot in
exchange for some of the images of the
venue is a good way in, claims Stuart. Do
the same for a hair stylist, make-up artist,
attractive friends who you can use as
models, and a local bridal store for a dress
loan, and youve got yourself the makings
of a test shoot. As everybody will be giving
their time and services for free, make sure
you reciprocate with images of their
contributions, for instance close-ups of the
owers and dress, or beautiful portraits for
the model and make-up artist. Its a really
good opportunity to build relationships
with local suppliers, get your images on
other businesss websites and it gives you
something to blog about as well, which can
be really benecial according to Stuart.
A blog is a really useful marketing tool, for
instance, if someones getting married at a
particular venue and youve just blogged
about a test shoot youve just taken there,
theres a good chance that when they type
it in that the search engines will pick it up.
Test shoots are an opportunity to use
unusual locations or places you wouldnt
be able to get to on a wedding day like
Getprofessionalhelp
By joining professional associations like
the Society of Wedding and Portrait
Photographers (SWPP), you can access a
wide range of professional advice and
contacts in the industry that can help you
organise test shoots. The SWPP also offer
its members a mentoring programme,
whereby you can receive training and
one-to-one appraisals of your work with
advice to help you progress. (For more
information email: [email protected]).
There are also a few wedding photography
courses on the market that can help you
supplement your portfolio while you train.
They organise the test shoot for you so it
looks stylised and authentic, but you will
often have to share the shoot with other
photographers too. Its a good option if
you want the professional training, but
your shouldnt rely on just these images
for your portfolio as it wont be an
accurate reection of your ability to shoot
a wedding. Wed recommend you consider
courses by Brett Harkness Photography
and Aspire Photography Training.
National Trust properties, train stations,

ruins or the coast. You can also use light
and shoot at times of the day you might
not normally have access to, for instance
theres gorgeous light at 5am but youd
struggle to persuade a bride to get out of
bed that early for pictures unless you
were paying her!
If you want to use an exclusive venue
and they wont let you do a shoot there
for free, you might want to consider
paying for it and look at it as an
investment. Normally it can cost
between 50 and 200, depending on
how much of the venue you want to
IMAGE: STUART COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY
Howtobuildyourweddingportfolio
Trashthedress
Another way to make your portfolio look
contemporary, and to earn a little more
money, is to offer clients a post-wedding
shoot. A few years ago an American
concept called Trash the Dress crossed
the Atlantic, causing a bit of a stir. Brides
were swimming in the sea, walking on
railway lines and being posed on
haystacks and in gritty urban scenes,
producing some really edgy editorial-style
images. It was an intriguing idea, but
there was something about potentially
ruining a stunning 1,000 dress that
didnt quite catch on in the UK. But the
idea of taking the couple to an unusual or
photogenic location, for a more stylised
and creative approach, will only ever be a
hit after all what bride wouldnt want
images of her in her wedding dress that
look like they could be straight out of a
bridal glossy. Even though theres no need
to risk ruining their treasured dress,
assess their attitude as you may nd
theyre willing to be more adventurous
than you think they are.
use and how long you need it for. But

send them postcards of the images you
shot there and you might be lucky to get
on their list of preferred photographers.
If that happens, the 200 investment is
likely to be returned tenfold.
Stuart recommends a recce of the
location before the shoot to nd the best
spots for natural light and to plan where
you need to be at different times of day
to get the best light. Introducing props
into the shoot too can help give images
an editorial edge and make them look
more stylised. It also means you can get
more mileage out of the images as you
can post them on blogs like Rock n Roll
Bride, Style Me Pretty and Rock My
Wedding, or submit them to magazines
for marketing and PR material.
Whether you arrange the shoot for a
day or a couple of hours, you can do one
of two things: go with the purpose to get
one or two wow shots or to get a bank
of good images. Its always good to go
armed with some tear sheets from
magazines or download pictures on to
your memory card so you have an idea
of what you want to achieve or try.
Theres only so much you can do, so it
helps to have visuals to make the most
of your time and art-direct the shoot.
Although you dont want to copy the
images, theyre your inspiration and can
be helpful for giving guidance to the
models. However, even though you
should plan the shoot, leave room for
spontaneity as you never know what
might happen and its a good
opportunity to learn to be reactive as
well as proactive, like youd have to be at
an actual wedding. You need to be able
to get the best from any situation and
take stunning impromptu pictures.
Your style of photography is partly what

clinches you the client, which is why its so
important to truthfully represent yourself
through your portfolio. Dont only use your
test shoots as a chance to try something
completely new and off the wall, use it to
build a base of images. Staging glamorous
or edgy shoots in incredible locations look
amazing and can be invaluable for
marketing, but make sure you also include
realistic scenarios that couples can see
themselves in. You might even want to
consider doing a test shoot in the most
diabolical weather, with a less photogenic
model and a bland wedding venue; you

wont use it as marketing material but its
reassuring to show prospective clients that
you can make the best of even the worst
situation and still take stunning pictures.
Use your rst few test shoots as a
chance to gure out your style and what
you want to offer your clients. More
traditional photographers focus on the
classic poses and group shots, others opt
for a relaxed y-on-the-wall approach and
some very dramatic stylised shots, often
with heavy use of ash. If youre more of a
traditionalist, be aware that as the world of
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
STUART COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY
Sell,sell,sell
Be bold. Your portfolio is your strongest
promotional tool and it should be treated as
so. Show it off to everybody and anybody to
generate buzz around your work. Have your
portfolio accessible online via your website,
but also consider getting a selection of your
signature images printed in a portfolio book
to show clients exactly what type of wedding
photographer you are and the standard they
can expect. You can order a beautiful
portfolio from the likes of Blurb, Sim2000,
Loxley Colour and Everleaf.
wedding photography changes, this

cookie-cutter approach is becoming less
popular. Couples want creative wedding
photography, often comprising a balance
of the latter two styles; a documentary
approach with photographs of the two of
them interacting and being spontaneous
combined with some interesting and
creative portraiture. You may still need to
do the odd classic portrait and formal
shots, however, to appease the
traditionalists in the family.
If you dont know what style of wedding
photography youd like to explore, research
other wedding photographers online for
inspiration or ick through bridal
magazines, blogs and websites, then
practice various set-ups and poses until
you nd your groove and what youre most
comfortable doing. Find your strengths
and develop them, but dont neglect your
weaknesses too as most weddings require
a little bit of everything.
Getting reportage shots in your portfolio
can be a little tricky on a test shoot but not
impossible. Obviously there will be a lack
of guests, but try to capture pictures of the
Reccethelocationbeforetheshoottofindthebest
spotsfornaturallightandtoplanwhereyouneed
tobeatdifferenttimesofdaytogetthebestlight
couple looking at each other or off camera,
laughing together in between staged shots,
or from a viewpoint that makes it look as if
youre observing them from a distance, as
this can create candid-looking images. Its
also worth asking a local photographer if
you could be a second shooter or
approach a friend whos getting married to
see if you can take some shots on the day
too: as you wont be the main
photographer your images will naturally
look voyeuristic. Or, if youre a little bolder,
drop in on a registry ofce armed with
some business cards and catch the brides
and grooms and their guests as they
congregate outside. Youll need to get

permission from anyone you
photograph though if you want to use
images of them in your portfolio or for
marketing material.
Even if you opt against a test shoot, its
crucial to challenge your photography so
you keep developing new skills. Learning
how to use ash will denitely set you
apart from the brides uncle, giving you
stylised, saleable images. Its too easy to
slip in to a routine of taking set shots at a
wedding, but keep your images and style
fresh and youll keep people talking
about your work.
WORKING A
WEDDING
In this section of the guide, learn the logistics of shooting a

wedding, how to conduct and prot from a pre-wedding shoot
and the techniques that will help you capture the shots that sell
N THE EARLY DAYS, Ive exploded a

bottle of champagne over the brides
mother, dropped lenses in a pond and
smashed my 50mm f/1.2 lens moments
before the bride entered a very dark
synagogue, where ash wasnt allowed.
Ive had the shutter in my DSLRs collapse
and had to have a camera shop courier a
new body to the wedding by motorbike.
Ive even had to nish some weddings
using lm because my cameras have
failed, recollects Brett Harkness, one of
the UKs leading wedding photographers.
You have to pick yourself up, pull yourself
together and get on with it its part and
parcel of photographing weddings.
Wedding photography is more than
lighting, aperture and composition: you
need to be able to handle every eventuality
while still appearing composed and in
control even if youre panicking inside.
Until you have encountered every kind of
wedding day disaster, kit malfunction and
nightmare guest, and know instinctively
how to handle it all, every wedding will
pose new problems to overcome no matter
how meticulously you plan. Which is why
preparation is so essential. Covering the
basics will put you in a much better
position to cope with the unexpected when
it happens. Until you become comfortable
with the process of a wedding day, we
advise you plan it like a military operation
and try to identify problems as early as
possible by having regular meetings with
your clients. You want them to feel relaxed
and condent that their photography is in
capable hands, so its your job to discuss
their prospective plans as early in the
process as you can to address any
problems that could interfere with them
getting the pictures they want. After all,
with so much to contend with, it can be
easy to miss out on crucial pictures or a
part of their day because you didnt
prepare for it properly. If this happens, not
only could it knock your condence but
you could be feeling the nancial effects of
a damaged reputation for years to come.
Even before the clients book, you should
be managing their expectations. Make
sure theyre happy with your style of
photography and that theyre fully aware of
what to expect. Once they book with you,
take a deposit (normally 25% of the total
amount) to secure the date and ask them to
review and sign a contract, nothing too

heavy just something to protect you both
(see pxx for more details). Even if youre
shooting for friends and family, if money is
changing hands, ask them to sign a
contract outlining the use of the images
and your cancellation policy.
In the lead up to the wedding, arrange a
few meetings with the couple to discuss
wedding day plans, what they want from
you and their album, if theyre having one.
Ask them to bring along a few images they
like from the web, magazines, or from your
online portfolio, to show you the type of
images they want and more importantly
what they dont want. Its vital to build a
rapport and trust with clients before the
big day, so work with them at the planning
stages to ensure they get what they want.
The couple wont know how long you need
for pictures and the best time to do them
based on the time of year, so address these
logistics ve months before the wedding,
rather than ve weeks, when perhaps
nothing can be done about it.
Getallyourkittogether
thenightbeforebecause
inevitablyyoullbeina
rushthemorningofand
tendtoforgetthings.Make
sureallyourlensesare
clean,memorycardsare
clearandbatteriesare
charged EstherLing
Toptip
You may nd writing a shot list containing

the essential images you need and want to
capture a useful way to make sure you dont
forget any pictures the bridal couple and you
want for the album. Theres nothing worse
than getting home and realising youve
forgotten to take a full-length portrait of the
bride in her dress, a picture of all the
bridesmaids or the groom with his
98-year-old grandfather. You may also nd it
helpful at the beginning to print off an
inspirational contact sheet of images and
poses youd like to try on the day so if you get
stuck, and have a sneaky second, you can
refresh yourself.
Alwaysthinkwhatif?...
Be prepared for anything you can think of.

One minute it might be beautiful weather,
the next it could be raining so make sure you
have big white umbrellas at the ready. If you
dont, chances are a guest will have a couple
of large, unattractive golf umbrellas with
logos on that not only look horrendous but
give your couple an ugly colour cast. Have
tissues to hand for crying guests and make
sure you have back-up equipment and a plan
B in case gear fails, you have to do the group
shots indoors where theres limited light or a
power cut forces the speeches and dinner to
be done in candle light. It could happen!
Questionstoasktheclient...
Whats the schedule for the day?
How many people in the wedding party?
How many people at the ceremony and
then at the reception?
Where and when are you getting married
and is the ceremony in the same location as
the reception?
Are you planning any surprises for the
guests or individuals?
Are you planning any surprises for each
other? (Ask them each privately)
What have you spent the most amount of
money on and is there anything particularly
sentimental?
Who are the essential people you want
photographed and photographed with?
What is it about the venue that you love?
(So you know to get photographs of it)
How are you both arriving to ceremony/
reception? (Youll need to approach
photographing a horse and carriage
differently to a classic car)
Who is giving the bride away?
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCKPHOTO
Writedownwhoeveryoneinthebridalpartyisandtheessentialshotsonpostcards
soyoucanrefertoitduringtheday.Itsusefultoincludeanynotesonthedaytoo,such
asiftherearemembersofthefamilywhoshouldntbestoodnexttoeachotherinthe
groupshots,aswithsomuchgoingonitseasytoforgetontheday StuartCooper
Yourtodolistbeforeanyweddingday
Visit the ceremony and reception venues at a
similar time of day as theyll be used for the
wedding to scout out the best lighting and
backdrops. Look for big windows for natural
light and areas of open shade that you could
use for the group and bridal couple shots.
Check what the venues selling factors are,
perhaps they have a grand staircase, a lakeside
jetty or character features that attracted the
couple, which you can use for photographs. If
the venue is very basic, concentrate on nding
uncluttered backdrops and areas of soft natural
light like windows or even doorways so you can
use the interior as a dark background.
If the couple want a group shot with all the
wedding guests, nd out if theres a place in the
venue that can give you a high vantage point
like a balcony or open window over an area
outdoors. If they dont, you know you may need
to come equipped with a stepladder.
If its a church wedding, arrange to meet the
vicar to discuss any restrictions on
photography. Sometimes you wont be allowed
to use ash during the ceremony or at specic
times, like the exchanging of vows. The vicar
should also be able to tell you the best places to

stand to get photographs and where prior
photographers have shot the groups. Ask the
registrar if its taking place in a registry ofce.
Find out when the wedding before and after
yours is happening so you know your window of
opportunity to photograph guests arriving and
after the ceremony.
If the weddings not too far away, do a test run of
the journey from brides hotel where shes getting
ready to the ceremony and then to the reception
venue. You may be surprised at how difcult some
venues can be to nd if theyre off the beaten track
or how your initial travel time is doubled by trafc
at that time of day. If you have to go further aeld
for the wedding, travel up early and try to do this
the day before the big day.
Arrange a meeting with the couples private or
venue wedding coordinator to discuss the details
of their wedding day and where events like the
rst dance, wedding breakfast, cutting of the cake
and reception drinks will be held. If possible, get
them to run through the wedding with you so you
know exactly where you need to be and when to
get the best angle for pictures.
How big is the wedding? Do you need to hire a

second shooter or an assistant to help you or can
you rely on the best man and ushers to help
coordinate people for the group shots?
Introduce yourself to as many operators and
suppliers for the wedding as possible, such as the
orist, venue manager and wedding coordinator.
By doing so, you can arrange to send them
pictures youve taken of their work, which can
help build up your contact base. If they like your
images and decide to use them for their
promotional material, youll probably nd you
become one of the rst wedding photographers
they recommend to any of their clients.
Speak to the DJ or band about how they plan to
light the room for the rst dance so you can
decide if the ambient light will create enough
atmosphere or if have to provide your own light
and exactly how do you want to do this.
Once you have a detailed schedule of how the
day will go and an idea of the lighting conditions
youll have to work with, plan when and how your
best chances are to get the shots you need and
equip yourself for the task, be it learning or
practising ash techniques or hiring equipment.
Createadetailedscheduleoftheday
Every wedding is different and should be treated as such, but by preparing for each one the way we
advise you to, youll be setting yourself up for success and reduce any of your wedding-day stress
10.30am: Meet the bride at her hotel room

to take pictures of her and the bridesmaids
(Lily, Jen and Pippa) getting ready. If time,
photograph the groom at home (the
grooms house is 15mins from the hotel).
12.15pm: Get to the church ahead of the
bride to photograph arriving guests and
group shots of the groomsmen (Ben, Phil
and George) if we didnt have time earlier.
(Church is 20mins drive from hotel and
ve minute drive from grooms house).
12.55pm: Bride to arrive in horse and
carriage with her father and bridesmaids.
1pm: Ceremony.
1.45pm: Ceremony nishes. Get confetti
shot and guests with bride and groom
outside the church.
1.55pm: Leave for reception venue before
bride and groom (15min drive).
2.15pm: Bride and groom arrive at
reception. Meet them at the entrance.
Drinks and canaps on the lawn.
ESTHER LING
ESTHER LING
2.30pm: Have the ushers gather all the

guests on to the lawn for a group shot.
2.40pm: With the help of the ushers,
organise the group shots of the guests to
be taken on the lawn.
2.55pm: Take group pictures of the
bridal party. Use a different location to
the group shots of the guests.
3.20pm: While the guests and wedding
couple chat on terrace, take the time to
capture the table details and decorations
in the venue as well as documentary
images of the guests.
3.45pm: Whisk the bride and groom
away for their private portrait shoot.
4.30pm: Bride and groom must be back
for their receiving line.
5.10pm: Speeches.
5.30pm: Wedding breakfast.
7.00pm: Cutting of the cake and evening
guests arrive.
7.30pm: First dance.
Pre-weddingshoots
STUART COOPER
HEN COMING up with your

schedule, be realistic about
your journey times. How long
will it take for you to get from the various
venues, factoring in trafc and time of
day. If you can, do the journey and time it
or use Google Maps or Map Quest to
plan the route. When you plan the day
like weve done here, leave room to be
exible in case of the unexpected and,
if you can, assign more time than is
needed for the group shots and bridal
portraits, If the bride is fashionably late
to the ceremony, it will be your time with
the bridal couple that is squeezed as
everything else has to happen on time.
If its a long way to travel, you may even
want to consider staying in a hotel near
the wedding venue. Its a good excuse
for a weekend away, you wont risk being
caught in trafc, plus best of all its
tax deductible!
An engagement, or pre-wedding, session

is a fantastic way to get to know the client,
for them to get to know you and for you to
see how they slot together as a couple. To
nd out what they like, what they dont like
about themselves and to build your
relationship with them. The photography
is actually the least important part of the
pre-wed its all about encouraging a
connection between you and the clients
that can carry through into their wedding
day. Keep it relaxed and relatively
unstructured, with them dressed
comfortably even if its jeans and t-shirts
so the images simply capture them being
together and having a good time.
Different photographers have different
approaches to a pre-wedding shoot, but
they all consider the sessions to be an
integral part of preparing clients for their
wedding day. Professional photographer
Esther Ling invites her clients to pick the
location, be it at the beach, a local park or
to meet them at their home. I approach it
like I would a lifestyle portrait shoot,
whereby we go out for a wander and stop
off to take pictures where the light is right
and the backdrop is good. It usually takes
no more than a couple of hours. The key is
to make them comfortable and to keep the
animation going by chatting to them all the
time. Posing isnt usually necessary as if
you make them feel comfortable you can
often catch them as they fall in to poses,
laughing and having a good time as
opposed to having them sit quite stilted,
says Esther. Some photographers prefer
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
to do the engagement shoot in a very

different location to the wedding venue to
increase the saleability of the pictures.
However, if youre still a little daunted by
shooting a wedding it might be worth
arranging the pre-wed at the actual
wedding venue to get accustomed to the
setting, lighting and backdrops.
The engagement shoot is an ideal time
to subtly nd out if there are parts of the
client or angles of themselves they dont
like, as its usually now that theyd say
something like try not to get me from this
side, its not my best. Log comments like
this into your brain for the wedding day
and be sensitive to their hang-ups; you
might not understand why they hate their
shoulders or nose but do what you can to
conceal those areas and to nd their most
attering angle as it could be the difference
between them loving or hating their
pictures. Most people dont like having
their picture taken and need a lot of
guidance to be made to feel comfortable,
down to how to stand, where to look and
even their smile. If you simply tell them to
stand while you take pictures, without
much interaction from you, the images
may look stilted. If the subjects are
hankering after some direction, try to be as
descriptive and specic as possible. For
instance, dont tell him to say something in
her ear, as its likely he wont know what to
Keepiteasy:useone
lensandareflector.
Leaveflashforthe
weddingday
BrettHarkness
say. Instead tell him to whisper I love you

and photograph the huge grin that crosses
her face or to nuzzle in to her neck as she
glances towards the camera. By
encouraging them to interact with each
other, it will elicit some natural reactions.
Its also a good chance to gauge their
personalities. If theyre quite shy and quiet
youll probably struggle to get them to do
anything eccentric, but if the couple is
outgoing and relaxed from the outset, its a
chance for you to get creative and have fun
with your set-ups. A good way to start the
shoot is to warm up with a few safe shots
(the type of images that consistently sell)
such as them touching foreheads, a
three-quarter crop with him holding her or
a head and shoulders shot, and then try to
loosen them up by having them walk, run
or jump hand in hand and or even suggest
they give each other piggy-back rides. If
the couple have children, encourage them
to come along to the pre-wed shoot too to
make it more of a family photo session.
While the main aim is to get to know the

clients and to see how they photograph,
there is potential to earn some extra
money too. Most photographers include a
complementary engagement shoot in their
wedding packages but not the images, so
theres room to sell off the back of it. Try to
treat the pre-wedding shoot like you would
a wedding: edit the images in the same
way and present them to your client in a
similar fashion. Dont sell yourself short by
saving unedited images to a disc and
posting them off to the clients, as youll be
missing a trick!
Toptips
Before or after the shoot, take the couple
somewhere they can relax over a cup of
coffee like your studio if you have one or
a quiet but chic cafe or bar. Somewhere you
can chat without being interrupted. Use this
time to recap on the plans for their wedding
day. Run through your list of questions to
nd out whos who in the family, if theres
any family members you need to get pictures
of or family situations you need to be aware
of, like new partners, divorced parents or
widowed grandparents. Do the pre-wedding
shoot at least three months before the
wedding day, leaving plenty of time to
provide them with framed prints or a
signature board and for you to prepare for
any wedding day changes that may have
happened since your last meeting.
ESTHER LING
Remember its all about delivering a

professional service that reects your
brand. So, if you can, meet up with the
client to view the pictures on a projector
screen or computer, you could do this in
your studio, at their home or hire a
conference room in a hotel. If you do a
viewing, try to be equipped with products
youre trying to push, like mini albums,
frames, canvases and acrylics in sizes you
sell. Nine times out of ten, clients buy what
they can see. As a gesture of good will for
the bride and groom, you could do what
Esther Ling does and make a note of the
couples favourite picture, get it framed
and mounted so guests can sign it on the
big day. Another option could be to do a
guest book with pictures from the shoot,
as some people prefer a book they can
keep on a shelf. If the bride and groom are
too busy to meet up for a viewing, you
could load the images up in a private
gallery on your website for them to view at
their leisure. Some website companies like
The ImageFile also enable you to sell prints
and products directly from your website,
so the clients can pick how they want their
engagement pictures presented.
Putbrandedvouchersinjewellersandfloristsforafreeengagementshootand
printsasanincentivefornewbridesandgroomstotestyououtasaphotographer.
Chancesaretheyllbookyouoffthebackofit BjornThomassen
While your competition only offers one type of pre-wedding shoot, why not buck the trend by offering
more variety for your clients and catering to the brides saucier side as well as their more traditional
HILE AN ENGAGEMENT
shoot is about getting to
know the bridal couple,
professional photographer Bjorn
Thomassen also offers pre-bridal shoots
for just the bride. He turns the brides
trial for hair and make-up in to a private,
stylised photoshoot where she puts on
her dress to preview how it all looks on
camera before the big day. Sometimes
its done in a studio, others on location
or in a rented space. Its a great
opportunity to cultivate a relationship
with the bride and has proved so
popular that we built it in to our
packages as a selling point, says Bjorn.
More and more brides are also
interested in doing boudoir or ne-art
nude sessions before or after the
wedding to give to their new husband on
their wedding day or as an anniversary
present. This seductive yet tasteful style
of photography is becoming increasingly
popular and very protable for wedding
photographers, but for such intimate
images brides often prefer to use a
female photographer. So, if youre male
its often reassuring for the brides to have a

female assistant on the shoot too.
If you dont have or want to hire a studio,
you could do the shoot at the brides home
or book a chic hotel suite. For this type of
shoot, where the subject could feel really
vulnerable and exposed, your priority
should be to make them comfortable and
relaxed, so a warm and safe environment
where no one will interrupt is crucial. Its
also important that she feels sexy and
attractive so the images exude condence,
so you need to provide a lot of reassurance
and possibly a hair stylist and make-up
artist for the session too. You could also
offer this type of photography shoot as an
alternative to the pre-wedding shoot;

photographing her nude or in lingerie
rather than her wedding dress, but still
using the session as the trial for the
brides hair stylist and make-up artist.
BOTH BY BJORN THOMASSEN
Boudoirandpre-bridalphotographyshoots
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Get a sense of how to shoot a

wedding with our expert advice
HESE DAYS THE wedding

photographer is one of dozens at
a wedding with a high-end DSLR,
so youve got to produce something that
Uncle Tom cant. Everything from the
way you work with natural light and
ash, to composition and posing, as well
as post-production, needs to be a cut
above the average photographer with
high-quality kit. Most photographers are
hired for six to eight hours to cover the
bride getting ready or the ceremony
through to the cutting of the cake or rst
dance, but no matter how long youre
booked for, you should shoot with the
album in mind and capture the story of
the day, from the little details to the big
events and from the emotion-fuelled
candids to the more posed portraits.
Gettingready
Some of the best candids can be

captured while the bride and groom are
getting ready. Theres so much activity
and emotions are running high that its a
wonderful opportunity to capture some
relaxed shots of the bride with her
mother and her bridesmaids. And if
theres time, some posed pre-ceremony
portraits of the bride. When you rst
arrive at where the bride is getting ready,
introduce yourself to any parents that
are around and start taking pictures
unobtrusively. If the lighting isnt good
enough, dont be afraid to move the
bride and the mirror to a window for a
few pictures to make the most of any
naturally diffused and reected light in
the room. Normally it takes the bride at
least two hours to have her hair and
make-up done, and while you dont need
to be there for the entire time, take the
opportunity to photograph details for the
album, ideally with a macro lens, such
as the owers, wedding fragrance,
jewellery, dress details and shoes.
Typically, the brides make-up will be
applied last, so you need to make sure
youre there to take photographs of that
being done focusing on details like her
lips and eyes using a wide aperture or
use differential focusing to capture her
reection in the mirror. Try to also get
shots of her putting on her veil or tiara
and doing her dress up. This is when
being a female photographer or having a
female assistant can help male
photographers may have to skip this.
If you have time to visit the groom
before the ceremony, use it to document
him getting ready too, ironing his shirts,
putting on his cufinks etc but also to grab

a few portraits of him and his groomsmen.
If youre too tight for time, you could take
these shots while theyre waiting for the
bride to arrive at the ceremony venue.
For the purpose of the album, ask him to
adjust his cufinks or buttonhole while you
take a couple of close-ups or shot of him
and with his best man and ushers. Use
every opportunity you can to grab pictures.
Its times like this that a second shooter
is helpful. One of you could be with the
bride and/or groom, while the other is
capturing candids of arriving guests.
Camerasettingsandtechniques
Set your camera to shoot Raw + JPEG to give
you more exibility when it comes to
developing your images later. If your DSLR has
a dual card slot, instead of using the second
memory card to store images that overow
from the rst, use it as a back-up in case your
rst card fails. Set the back-up card to store
only JPEGs so it wont ll up as fast and if you
use a larger memory card, like a 16GB, you
probably wont need to change it during the
day. For the memory cards that hold the Raw
les, dont use bigger than 8GB. You may need
to switch the memory cards a few times during
the day but it means youre not storing all your
Raw les on one large capacity card, which if it
becomes corrupted could mean you losing
some or all of your images.
What exposure mode should you use? Some
pro photographers argue that if you cannot
shoot in manual, dont do weddings. But, then
again, very successful photographers like Brett
Harkness use program mode and manually
adjust the exposure compensation for more
control. Its whatever youre comfortable using
but dont rely solely on the camera, digital
technology is there to help you but you need to
know how to take control if you have to in case
of tricky lighting conditions. Aperturepriority mode works well if youre dealing

with changing light levels and it allows
precise control over depth-of-eld to get the
beautiful out of focus backgrounds wedding
photographers love.
Leave your camera set to AWB (Auto
White Balance), unless youre in a room with
mixed lighting or with a strong colour cast
like a church where you may need to
quickly take a custom WB reading. And
unless youve got a cracking camera that
allows you to shoot at high ISOs with no
noise, try to keep the ISO below 400 or
convert the images to black & white as this
often adds atmosphere to a grainy nish.
Wed advise you try to use ambient light
as much as possible, using doorways,
windows and areas shade for soft lighting.
Learn how to use ll-in and bounced ash as
well as how to balance off-camera ash with
ambient light too though, as it opens up
possibilities come the evening, shooting
indoors or backlit subjects. High-speed ash
is also a technique worth mastering as it
enables you to shoot with wide apertures in
bright sunshine for more creative results.
ALL STUART COOPER
Thefundamentalsofaweddingdayshoot
BRETT HARKNESS
BRETT HARKNESS
STUART COOPER
BRETT HARKNESS
STUART COOPER
STUART COOPER
Theceremony
You should try to arrive at the ceremony

at least 15 minutes before the bride to
take some test exposures, capture the
nervous groom, details such as the
order of service, candles and owers and
arriving guests. The ceremony is one of
the trickiest parts of the day to
photograph due to low light and no-ash
rules, so you may have to rely on fast
lenses and open apertures. Position
yourself to the side of the altar, or similar
if its a registry ofce, so you have a good
view of the processional, the bride
walking down the aisle and the mother
of the bride at the front of the church.
If you can, try to take a picture of the
expression on the grooms face too.
If you have a second photographer,
position them at the back of the venue
for a different view. During the ceremony,
try to capture the key moments like the
exchange of rings and tender looks
between bride and groom.
Bridalportraits
If the bride is running late, its usually this

part of the wedding day that gets squeezed
to compensate so you need to be able to
get the most out of what little time youve
got to work with. Normally 20 minutes is
sufcient, but you should try to plan your
shots so that one pose ows in to another
easily and youre able to get different
pictures from one pose simply by changing
angles, having them look at the camera
and then each other, or zooming the lens
out for a full-length portrait and in for a
close-up. As well as the usual backdrop of
the venue, look for different backgrounds
like coloured walls, grand features inside or
nearby locations to add visual interest to
the images. Dont be afraid to use different
vantage points either, get low to the ground
so youre shooting through the grass or tilt
the camera up to get more of the sky in the
scene. While you should try and get the
classic shots, consider introducing some
off-camera ash for a contemporary look
too, if thats your style. While you may not
have time to get individual shots of the
bride and groom done, try to grab these
when you can during the day.
Toptips
Dont forget to photograph the details: shoes,
rings, owers, centrepieces and cufinks
they help depict the day.
Dont be afraid of taking control of the shoot
and directing people in to the best light. Its
your responsibility to get good images.
Shoot to sell: Capture images from different
angles so the bridal couple are spoilt for
choice and have to buy them all.
Always get a photo of the whole venue to
help set the scene in the album.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
BRETT HARKNESS P
Weddingpartyandgroups
BRETT HARKNESS
To some degree, every wedding requires

group shots but its up to you to put a cap
on how many youll do. You can make
them as quirky and fun or as conventional
as you want, especially with the bridal
party, but here are a few pointers to get you
started. Bring the bride and groom front
and middle, having them stand naturally or
adopt a pose, then ask the rest of the party
to spread out behind them formally or in a
way that shows off their personalities. Try
opening the aperture up so the bride and
groom are the only ones in focus too. Take
pictures of the bride with the groomsmen
and the groom with the bridesmaids, as
well as them with their own party. Keep an
eye on the details as theyll stand out in the
pictures: jackets and ties straight, owers
pointing in the right direction, hands not
looking awkward and their weight on their
back foot for a relaxed stance. Use a
wide-angle lens and a high vantage point
to take a picture of all the guests together.
Proinsight
ESTHER LING
BrettHarkness Photography:
People often ask us how long do you
need for pictures? and the truth is we
dont need any time really and thats why
we get the clients that we do. The more
time to allocate to pictures, the less likely
you are to move up the social scale.
People who have money dont want to be
bothered but still want the imagery, so we
rarely schedule in shots. When Im at the
brides house, for instance, we dont
interfere but well keep them on track.
If its a winter wedding well try to get
pictures of the bride at the house while we
still have a bit of daylight. If its a summer
wedding there wont be any posing until
later in the afternoon when the lights
softer. Often the rst time I speak to the
bride and groom is when theyre coming
out of the church and Im congratulating
them. We dont pose the bride in the car,
do pictures of her and her dad or the
signing of the register, unless theyre
documentary. We grab shots when we
can, even if that means pulling the bride
aside for a few shots as shes on the way
to the toilet. The group shots and the
couple pictures are usually the only time
well ask for 20 minutes of pictures, which
is often organised at the pre-wedding
shoot. At one of our last weddings we had
15 minutes to do the couples shots, the
bridal party and all the family shots. With
the group shots whether you meticulously
pose people or place them straight in a
line, weve found it doesnt make a
difference to what sells. So Id rather
spend my time photographing the bridal
party and the wedding couple creatively.
Professionaldevelopment
STUART COOPER
Speechesandreception
Toptip
To avoid making guests wait at the ceremony
venue, propose to the couple that you do the
group shots at the reception venue, if
appropriate. Everyone will be more relaxed
once theyve got a drink in their hand. It also
gives you an opportunity to whisk the couple
away for their 20-minute photo shoot
without them worrying that their guests
arent entertained.
Emotions always run high during the

speeches, you have tears, laughter and
priceless looks between the bride and
groom. Make sure your lens is pointing at
either the person speaking or the person
being spoken about to capture their
reactions as well as those of the guests.
When it comes to the cake, get a shot of it
before it is cut and be ready for both the
traditional shot of them cutting it together
and the potential candid if they decide to
stuff each others faces. The rst dance
normally marks the end of the night. Use a
wide aperture to retain the ambient light
and atmosphere in the room, jaunty angles
to add movement and, if you have to use
ash, use a little ll or bounced ash so as
not to overpower the natural atmosphere.
And dont be afraid of slightly blurring the
couple to create a sense of movement.
If you want professional advice and help

developing your technique and style,
there are countless photography courses
in the market for you to choose from. But
be careful for this same reason. Make sure
you research the photographer who is
running the course to ensure theyre
experienced, that you like their style and
source feedback from prior students.
There are also some useful books by
Oliver Cameron publishing and Ilex Press
if you want comprehensive advice in a
one-stop handbook. One of the UKs top
wedding photographers, Brett Harkness,
has also released a training DVD (RRP
80) that takes you through every stage
of shooting a real wedding, from what
equipment to use to how he photographs
the bride getting ready, through to the
evening reception. If you want a resource
that gives you a true insight in to what it
takes to shoot a wedding well and
invaluable advice on lighting, posing and
shooting to sell, then we highly
recommend it. It may seem pricey, but
when you consider the fact it contains
everything youd get from a course bar the
one-to-one advice and you can watch it
again and again, its a great investment.
To buy the DVD go to:
www.brettharknessphotography.com
WORKFLOW &
WEDDING ALBUMS
With the wedding day over, its time for the real work to begin. As time is money, in this nal section of our
guide to wedding photography, learn how to shave hours off post-production without compromising on
quality as we share the secrets for an efcient workow and show you how to tackle album design
OUVE FINISHED SHOOTING the

wedding, now what? Depending on
how long you were working and
how many photographers you worked
with, you may have as many as 3,000 Raw
les to process. With such a huge number
of les to organise, categorise, back-up,
edit and output, its difcult to know where
to begin, which is why having a coherent,
logical and efcient workow is crucial
the last thing you want is to lose or save
over important images. You also need to
remember that time is money and the less
time you sit in front of the computer
editing pictures, the more money will be in
your pocket as prot. Its not uncommon
to spend just as much, if not more, time
sat processing pictures as you did taking
them, which is why it was so important to
factor these prospective hours in to your
price at the start.
Adobe Lightroom is a fantastic tool for
processing and organising large amounts
of images, in fact you can do so much in it,
from editing and sorting Raw les to
making tonal and colour adjustments, that
you may nd only a few images need to
make it in to Photoshop. You may wonder
why we recommend you using Lightroom
and Photoshop if Lightroom is so capable,
but while Lightroom is ideal for processing
Raw les (it has the same interface as
Photoshops Adobe Camera Raw) and
managing les, Photoshop offers
unparalleled editing capabilities. The main
benets are Layers and Layer Masks,
which allow you to apply non-destructive
changes to an image, so as not to harm the
original pixels. It also means you can
overlay textured layers, composite pictures
and selectively tweak your adjustments.
For instance if you boost the saturation of
the landscape, youll normally nd the
bride looks like shes got an orange tan, but
using a Layer Mask you can selectively
paint the areas you want to revert back to
their original state, in this case returning
the skin tone to its natural colour.
If you dont want to fork out for
Photoshop as well as Lightroom, but still
want more advanced editing tools, you
might want to check out plug-ins to add to
Lightroom or Aperture like those by Nik
Software or OnOne Software. They offer a
variety of plug-ins with various talents
similar to Photoshops but at a fraction of

the price, such as skin softening and
removing distracting objects. You can even
add layers to Lightroom with OnOnes new
software called Perfect Layers. Nik
Software offers an abundance of colour
and black & white lters some of the best
weve come across in its Color Efex Pro
3.0 and Silver Efex Pro 2.0, respectively.
They can also be bought as part of Nik
Softwares Complete Collection featuring
all six plug-ins, designed to offer an
all-in-one editing workow system in
conjunction with Lightroom and Aperture
or Photoshop. Whatever your budget or
workow preference, theres no doubt
theres something for everyone. Its just a
matter of guring out your workow
preferences and editing style, which can be
fairly easy since most of the software
options offer a free trial, so that you can try
before you buy.
Improveyourworkflow
Different photographers have different

ways of managing their workow, but they
all agree that you need to be ruthless with
your editing. If you dont know which
images are the best, the couple probably
wont know either. Its easy to fall in to the
trap of showing them too many pictures
and too much of the same thing because
youre not condent in your edits. Its going
to be around image 500 when the client
may start to lose the will to live at the
viewing, so if youre confronted with ve
similar images, pick a maximum of two.
Sequences, however, do look good in an
album, say of the couple walking down the
road, so dont be afraid to group these
together and edit them the same. Its good
practice to shoot with the intention of
turning an image black & white or treating
it in a certain way as this can add to the
efciency of your workow.
Above all, have condence in your
decisions. If you want to give a vintage look
to an image, crop it unconventionally or
turn another black & white, do it. Avoid
bombarding your client with too many
options at the viewing as it can get
confusing. Remember youre the
professional and theyll be looking to you to
tell them what looks good in an album, so
dont be afraid to stand by your style.
Dontforgetthemetadata
When you import your pictures from your
memory card, depending on the software
youre using, you have the option of entering
in basic metadata, even if its just your name
and copyright details. You may also nd it
helpful to input the same keywords to all the
pictures as a batch, like the name of the
bride and groom, the name of the wedding
venue, and the wedding date in case you
need to search for the les later.
To give you an idea of what a professional

wedding photographers workow is like,
we asked Stuart Cooper to describe his:
Categorise: Create a folder on your hard
drive called Weddings and within that
create a folder named after the year, eg
2011. Inside that create a folder for the
client labelled by their rst names.
Download: As soon as you return from the
wedding, or even sooner if you have a
portable storage device, download and
back up all the Raw les to two external
hard drives, calling the folder Camera Files.
The hard drives should be stored in
separate locations in case of a re or ood.
Import pictures: Import the les in to your
management software, in my case
Lightroom, and batch name them after the
client and the year of their wedding, for
instance 2011Sam&Andy. Doing this
means in two years time if you need to
nd the pictures all you have to do is go to
your Weddings folder and type in the
names of the clients to nd the pictures.
Edit in and out: To quickly pick the images
you want to keep, set Lightroom to Grid
mode (press G) and then tag every image
you want to keep by clicking P. Then select
Attributes above the images and click on
the ag so Lightroom only shows those
images youve agged, hiding the ones
youve rejected. Now take a second run
through and press U to unag images you
want to get rid of. If you have several
pictures that are quite similar, or of the
same scene, and you want to quickly
compare them, highlight them all and
press the N key to isolate those images.
Lightroom will then display them side by
side and as large as it can make them on
screen. Click on the images you want to
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Takethreeorfoursuccessivegroupshotsasyoureguaranteedthatsomeone
differentisblinkingineachone.Saveallofthemduringyoureditingprocess
soyoucancloneeyesbackintoformonefinalimage EstherLing
reject and press U to make them
disappear. At each stage it gets easier to
determine which images are keepers and
which should be disregarded. Instead of
keeping variations of images, pick one
image with impact to show the client.
Aim for 200-300 pictures for a six- or
eight-hour wedding.
Edit: Run through the remaining pictures
and batch-edit images to correct the White
Balance, exposure, tone, contrast and
colour if they were all taken in similar
conditions and with similar settings. Next
address each image individually and make
any further basic adjustments. Hopefully
youve used the correct settings and got
most of it right in-camera, otherwise this
can be a very long and laborious task.
Once youre done, export them in to a
folder called Colour as JPEGs. Now inside
the clients folder are two les: Camera
Raw and Colour. Then run through the Raw
images again in Lightroom, tagging the

les (by clicking 6 to highlight them red)
that you want to convert to black & white.
Apply your Lightroom preset to change
them all to black & white, then repeat the
process for the images you want to crop.
Export: Ideally, most of your editing will be
done in Lightroom, and there may only be
50 or 60 pictures out of the 300 that you
need to export to Photoshop to apply
creative effects using Photoshop actions,
or to clone out exit signs or clone in eyes
on a group shot and so on.
Some photographers like to edit their
images entirely, getting rid of blemishes
and dust spots etc while others prefer to
return for this more detailed retouching
once the client has bought the images. Its
up to you how you do it, but editing all the
images ready for printing and the album
design means you dont risk re-editing the
pictures, interfering with the workow of
ShootinJPEG?
If, like pro photographer Brett Harkness,
youre condent and competent enough to
shoot in JPEG instead of Raw, you could
make your workow even simpler by cutting
out any Raw conversions. Once youve
downloaded the images, select the pictures
you want to show the client and then simply
batch-edit the low-res versions. The only
high-res pictures that Brett Harkness works
on are those purchased for the album or
separately. When our couple sees the
images for the rst time on a slideshow the
quality of viewing is quite low, so we dont
need a high-res image, explains Kristie
Harkness, If I have 2,000 images and each
of them is 20MB and I have ve clients
slideshows to edit, my computer would
probably combust! We batch process the
low-res images for the slideshow but once
theyve picked the picture they want to buy,
we process each high-res le individually.
ConvertyourRawfilesintoDNGfiles(digitalnegatives),asintenyears
timesoftwaremightnotreadcamera-specificRawfiles StuartCooper
your next wedding. Once youve nished
editing all the pictures in Lightroom,
export them as JPEGs to a new folder
called Edited, which is what will be used for
the clients viewing and prints. Also, save
the images youve worked on in Photoshop
to the same folder.
Create: Next build the slideshow, ordering
the pictures to show the ow of the day.
While we dont recommend you saturating
your slideshow with duplicate images with
different treatments, you could crop into
an image differently and place it miles
apart in the slideshow without the client
recognising the similarities. You may nd
by doing this they buy both. Burn the
slideshow to DVD and save the slideshow
in the clients folder in case they want
access to it later. Make sure the clients
folder, which should now contain three
folders and a slideshow, is backed up to at
least two external hard drives, if not three.
Upload pictures: Before you nish off the
wedding, create a nal folder containing all
the edited JPEGs that youve batch
processed to make them web-friendly.
Load a small selection on to your blog and
all the pictures on to your clients proong
gallery on your website.
Anefficientworkflow
Batch processing and Actions can save a lot of
time, whether its to resize, convert Raw to
JPEG or apply your signature creative effect.
Instead of repeating the same steps for every
image, you can save hours by applying a
number of adjustments to your images with
one click of your mouse. You can create your
own action (see below) or download a selection
for free or for a small cost online. Check out
Totally Rad Actions, Jeff Ascough, Red Leaf
Studios and LilyBlue for some amazing actions
used by many professionals.
Howtorecord your own
ActioninAdobePhotoshop
Pick the image you want to edit and practise
the technique until you know exactly how you
want the effect applied.
Once youre condent in the process, revert
back to the original image, and go to Windows>
Actions to open the Action control panel.
To create a new action either click on the
New Action button at the bottom of the Action
panel or click on the small tab in the top right
corner to access the drop-down menu. Youll
nd New Action is the second option down.
Give the Action a name to match the
technique (for instance high-contrast black &
white), select a colour to highlight the actions
button, then click Record. Now go through the

process of applying the technique to the image
and the software will record every step. This is
why practising the effect is important as every
adjustment you make to the image is stored so
it can be applied automatically to other images
with a single click of the actions button.
Once youve nished the technique, click on
the Stop button (square button) at the bottom
of the Action panel to nish recording. Now, if
you want to apply the effect to an individual
picture quickly, all you need to do is open the
image and select the action you want to apply
from the Actions palette. As every image is
different, you may nd the actions effect
varies, so to rene the treatment to suit the
image, access the History panel (Windows>
History) and step back in stages until youre
happy with the results, or reduce the opacity of
the layers treated.
If you want to apply the action to a number of
images, go to File>Automate>Batch. Under the
Play section, select the action you want to
apply and the Source (where the images you
want to edit are located make sure theyre all
in one folder or open in Photoshop). Similarly
select the Destination (where you want the
edited images to be saved) and give the le a
name before clicking OK.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Howshouldyouup-sellformaximumprofit?
The nal viewing where the client selects their wedding pictures is a special time as they relive their
big day, and it can be an opportunity to increase prots. Find out how to make it work for both of you
BRETT HARKNESS
NE OF THE HARDEST things to

do as a creative is sell your own
work, so unless youre a born
salesperson its much easier to let your
work sell itself. Wherever youre showing
the client their wedding images, take
along or have samples displayed of
products that they might want to buy,
such as mini and parent albums,
canvases, framed prints and acrylic
blocks. Professional photographer
Esther Ling nds it hard to sell her own
work, so subconscious selling suits her
better. By showing her clients what an
album with 100 images looks like, she
puts an idea in their head, which often
leads to them buying 100 images.
When it comes to showing your client
their wedding images, normally its via a
slideshow on a projector screen in your
studio or in their living room, on your
laptop, or in a private gallery on your
website. If your clients prefer to select
their images once theyve seen them in
print, consider getting a box of proofs
printed or a proofbook, both of which are
available from printing companies such
as Loxley Colour, OneVision and
Graphistudio. If you do choose to
present the images face-to-face, make
sure you ply them with tea, coffee and
nger food, or take along a bottle of
champagne and some cakes (but make
sure they are well-presented and look
special chocolate mufns in a plastic
supermarket box simply wont do). The
process of selecting their pictures can
take hours, so clear your diary.
Normally the clients pick all the
images for the album, but it has been
known for the photographer to make the
executive decision, or to have the clients
select their favourites while the
photographer selects the rest. While the
rst option is obviously more appealing
to discerning customers, whichever one
you choose to use, just be sure its clear
to the clients at the time of booking to
avoid any problems later. Most wedding
packages with an album include a
certain amount of images that the
clients can select at no extra charge. For
Esther Ling, thats the rst 60, but its
often impossible to whittle them down to
this number from the several hundred
presented to them, which gives you the
opportunity to up-sell. Esther Ling
always forewarns her clients at the initial
booking stage that while 60 is a good
number, shell be taking a lot more than
that and her average client spends an
additional x amount of money, planting

the seed that they may be spending more
and may therefore need to assign an extra
budget for it.
To help clients select the pictures,
Kristie Harkness, partner in Brett Harkness
Photography, has a process thats proven
to work time and time again. She lets them
enjoy watching the slideshow through
once, then takes out the detail and venue
pictures. As they wont need them all, she
tells them that at the end they can pick out
a few that are special to them and
complement their other pictures to accent
the album. She then goes through the rest
of the slideshow twice, normally nding
they cut out at least half of the pictures on
each round. After this theyre usually at the
point where they struggle and it comes
down to whether they have the budget to
spend or not. This is when Ill tell them the
cost and try to nd a compromise where
theyre comfortable with what they spend
but still get the best out of the wedding
images, she says.
Its important to be exible and open at
this stage of selling as you dont want the
customer to feel eeced or leave with
buyers remorse but dont be too exible.
You can get customers who want to haggle
on cost, but as a rule dont give them a
discount. Try to nd a comfortable
compromise that doesnt undervalue your
service by offering them product like a free
parent album or if they buy four of the
extra pictures they want, youll give them
the other four for free.
A common query is whether you

should charge clients by the page or
picture. Basically by charging a at rate
per extra image (between 20 and 30
is expected), rather than by the page,
youre allowing yourself more scope for
prot, and if youve priced yourself
correctly in the rst place, you should be
able to absorb the extra cost of adding
pages to the album if you need to, so it
all balances out. You should use as many
pages as necessary though to make the
best of the pictures, rather than trying to
cram them in to a set number of pages.
Its all about delivering a quality product
and service, so if a client spends a lot
with you or youve built a special
relationship with them, consider giving
them a free mini album for their parents,
or including a case with the album, or
giving them the images they were
pained to take out as a surprise and a
thank you from you for their custom.
Werecommend...
For professional printing products, check
out Kaleidoscope Framing, Loxley Colour,
OneVision and Ultimar. Each of them
require you to become a professional
member before youre given access to
trade prices and services. While Luminati
and WhiteWall also deal with the public,
they offer a variety of affordable and
quality products such as acrylic frames
and canvas prints that also may be worth
considering for your offering.
QUEENSBERRY/ JOHANNES VAN KAN (NEW ZEALAND)
FOLIO ALBUMS
Lookatotherpeoples
albumsforinspirationto
findthestylesyoudont
like.Youcantplease
everyone,sofindtheright
typeofalbumanddesign
toreflectyourtastesand
styleofphotography
EstherLing
Weddingalbums
Wedding albums are vehicles for retelling

stories and preserving memories so they
can be relived, shared and treasured
forever. Although styles have changed,
print media has developed and
alternatives have been introduced, the
popularity of the photography album
seems to be unyielding, according to Ian
Baugh, the director of Queensberry, a
company often considered the industrys
benchmark for album design and
manufacturing. While for the client an
album holds emotional value and is a
beautiful product to hold their wedding
pictures, for the photographer the quality
of your albums are evidence of your
position in the market. Everyone who sees
them makes a judgement on what you
offer, how good you are and even have an
idea of how much you charge, so you need
to make sure that the products live up to
the standard of your photography and your
service. As well as contributing to your
brand, albums often give you the
opportunity to double your revenue from a
wedding by enabling you to devise

opportunities to up-sell by selling more
images and pages. If you choose the shoot
and burn approach (supplying high-res
les on CD), while you dont have the
hassle or cost of an album, you dont get
the benets of prospective clients seeing
your work at its best and theres no
opportunity to up-sell, as all youre selling
them is a low price.
The key to designing an album is
simplicity: less is more. Your clients want
to treasure their album for years to come,
so take a long-term view and avoid using
gimmicks like overlaying images or torn
borders. Let the pictures do the talking and
dont overwhelm them by introducing
fussy nishes and designs that may date.
Depending on what album company you
choose to go with, they may offer their own
design software, but if not there are dozens
available to make your design process
simple and effective. Once youve chosen
your album company, contact their sales
department and ask them for any
recommendations, as there may be
software that works better with their

system. If they dont have any suggestions,
we highly recommend Photojunction.
Its free to use, created by Queensberry,
and while it allows you to work within a
template it enables you to break free of
the paint by numbers approach to take
control of every aspect of the design.
Most album companies have software
thats free to download, even if youre not a
member. But make sure you pick one that
allows you to drag and drop pictures on the
page as it makes designing much easier.
If youre unsure of your design skills,
consider passing the work on to someone
with the talent to do it for you, until youve
developed the condence. Most album
companies offer a design service for an
extra cost, which is relatively small once
you consider the many hours you might
waste trying to get the design right.
Most album companies are wholesale
suppliers who sell exclusively to partner
photographers, so you need to register
before you can get access to pricing and
restricted areas of their website or
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
STUART COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY
LOXLEY COLOUR/ LINEAR ALBUM DESIGN/ POLLY ALEXANDRE
Toptipsfordesigninganalbum
Albumcompanies
Queensberry
Starter pack: 250 + VAT and includes
swatch book, page sampler, a little digital
copy album, 30% off three studio display
albums with free printing and design
services on your rst album
Free design software: Photojunction
Bespoke in-house design: Charges per
image but for a typical album would be from
100 + VAT
Website: www.queensberry.com
Folio Albums
Starter pack: Cover swatches from 10 and
a 25% discount on all studio sample albums
Free design software: No but recommends
Photoshop, InDesign or Photojunction
Bespoke in-house design: From 149
Website: www.folioalbums.com
Graphistudio
Starter pack: Free and includes one main
book (any size and cover), one 20x30cm and
four 10x13cm parent books and a calendar
Free design software: Graphisoftware
Bespoke in-house design: 1.80 per page
Website: www.graphistudio.com
Sim2000Imaging
Starter pack: From 209 and includes one
album, A5-sized parent books, two A6-size
soft and two hard-backed books. There are
three different levels of starter packs,
varying in content and cost, to choose from
Free design software: SimWare
Website: www.sim2000imaging.com
Loxley Colour
Starter pack: A 40% discount on sample
albums from the range of your choice
Free design software: Loxley Design Pro and
Roes (Remote Order Entry System)
Website: www.loxleycolour.com
Bespoke Photobooks
Starter pack: From 85 and includes three
albums of various sizes and a swatch pack
Free design software: No but recommends
Photoshop or InDesign
Website: www.bespokephotobooks.com
Use the album to tell a uid story of the day

as it unfolded keep the events in order. An
album full of the happy couple looking at the
camera or kissing is not story telling, you need
to balance these pictures with candids, detail
pictures and groups that convey the emotion,
ow and atmosphere of the day
Keep the albums style consistent throughout
Avoid gimmicks or current trends: use a
classic nish like leather and a design thats
timeless and clean
Design in spreads consider how the images
and the design of the two pages work together
Make sure the pages are always balanced
Combine different picture sizes on the page
for more visual interest
Give one picture more prominence on the
page to focus the viewers attention
Use repeated patterns to provide continuity
and ow to the pages
Be aware of the space between images and
use empty space to give pictures more impact
Check alignment: make sure text, images
and graphics line up for a professional nish
Dont be afraid to ll an entire double-page
spread with one image if its got impact or to
bleed an image off the edges of the page
BookedImages
Starter pack: From 229 and includes one
Large Book and one Little Book. There are
three levels of starter packs including
additional products that youre able to
amend to suit your needs
Free design software: Booked Compose
Website: www.bookedimages.com
Analternativetoalbums
Some photographers have found that
they can save a fortune by not having a
studio sample album but by
emphasising to their clients that every
album is bespoke. Instead they show
clients album layouts on their laptop or
iPad to give them a feel for what one
looks like and rely on swatch books and
page samplers. If you prefer to opt for
sample albums, as they are a great way
to show prospective clients your work,
dont use a selection of pictures from
various weddings, feature one wedding
from start to nish for more impact.
forums. They require proof that youre a

bona de professional photographer, but
that term is used loosely usually if you
can demonstrate that you do
commissioned work, even if its at
weekends, and you have a professionallooking website and blog, that can be
enough. Different companies ask for
different levels of proof but most do
understand if youre just starting out and
lack an extensive portfolio. All they really
want to ascertain is whether youre serious
about your photography, you act
professional and plan to derive an income
from it not someone whos shot a friends
wedding for free and wants an album.
Often its as simple as lling in a form on
their website and theyll get back to you
within a few days, but sometimes they may
ask to speak to you on the phone or meet
you before making a decision.
Once a company has accepted you,
youll usually have access to an
overwhelming plethora of nishes, paper
types, covers and sizes to pick from.
Remember the feeling. If youre confused
with choice, how will your client feel if you
offer them everything? When you rst join
youll be invited to buy a starter kit, which
often contains swatch samples and studio
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
sample albums in a nish of your choice.

Pick one or two sizes and styles of album
you like and want to offer your clients. In
terms of size, according to Queensberry
their most popular are 12x12in and
14x10in, as theyre affordable and big
enough to be practical for a lot of images.
Folio Albums, which was formed by
photographer Stewart Randall, after he
couldnt nd an album product to suit his
needs and budget, nds it only necessary
to sell albums in a 10x10in or 12x12in
format with leather covers. If you prefer to
shy away from the classic and lean more
towards the modern, Loxley Colour and
Graphistudio offer a variety of nishes from
the classic Italian leather, soft silk, and
hard-back to ultra-modern metallic and
acrylic transparent covers.
These days most albums are ushmount
digital prints, which can look beautiful but
are increasingly common. This is one
reason Queensberry remains the market
leader as it offers a gorgeous matted nish
so that every image is mounted in the
album. If you use the right software, you
can normally design an album in under a
day, and most companies promise to
deliver you the nished product within
three to four weeks from the time your
Getapproval
Once youve designed the album, its a good
idea to have the client approve the layout
before sending it to the printers. You could
do this face-to-face at their home or in your
studio, or use an online proong tool like
AlbumExposure (Albumexposure.com).
Some album design softwares, like
Photojunction, enable you to export your
album as a slideshow or Quicktime le to
email to your clients. While by involving your
clients in the design process you risk
dragging out the production time and maybe
interfering with the workow of your other
weddings, wed still advise that you have
your clients proof the album layout until you
build up the design experience and portfolio
of albums to show clients what theyll be
getting in advance. A redesign and reprint of
an album if the client isnt happy with it
could devour your prots.
order is conrmed. We recommend you

give your clients a lead time of ten weeks
from when they select their pictures until
they receive their album in case of any
problems, and then try to deliver it early
just to nish off your customer service,
which has been exceeding their
expectations from start to nish.
LEADING PROSATWORK
Essentialequipment 71
PHILMAKANNA
ESSENTIAL KIT FOR

SOCIALPHOTOGRAPHY
WE BREAKDOWN THE KEY KIT YOU NEED TO HELP ENSURE SUCCESS
OCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, especially

weddings, is stressful but lucrative,
which is why an increasing number of
photographers are attempting to
make an income from this area of photography.
Whether its a family portrait shoot or a
wedding day, many photographers ensure
theyre well prepared so that they can capture
those special memories and moments
perfectly; while unfortunately there are others
who fail to deliver. This could be down to poor
preparation or technique, but quite often its
not using the most appropriate equipment.
This section of the guide is dedicated to
highlighting the gear that will help you take the
best possible pictures. It covers everything
from the types of cameras and lenses you
should be using to the bags and pouches that
allow you fast access to photo kit, plus the
various accessories that ensure youre always
ready for every eventuality. Whether youre a
wedding photographer, a studio- or locationbased lifestyle photographer, being able to
manipulate light is essential, which is why
weve dedicated space to covering the best
selection of diffusers and reectors on the

market. Weve also tested and rated the key
lens that every social photographer should
consider buying, or at least renting the
absolutely brilliant 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom.
Were fully aware that the tag wedding
photographer is a broad one and covers
those that shoot it as a pastime to full-time
professionals making a tidy living from it. So,
to ensure that we provide indispensable
information to suit every size of budget and
requirement, our wedding kit guide has be
broken down into two broad categories offering
advice for the most common types of wedding
photographer. So, whether youre just getting
started, already enjoy some success or are at
the stage where its your main form of income,
we have essential kit advice that could make
future shoots go smoother and help you
capture even better pictures. And, while weve
split the kit in to two levels, there is no reason
why you cant pick and mix gear from each to
suit your taste and budget, plus youll nd a lot
of it is applicable to lifestyle portrait
photographers too.
Corekittocarry
IMAGESENSOR
CLEANINGKIT
In the unlikely event of dust
settling on a sensor, keep a kit
handy to quickly clean it. Check out Green
Clean and Arctic Buttery products.
MEMORYCARDS
Opt for fast cards from reliable
brands like Lexar, SanDisk,
Kingston and Panasonic. SD
users look for Class 6 or faster SD cards or
CompactFlash of at least 233x or faster. Buy
the best you can afford.
CARDSTORAGE
Use a case for safe storage of
cards. Keep unused cards facing
upwards and used cards facing
downwards. Check out the Lowepro Pixelpak
and Gepe CardSafe.
MICROFIBRECLOTH
Always carry a lens cloth. The
most convenient is the 6
Spudtz pouch, which clips to
your bag or belt. Its also 18% grey, ideal for
custom White Balance in tricky lighting.
STEPLADDER
This optional extra is useful for
shooting group shots or unusual
perspectives.
Contacts
Ansmann
www.ansmannenergy.co.uk
Billingham
www.johnsons-photopia.co.uk
Giottos
Op/Tech
Slik
www.aghead.co.uk
www.newprouk.co.uk
www.intro2020.com
www.hama.co.uk
GreenClean
Hama
Canon
Hahnel
www.canon.co.uk
www.hahnel.ie
www.newprouk.co.uk
www.intertphotographic.com
Cullmann
Sigma
www.nikon.co.uk
BlackRapid
Nikon
www.daymen.co.uk
PocketWizard
Quantum
www.aghead.co.uk
www.sigma-imaging-uk.com
Spudtz
Sto-fen
www.newprouk.co.uk
Interfit
Rogue
CustomBrackets
Lastolite
Sandisk
Tamron
Epson
Lowepro
Sanyoeneloop
Thinktank
Seculine
Velbon
Sekonic
Westcott
www.aghead.co.uk
www.epson.co.uk
Expodisc
www.daymen.co.uk
Gepe
www.lastolite.com
www.daymen.co.uk
www.sandisk.com
www.daymen.co.uk
www.intro2020.com
www.manfrotto.co.uk
www.intro2020.com
www.intro2020.com
Manfrotto
Metz
Tamrac
www.intro2020.com
www.intro2020.com
www.snapperstuff.com
www.intro2020.com
Part-timeweddingphotographer
Youre a very good photographer and youd like to make money from shooting
weddings, but you have a full-time job that pays the bills, so at the moment,
shooting weddings is a secondary form of income. You most likely advertise
yourself as a wedding photographer, mainly for local work, with the majority of
the weddings you shoot at weekends, although you may well take the odd day
off to shoot weekday weddings too. You fancy taking your photography further
and try to save money whenever possible to allow you to upgrade your kit.
Heres what we suggest you should be packing for the big day.
WHITEBALANCEAID
While your cameras Auto White Balance is
reliable, in tricky light, use a WB aid for
accurate colours otherwise a brides white
dress may have a colour cast. A grey card is
suitable, but a handier option is to hold an
ExpoDisc up to your lens and take a quick
custom reading. A 77mm ExpoDisc costs 60.
TOP ENDAPS CDIGITALSLR

If you regularly shoot weddings, you need to
use as good a camera as possible. As well as
improved performance, it also provides visual
assurance of you as a dedicated wedding
photographer. A top-end APS-C DSLR is a
suitable choice, offering great handling,
enhanced performance and solid build. The
1,200 Canon EOS 7D or 1,050 Nikon
D300s are solid choices, as are the majority
of models costing 1,000 or more.
FLASHSOFTBOX
A softbox is popular for portraits as it gives a attering light.
Versions available for ashguns include Lastolites Ezybox
range, which attaches in mere seconds and comes in various
sizes, including the 55 Ezybox Speed-Lite Mini (22x22cm)
shown here. Elementals Flashgun Softbox (50x50cm) is
another good buy. Attach the ashguns on to lighting stands
such as the 30 Intert Cor750 via a dedicated mount, such
as the 25 Cullmann CB2 ball & socket head shown here, and
youre able to control the angle of the ash.
WIRELESSFLASHSYSTEM
An increasing number of wedding photographers are taking
advantage of wireless ash systems to shoot ever more
creative ash exposures during the day as well as at night.
Canon and Nikon have their own dedicated systems
compatible with selective DSLRs and ashguns, but theyre
expensive. Instead, wed suggest you look at using
independent-brand wireless triggers that will work with
almost all models of ash. Hahnel offers the 50 RF Combi,
Intert has the 95 Titan-Pro transceiver, while PocketWizard,
market leaders in wireless triggers, have the excellent 200
FlexTT5 transceiver and 180 MiniTT1 transmitter.
GRIPREFLECTOR
The most useful collapsible reector you can
use, especially when working alone, is the
grip-type. A handle allows you (or an
assistant) to angle a reector with ease.
Lastolite makes a number of TriGrip reectors
(and diffusers) in various sizes and colours,
wed recommend the 60 75cm silver/white
reector as the best rst choice. Alternatively
buy the 90 TriFlip set, which allows you to
slip on various colours including the
highly-efcient Sunre shown here.
GADGETBAG
You need a bag that has good capacity, is
comfortable to carry and is fast to access.
While a backpack is a fair option, youre
better off looking at shoulder bags. The
Lowepro Classied series, with its easy
access zip, is ideal. The Classied 250AW
shown here costs 120 and holds ample kit,
with smaller or larger versions available.
Tamracs 90 Pro 12 is another great option.
MID RANGE
STANDARDZOOM
Invest in a decent quality
standard zoom from one
of the independents like
Sigma, Tamron or Tokina
and youll see signicant
improvement in image
quality. This type of lens is
ideal for group shots,
scene setters and working
in tight environments. The
faster maximum aperture
allows for handheld
photography in most
general situations as well
as creative use of shallow
depth-of-eld. The 350
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4
DC Macro OS HSM and
350 Tamron SP AF
17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC
are excellent, well-priced
options that should be on
your shortlist.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
FLASH,DIFFUSER&BRACKET
A highly-specied and powerful ash with a bounce head allows
you a greater scope of options as well as better coverage. Consider
the 220 Canon Speedlite 430EX II, 240 Nikon Speedlight
SB-600 or well specied independent ashguns like the 200
Metz 50 AF-1 shown here. Fit a diffuser panel like the 16 Sto-Fen
Omni-Bounce over the head to soften the light. An alternative is a
reector attachment for improved bounce-ash results, such as
the 35 Rogue Flashbender. If you only use a single ashgun,
youre better off mounting it on a bracket rather than the hotshoe
for better performance. Custom Brackets make a number of ash
brackets including the 70 Folding-S shown here. Just be sure you
also t the required mount and dedicated lead (not shown).
Inthebag...
MEMORYCARDS:5X8GB
Take at least ve
8GB cards to hold
the hundreds of
Raw and/or JPEG
images youll
shoot over the
course of the day.
MID RANGETELEPHOTOZOOM
TRIPOD&HEAD
Depending on your style of photography, you
may or may not use a tripod, but its worth
having one in your car boot just in case. Opt
for a solid mid-range model like the 100
Manfrotto 190ProB and a good head like the
60 Giottos MH1311 ball & socket.
MID RANGEAPS CDIGITALSLR

Should your primary camera develop a
problem, ensure that your back-up is up for
the job by opting for a mid-range model.
Ideally choose as good a model as possible
often youll nd a secondhand, previous
generation DSLR is good enough, such as the
Canon EOS 50D or Nikon D300, or you could
go for current models like the 800 EOS 60D
or 600 Nikon D90.
BUDGETULTRA WIDEZOOM
Extend your shooting options further by
buying an ultra wide-angle lens. You probably
wont use it much, so one of the more
affordable lenses should do. Their very wide
eld of view makes it easier to shoot large
groups as well as dramatic church interiors
and other creative options. The 400 Sigma
10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM and 390
Tamron SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II LD are
more affordable than marque lenses but still
deliver very high-quality results.
SLINGCAMERASTRAP
Blacks Rapid R-Strap slings across the
shoulder and is built for speed, and is ideal
for having a camera at your side while
shooting with another. The 60 RS-W1B
version is designed specically for women.
MODULARSTORAGESYSTEM
The fastest way to get to kit is to take it out of
your gadget bag and on your person. Modular
systems do just that, with a belt or harness
holding pouches that can store lenses, lters,
cards or other accessories. Shown here from
Tamracs excellent Modular Accessory
System is the 20 MX5397 belt, 14 5385
Large Flash case and 15 5343 Lens Case Pro
100. Also look at Lowepros Street & Field
(shown over the page).
SPUDTZLENSCLOTH
Clip a 6 Spudtz to your belt or gadget bag so
you can clean optics with minimal delay.
You may not use a

telezoom much,
but there are
situations when it
is a great option.
Its ideal for lling
the frame with your
subject from a distance, such as when
theyre walking up the aisle, and its
the perfect choice for candids too.
Used at the short end, its also good
for head and shoulder portraits. Avoid
budget telezooms and instead look at
those with faster apertures and better
optics. While 70-300mm zooms offers
more pulling power, many nd the
70-200mm a better choice. Lenses to
consider include the 530 Canon
70-200mm f/4, 400 Nikon AF-S
70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR, 450 Sigma
50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM II and
350 Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6.
50MMF/1.4STANDARDLENS
The 50mm f/1.8
is a capable lens,
but if you can
stretch the budget,
youll nd the
50mm f/1.4 offers
superior optics and
a near-magical fall-off in depth-of-eld
when used at maximum aperture. As
well as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
and Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, you should
also consider Sigmas 30mm f/1.4 EX
DC HSM and 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM.
Its also worth noting that Tamrons
60mm f/2 Di II Macro doubles up as a
brilliant portrait lens too.
RECHARGEABLEBATTERIES
A pack of batteries
arent expensive,
its when youre
constantly having
to replace them
that the cost starts
to mount.
Rechargeable batteries are the best
option, as they can be used up to
around 1,000 times before needing
replacing. The best brands include
Ansmann and Sanyo Eneloop.
Although they may be slightly more
expensive to buy, youll make your
money back quickly.
Full-timeweddingphotographer
Shooting weddings is becoming (or has become) a serious form of
income for you. Being able to buy better quality equipment means youre
able to capture a greater range of images and deliver better results,
leading to lots of recommendations and further work. Investing some of
your earnings from wedding photography into kit will pay dividends and
gives potential customers a clear impression that you are dedicated to
your wedding photography business. Our outt covers a variety of options
for when youre shooting solo or with an assistant.
FASTTELEPHOTOZOOM
The 70-200mm f/2.8 is the telephoto of
choice for wedding professionals. Boasting
superb optical quality, fast AF and a wide
maximum aperture, it has everything a
portrait photographer working at speed
needs. Some even boast image stabilisation
to aid handholding in low-light. Every marque
brand has at least one in their range, as do
the major independent brands such as Sigma
and Tamron. We test popular 70-200mm
f/2.8 zooms over on the next page.
FLASHBROLLY
An alternative to the softbox is the brolly. The
Westcott Umbrella Flash Kit includes a stand,
vari-angle mount and a silver brolly, all for
70. Youll need a wireless trigger too, but its
a cost-effective option for studio-like portraits
from your ashgun.
PROWIRELESSFLASHSYSTEMS
Invest in a couple of top-end ashguns, such
as the 370 Canon Speedlite 580EX II or
Nikons 330 Speedlight SB900 and you
have a sophisticated ashgun set-up capable
of great results. Use a dedicated transmitter
like the 180 Canon ST-E2 or 230 Nikon
SU-800 for the ultimate in wireless control.
Or check out Pocket Wizards range of
sophisticated transmitters and transceivers.
TRIPOD
A sturdy tripod is required if its to hold a full-frame DSLR with the likes
of a 70-200mm f/2.8 attached. To keep the weight down, invest in a
carbon-bre model like the Manfrotto 240 055CXPRO3, 250 Slik Pro
714 CF II or the 210 Giottos MTL-8261B (shown here). A triggered ball &
socket head will let you adjust camera positions quickly and come highly
recommended. Manfrottos 120 327RC2 is one of the best.
FIVE IN ONEREFLECTORKIT
A silver/white reector is a
good basic option but
ve-in-one kits, while
heavier, provides a choice
of reective surfaces.
Check out the 35
Elemental 107cm kit or,
80 Lastolite Bottletop kit.
Westcotts 85 Photo
Basics Reector Kit,
shown here, comes
supplied with a stand
and bracket so you can leave your reector
set up but watch out for wind!
BACK UP:TOP ENDAPS CDSLR

Many pros have a secondary camera tted with a
lens covering a different range to the primary
outt to hand at all times, as opting to switch
cameras is often quicker than trying to swap
lenses. Your second camera needs to be either a
top-end APS-C DSLR or another full frame model.
Many t a telezoom to a top-end APS-C body to
provide additional pulling power or instead attach
a 50mm f/1.4 lens for wide-aperture portraits.
Models such as the 800 Canon EOS 60D or
1,200 EOS 7D or 1,100 Nikon D300S are
perfectly suited for use as secondary bodies.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
LIGHTMETER
Many photographers
get by quite happily
without them, but lots
of pros still swear by
ambient and ash
readings from a
handheld meter. The
140 Sekonic L-308s is
our favourite,
providing ease of use,
accuracy and reliability
at a very good price.
Inthebag...
MEMORYCARDS:6X8GB
FULLFRAMEDSLR
If you want to deliver the very best image
quality, then you cant do much better than
using a DSLR with a full frame sensor. The
larger size allows for sharper images with less
noise and offers better wide-angle coverage
too. While the difference in image quality over
the best APS-C sensors isnt massive due to
the quality of the latest APS-C sensors, youre
in a competitive market, so if you need your
images to be as good as the competitions,
you dont want to give them an edge in terms
of cameras. You dont need agship models:
the 1,700 Canon EOS 5D MkII or 1,700
Nikon D700 offer superb quality as well as an
excellent range of features.
FASTSTANDARDZOOM
The most popular lens for weddings is an
f/2.8 standard zoom. Covering wide-angle
through to short tele, this lens handles
everything from head and shoulder portraits
to group shots, as well as scene setters too.
Due to it being the primary lens, most pros
stick to using the marque lenses like the 950
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L or 1,200 Nikon AF-S
24-70mm f/2.8G ED. If these are too
expensive, you should also look at the likes of
the 650 Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG IF
HSM and 380 Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di
LD as options too.
LOWEPROSTREET&FIELD
Lowepros Street & Field system offers an
extensive range of options, allowing you to
pick and mix pouches to your needs. Shown
here is the 23 Light Utility Belt, 28 Quick
Flex Pouch 75AW, 30 Utility Bag 100AW
and 25 Lens Exchange 200AW.
RECHARGEABLEFLASHPACK
If youre constantly using ash, its worth
looking into a rechargeable ash pack that
provides hundreds, if not thousands, of ash
bursts before needing recharging. Most slip
on a belt and offer far better recycling times
than standard AA batteries can manage.
Quantum is the leading brand, offering
different packs with dedicated leads for all
major brands. The 420 Quantum Turbo SC
(Slim Compact) offers fast recycling times
(around 1.4 secs) and up to 400 bursts per
charge used with a hotshoe-type ash.
LARGEGADGETBAG
Youre carrying around a lot of kit so need a
bag thats comfortable and spacious. The
220 Billingham 335 exudes quality and style
and its brand suggests youre a successful
photographer. Fast access isnt its strong
point, but not such a problem if you wear belt
pouches. A more practical option used by
many wedding photographers is the Lowepro
Stealth Reporter. Designed with social and
press photography in mind, theyre spacious,
robust, comfortable and quick to get inside.
Different sizes are available, but wed
recommend the 120 D650AW.
You need very fast

cards to handle
sequences of
Raw les on a
full-frame DSLR.
Youll ll them up
quickly, so buy at
least half a dozen 8GB cards.
PORTABLEPHOTOVIEWER
Back up your
images from each
card on to a
portable photo
viewer when you
get a free moment.
Brands such as
Vosonic and Archos make them, but
the P-series from Epson are the best.
They boast large sharp screens, fast
transfer rates and reliability. Our
favourite is the 450 160GB P-7000.
PREMIUMULTRAWIDE ANGLE
Full frame sensors
highlight the use of
inferior lenses, in
particular ultrawide zooms, so you
need to look at
buying a premium
ultra-wide. There are several strong
contenders to consider, including the
1,100 Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L and
1,300 Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8 ED.
REMOTERELEASE
Avoiding shake is
the usual reason
for using a remote,
but with weddings,
its also so you can
re the shutter
while keeping
direct eye contact while talking with
subjects, for more natural and relaxed
results. Check your instruction book
for compatibility if you opt for the
manufacturers remote. However, wed
strongly suggest you look at remotes
from Hama, Hahnel and Seculine, who
all make affordable dedicated releases.
FASTSTANDARD50MMLENS
Even though you
have a fast
standard zoom in
the outt, its still
worth having a
50mm f/1.4 to
hand, as its
maximum aperture can prove
extremely useful when shooting
creative effects or shooting handheld
in low light.
FAST
ZOOM
LENSES
Its the telezoom of choice for

enthusiasts and professionals
shooting anything from
weddings to sport to wildlife.
We test and rate the versatile and
desirable 70-200mm f/2.8 lens
from leading marque and
independent brands to see
which offers you the best value
THE 70-200MM f/2.8 lens is larger,

heavier and far more expensive than
the regular budget telezooms that
most of us are used to sticking on the
front of our DSLRs. But its the lens that
every photographer who uses a telephoto
zoom on a regular basis should aspire to
own. Quite simply, it will take your
photography to a new level in terms of
image quality and general performance.
Its the telezoom that serious enthusiasts
save up for and professionals wouldnt
live without. So what makes it such a
special lens to use?
The main reason, of course, is the
image quality it delivers. There is no duff
70-200mm f/2.8 lens every single one
delivers sharpness that exceeds that of
your average telezoom. Were not talking
slightly better either, these lenses deliver
incredibly sharp results, so when you read
our reviews of models bear this in mind.
The optics used in these lenses are of the
highest quality and within each lens youll
normally nd a number of special
elements such as uorite, low dispersion
or aspherical groups, all designed to
reduce aberrations and distortion to give
you the sharpest possible images.
The f/2.8 maximum aperture means
theyre very fast too, which gives
maximum benet when youre using it at
the 200mm end of the zoom and need a
fast shutter speed. This wide aperture
setting also offers the bonus of very
shallow depth-of-eld, which is perfect for
creative portraits and a reason why
wedding photographers rate it so highly.
These lenses also offer other improved
features too, namely a better autofocus
performance over budget options, an
image stabiliser with extra modes to suit
panning and optional teleconverters. Its
an expensive optic, but if you regularly
shoot at telephoto settings, its one to
save up for. Our comparison test will help
you make the right choice.
BEST
BUY
HIGHLY
RATED
Tamron70-200mm
f/2.8DiLDMacro
Sigma70-200mm
f/2.8EXDGOSHSM
GUIDE PRICE: 840 / STREET PRICE: 630

CONSTRUCTION: 18 elements in 13 groups
MAXIMUM APERTURE: f/2.8
MINIMUM APERTURE: f/32
FILTER THREAD: 77mm
ANGLE OF VIEW: 35 12
NO. OF DIAPHRAGM BLADES: Nine
MINIMUM FOCUS: 95cm
MAXIMUM MAGNIFICATION RATIO: 0.3x
DIMENSIONS: 89.5x194.3mm
WEIGHT: 1,150g
SUPPLIED ACCS: Tripod collar, case, hood
TELECONVERTERS: 1.4x & 2x SP Pro
FITTINGS: Canon, Nikon, Pentax & Sony
GUIDE PRICE: 1,540 / STREET PRICE: 1,000

FILTER THREAD: 77mm
ANGLE OF VIEW: 34.3 12.3
MINIMUM FOCUS: 140cm
DIMENSIONS: 86.4x197mm
WEIGHT: 1,430g
TELECONVERTERS: 1.4x and 2x EX DG APO
FITTINGS: Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma & Sony
Handling
Handling
You're in for a surprise. Despite costing

considerably less than its rivals, the
build quality of the Tamron lens is
excellent. The wide zoom and focus ring
have textured, rubberised nish and are
smooth in action, with the focus ring
switching from AF to manual via a
push-pull action for Canon and Nikon
lenses, or an AF/M switch for Pentax
and Sony versions.
Features
the Tamron lacks a number of features

found on its rivals, which is to be
expected for its price. It boasts the
shortest minimum focusing distance of
our tested models. It has three LD (Low
Dispersion) elements, but lacks image
stabilisation or any ultrasonic focusing.
Performance
The AF system lags behind its rivals in

terms of speed and is also prone to
hunting before locking on to the
subject. Wedding photographers should
note the AF isn't brilliant in low light.
There is little to complain about in
terms of its optical performance, which
is excellent considering its price.
This Sigma feels like a premium lens

although parts of the barrel have a
slight plastic feel. The zoom ring has a
wide, easy-to-grip nish and smooth
action. The manual focus ring displays
similar characteristics but is narrower
a slightly wider ring would be better.
Features
The Sigma pretty much matches whats

found on marque lenses. Its Optical
Stabiliser (OS) claims a four-stop
benet and settings for general use or
panning. It also has internal focusing, a
Hypersonic Motor (HSM), two F Low
Dispersion (FLD) and three Special Low
Dispersion (SLD) elements.
Performance
The AF is excellent: quiet, fast and

responsive. We found the OS offers
around three stops benet. The Sigma
delivers a strong performance optically
if you avoid the maximum aperture,
where results are soft at the edges. Its
very sharp at the centre of the frame
and delivers excellent results from
f/4-f/11 throughout the zoom range.
Chromatic aberration is admirably low.
Verdict
Verdict
Handling
Features
Performance
Value
Handling
Features
Performance
Value
Overall
Overall
The low price makes this a desirable

fast telezoom. While it lacks features,
its high-quality optics make it a ne
'budget' buy. It's a major step up
from budget zooms but it has a less
than perfect AF system.
A real alternative to marque models.

Its OS works well and AF is excellent.
The optical performance is fantastic
and if youre a Canon user, this is a
better-specied alternative to the
similarly-priced non-IS Canon zoom.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Overallverdict
BEST
BUY
BEST
BUY
NikonAF-S70-200mm
f/2.8GEDVRII
CanonEF70-200mm
f/2.8LISUSMII

FILTER THREAD: 77mm
ANGLE OF VIEW: 34.2 12.2
DIMENSIONS: 87x209mm
WEIGHT: 1,540g
TELECONVERTERS: TC-20, 17, 14 (2x, 1.7x, 1.4x)
FITTINGS: Nikon

FILTER THREAD: 77mm
ANGLE OF VIEW: 34 12
NO. OF DIAPHRAGM BLADES: Eight
DIMENSIONS: 88.8x199mm
WEIGHT: 1,490g
TELECONVERTERS: Extenders EF1.4xII, EF2xII
FITTINGS: Canon
Handling
Handling
This telezoom oozes class. Its solid

magnesium-alloy barrel, weather/dust
sealing and smooth controls are what
youd expect from a premium zoom.
The zoom and focus rings are a good
size and sport a grooved rubberised
texture and smooth action.
Features
The Nikkor is kitted out with features

including a focus limiter and enhanced
Vibration Reduction system (VR II) with
standard and panning modes. The AF
boasts a Silent Wave Motor while seven
Extra-low Dispersion (ED) elements are
used to minimise chromatic aberration.
The lens also features Nano Crystal
coatings to reduce are and ghosting.
Performance
AF is quick, quiet and accurate at

locking on static or moving subjects.
The VRII system is superb too and the
claimed four-stop improvement is
achievable. The optics deliver razorsharp results throughout the zoom
range. Chromatic aberration and
distortion are well controlled but use
the hood to avoid ghosting in sunlight.
Verdict
Sporting a distinctive grey nish, this

Canon telezoom is one of the largest
and heaviest of its type. It has a robust
build and moisture and dust sealing.
Both the zoom and focus rings have a
grooved surface and very nice actions.
Features
Youve everything you could need in this

Canon lens. An Ultrasonic Motor (USM)
gives fast, silent AF and internal focus
ensures lter users are kept happy. The
Image Stabiliser (IS) has two modes
(general and panning) and there is a
focus limiter too. The optical set-up
includes one uorite and ve Ultra low
Dispersion (UD) elements.
Performance
Focusing is quiet, fast, and responsive

in every shooting situation. The IS
system works a treat too and our tests
show a four-stop benet is possible.
The optical performance is nothing
short of incredible. Wide open, it gives
crisp results that improve further once
the lens is stopped down. Sharpness is
superb throughout the range. Colour
fringing is minimal, as is distortion.
Verdict
The ultimate choice for the Nikon

user. Beautifully designed, robust
and loaded with every feature you
might need, this high-performing
lens is perfect for pros or enthusiasts
who can afford it.
Canon users wanting the best should

buy this lens. It is feature-packed and
produces a dazzling performance.
Its size and weight may put off those
with smaller DSLRs, but other than
this and the price, its hard to fault.
Handling
Features
Performance
Value
Handling
Features
Performance
Value
Overall
Overall
There aren't too many 70-200mm f/2.8

lenses on the market, but it's
reassuring to know that all four we've
tested here offer very high-quality
optics, so you won't go far wrong
whichever one you choose.
All are relatively big and bulky
compared to budget models, due to the
superior optics that they incorporate,
but handle well and are a joy to use.
Interestingly, the performance on
APS-C and full frame sensors were
very similar, an indication that lens
manufacturers are taking care to
ensure their lenses have universal
appeal. The Tamron stands out simply
because it's far more affordable than
any of the other models. In terms of
optics, it's not far behind the more
pricey options, which makes it a very
tempting proposition. Its lack of image
stabilisation isn't a major handicap but
it is let down by its autofocus
performance, which isn't as responsive
as the other models on test.
For just under 1,000, you'll nd the
Sigma lens, which we highly
recommend. The Sigma boasts a very
good image stabiliser for its price and
is available in other ttings too, so
represents a great investment for those
who use Nikon, Pentax, Sigma or Sony
digital SLRs.
This leaves the superb but expensive
Canon and Nikon pairing. Are either
worth their high price tag? In truth, if
you're not planning on taking pictures
to make money, the Sigma is probably
a better buy. But the Canon and Nikon
do take optical performance to new
heights, so if you can afford either of
these and could benet from their extra
quality, don't hesitate for a second, as
they're both superb.
Lighting aidsforportraits
Whetherworkingwithambientlightorshootinginastudiowithash,reectorsanddiffusersare
aninexpensiveandversatileaidtohelpmanipulatelight.Herearethemaintypestoconsider
TS A COMMON misconception that

you need expensive equipment to get
professional-looking portraits. While
a better camera and superior optics do
make a difference, there are many
affordable bits of kit that can lead to far
better pictures if used correctly. Lighting
aids such as reectors and diffusers are
two such item, proving useful whether

youre using daylight, studioash or any
other form of lighting for that matter.
Any wedding or portrait photographer,
studio or location-based, nd lighting aids
invaluable for controlling light quickly and
effectively if they need to ll in shadows or
diffuse light to make it more attering.
There are different types of lighting aids

available in different sizes, shapes and
colours, from small handheld options to
those that require a stand or assistant to
hold them. This guide covers a range of
products from all the popular brands to
help you make the right choices and
ultimately save you money.
CaliforniaSunbounce
Calumet
www.theashcentre.com
www.calumetphoto.co.uk
The California Sunbounce range of

reectors is a favourite with professionals
thanks to their stability, build quality and
light weight. The reector panels are tted
to aluminium frames that come in various
sizes and are quick and easy to assemble,
disassemble and pack up for storage and
transportation. There is a good choice of
reective panels available, although not
every colour is suitable for every frame,
but you still have several options open to
you (the downloadable PDF catalogue has
a very useful easy-reference table).
While you can buy extra panels to use
with a frame, the difference in price for
complete kits and individual panels isnt
that wide, so its often worth buying the
complete outt to save you having to swap
panels while on location. As with other
brands, there are silver/white and gold/
white reector options, but youll nd that
there are other reective nishes eg
zebra/white (zebra is a mix of gold and
silver), as well as a number of translucent
diffuser options too.
As theyre made for professional use,
youll nd that theyre relatively expensive,
but are made to last for years of intensive
use and are produced from the best
possible materials. The Sunbounce
system is extensive, so contact importers
Calumet is a major photo

retailer and has an
extensive number of
own-brand photo
accessories, including
its ZipDisc range of
collapsible
reectors. These
include two colour
reectors,
translucent panels
and four-colour sleeves (gold/silver/
white/black) The ZipDisc kits are as
follows:
While a couple of translucent panels are

available for the Pro and Mega panels, for
diffusing purposes, wed recommend you
check out the Sun Swatter. This is a large
diffuser that is ideal for outdoor use as it
can be held by a boon over the subject
and outside of the image area. Its easy to
assemble and designed to be used in
windy conditions. There are two sizes
available and a number of options for the
light-reducing value of the translucent
material (1/3, 2/3 or one-stop light
diffusion). Wed recommend the smaller
Sun Swatter with the 1/3 or 2/3-stop
diffuser as a good rst option.
Other specialist reectors in the range
includes the Sun-mover, which allows for
additional control of the spread of light
and the Sun Cage a purpose made
mobile studio for location shooting.
The Flash Centre if you require further

details, or download the catalogue at
www.sunbounce.com.
Because the number of options is huge,
weve listed the different reector ranges
below and stated the price of the two most
popular reective colours. While a
number of sizes are available, wed
recommend the Mini or Pro as your rst
choice, and the Mega (stated as Big in the
catalogue) if youre a very keen enthusiast.
Here are the main options:
Micro-mini: (60x90cm)
Silver/white: 106; Zebra/white: 128
Mini: (90x125cm)
Pro: (130x190cm)
Big: (180x245cm)
TranslucentwhiteZipDiscpanel
The circular diffuser at the heart of its
5-in-1 kit is available on its own too.
56cm 15; 81cm 26;
107cm 37; 130cm 46
Zigzaggold-silver/WhiteZipDisc
The gold-silver side combines gold and
silver for added warmth to the subject.
56cm 15; 81cm 26; 107cm 35
Silver/whiteZipDisc
The classic handheld reector.
Supplied with a zip case.
56cm 15; 81cm 26; 107cm 37
ZipDiscFour-colourcover
This four-colour (gold, white, silver
and black) sleeve cover can be used
on any round or oval reector.
56cm (22in) ZipDisc reversible: 14
SunSwatter (130x190cm)
-1/3 stop complete 235
SunSwatter (130x190cm)
-2/3 Stop complete 245
SunSwatter Giant (180x245cm)
-1/3 Stop complete 393
SunSwatter Giant (180x245cm)
-2/3Stop Complete 408
ZipDischolder
Calumet offers two telescopic holders
to keep your ZipDisc in place while
youre shooting without assistance.
Choose between the standard version
at 27 or, if youre shooting outdoors,
opt for the heavy-duty holder at 35.
Please note that if you visit Calumets
website, you may get a little confused
about the product descriptions, so if
youve any queries, phone their
customer service on 08706 030303.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Interfit
Lastolite
www.intertphotographic.com
www.lastolite.com
Intert is one of the UKs leading

brands of studio equipment and has
an extensive range of reectors, from
handhelds to larger stand-supported
types, so youve plenty of choice!
Lastolite is one of the worlds leading

studio accessory brands and is
particularly renowned for its lighting aids,
so its no surprise to discover it has an
extensive range of products. Many are
designed for specic pro uses, so due to
space constraints, weve selected the
products most suitable for general
portrait photography. A comprehensive
brochure PDF can be downloaded from
Lastolite's website if youd like to check
out the entire range.
Softsun/white;silver/white
andsilver/gold:
Round, collapsible reectors available
in three nishes and four sizes
30cm 10; 56cm 16;
82cm 27; 107cm 37
5-in-1kits
These feature a translucent reector,
with a four-colour overlay sleeve
(gold, silver, black and white), supplied
in a zip-up bag. They are available in
three sizes as follows:
56cm 25: 82cm 36; 107cm 42
Easy Grip:
Interts Easy Grip
reector has a
thick handle for
one-handed use
and measures
90x60cm
(36x24in). It is
available in the
following colours:
sunlight/white; gold/silver; silver/white
and -stop translucent and costs 40.
Portrait Reflector Kit:
Intert's Portrait Reector Kit is
essentially three reector panels
attached to a frame that ts easily on a
lighting stand. Each 90x60cm
(36x24in) panel can be individually
positioned for improved lighting
control. The kit is supplied with one
silver/gold panel and two sunlight/
silver panels and costs 100.
The Large Flat Panel Reflector:
Studio-based photographers may be
interested in these large reector
panels, made for full-length portraits
and fashion shoots. The Large Flat
Panel Reector measures 89x178cm
(35x70in) and is supplied complete
with a stand and a rotating/tilting
bracket for using the panel vertically or
horizontally. Silver/gold and white/
black versions are available for 84.
Flexi-lite 5-in-1:
This stand-mounted
panel reector is
aimed at pros and can
be used handheld or
on location. The
aluminium frame has
a boon arm that can
be positioned at any
angle. Various kits are
available in medium
(100x150cm) or large
(150x200cm). The INT303
has a gold/silver/black/white
cover and costs 307.
Collapsible reflectors: When it

comes to collapsible reectors, no brand
has as many options as Lastolite. Its
round reectors are available in 30cm,
50cm, 76cm, 95cm and 120cm
diameters and there is a huge 1.8x1.2m
rectangular option too. All of these are
available in the following nishes: silver/
white; sunre/white, silver/gold, sunre/
silver; gold/white and sunlite/soft silver.
A two-stop diffuser is also available in all
sizes from 50cm upwards. Guide prices
for silver/white are as follows: 30cm 13;
50cm 24; 75cm 35; 95cm 58; 120cm
75; 1.8x1.2m 91.
Bottletops 5-in-1 kit: This includes a
diffuser panel with elasticated covers.
The kit comprises the diffuser panel and
a gold/white and sunre/silver cover and
comes in four sizes: 50cm (41), 75cm
(47), 95cm (57) and 120cm (85).
TriGrip: The original TriGrip was the

rst collapsible reector to feature a
handle and proved extremely popular.
The design has been updated, with a new
moulded grip improving handling and
there are now three sizes in the range: the
47 Mini TriGrip (45cm); 62 TriGrip
(75cm) and 77 Large TriGrip (1.2m).
For each size, you can choose reectors in
silver/white, gold/white, sunre/silver and
sunlite/softsilver nishes, as well as a
one-stop or two-stop diffuser. Accessories
for the TriGrip include a support bracket
and the TriFlip, a set of seven reector
covers that can be placed over a TriGrip to
offer the ultimate in versatility. You can
also buy a 185 TriFlip 8:1 kit that supplies
a two-stop diffuser (Mini TriGrip or
TriGrip) with seven colour sleeves.
Triflector: The MkII kit consists of a

support frame with three collapsible
panels, all easily packed away in a case
weighing a total of only 1.2kg. The panels
are available in the following reective
nishes: sunre/silver, silver/white, gold/
white and a 1.2-stop diffuser. A kit is 130;
extra sets of panels range from 33-45.
UpLite 4:1: A set of self-supporting
120x90cm reector panels for use by
photographers working on their own,
who need to bounce light at an angle
from the oor. The angle can be adjusted
from 30-80 and the two panels can also
be separated for handheld use. The
UpLite comes in two versions: the Cool
Tone has a sunlite/softsilver and silver/
white reective surfaces, while the Warm
Tone has a gold/white and sunre/silver
reective surfaces. It comes supplied
with a waterproof shower cap and a carry
case and costs around 120.
Skylite: Best suited for serious
photographers looking for a lightweight,
durable and large diffuser that can also
double up as a reector. The rigid, hollow
aluminium frame supports a diffuser
(0.75 or 1.25 stop) or reector (gold/
silver, silver/white, black/white or
sunre/white) via secure Velcro
fastenings. The Skylite can be bought in a
number of kit forms and three sizes are
available as follows: Small 1.1x1.1m
(1.3kg); medium 1.1x2m (2kg) and large
2x2m (2.3kg). The standard kit includes
the frame, silver/white and translucent
fabrics and carry bag, and are priced at
around 120, 184 and 225 for the
small, medium and large respectively.
ONSALE NOW!
LEADING PROSATWORK
Jobsinphotography 81
PHILMAKANNA
JOBS IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Find out how to make money from landscapes, travel, wildlife and sports photography
LANDSCAPE
PHOTOGRAPHY
If youre an outdoor photographer, sustaining an income from your
images is likely to be your dream. Find out how to make it come true
EGARDLESS OF WHETHER you

live in the heart of the countryside
or in the middle of a town or city,
you are never far from a photogenic
landscape. It is this accessibility that
makes scenic photography so popular
among digital photographers. Whether its
a sweeping vista of rolling hills or a
cityscape of skyscrapers, good images are
always saleable. However, if you wish to
earn cash from your captures, you rst
need to know which markets to approach.
With no shortage of high-quality scenics
available from professional and amateur
photographers, this is a competitive area
and, generally speaking, only wellcomposed, well-lit, technically-perfect
images will appeal to editors and
publishers. Dont let this put you off
though, images that meet the above
criteria could soon be earning you money.
Knowing your market saves you time
and effort in the long run. Before you
approach a magazine or publisher, spend
time looking at the material they already
use to guide you in making your picture
selection. Its a good idea, at rst, to
specialise in photography of one county or
region. An intimate knowledge of an area
LEE FROST
Essentiallandscapekit
A wide-angle lens is a must-have for
shooting sweeping vistas. A traditional
28mm wide-angle lens is ne for
photographers with a full frame camera, but
most DSLR bodies have a smaller APS-C
sensor that increases the focal length by a
factor of around 1.5x, therefore, opt for a
wide-angle zoom covering a focal length of
around 17-35mm. A telezoom is useful for
cropping into the landscape.
Filters are important tools for landscape
photography too. It is best to invest in a
slot-in system, like the Cokin P or Lee Filter
system. A polariser is a must for saturating
colour and boosting blue skies and you will
need a set of graduated ND lters to balance
unevenly lit scenes. Invest in a good, sturdy
tripod and comfortable backpack to carry all
your landscape kit.
helps produce better images, as

experience tells you where to visit in
certain light or weather conditions. Dont
make the common mistake of overlooking
tourist hotspots and landmarks either.
Many photographers disregard them as
theyve been shot to death, but they can
always be photographed better or from a
different viewpoint. Photographs of
recognisable locations often sell the best,
especially with calendar publishers.
But while pictures of local views may
prove to be your bread and butter
work, also try taking dramatic or
ne-art images: theres a good market
for these with photo magazines, picture
libraries and as limited edition prints.
Potentialmarkets
Prints
Its common for landscape photographers to
sell prints of their most attractive images.
Not only is it satisfying to know that people
like your work sufciently to display it on their
walls, but it can make you some extra cash.
Selling prints can also prove a door opener for
other work or commissions in the future.
To give your prints an exclusive feel, it can be
worthwhile limiting the number you sell of each
view to a set amount and numbering and
signing them individually. Produce prints in
several sizes, and sell them mounted not
framed, as the majority of buyers will prefer to
frame to their own taste. Visit a few local
galleries, introduce yourself and show them a
selection of your work. If they are interested in
marketing your photography, they will advise
you with how much you can reasonably charge.
This can vary tremendously, but around
40-80 is not unreasonable for a quality,
mounted limited edition 15x10in or 18x12in
print. Naturally, they will take a commission of
the selling price, typically 15-25%. This still
leaves a decent prot margin on the cost of
printing and mounting your shot. You also
could rent a stall at a craft or art fair, although
this approach requires more time and money.
Magazines
There is a good variety of magazines that are
constantly on the lookout for quality scenic
images. Photographs that feature footpaths,
walkers or wooden stiles appeal to walking
magazines like Country Walking and TGO,, while
images with great technique suit photography
titles. But by far the biggest market is regional
magazines. Wherever you are based, there will be
titles dedicated to that county or region. Pop into
specic
your local newsagents and buy copies speci
c to
your area. Have a look at the style and quality of
the images and then make an initial approach.
Unless stated otherwise, send a polite, brief
introductory email with a list of the locations you
have available, along with an example of your
work and a link to your website. Once your images
are used regularly, you may nd that it later leads
to commissioned work.
Postcards
Millions of postcards are produced, sold and sent
every year and publishers add new scenes to their
range annually. They only sell for a few pence, so
the prot margin on them is relatively small.
Postcard publishers will normally offer a single
reproduction fee of around 50- 100 for pictures
they wish to use. This may not sound like much,
but they are shouldering the risk of whether the

image sells well or not. Obviously, the ones that
do will generate a reasonable prot, but equally
publishers may not even recover their costs if
the image doesnt prove popular.
Some publishers, like Judges consider
images that are vibrant and suitable from
anywhere in England and Wales. However,
other printers, like Thomas Bennaci, specialise
in images of a specic region, so do your
research before making an approach. Pictures
that sell best are normally of the most popular
viewpoints and attractions or scenes that
include signicant buildings or monuments
have a look at the postcards already on sale to
give you a good idea of the style and quality.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
LEE FROST
Insiderview
Lee
Frost
LANDSCAPE
PHOTOGRAPHER
Q)Howdidyougetstarted?
I was a typical hobbyist photographer in my
early teens and started submitting images to
magazines, getting published and earning a bit
of money from it. As I got myself known in
photography magazines, I started to get work
off the back of my submissions and eventually
began writing for the titles too, which is now a
part of how I make my living.
Q) Howprofitablearecalendars,
postcardsandgreetingcards?
Its always been a bit hit and miss. The fees you
get for postcards are never great and calendar
publishers that pay decent money prefer to
work with as few photographers as possible.
If youve got a really good library of images,
featuring wide coverage of the UK, you stand a
better chance of directly working with a
publisher. The images of mine that are used in
calendars, however, are mainly sourced
through picture libraries.
Q)Howdoyoumakeafull-timejoboutof
landscapephotography?
My income is split in to three categories: selling
photographs, whether that be prints, via picture
libraries or to magazines; writing photography
books and magazine features; and operating
photography tours and workshops. I dont think
theres any photographer in the UK at the
moment who makes a decent living just from

selling photographs. Even Joe Cornish the god
of UK landscape photography does workshops,
operates a gallery that exhibits other
photographers work and publishes greeting cards
by other photographers. All the renowned
landscape photographers in the UK like Joe,
Charlie Waite and David Ward are involved in
other areas of photography to make a good living.
If youre starting out, youd be naive to think you
could make decent money from just taking and
selling your landscape pictures.
Q) Howdoyougoaboutsellingyourimages?
Most of my images sold for publication are done
via picture libraries so I have little to do with it.
I get statements through every quarter telling me
whats been sold and how much for. There are so
many image libraries now, many linked with Getty
Images. Ive been contracted to Robert Harding
World Imagery since the late 80s and theyre my
main source of stock sales, especially since they
teamed up with Getty Images. I probably make
more money now from stock than I ever have.
I also work with a smaller library called the Travel
Library in Hampshire.
Q) Whatresourcescanyourecommend?
Buy The Freelance Photographers Market
Handbook: it was my bible in the early years.
Unfortunately, its also the bible of anyone else
trying to sell a few images so you tend to nd the
markets in the book are ooded, though its still a
good starting point and certainly got me going.
Knowing where to send your images and what is
required is the biggest hurdles.
Q) Howdidyoustartyourcourses?
When Charlie Waite started up Light & Land some
15 years ago, he asked me to lead some
workshops and after a few years of doing this,

I set up on my own as I wanted more choice
over the destinations I was taking groups to.
Photo Adventures has now been operating for
about ten years. It wasnt easy, but being quite
a well-known name in photo magazines and
having written a few photography books
denitely helped with business.
Q) Whatadvicedoyouhaveforlandscape
photographerswantingtostartcourses?
You have to be realistic. For a start, there are
many more photographers doing workshops
and course than they used to be a lot run by
photographers who arent particularly well
known. I think many of them are photographers
who see workshops as a way of making more
money or newcomers to professional
landscape photography who see it as a way of
trying to drum up some business. Competition
is quite strong. I no longer do short UK
workshops anymore because the markets
ooded, instead I do longer overseas
workshops to places such as Cuba.
If youre passionate and talented, you
shouldnt let the competition put you off but
dont expect to be lling up workshops
overnight if no one knows who you are. Its
quite a slow process. Ive been doing it for ten
years, been a full-time landscape photographer
for almost 20 years, and I still take every year
as it comes because I never know if the next
year will be as good as this one. Keep your wits
about you and be aware that the industry is
constantly changing, markets disappear and
you have to nd new ones: its never an easy
ride but equally I wouldnt want to be doing
anything else.
For further details on Lee Frosts Photo
Adventures, visit: www.leefrost.co.uk
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Get to grips with what it takes to be a sports photographer and how to earn cash standing on the sideline
RICHARD PELHAM
RICHARD PELHAM
F YOU LOVE sport and photography,

what could be better than combining
the two interests? Surely its a dream
job. Professional sports photographers get
into events for free, have the best view of
the event and are often within just a few
metres of sports biggest and best stars.
It sounds like a cushy number, doesnt it?
However, sports photography is extremely
challenging. At the highest level, the
expectancy and pressure is massive.
You have to capture the key incidents no
matter how difcult the conditions: there
are no second chances.
Digital SLRs have made the life of sports
photographers a little easier. ISO sensitivity
can now be adjusted with the push of a
button and altered quickly in changing
light. No longer is there an anxious wait for
lm to be processed, instead pros can
send their images to their agencies and
publications within moments of capture
via the internet and their laptop.
While images taken at major events
such as Ryder Cups, Premiership games
and Test matches may be the most
lucrative and saleable, there are ways to
make money while you build a reputation
and portfolio that lets you in to those
games. Not only can you take and sell
pictures of local sporting events, theyre
also the best places to hone your skills
and you dont need a pass to take pictures
at the village football club or rugby ground.
Always try to pick out a shooting position
that gives a clean or interesting
background and separates the action from
the backdrop. In addition to quick reexes,
a good knowledge of the sport youre
covering helps you capture relevant,
appealing, saleable images. Having
captured some good snaps, approach the
sports people in your shots and enquire if
they would like to buy a print. Admittedly
this wont make you rich, but it will allow
you to earn a few quid while you learn.
Photographing local events will help you
build a good portfolio of images, which in
turn will enable you to take the next step.
Seek permission to attend larger regional
events or matches, using your portfolio of
images as proof of your ability and
integrity. Approach a regional weekly
paper to enquire if they have any
assignments for a freelancer. This can lead
to regular work and, if you are good, be a
route to making decent money or even a
career. Be prepared to get knocked back at
rst, though you need thick skin in this
business. However, if you believe in your
ability, persevere: you will be given an
opportunity, and when you do, grab it..
Essentialsportskit
Youll require more than just a
basic digital camera set-up to
consistently capture
frame-lling, action-packed
shots. Two DSLR bodies allow
you to swap from one focal
length to another quickly
without wasting valuable time
changing lenses. Pros rely on
fast optics, capable of being
used indoors or in poor light.
However, this type of kit isnt
cheap. Ideally, you will want a
good, versatile mixture of
focal lengths, boasting a fast,
maximum aperture of f/2.8.
At least one telephoto
upwards of 300mm is
required for shooting distant
action, while shorter focal
lengths like the
70-200mm are ideal for
closer action. A wide-angle
lens can also be useful,
producing visually strong,
unusual and intimate
sporting images in situations
where you are able to get
near to the action. A
monopod is the best
form of support, being
easier to manoeuvre than
a tripod. Youll often shoot
long bursts of images, so
you will need several large
capacity memory cards
and also a number of
charged batteries. To be
able to transmit images
from events, a laptop is
an essential tool for
todays professional.
Potentialmarkets
Stock agencies
One of the best ways to sell your images after
an event is to place them with an agency. There
are a few photo libraries specialising in action
images, but most of the main agencies, like the
Press Association, tend to have their own staff
photographers or are only prepared to market
the images of established professionals.
Agencies like Action Images will consider
speculative submissions as long as their
unusual; so dont waste their time or yours by
sending them anything but top-notch material.
Although agencies take a hefty commission
on sales (typically 50%), they are able to reach
worldwide markets that one person simply
cant. Obviously, images of big sporting events
or stars have greater commercial appeal and
be more marketable. Eye-catching or unusual
images will be highly saleable regardless of
where they were taken or of whom. However,
images like this may sell better on general
online agencies, like Alamy or Fotolibra.
Local papers
Selling images of local sporting events or
matches to the local weekly paper is one of the
most common routes into sports photography.
Depending on the size of the paper, they may
already have a staff photographer, but it is very
likely they also rely partly or fully on
freelancers. To demonstrate your ability,
approach the paper with examples of your work
and speak only to the person who assigns the
photographers. Presuming your work is
sufciently good enough, they may well be
prepared to give you an opportunity. This will
get you on the sidelines of xtures that,
otherwise, you wouldnt legitimately be able to
attend. The money may not be great at rst,
but the experience will be invaluable.
Regular assignments will give you the
opportunity to continue building your portfolio
and with time, you will be in a position to
progress to a regional daily paper and then,
who knows, a national daily
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
NICK WOOD
Insiderview
Nick
Woods
SPORTS
PHOTOGRAPHER
Q)Whatsthestateoftheindustry?
A few years ago, large agencies such as Getty
Images went on a spree, buying up smaller
agencies to dominate the eld for most major
sports such as football. So, as these agencies
have a lot of the industry tied up with most
broadsheet papers and clubs making them
their rst port of call, it doesnt make nancial
sense to target high-prole sports or teams.
Q)Howcanphotographerslooktogetin
tosportsphotography?
It can be a vicious circle to begin with as to
attach yourself to an agency, you need a
portfolio of decent events. But its the clubs
(who can be very selective about their
photographers) and agencies that can get you
the accreditation or press pass you need for
these events. To help build a portfolio of
published work, start off by buying a copy of
your local papers over the next couple of weeks
and take note of what sports the editors cover.
Follow the events and send the images to the
editors each week. If your images are better
than what they already have, they may ask you
to cover more events. Also, look for third
division football teams as they will have less
restrictions on taking photographs, or for more
obscure events that might want exposure.
If youre willing to work part-time, approach your

local paper or club and ask them to get you
accreditation in exchange for use of your images
for free to build a portfolio. If you cant get any big
events, look out for the big names playing in lower
level events as part of their rehab. A close-up on
them can look great in your portfolio.
Q) Whatopportunitieswillthe2012
Olympicsbringphotographers?
Demand for images of less mainstream sports
such a beach volleyball and handball should
increase over the next year and its unlikely the big
agencies have specialists to cover them.
Q) DoIhavetogofreelance?
You could work on spec but be prepared for some
hard times as its getting more and more
competitive as kit becomes more affordable. If
you can make it work, its very afuent, especially
if you attach yourself to a local paper, but you may
be up against agency workers. You could,
however, try to get in with smaller agencies such
as Action Images or Action Plus. They could get
you the accreditation for low- level events, which
helps you work towards building your portfolio for
the larger agencies, such as Getty Images and the
Press Association.
Q) Doessuccessinsportsphotographyrely
onjusttakinggreatpictures?
No. Taking good pictures is only half the job.
Agencies and picture desks are normally
inundated with images so you have to make their
job as easy as possible when it comes to selecting
pictures. During a game I spend half my time in
front of my laptop cropping images to agency
proportions, resizing, lling in the metadata and
even writing the headlines so they can

immediately distribute it. If youre sending in
images cold make sure you check the
agencies/picture desks website, or call them
rst, to nd out the minimum requirements
for submissions.
Q) Canyougiveusanideaofthefinancial
investment?
Your income depends on image size, the type of
picture and the publication. Local papers may
pay 50-100 for a reasonable event, but for
backwater teams maybe 25. If you do get
published, always ask for a hard copy or PDF
for your portfolio as thats invaluable.
Investment wise, to start with, youll need
fast telephoto lenses, such as the 400mm
f/2.8, or a telephoto zoom of a similar focal
length to get close enough to the action, and
perhaps a few extenders. You can always rent
this equipment if you cant afford it. As you may
need to move around, youll need a monopod
rather than a tripod and obviously at least one
good quality digital SLR that can handle low
light well with minimal noise, in case you need
to shoot under oodlights.
Q) HowelsecanImakemoneyfrom
sportsphotography?
If you want to earn money from sports, while
building your portfolio in other ways, you could
approach local sports clubs and schools to take
photographs of the games, players and teams
to sell. A great website for posting and selling
pictures to the public is www.photoshelter.com.
For courses on how to become a professional
sports photographer, visit: www.unshakenphotography.co.uk
WILDLIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY
Find out the truth about what lifes like working as a full-time wildlife
photographer and how you can make some money from your hobby
HEN YOU FIRST catch the

wildlife photography bug,
making cash from your camera
may not be high on your agenda. However,
taking pictures for pleasure can soon prove
a costly business. Lets face it; wildlife
photography isnt the cheapest hobby.
Walk into your local camera shop and it is
easy to be tempted by the latest digital
SLR, long telephoto lens or tripod. Nice,
shiny new kit will soon have you reaching
for your exible friend, but most of us will
be working within a strict budget. So, no
doubt before long you will want to try and
recoup a few quid by selling your best
nature snaps. The big question is how?
Whether you prefer shooting mammals,
insects or birds, there is always a strong
market for good images. That said,

traditionally, demand for bird and mammal
pictures is higher. Critters oozing with the
so-called aahhhhh factor are always
popular. Cute animals, like hedgehogs,
badgers, pufns or birds of prey are
commercially appealing; juvenile animals
or edgling birds also sell well, so its worth
keeping this in mind. Pictures of big cats,
safari animals and marine wildlife like
dolphins and whales are also popular
among greeting card and calendar
publishers. However, if you cant afford to
travel, some good close-ups can be
achieved in captivity, so dont overlook
visiting a safari park or zoo. So youve got
the right images, now what do you do with
them? Read on to nd out...
Essentialnaturekit
Wildlife snappers need more
kit than most. Two
DSLRs are preferable
and at least one long
telephoto lens of
300mm or more is a
must for shooting
birds and mammals.
A macro lens is also
important for shooting
insect and close-ups.
Several large capacity
cards will be needed.
A PSD (Portable
Storage Device) is also a
good investment for use in
the eld. A large camera
backpack is perfect for carrying
all your bulky kit comfortably when
walking long distances. Camouaged
clothing and a portable, collapsible
hide are important too.
Potentialmarkets
Calenders
Calendars are big business. Selling shots to
this market not only relies on the quality of your
photography, but also your ability to supply the
right type of material; images that look
seasonal will enhance their appeal. Do your
own market research by icking through
wildlife calendars currently on sale. If you feel
your images are a similar style and quality,
make a note of the publishers details and
check their website for submission details,
before you try contacting them via phone or
email. Follow their submission details to the
last letter. Calendars usually go on sale from
the previous spring onwards, so publishers are
working over a year in advance: many have
already made picture selections for their 2012
range. Photographers need to reect this in the
timing of their submissions. 80 is the
minimum fee you should expect for a calendar
image. This is for single reproduction only and
copyright remains with the photographer.
Normally the contract stipulates that you
cannot sell the picture to another calendar
publisher for a year, but you are free to continue
selling the images elsewhere. Look at The
Freelance Photographers Market Handbook
2012 (www.thebfp.com) for a list of publishers.
Stock Agencies
There are over 100 stock agencies in the
UK and several are nature specic. Picture libraries
will only accept photographers who can provide
images of a consistently high standard. Contracts
are very rare these days, but can be offered to
photographers who can supply several hundred
suitable images as an initial submission and can
continue to make regular submissions. If you are
unable to do this at this stage, consider an online
picture library like Alamy: www.alamy.com
Nature libraries are only after strong,
well-composed shots that are punchy and sharp.
Unusual shots, illustrating types of animal
behaviour, are often the most sought after.
Stock libraries will normally take around 50%
commission on images sold. This might sound
steep, but a good library will reach markets in the
UK and abroad that an individual wont. They can
also demand higher repro fees. However, it takes
time to get established and it may be a year or
more before you receive your rst sales report. A
decent, regular income is only possible if you have
thousands of images on le. There are several
good, specic natural history agencies and The
BFP handbook can also help you nd agencies.
Magazines
There is a surprisingly small amount of
magazines that are wildlife-orientated.
The biggest and best is BBC Wildlife. It is
illustrated throughout with stunning nature
shots, but the standard is high. Instead, a better
route might be to approach your regional
magazines, where you wont be competing
against such established photographers.
County titles are increasingly popular and
many have regular features on local wildlife. Its
a starting point and photos published with
them may open up other doors.
When submitting material, it is important to
remember that magazines often work several
months in advance. Editors will be on the
lookout for seasonal shots suitable for
publication in the issue they are currently
working on. Therefore, theres no point sending
autumnal images in October, when the editorial
team will already be working on winter issues.
It is often best to submit work a season in
advance so now is the time to sort through
your winter images, ready to submit in the next
few weeks. Confusing, eh?
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ROSS HODDINOTT
Insiderview
Ross
Hoddinott
WILDLIFE
PHOTOGRAPHER
I started young. I must have been just ten years
old when I began shooting wildlife and knew
I wanted to be a professional by the age of 17.
I began by submitting images to the Showcase
and Portfolio pages of photo magazines. This
proved to be my entry route into professional
photography, and one I would recommend to
newcomers. I was also fortunate to win one or
two quite prestigious photo competitions, such
as the Veolia Environnement Young Wildlife
Photographer of the Year, which denitely
helped raise my prole.
Q) Howcanyoumakeafull-timejoboutof
wildlifephotography?
The harsh reality is that few people do. It is one
of the most popular and competitive genres of
photography and it is also probably one of the
lowest paid. The standard is fantastically high,
so only the very highest quality material will
sell. However, good images will always sell and
there is a large market for nature images in
magazines, books, calendars, greeting cards
and prints. Like me, most wildlife
photographers have to diversify in some way
too; either by shooting other subjects to
supplement their income, or by writing,
running workshops or giving talks.
Q) Howdifficultisittomakealivingfrom
wildlifephotography?
It is tricky there is no point pretending
otherwise. It can take many years to build a large
stock of images of a sufciently high quality that
will generate a decent, regular income. When I
started, the priority was to get contracted to a
good, dedicated agency that would market my
images. While it is still important to have work
with a picture library, reproduction fees have
plummeted. Im selling more images than ever
through agencies, but many of them are marketed
through sub-agents for micro fees, often less than
1! Its not all doom and gloom, though, there are
still good fees out there for the right material.
Q) Whattipscanyoushare?
Originality is important. While well-captured
animal portraits often sell, images that are
unusual, shot from a fresh perspective or
illustrating behaviour or less common species
have an enhanced chance. You have to be patient
and determined to photograph nature but you
have to be equally persistent when trying to
market the results. It can be worthwhile
specialising in order to achieve a reputation for a
type of photography.
Q) Whatmoneymakingopportunitiesare
therewithwildlifephotography?
Few wildlife photographers are employed; this
really is a freelance profession. I generate my
income from a mixture of agency sales and
personal sales selling directly to magazines and
publications that I have developed a relationship
with. There are opportunities to make money; you
just have to look for them. Target publishers
whom you feel your images would suit. Framed
prints can also generate cash. Galleries will sell

your images for you for a commission.
Q) Howdoyoufindyourclients?
Fortunately most of my clients now approach
me for images. However, originally I would
email potential clients with a brief introduction
and a number of example images. It can be
quite disheartening at times doing this type of
cold calling. Often you wont receive a reply, or
your work will be rejected. This doesnt
necessarily mean your images arent good
enough, though. Remember, editors and
picture researchers are very busy people.
You just have to believe in your photography
and persevere.
Q) Whatisatypicaldayasawildlife
photographerlike?
In truth, there is no such thing as a typical day.
Nature photographers are reliant on the
weather, subject and season. Often, more time
is spent looking for the subject than behind a
camera. I have to do a lot of walking, visiting
reserves early and late in the day when the light
is best and insects are less active. Todays
photographers spend more time in front of a
computer than shooting. Editing, processing
and captioning images takes time. Marketing
work, dealing with requests and daily
correspondence are also time-consuming.
I work unsociable hours. Ive recently done six
consecutive 4.30am starts; I then may work in
my ofce during the day, before going out with
my camera again in the evening. During spring
and summer, I may not get home until 10-11pm.
Photography is an addiction though, and I love
taking pictures.
TRAVEL
PHOTOGRAPHY
Funding your travels via photography for many is a dream come true,
but how do you do it and what does it really involve to be a success?
OR MANY, the idea of trotting off

around the globe taking fantastic
pictures is a mouth-watering
prospect. Those exotic beaches with palm
trees and crystal-clear waters sound great
but then reality eventually hits home. You
have to consider the cost of the trip it
could easily be two grand to go to the other
side of the world. Will you make enough
sales to recoup your expenses, let alone
make a prot? And it is prot that will keep
your business going from year to year and
strength to strength. Spend more than you
earn and your edgling business is
eventually doomed to failure. One travel
photographer we spoke to recommends
you shoot everything you can locally rst,
as its easy to access and has minimum
overhead costs. Starting this way will give
you condence and you can ne tune your
techniques not just photographic but
organising the trip, sorting out pictures
and then selling the images afterwards.
If going on holiday with the family, spend
some days shooting stock. Not just pretty
landscapes, but the local people, road

signs, kids playing on the beach or in the
pool, wine glasses at sunset.
Organising your trip pays dividends for
maximising your photography time, but be
prepared to ditch the itinerary if something
unusual or unexpected turns up. After all
its what travel photography is all about!
Use travel guides and the internet to see
what pictures sell of your destination.
Re-shooting places already photographed
by others may seem silly but places
change and shots need updating. A new
building means new shots will be required
by travel companies. You may also manage
to take a shot that simply becomes a
best-seller even though the scene has
been shot a thousand times before!
Remember to get as much advice on
any destination beforehand. Has a civil war
just erupted? What jabs do you need? Do
you need a visa? The best places to start
looking for travel advice are the foreign
ofce website www.fco.gov.uk or the dept.
of health website: www.dh.gov.uk.
Essentialtravelkit
When travelling you must keep your gear to
a minimum so keep asking the question Do I
really need this? The heavier your bag, the
more tired you will get as the day progresses
and it will become harder to decide which bit
of gear you want to use. Try putting only two
or three lenses and a camera in your bag for
the day. A wide-angle zoom like a 10-20mm,
17-55mm and a 55-200mm should cover
most situations. You could try a 70-200mm
f/2.8 with a tele-converter as an interesting
option but lenses with a f/5.6 aperture are
much smaller and lighter! Opt for imagestabilised lenses that allow handholding in
dim lighting conditions. If your budget
allows, try buying several 4GB cards. Extra
kit like a portable storage device to back-up
your images to, spare lenses or laptop can
be left in the hotel safe. Take a small,
lightweight tripod that ts in your suitcase! A
polariser and grey grads are essential lters.
Potentialmarkets
Calenders & postcards
Calendar companies are always looking out for
new and exciting images. Some calendar
concepts may be quite specic and local to one
area like the Yorkshire Dales, but others may be
open to images from all over. You should
concentrate on shooting one region well and
then start to branch out to new areas. Keep an
eye out for calendars when visiting a country,
you can sell to them too. Just write down their
contact details rather than lugging a load of
calendars around with you. Use the internet to
search for calendar companies in countries
youve visited and send them a CD with low-res
images and a contact sheet. If you create a
website using a company like www.clikpic.com
you can let potential art buyers view your
images in a professional and slick manner.
Postcard and greeting card companies
always want new shots. Buy a single postcard
from different publishing companies when out
and about. Use the card as a reference for
shooting new images and keep it for company
contact details on the back. Spend time looking
at different cards and see how yours compare.
Magazines
There are quite literally thousands of travel
shots being published in all kinds of magazines
in any given month. Dedicated travel
magazines are obvious but what about a
magazine aimed at walkers, car enthusiasts or
mens health? You will be surprised to learn
that many magazines run travel articles on places

to visit. If you can add some text to go with your
pictures you will suddenly become a travel
photojournalist! You will make many editors lives
much easier by giving them a nished package of
words and images. Go on, give it a go! Trailnders
travel company, for example, have a magazine
which uses several such short articles for every
edition of their magazine. Simply get in touch with
the editor and ask if they can supply a fact sheet
detailing their particular requirements number
of words and how many photos to send in. You will
also get a better price for a package deal rather
than just photos. Always keep an eye out for
potential magazines to send your work to and visit
the magazine stands regularly.
Tourist& travel companies
Travel companies often source images from the
internet and stock libraries, but there is no harm
in sending them a CD and contact sheet.

They often use in-house photographers or
commission a pro to shoot a location or
accommodation but often still need shots of
the local area and people.
Local tourist boards and even local councils
are always on the lookout for new material to
ll their brochures with. They dont always pay
top dollar but its a good place to hone your
marketing skills. Ring them up and ask to
speak to the PR department and
nd out if they need any specic shots that you
can then go out and take. Its a good way to get
your foot in the door with companies.
Stocklibraries
Without doubt stock libraries are the life-blood
for most pro travel photographers and many
have several stock libraries on the go at once in
different countries. Most libraries will want an
exclusive deal, meaning you cant put the same
shots with another library. For this reason, you
should always shoot a potentially good scene
from several different angles with different
lenses and at different times of the day so you
can maximise sales with different libraries.
Many libraries require a sizeable submission
to see if you meet their criteria and often reject
photographers for no good reason. Try
submitting work to smaller or up and coming
stock libraries. Alamy and similar libraries will
usually accept work as long as you meet their
strict quality guidelines.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
TIREE DAWSON
Insiderview
Tony
West
TRAVEL
PHOTOGRAPHER
I have a passion for travel, always have had,
and combined with an interest in photography
the two went hand in hand. I was in my early
twenties when I discovered there were people
interested in buying and publishing my images.
Q)Howdoyoumakeafull-timejoboutof
travelphotography?
I think you need to target a specialised market.
Taking your camera to a nice location and
peddling your wares on your return, well, those
days are gone. These days you need to think
who might be buying your photography, think
about the specialist subjects they want you to
cover and then target those markets before you
go. The subjects you may need to photograph
could be many and varied.
Q) Howdifficultisittomakealivingfrom
travelphotography?
I think its extremely difcult to make a living
out of just pure travel photography. So many
more people are into photography and the
quality is excellent. Companies use members
of staff who may be handy with a camera. In the
days of lm and larger formats, that work
would have gone to a professional
photographer. These days I nd myself hired to
shoot the key shots in a brochure: the cover,
chapter openers, that kind of thing.
Q) Whattipscanyoushare?
I trained in graphic design and was using a lot of
photography in my day-to-day work. I still do a lot
of business with advertising agencies and one
reasons I think my images get picked is because I
consider how text might be used on the picture or
areas on an image that a designer might want to
use. A lot of photographers dont think about
where text needs to go.
In fact, some of my pictures might look a little
bit out of balance, maybe with too much sky, but
thats because Ive shot it with a certain use in
mind. You might argue that its easy to create
areas for text through manipulation, but I believe
that a busy art editor in a busy production
department will choose an image that needs little
to no work doing to it, every time. Delivering to
brief and whats needed by the client to make
their job easier is very important.
Q) Wheredoyoufindyourtravel
photographyclients?
I target companies that I know will need
photography from somewhere other than where
they are based. An outdoor clothing manufacturer
in Holland, for example, is likely to want pictures
from outside of Holland. So I approach companies
like that with what I think is a good idea or
concept for a travel shoot for them.
Q) Howmuchcouldyoupotentiallyearn
fromtravelphotographyayear?
Thats a very difcult question to answer. You
need to take a long-term view when it comes to
income from travel photography, particularly if
stock is a big part of it. Sometimes you struggle to
cover your expenses, on others you earn
thousands by selling images to various
companies. I still make sales from a trip years
down the line.
Q) Giveussomeideaofthefinancial
investmentandreturn?
If I want to travel light, I take three workhorse
lenses: a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L
telephoto, a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L
wide-angle and a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4. I use a
Canon EOS-1DS MkIII and an EOS 5D. Then
theres the accessories: ash, tripod, lters.
Travel costs and accommodation all add up too.
Youve got to cover all those costs before you
start to make any money. I try to set off on a trip
with enough potential sales lined up that at
least cover my expenses.
Q) Whatpercentageofyourworkinglifeis
spenttravellingandtakingphotographs?
For a two week trip, theres probably six to eight
weeks of planning and selling: making calls,
asking what a client is looking for, chasing
product samples to take on the trip,
researching the location, planning the itinerary.
And then theres all the market awareness
I need. I spend hours looking at what other
people are doing, whats selling, what works.
After the trip Ill need to spend hours editing
the pictures, sorting them for clients, maybe
doing a little bit of manipulation and by that
time, Im thinking about the next trip. In with all
that might be a couple of days a week shooting
local travel and tourism material.
Q) Whattypeofpersonalitydoyouneed
tobeatravelphotographer?
Ive come across introverted methodical types
who only shoot architecture and landscapes,
through to extroverts who are fantastic with
people. Im, hopefully, somewhere in the
middle but I dont think you need to be a
particular type of personality.
www.tonywestphoto.co.uk
ONSALE NOW!
LEADING PROSATWORK
Profitableprojects 91
PHILMAKANNA
PROFITABLE PROJECTS
Help fund your photography passion by trying out some of our pocket-money ideas
GETTING TO GRIPS WITH

STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
Selling stock is a mineeld of keywords, demanding agency standards and uctuating income, but
understanding the business and what agencies are looking for can help you make a lot of money
IRST OF ALL, lets dene stock

photography. Stock photography
isnt usually shot with one
application in mind, it could have many.
A stock photograph is one that could be
used in a hundred different ways by a
hundred different clients. A great stock
shot could make you a lot of money.
Most stock photography is sold over the
internet, a practice that has revolutionised
the industry. iStockphoto claims to have
been the rst to set up a credits-based
trading platform and grew fast. The
established photo agency Getty Images
saw it coming and bought iStockphoto in
2006. Computer giant Microsoft had
already snapped up Getty rival Corbis.
The internet has opened the door to
stock revenue for thousands of
photographers and brought in thousands
of new clients. You could take a fabulous
photograph and have it online and on sale
in a couple of hours. A small business
owner in Carlisle could nd your image
and download it for a brochure ten minutes
later and it might only cost a tenner. Youd
get half but there might be another ver
coming your way from a bloke in
Newcastle Australia.
So online stock photography agencies,
or microstock agencies as they are known,
have driven down the cost of stock
photography but massively expanded the
market. There are people buying images
today who wouldnt have known how to 20
years ago, let alone have been able to
afford it. And there are thousands of
photographers serving that market, each
for a very small slice of a very big pie.
Critics of microstock will tell you that its
aw is that the best photos will start to
appear everywhere and clients lose the
individuality that come with bespoke
images. I have to tell you that this part of
the market doesnt care. The business
person in Carlisle couldnt care less if the
image is also used in Australia. If they are
in nancial services, they probably dont
care if a similar image is used by a dentist
across the street, either. And the sheer
volume of new material appearing on the
sites every day helps with the churn.
Every stock agency has its own way of
encouraging submissions, although when
you have a go, it doesnt always feel like
encouragement. Standards for

submissions are very high among the
biggest agencies. You will have many of
your images rejected and you wont always
get a full explanation why.
Simon Moran is photography director at
iStockphoto and he is a bit more helpful:
Compression, poor lighting and overltering are the biggest problems. Years
ago digital noise was a big issue but we
now nd that virtually all current DSLRs
are ne at least up to ISO 800 as long as
you get the exposure right in-camera.
Shooting in Raw gives some degree of
latitude to xing mistakes in postproduction, but you can only push pixels
so far before they start to degrade. Your
best bet is to get the exposure right at the
Ifyouwanttomakealot
ofmoneyfromstock
photography,youhaveto
takeitseriously.Treatit
likeasecondhomeforyour
randomimages
lowest ISO you need.
We have many checks in the inspection
process with constant feedback, updates
and refresher sessions for our team of over
110 photography inspectors around the
world. This rigour has helped make our
collection stand out; designers know they
are buying quality.
Were inspecting just shy of 250,000
images a month right now and we accept
60-62% of those to sell. Of the les that
are rejected, more than 50% will be
resubmitted and accepted after the
member has xed the issues weve pointed
out to them.
We asked Tom Hind, European head of
content at Getty Images, what he thinks
sells. Youd be surprised! he says. We
cater for such a range of buyers that we
see a huge variety of imagery being
licensed. What works for an agency today
may be whats appropriate for a corporate
client tomorrow. For example, backlit
imagery was seen as fairly edgy a few
years ago and now its a much more
mainstream choice. We work with our
photographers to try and make sure
theyre aware of subjects and techniques

that are in demand, or likely to be.
Catherine Bischoff, contributor and
industry relations manager at Corbis,
chooses her words carefully: We are
looking for professional images of business
and nance, medicine, architecture,
beauty, social issues and special events.
We carefully select work of animals,
agriculture, nature and travel.
Photographers need to keep in mind
that their work must be generally in
demand. Our commercial photography
collections are aligned around dened
customer creative needs and most clearly
reect our ambition of delivering to
customers a compelling spectrum of
useful, inspiring and high-value
photography. Our editorial photography
includes commercial-ready images with
high-aesthetic appeal, images with a
strong breadth and depth, as well as
content-specic images that can only be
interpreted literally, and our news images
focus on longer lead stories and are
well curated.
So if you want to make a lot of money
from stock photography, you have to take it
seriously. Treat it like a second home for
random images cluttering up your hard
drive and you might pick up the odd sale,
but the big money goes to the dedicated.
Simon Moran again: Over the past
decade, iStockphoto has allowed tens of
thousands of hobbyist photographers to
showcase and make money from their
talents. Nowadays, a le is downloaded
from iStockphoto every second of every
day. With this kind of demand for their
work, many members earn hundreds per
month. A young US photographer has paid
his way through medical school and was
even able to buy a house with money
earned through iStock. At the very top, a
number of contributors earn six gures
annually. A much bigger group is earning
thousands each month.
Getty makes even grander claims, but
Tom Hind is at pains to explain what it
takes. Some of our more successful
contributors can achieve over six gures in
revenue a month, he says. In an average
month we have up to 500 photographers
achieving revenue of over ve gures.
They treat stock photography as a
business, and approach it with focus and

determination. They are condent in their
own vision and are persistent. They
understand the market and create a point
of difference for themselves through their
visual approach. When this happens they
can also get commissions based on the
work they have online with us.
Earning potential of an image will
depend partly on the way it is licensed.
Getty offers two main licensing routes,
rights managed and royalty-free.
Rights-managed places more restrictions
on the client. Size, position, duration of use
and geographic distribution will all affect
the price of an image and a client can even
buy exclusivity. Rights-managed tends to
suit the most specialised or individualistic
images and prices tend to be higher. This is
very similar to the traditional photo library
business model dating back to before the
days of online transactions.
Getty also operates the royalty-free
model, similar to iStockphoto and many
others. Royalty-free allows a client to use
an image many times on many different
projects without having to pay any more
money. However, the rights to an image are
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
not transferable and are non-exclusive.

Not everybody is a fan of microstock
agencies. Gwyn Headley is managing
director of fotoLibra, an agency that
believes in maintaining the value of good
photography so that more of its
contributors can make a sustainable living.
One of fotoLibras services is its regular
Picture Call emails sent out to members,
listing specic photo requests with
deadlines, sometimes allowing
photographers time to go out and shoot to
order. Use isnt guaranteed, but chances
are improved.
By uploading images to microstock
agencies you are effectively cutting your
own throat, and the throats of your fellow
photographers, says Gwyn. 20 cents a
sale? Come on arent you worth more
than that? According to fotoLibra, some
areas of photography are saturated,
including birds and owers without their
binomial names, trains and Big Ben. Gwyn
doesnt want to see any more sunsets.
No! No! Please, no! Thatll be a no, then.
His advice to potential contributors is as
useful as it is entertaining. It sums up
fotoLibras lefteld approach to stock
Stocklibrariestotry
Alamy: www.alamy.com
Fotolibra: www.fotolibra.com
GettyImages: www.gettyimages.com
iStockPhoto: www.istockphoto.com
Jupiterimages: www.jupiterimages.co.uk
ShutterStock: www.shutterstock.com
photography: Dont upload a dozen

pictures of one thing from different angles.
Choose only the best. Dont take pictures
you hope to sell to art reference publishers
on a dull, grey, drizzly day. The most
important element of any photograph is
not the exposure, not the subject, not the
length of your lens, not the focusing, not
the cost of your kit: ITS THE KEYWORDS!
Gwyn Headley might be taking a
different approach to selling photography
online, but that last piece of advice proves
he knows what hes talking about.
Understanding the power of keywords and
how clients might be searching for images
is enormously helpful. And despite their
other differences, hell get no argument
from the microstock boys on that point.
HOW TO MAKE MONEY

FROM GREETING CARDS
Breaking into the thriving greetings card industry is a tempting prospect for any photographer, and with
digital printing its easier than ever to dip a toe in the water. We show you how to get your images noticed
O OTHER NATION LOVES sending

greeting cards as much as us
Brits. We buy more cards per
head than any other country, giving us the
most successful industry in the world. It
generates a whopping 1.47bn a year and
relies on fresh content, so publishers are
always on the look out for new images to
use. Greeting cards are therefore a
fabulous way for creative photographers to
make money and to have images seen
around the world. So where do you start?
The rst thing you need to do is come up
with some great imagery, and this can be
absolutely anything. Landscapes, oral
still-lifes and macro shots seem the most
obvious choice, but there are as many
types of photographic greeting cards as
there are genre of cards. Visit local greeting
card shops, art stores or chains like WH
Smith, John Lewis and Hallmark to get an
insight into what images are already in the
market and the quality the different types
of retailers are expecting. Take a note of
the publishers details on the back of the
card and then go to their website looking
for the tucked-away sections, usually
entitled information for artists or artist
submission, for details on how to supply
images. Be sure to follow them to the letter.
Publishers work a long way in advance,
so you will need to plan in advance too, for
instance shooting spring pictures for
Easter and Mothers Day the year before
you submit them. Paperhouse publishers,
for instance, secured their 2012 Christmas
material in June 2011 and will be looking to
secure their Mothers Day range for 2013 in
early 2012. While any image could
potentially make a card, youll have a
better chance if you create your shots
appropriately for occasions like Easter,
Mothers and Fathers Day and Valentines
Day. Birthday cards and blank everyday
cards sell better than any other type, but
dont forget about the other genres:
anniversaries, new home, new job, just
because, sympathy cards the list is
endless. Its worth remembering too
though that 85% of greeting card
consumers are women and they tend to
buy based on colour or if an image triggers
an emotional connection.
When shooting images, do vertical and
horizontal format to give publishers
options square formats are also popular.
Make sure you send images that are at

least 300dpi so that publishers can
accurately judge the image quality.
Most publishers are looking for a
distinctive style, creative edge, market
awareness and professional quality,
explains Nick Walker, the product
manager at Paperhouse, which publishes
ranges for National Geographic and the
Royal Horticultural Society. One of our
new photographers is Assaf Frank
(www.bs-factory.com), a brilliant oral
photographer, but what sets him apart is
his Photoshop skills. He tends to offer ten
or 20 versions of the same shot that have
been edited differently giving us a wide
selection to pick from.
Normally publishers will get back to you
within a few months if theyre interested in
using the images to discuss rights and
agree a fee. Each company has a different
way of operating; some will pay an up-front
fee and a small royalty while others only
Withdigitalprinting,
publishersnolonger
havetogambleafortune
onlargeprintruns
beforetheycangetan
orderfromaretailer
pay a royalty, which on average for an
independent publisher is around 5%. It can
be a lot less for larger publishers though,
as youll normally be dealing with large
volumes, so while the percentage is
smaller the overall amount can be a lot
more. It varies dramatically, but you should
always make sure you get a contract and a
licensing agreement and NEVER give up
your copyright!
Self-publishing
For those of you thinking of cutting out the

middle-man and giving self-publishing a
go, be prepared for a full-time job. If your
passion is photography and not publishing,
youll nd youll spend more time on the
business side of greeting cards than
behind the camera being creative.
Producing the images and cards isnt a
problem; its selling them and getting them
into stores thats the real headache.
Jargonbuster
Licensingfee: The publisher has
exclusive rights to an image for an agreed
period. The average rate is 150 per image.
Flatfee:A one-off payment that gives the
publisher unlimited ownership of the picture.
The fee is normally 150-250.
Royaltydeal:You receive a percentage
(normally 5%) of the wholesale price for
every card sold. Some publishers offer a
licensing fee of 100 plus a 3% royalty.
Salesagent:If you decide to take the
self-publishing route, you need a network of
agents that can to help sell your images to
retailers all over the world. They work on a
commission basis.
Distributors: They have a network of
sales agents and are responsible for selling,
marketing and distributing your card range.
The industry is wonderful, its really

creative and dynamic but its not growing,
which means its a mature market with
more and more people coming in,
explains Sharon Little, chief executive of
the Greeting Card Association. And now
with digital printing, publishers no longer
have to gamble a fortune on large print
runs before they can get an order from a
retailer. You can print quantities as small as
one card at a time and work on a print-ondemand basis. Consequently the markets
become ooded with very small publishers
who are all against each other and the
larger publishers, she adds. Thats not to
say you cant make a go of it though.
The best way to get started is to pick an
area like the Lake District or Yorkshire
Dales and get 20 or so cracking shots,
have them printed up in small quantities
and presented well, then get around the
areas local stores and work on a print-ondemand basis. Get your order, get it
printed, get paid for it and then work on
getting your next order pick stores that
you can keep supplying easily. Its worth
investing in a small catalogue of your range
too, or at least printing off a sheet of paper
with thumbnails of your designs, with your
terms and conditions, order forms and
sample cards, to take around shops and to
see what people think. Once youve
established your name locally, slowly
expand it to nearby areas and regions.
Photographic cards tend to get sold to
independent retailers for between 60p
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ALL IMAGES: JAMES GUILLIAM
Casestudy
James
Guilliam
JAMES GUILLIAM MAKES HIS LIVING FROM
GREETING CARDS AND OTHER PAPER
PRODUCTS, LICENSING IMAGES TO
PUBLISHERS AND STOCK LIBRARIES. HE
TELLS US HOW HE GOT STARTED. HOW
PROFITABLE ITS BEEN THUS FAR, AND
OFFERS INVALUABLE ADVICE FOR ANYONE
WANTING TO TAKE THE SAME ROUTE
and 90p, depending on the quality of the

print and nish, then the retailer will
give it a 100% mark-up. So although you
may not make much of a prot at rst,
once you start doing large orders, your
print costs will fall and your prots will
grow. Larger retailers might even ask you
to supply two orders free of charge on a
sale or return basis before they commit to
selling your range. Its a big gamble, as you
have to invest in huge volumes and risk the
cards not selling and being returned to you,
but if they do sell you could stand to make a
lot of money from your photography. Other
investments are when you start displaying
your range at trade fairs, as it could cost
you around 2,000, but its well worth it as
youre putting yourself in front of retailers
from all around the country. Its also where
you meet other publishers and sales
agents as well as making contacts that
could see your images distributed across
the world. Youre better off waiting until
your range features a minimum of 50
different cards before you look to display at
trade shows though, as sales agent rarely
look twice at you with anything less and
their help is vital if you want to expand your
business. But whether youre selfpublishing or licensing images, the quality
and creativity of your pictures is what will
set you apart from the rest, so keep your
images fresh and different and look to
launch new ranges at least four times a
year to keep your work competitive.
Recommendedresources
TheGreetingCardAssociation
www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk
UKTradefairs
www.autumnfair.com
www.homeandgift.co.uk
www.progressivegreetingslive.co.uk
www.springfair.com
www.topdrawer.co.uk
Printers
www.bonusprint.co.uk
www.centreprint.com
www.facemediagroup.com
www.moo.com
www.theimagingcentre.co.uk
Publishers
www.abacuscards.co.uk
www.artindesign.co.uk
www.almanac.co.uk
www.hallmark.co.uk
www.images-editions.co.uk
www.paperhouse.co.uk
www.spottedrichard.co.uk
I used to work as a photographer in my

early days, but wanting a change I bought a
ower and garden centre in my mid-20s. It
turned out that the seed company we used
also owned the greeting card publisher
Abacus Cards, and they were trying to get
garden centres to sell their photographic
greeting cards alongside their seeds.
When I started selling them and a few years
later, I decided to try my hand at doing my
own. I took some pictures of owers we had
in the shop and sent them off to a greeting
card company called Images & Editions and
they immediately came back asking how big
my range was and how many more could I
supply. That was 15 years ago and Im still
earning a full-time income from it.
Its difcult to say how much I earn
because it varies so much. If I send an image
to a publisher and it gets used once as a
Mothers Day card, I might only get 50 for
it, but I have some cards on the Everyday list
that have earned me thousands of pounds.
When you enter into an agreement with a
publisher, usually it allows them to use your
images on their paper products and this
could include anything from notebooks,
greeting cards and fridge magnets to gift
cards, posters and even wrapping paper.
And of course every time it sells you pick up
a royalty. My royalties range from 1.5% of the
net price to 10%, so it can be a huge
difference. I sell more images worldwide
through the Photolibrary Group, which is
based in Australia, than I do direct to
publishers, but the royalties I receive direct
are greater than I receive from card sales via
the Photolibrary. Greeting cards can also
spill over into calendars; Ive had calendar
companies see a card and want to licence
the image. Ive even had my images wrapped
around candles in America after having seen
them on cards, and then this had led to
jigsaws and drink coasters.
Its a wonderful way to make a little extra
pocket money, and publishers are always
looking out for new images, but you cant
expect an instant return. I had images signed
off for Mothers Day 2012 that were shot in
spring 2010, so thats two years since theyve
been taken. Then, providing theyre selected
and put out to sale in 2012, it will be at least
another six months before I see a fee.
Theyve got to be sold, then the shops have
to wait for any returned cards to be taken off
the sales, then its another quarter before
you see a revenue coming in. Youre looking
at a minimum of two and half years from
when you take an occasion picture to seeing
any royalty. However, it can be quicker for
Everyday cards.
Your best chance is to study whats
already out there in stores and try to nd a
new angle or creative twist, otherwise if you
just send in similar pictures to whats already
out there, youll be struggling up against the
established photographers who already have
ranges and a supply-and-demand
relationship with publishers.
THE MOBILESTUDIO
PORTRAITIST
Setting up a mobile studio in a shopping centre to offer children and family portraits is not
that difcult, which is probably why so many that do it dont want to talk to us about it
ALL IMAGES: ISTOCK PHOTO
OU CAN TELL HOW competitive a

business is by how few people
want to talk to you about it.
For many years, the worlds nest
photographers have been sharing their
secrets with us. Theyve told us how they
use their lights, how their favourite lenses
work, what they do to get the look all
valuable information that they are happy to
share, possibly in the knowledge that its
also quite difcult and very few readers will
actually pull it off.
But for the last few weeks weve been
trying to get shopping centre portrait
photographers to talk. Youve seen them,
pitched up in some retail atrium with
display boards, a roll of background paper
and a pouffe. They catch passing trade:
mums and tots, sometimes a family group.
They shoot a selection of pictures, getting
the customer to pay for prints up front
before supplying them through the post.
Well despite our best efforts, and weve
tried pretty hard, none of the ones we
asked would participate in this feature.
But thats not going to stop us writing it
and sharing their secrets with you.
There are no secrets. They use two
medium-power ash heads with brollies or
softboxes. For single portraits they use a
main light in front, high and slightly to one
side, and a modelling light, lower, on the
other side and maybe slightly further away
to save them turning the power down.
Youve read about this studio lighting
technique a million times in this magazine.
For groups they move the lights out a bit
and lift the modelling light to give a strong,
clean, even light across the faces. The
serious ones may have a third light on the
plain white background paper.
Their lenses are short telephotos:
50mm for APS-C sensor cameras, 85mm
or 105mm for full-frame jobbies. Large
maximum apertures for fast and accurate
focusing, these guys dont mess about.
The look is the one that has caused
independent professional portrait
photographers hearts to sink for a few
years now. The look is the Venture look:
high-key informal portraits with a clean
white background, plenty of interaction
between the subjects; happy family snaps
with a daring crop or composition.
The Venture look has been made
famous by the high street chain of the same
Ifyoucantwalkupto
200strangersadayand
trytogetthemtositfor
you,forgetit.Ifyouget
disheartenedbyten
straightknock-backs,
thisisnotforyou
name, which according to many website
reviews, has left a lot of people feeling it is
high in price and low on customer service.
You cant deny the appeal of its style of
photography, though, and huge
enlargements of the companys work
dominate peoples living rooms all over
the country.
I couldnt get any of the practitioners of
this art to talk about their business.
Probably because its so easy, many
readers could actually pull it off.
Except.
Except that the real art to successful
mobile studio work in public spaces is
fantastic people skills and shameless
salesmanship. If you cant walk up to 200
strangers a day, try to persuade them to sit
for you, stop their children crying, make
them relax and smile and get a

commitment from them before they leave,
forget it. If you get disheartened by ten
straight knock-backs, this is not for you.
Maybe thats why the best of them dont
like to share their secrets and encourage
others. Theyre all born salesmen and
women, who in our experience tend to be
ambitious, driven, competitive and maybe
just a little bit paranoid.
If youre reading this and really do have
all the personal qualities to make it work,
were surprised youre not doing it already.
Or maybe you are and you just politely
refused our request to take part, like the
photographer who said to me: Why would
I want to encourage one of your readers to
get into this game, and have them turn up
next week on my patch?
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
Whatyouneed
Plain white background paper with stands.
Starter kits from about 200.
A three-light studioash system with
umbrellas and/or softboxes. Starter kits
from about 400.
Professional ash meter. From 150.
Full-frame DSLR such as the Nikon D700
from around 1,800.
Prime portrait lens such as the Nikon
85mm f/1.4D lens, from about 900.
Big screen laptop computer to display
images instantly, starting from about 500.
A pair of stools and a counter (with bowl of
sweets to entice customers).
Spare batteries, memory cards and a live
link to the laptop so you can shoot tethered.
Multi-socket extension cables and gaffer/
duct tape to secure cords to the oor.
Fabric-covered display boards for signs
and samples xed with Velcro or similar.
100 or more new, 100 or less on eBay.
Leaets/yers for handing out or
pre-session marketing distribution, great
deals from local printers.
Mobile PDQ/credit card processing
machine. Charges are based on the size of
business, number and size of transactions
or chosen payment plan, but 15 per month
for the handset, 2% on credit card
transactions and 20p for debit card
payments is an educated estimate. Try
Cardsave.net (0808 149 5309) which will
send a regional representative round to talk
about your needs and advise you on the best
plan for you and your business. There are
also many other providers that can be found
online via an internet search.
Whatyouneedtodo
Pull together everything listed in the what you
need list and practise, practise, practise.
Making adjustments on the y should be
second nature. By the time you hit the streets,
that ash meter should be all-but redundant
because you will know the ash distance/
power/lens aperture correlation instinctively.
Work with a professional laboratory to
come up with a range of prints and products.
Choose a range of sizes, have samples made
up for display and work out the end cost to the
customer. Your laboratory will be able to
advise you on what sizes, nishes and mounts
are selling well.
Plan your venues carefully. Shopping
centres manage their own promotional space
or work with companies like SpaceandPeople
to organise it for them.
Dawn Clarke, SpaceandPeoples marketing
manager, told us: Shopping centres work
very well for photographic companies as
people are in a buying frame of mind. They are
often in family groups and are relaxed so are
more open to interaction and to offers that are
put to them whilst browsing.
Over 2.4 billion visits are made to
shopping centres across the UK every year by
82% of adults and many shopping centres
have a weekly footfall of over 250,000.
We have a team dedicated to temporary
traders and are able to give advice as to the
best shopping centre for them, the best site

within the venue to suit their needs, logistics,
health and safety and legal requirements.
Because we deal with venues throughout the UK,
we can arrange for the company to retail in
multiple venues.
The cost of renting promotional space can
vary dramatically depending on the centre and
its footfall and demographics. Weekly rates can
range from 500-3,000 per week (although
there will always be some that are above or
below this). It is usually more cost effective to
arrange the space for a week, rather than a few
days because the daily rates are typically a lot
higher, pro rata.
Make sure you have an electricity supply.
Just relying on passing trade might be a bit of
a risk. Look at distributing leaets telling people
exactly where and when you are going to be
working in the area. The yers should feature
your best work and information about any
package deals and special offers. You can pay to
have your leaets inserted into local newspapers
or delivered by post to all houses in specic
areas. Spend some time working out which parts
of town your customers live in.
Work out a system for ordering prints and
decide how you want to handle payments. I think
you should be as transparent as possible, with
clearly displayed prices and easy-to-understand
processes. You need to be able to capture
customers information, order details and

cash or card payments. They will expect
professional-looking paperwork, showing a
permanent address and phone number,
conrming what they understand to be the
contract they have with you.
If youre feeling really condent, you could
simply shoot for free on the day, posting the
results on a secure website, from which
customers can order prints and products
online. You will give each customer a card
telling them how to access the site and when
they will be able to view their images. The
images need to be protected with a watermark
to prevent them being copied from the
website. The risk is that you will shoot
hundreds of photos during the day, spend all
night putting them online, but take-up of
prints could be very low.
On the days of the shoot, get there early
and set up. Dress smartly and go about your
business with a smile. Work hard. Be nice.
If a partner or friend can help, even better.
Mums and kids might respond better to a
woman when asked to consider a portrait
sitting. Having one person concentrating on
the photography while the other deals with
waiting customers will be ideal when youre
busy and company for you when youre not.
There will also be somebody to hold the fort
when you need the loo.
HOW TO MAKE MONEY

FROM A MARKETSTALL
Want to supplement your main income by earning extra money from your images but dont know where to
start? Why not try setting up a market stall: your own dedicated weekend store to sell your pictures from.
Although the investment of time and set-up costs arent minimal, the rewards more than make up for it
arket stalls have a huge

advantage over shops. Whereas
people probably only go into a
shop if they are interested in buying, on a
stall, you get a lot of different people
walking past so even those who didnt
head out with the intention of viewing your
work may see something that catches
their eye. Running a market stall isnt as
strenuous as you might think, but its
certainly not a venture you embark on a
whim: it takes commitment, time, a
nancial investment and, of course, a good
selection of photography. However, once
youve made the initial investment, you
could make a prot in a matter of weeks.
Doing your market research is an
important rst step. Find out what local
markets attract the most tourists or cater
to the arts and crafts. A useful resource is
the National Market Traders Federation
(www.nmtf.co.uk) as it features a list of
markets and what they sell in your area,
so you can nd one thats appropriate.
Before contacting the market manager of
the council for a licence and a pitch, visit
the market a few times on different days to
scope out any competition and to see what
days attract the most people. While youll
be catering to locals who want to buy
prints, youll make many more sales if you
also target local tourism too. Youll nd
generic images of places like London
(Big Ben, London Underground signs etc)
can sell very well, as do prints of the local
area where the market is situated its
funny how people will hang photos of their
local area on their walls, but they do.
To work on a market stall, you at
minimum need public liability insurance,
which costs around 70 a year. If you join
the NMTF (memberships start from 96)
you get free insurance, including product,
public and employers liability among many
other benets. Other set-up costs might
then include equipment to display and
hold your prints, clips to secure your
canopy and sheets to cover the prints
when its raining, but that shouldnt set you
back more than 100. If you choose to
make your own frames, which involve
buying a mitre saw and mouldings, this
could push your costs up to around
1,000. However, it means you wont be
giving your prots away every time you
want an image framed and you could also
reap the costs back by offering framing as
an extra service to your customers. Most

people feel theyre getting a better deal if
they get a frame included in the price, and
as a result can sell really well. Canvasses
are also popular as are unframed, but
mounted, prints. When it comes to
printing, you might want to consider doing
this yourself at home using a quality inkjet
printer until your sales start to take off and
you can negotiate with a specialist printing
company for printing in bulk.
Every market is different and rent varies
dramatically, depending on whether its
privately-owned or council-owned.
Typically, you can expect to pay about 90
per week to cover a weekday and a
Saturday market. At some markets, you
Youhavetobequite
hardyasinthiscountryit
cangetverycoldandwet.
Youalsohavetohavea
realpassionaboutwhat
youaretryingtosell
get your own stall but at others, you may
just get an empty pitch. When its the latter,
you then have the extra expense of hiring a
marquee. Avoid this option if you can as it
will eat in to your prots.
Over time you can learn what sells best
and how to organise your stall to maximise
sales, so dont expect to be racking it until
youve invested time into understanding
how to all works. To give you a head start
though, here are a few tips: place popular
images at the front to draw people in and
then, when you get talking to them, show
them other images that you think they
might like. Also, people will walk past a stall
from both directions so angle your prints
so customers can get a good view of them
regardless of the direction they come from.
If you also do portrait photography, hand
out leaets and have examples of your
work readily available. Youll be surprised
by how many people book you off the back
of seeing your work on the stall.
With everyones stalls next to each other,
you cant run over and hijack someones
attention, so you have to wait until theyre
at least looking in your direction before you
engage them. Asking if there are any
images that are catching their eye or if
there are any colours that they are

searching for prints to match up to is one
way. Its best not to give the hard sell with
photography as its so subjective, allow
people time to mull over their decision.
This is why having a website is so
important as it allows people to see your
work without having to revisit the market
to help them make a decision. While you
can invest in a simple site but the likes of
Clikpic, you can also access free websites
from www.gbbo.co.uk (Getting British
Businesses Online).
Having a simple pricing structure will
make it easy for your customers. Selling
prints in either small, medium or large is a
good start, with a small (10x12in) print
starting from 10 is considered
reasonable. If you then move to framed
prints, a good starting point is 50 for a
12x18in print. While you can make a
generous prot of around 90%, if you do
the framing yourself, per print remember
you also need to factor in your time spent
working on the stall.
According to our case study
photographer, Anthony Lewis, he makes
on average between 400 and 500 a
week for two days trading. Quite
impressive we think, although not every
week is that protable so you have to be
prepared to take the good with the bad as
success depends on many things, not least
the weather and the time of year as this
can effect how many people visit the
market and how many are locals or the
more seller-friendly tourists.
You have to be outgoing to do well in this
business quite hardy too as in this
country it can get very wet and cold. You
also have to have a real passion for what
you are trying to sell. If youre the sort of
person that cant get out of bed in the
morning, then youre not going to do very
well. Finally, youll be lifting things all day,
so a good level of tness is denitely
needed or at least someone to help.
Marketstall:Facts&figures
Set-up costs: Around 900
Weekly expenses: 90 per week (rent)
Other expenses: 70 per year (insurance)
Weekly turnover: 400-500 (two days)
Average prot per image: 90%
Average hours worked per day: Ten
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
ALL IMAGES ANTHONY LEWIS
Casestudy
Anthony
Lewis
AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER
AND MARKET STALL HOLDER
I started working on the market around

two years ago, after being made
redundant from my job in I.T. Having
been a keen amateur photographer for a
number of years, I set aside a few months
to work out the best way to make money
from my images. I had been selling my
photos in a shop, but that wasnt going
too well. The market was close by and

I thought perhaps Id have more of a
chance selling my images on the market
stall than in a shop.
As soon as I started selling my images
on a market stall, I was making a prot.
They were selling really well, really
quickly, which built my condence up
and is the reason Ive stuck with it. Every
month is different but, on average, half
my income comes from selling at the
market, while the other half comes from
portrait and product shoots that Ive
been commissioned to do, often off the
back of seeing my images on the stall.

Ive also had customers ask me to frame
other prints that they have too.
Every week is different, but on
average a weeks takings (thats two days
on the market) is between 400 and
500 but youve got to remember its
taken nearly two years to grow to this
stage and there are times when I wont
make anything like that. Its early
mornings and long days too: Im up at
6.45am to be at the market by 8.30am to
get a pitch so I can start trading from
10am - 6pm. Its worth it though.
PROFIT FROM
SHOWCASING
YOUR IMAGES
Mounting your own exhibition is a fantastic feeling and may even

make you a bit of cash, but it doesnt have to be in a gallery: cafs,
restaurants and hotels are great platforms for selling your work
MARK BAUER
HEN YOU BELIEVE your prints

are perfect and your images are
beautiful, powerful or thoughtprovoking, you should think about showing
them to a gallery. An exhibition of your
work can do wonders for your prole and
condence, and you might sell a few prints
and/or win a commission or two.
Dont imagine for a minute that
organising an exhibition is going to be easy.
Galleries are very picky, setting their
standards high to protect their reputations
and keep their visitors happy. The biggest
galleries are the fussiest (sorry, most
discerning) and you might have to wait a
while to be told your photographs arent
good enough. We would all love to see our
work in The Photographers Gallery in
London, but exhibitions are scheduled two
years in advance and most are invitationonly. The Photographers Gallery doesnt
respond to unsolicited proposals but it
does hold regular portfolio reviews and
welcomes news from photographers via
email. Something to aim for, perhaps.
Similarly with the Association of
Photographers (AOP) Gallery, which could
set you back as much as 2,500 a week
for the hire of gallery space. You didnt
think that because youre paying you can
exhibit any old tat either, did you? The
requirements are standard fare: fantastic
images, artistic statement, biography,

press cuttings and contact details. But
they are generous enough to only take a
30% commission on any sales, unlike
most galleries whose cut is 50%.
Impressions Gallery in Bradford also
plans its exhibitions two to three years in
advance. It sends out guidelines for
unsolicited proposals to help
photographers adhere to the required
format. If you do get accepted, you could
be one of the photographers who sell
limited edition signed prints on the
Impressions Gallery website for 250.
The Bristol Gallery exhibits all types of
art, including work by the renowned local
photographer Beezer. Holly Lopez, gallery
manager, described the approach for
offering your work: We would ask the
artist to submit some images and a CV to
the gallery via email. We periodically
assess our submissions and contact any
artists whose work we feel would t with
our exhibition schedule. We would then
hang the work in an exhibition and we
typically take a 50% sales commission.
If this all feels like a bit of a stretch for
you, there are lots of provincial galleries
that do exactly the same thing on a smaller
scale. A growing number of pubs, cafs
and restaurants are also making wall space
available to local artists. While you cant
Smallestablishments
mightbehappyfor10%
commissiononprintsbut
youshouldbepreparedto
negotiateandofferno
morethan20%
expect the same exposure or high-priced
sales as you get from the major galleries,
its a great way to boost your local prole
and have your work seen by different
people everyday, plus you can earn some
cash in the process. A lot of independent
business owners are very open to the idea
of selling images as theyre getting free art
work on their walls, plus you can offer a
small commission on any prints they sell.
Small establishments might be happy for a
10% commission on prints but you should
be prepared to negotiate and offer no more
than 20%. Gallery commissions start from
30% and they have dedicated staff selling
your work. Make sure the business owner
agrees to pay the cost of any damage to
your work displayed on their walls too.
When choosing your images, start with
local scenes that local people and visitors
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLERY, LONDON /CGI CREATED BY MAGANGLO LTD.
ThePhotographersGallery:
London, www.photonet.org.uk
ImpressionsGallery:
Bradford, www.impressions-gallery.com
TheAssociationof
PhotographersGallery:
London, gallery.the-aop.org
TheBristolGallery:
email [email protected]
SylviaAdams:
www.apersonalviewphotography.co.uk
can relate to. A photograph of Brooklyn

Bridge will look out of place in a Somerset
tea room, but a cider orchard at dawn
could sell like, erm, hot cakes. Print quality
is vital, so dont cut corners with the
product and think carefully about framing.
A professional-quality frame that
complements the image, the venue and
most customers home dcor is best.
This level is a true pocket money
venture. You might only subsidise your
hobby with income you get from the caf
but having your images on display in public
will give you a thrill. And thats probably
the best reason for giving it a go.
Casestudy
Sylvia
Adams
LANDSCAPE AND
EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHER
When a Northamptonshire pub was renovated
by the new landlord, Sylvia Adams mentioned
how nice one of her local landscapes would
look on the wall. The landlord agreed so Sylvia
came back with a 16x20in print of the nearby
abandoned stately home at Lyveden New Bield.
She also gave him some horseracing prints for
the games room. The landlord framed and
hung the prints and now keeps a stash of
Sylvias business cards behind the bar for
anybody who enquires about the photographs.
She charges 75 for a signed print. I have
an Epson A3+ printer and only ever use
genuine Epson inks for maximum longevity, but
I explain to customers that, as for all types of
printed art, they must avoid hanging them in
sunlight, says Sylvia. I cut my own deep
double mounts before carefully putting them in
frames from Zanart in Kettering.
The pub doesnt take any commission for
sales, the landlords just pleased to have the
images. Back in 2005 Sylvia raised 1,600 for
a charity trek by selling hand-made greetings
cards. They were sold in the local shop, which
was how the pub came to know about Sylvias

work. A member of staff in another pub took a
fancy to one of Sylvias pictures, so Sylvia
promised her a free print in return for a few
sales. In August, Sylvias work will be hanging
in a tea room in the village of Aldwinkle and
Sylvia will pay the tea room 10% of any sales
during that month. Her pictures then move to
the caf at Bosworths Garden Centre in Burton
Latimer, and for every print sold during
September, a donation will go to charity.
Its all going very well for Sylvia. Shes very
busy with all types of photography but the
tranquil landscapes she takes on her early
morning walks with her dog are providing a
steady income and growing recognition. She
loves horses, and her equestrian photos,
hanging in the local animal feeds store and
ofces have brought commissions to
photograph animals.
Right now, shes probably most excited
about her work appearing in a touring
exhibition organised by The Photographic
Angle, a charity that organises free exhibitions
in vacant space around the country. A
representative from The Photographic Angle
gave a talk at my camera club and encouraged
us to submit work via the website, explains
Sylvia. They chose some of my travel work and
that will be seen all over the country, so who
knows what will come of that.
MAKE EBAY
WORK FORYOU
eBay has revolutionised online buying and selling for consumers and businesses alike, and offers great
potential for photographers. Plan it right and you can make money while picking up some bargains too
INCE ITS LAUNCH in 1995, eBay

has proven to be one of the
best-known and most protable
websites in the world. Offering anyone
anywhere the chance to bid on and buy
quite literally anything, it has proven a hit for
those wishing to off-load unwanted items
and get their hands on hard-to-nd
products. It also provides the opportunity to
pick up some real bargains too. Apart from
being ripped off by unscrupulous eBay
members, there is very little that can be
said against eBay, so if youve never tried it,
wed highly recommend giving it a go.
Becoming a member is straightforward
and once youve signed up and provided
your details, you can begin bidding, buying
and selling items. Most major countries
have their own dedicated eBay sites:
eBay.co.uk for the UK, eBay.com for the
USA etc, and you are able to list items for
sale internationally (as well as buy from
non-UK-based sellers), to appeal to a
worldwide audience.
As a quick example of nding quality
photo kit, we searched for a Canon EF
50mm f/1.8 lens: the six listings due to end
soonest gave the chance to buy the item
immediately for 69.90 (plus 10 p&p) or
place bids, with the item closest to ending
already at 57. Both offer decent savings.
eBay is fast and easy to use. By clicking
on any item you can get further details on
both it and the seller, and make a bid if you
want the item. As with any auction, you
should determine the maximum you want
to spend and dont get carried away if
another member outbids you.
As you buy and sell successfully, youll
build up and receive positive feedback
from the people you deal with and this
feedback score is vital. It provides other
eBay members with an idea of how
trustworthy you are, so ensure you provide
a decent service to avoid receiving
negative feedback.
Sellingyourphotos
First things rst, dont expect to make a

living from selling original prints on eBay
signed or unsigned it just wont happen.
The fact is, nding high-quality
photographic images on eBay isnt easy.
Head to the Photography category in Art
and youll nd the majority of images are
glamour shots of 1970s Page 3 girls,
nudes and other shots that in truth we were

very surprised to nd on eBay. While this
online auction marketplace is perfect for
selling most products, it seems that there is
a long way to go before we can hope to be
able to seriously consider selling original
prints on it. The one glimmer of hope is that
if you do list a high-quality image; say of a
stunning landscape, it could well stand out
from the crowd, as the competition is poor.
But considering you have to pay for each
listing (unless you start at 99p), the
chances are that youll need to pay to re-list
several times before you ever sell a print.
And even thats not guaranteed. Bearing in
mind very few people will visit eBay to buy
an image certainly until eBay improve
this area wed suggest you be pragmatic
about the possibility of making money from
selling your images on eBay.
eBayhasprovenahitfor
thosewishingtooff-load
unwanteditemsandget
theirhandsonhard-to-find
items.Youcanpickupsome
realbargainstoo
Howtoeasilyshoot
productstoselloneBay
Providing a decent image is essential to
entice bidders to buy your item. Producing a
good quality image is relatively
straightforward: place your item against a
white backdrop, ensure the White Balance is
correct, and avoid directional light as it can
cause shadows. Also bear in mind that as
the le sizes that are uploaded need to be
small, set your camera to shoot in JPEG,
preferably at a Small/Low resolution, as this
will save time preparing the image later.
With small items, you can usually get
away with using a sheet of white paper near
a patio door, secured to where the wall
meets the oor to create a curved backdrop
on which to place the item. If you plan to sell
items on eBay regularly though, wed
recommend that you spend 45 on a
Lastolite ePhotomaker, a white pop-up tent,
with a diffuser on one side and a silver
reector on the other. It comes supplied with
an EzyBalance white/grey card to ensure
you set the correct White Balance for the
light source used (a table lamp is suitable),
as well as a mini-tripod for compact camera
users. Its fast to set up and perfect for eBay.
SellingkitoneBay
If you have upgraded your camera, lens or

ashgun, or have any kit that you rarely if
ever use, such as spare lters, hoods,
tripods or gadget bags, then listing it on
eBay is a fast and easy way to exchange it
for cash. Listing items doesnt take long and
is quite straightforward to do, with two ways
to lling in details: easy and advanced. There
are also two main forms of selling on eBay.
You can list an item as a Buy it Now, setting a
price that you are happy with, which allows
the item to be sold immediately to the rst
bidder. Or you can use the auction-style
listing, which runs over a set period of time
(one to ten days). If you like, you can set a
Buy It Now price when listing the item, or set
a reserve which, if not reached, prevents the
item from being sold. Be aware these
options all cost extra to use.
Youll need to provide basic details of the
item that will appear on the listings page,
upload an image, provide a description of
the item that covers what it is and the
condition it is in, set a price, cost of
postage and the time period for the listing

to run. Youll receive conrmation from
eBay both when the item is listed and
when/if the listing ends.
When listing items, provide an accurate
description or else you may nd the buyer
requests a refund and may leave you
negative feedback. Also, contact the buyer
when youve posted the item so theyre
aware its on its way.
eBayfees
eBay charges you for listing an item. Its

usually free to list if the starting price is
99p or less. Should the item sell, eBay will
take a small percentage of the sale.
Charges are reasonable and more detail
can be found on the eBay website.
LEADING PROSATWORK
PHILMAKANNA
HIRE AN EBAY
ASSISTANT!
If youre serious about selling photo
gear on eBay, consider using a trading
assistant who can sell items on your
behalf. Their expertise can help sell an
item for a higher price although theyll
charge a fee for the service.
Stuff U Sell is one of the best
for shifting photo gear
ToptipsforsellingoneBay
Get the basics right with your listing and

it can add 10-15% to the value of your
product. Text on a plain page with no
pictures is the general format and can
work well. But use various pictures of your
product from different angles, give it a
strong title and description and you could
end up selling it for substantially more.
Bear in mind only one image is free
creating a single multi-image JPEG in
Photoshop can help you save money!
Provide a detailed description and a
decent photograph of what youre selling.
Mention any damage to the product as this
will build trust with the buyer.
Write a good title. You have 55 characters
and all of them are searchable terms that
help them get found. Pick words you think
people will use when trying to nd an item.
Time it so youre selling at a peak period
so more people can see it. Aim to end
listings on a Sunday night as its the
busiest time (Monday night if its a Bank
Holiday weekend). Starting Thursday and
ending Sunday is a typical but an effective
ten-day strategy. Or aim for a seven-day
listing to start and end on a Sunday.
For art prints, sell it as a Buy It Now as
you rarely get competitive bidding. But for
photographic equipment, be hopeful that
you have a bidding war on your hands.
Build a good selling reputation by being
accurate with your listings and providing
fast and efcient delivery. Ideally dispatch
within 48 hours and use Parcel2Go
(www.parcel2go.com), as theyre one of
the best for value as they negotiate with
different couriers for the best price.
BuyingkitoneBay
Unless youre looking for a very specic or

rare item, you can usually nd what you
want listed on eBay. At the time of writing,
there were more than half a million items
listed in the Photography section of eBay.
co.uk, including 19,000 digital cameras,
31,000 lenses and over 120,000 digital
camera accessories. As well as lots of used
items, many are new, often being sold by
the eBay Store outlets of popular
dealerships such as Calumet. Some great
bargains can be found, so add items you
really like the look of to your Watch list, to
be sure you dont miss out. Always check a
sellers feedback rating, as its a good
indication of whether they can be trusted,
and dont be afraid to contact them via the
Contact Buyer link if you have a query.
Dont assume items listed as New have a
guarantee it simply means theyve never
been used so check this before bidding.
Sellers should give a good description of
the item, so read this before contacting
them. It should state if the item is working
or faulty, lightly or heavily used, free from
damage or marks and so on. If bidding on
a DSLR, always ask about sensor dust and
general wear and tear. If bidding on a lens,
ensure optics arent scratched or marked
and are free from mould. If in doubt, dont
bid. Take care if buying from overseas,
such as the Far East or Africa. While prices
may be lower, you may be hit with a bill for
UK duty and if the item is faulty, it may not
be covered under warranty. Thats not to
say dont buy from overseas, just be aware
of any pitfalls and check all details with the
seller before bidding.
eBayApple&Androidapps
If you regularly use eBay and have an iPhone
or Android smart phone, or an iPad, its
worth downloading eBays free apps. These
allow you to monitor items in your watch list,
bid via your mobile device, monitor how
listed items are selling and reply to enquiries
by potential bidders quickly and with ease.
Paypal
If you buy or sell on eBay, wed advise you to

open an account with Paypal, which
provides a very smooth and one of the safest
if not the safest online service for
sending and receiving payment. Sellers
incur a small fee, while both buyers and
sellers benet from Paypals excellent
protection service. The money you earn
from eBay sales sit in a Paypal account and
can be transferred at any time to your bank
account. You can use your Paypal account to
buy from eBay (and many other websites)
and if your Paypal funds dont cover the total
of any eBay purchase you make, Paypal will
automatically retrieve the difference from
your credit or debit card registered to the
account. Its an excellent and trustworthy
service that the eBay community respects
and relies on. For further details, visit:
www.paypal.co.uk
OurfavouriteeBaybargains
Heres items weve bought in the last year:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8II. Used in mint
condition. 46 plus 4 p&p. Average used
price is around 65.
Set of Zeikos close-up lters (+1, +2, +4,
+10): 10 plus 5 p&p. Guide price: 40.
Nautilus shell for still-lifes 20 inc postage.
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 105
PHILMAKANNA
BUSINESS MATTERS
Learn the fundamentals of a photography business from banking to copyright law
106 Businessmatters
BANKING&
FUNDING
You have to spend money to make money. But where can you get the
money to spend and where should you put it once youve made it?
Read on to nd out about loans, government grants & bank accounts
OU MIGHT IMAGINE that the best

place for your money these days is
under the mattress. Its not. You
need a bank account if you are serious
about making money from your
photography. If you only earn a few hundred
pounds a year, you can manage quite well
with a personal account. But banks do take a
dim view of people using their personal
accounts for business and if they discover
that youre doing so, may close the account
or start applying business account charges.
Gettingabusinessaccount
If you decide to create a limited company

you denitely need a business bank
account. The business bank account forms
the hub of your accounting process and a
quick glance at statements will quickly
reveal what shape your business is in from
one month to the next.
Bank charges are a fact of life in
business. Youre using the bank to run a
protable business, so the bank is entitled
to charge for the service it provides to help
you. Some business accounts are advertised
as free but this might just mean they dont
have a monthly or quarterly charge. Watch
out for the costs they apply to transactions.
Use an internet comparison site to
choose three or four banks, go to the
websites of each for the details and then
arrange to meet a personal advisor. These
arent accountants or nancial advisors as
such, but they will be very knowledgeable
about their banks services.
According to their critics, banks arent
lending enough money to businesses at
the moment. The banks deny this. As
Brian Capon from the British Bankers
Association told me, banks are providing in
excess of 500m of new lending to small
businesses each month. Banks are still
willing to lend to small businesses and
around 10,000 new loans are currently
being agreed each month.
Banks look closely at applications for
loans. They will need to be satised that
the business is viable and can generate
sufcient income to meet all its nancial
commitments as they become due.
This means that businesses will need to

provide the bank with three years audited
accounts, management accounts
including cash ow forecasts for the
business and a plan B in case things dont
go as expected.
So, if you think your business needs a
cash injection, youd better have a good
story to tell about why you need a new
computer, A1 printer and four prime
lenses. The days of banks throwing money
at risky business are over.
Securinggrantsandsponsors
If getting a bank loan is hard work, then

bagging a government-funded start-up
loan or grant isnt any easier.
Business Link was set up to help new
businesses get access to advice, support
and funding. Its website, followed by a
meeting with one of its advisors, is a good
place to start. Grants are limited and
depend on your personal circumstances
and where you live. Business Link advisor
John Grange says: Business Link doesnt
provide money. It uses local advisors who
know what nancial support is available.
We can help to write your business plan,
too, which doesnt have to be geek-speak
or War and Peace.
Some parts of the country have a
business angels type scheme. Angels are
local investors who will put money into
your business if they can see a return,
Dragons Den-style.
The nal source of funding worth
considering is arts funding. Arts funding
isnt just for ne-art photographers, its
there to help those whose work has a
cultural or social value. If your work has
social signicance, enriches your regions
cultural heritage or provides opportunities
for deserving members of your community
(such as unemployed ex-offenders, or
those with learning difculties) you can
make your pitch. Your local authority will
point you in the direction of local arts and
community project funding. Then theres
the Arts Council, whose Mathew Hanratty
told us: Photography activities that are
considered eligible for funding are time-
USEFUL LINKS
www.businesslink.gov.uk
www.smallbusinesspro.co.uk
www.thisismoney.co.uk
www.artscouncil.org.uk
www.wefund.co.uk
www.uksponsorship.com
www.voluntaryarts.org
Banksareprovidingin
excessof500mofnew
lendingtosmall
businesseseachmonth.
Banksarestillwillingto
lendtosmallbusinesses
based projects that focus on personal career
development of an artist. Therefore, taking
part in photography exhibitions would be
considered as eligible for funding.
The Arts Council has seen fairly
dramatic cuts to its budgets, so greater
expectations are being placed on
corporate sponsorship. Many companies
set aside money for arts sponsorship.
Register your requests for funding at
Uksponsorship.com or WeFund.co.uk to
catch the eye of a benefactor.
So, lots to think about and, sadly,
nobodys going to shower you with cash.
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 107
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
Casestudies
Katherine
Green
FULL-TIME DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER
Katherine Green is a documentary
photographer. In 2008 she received grants
for her exhibition, Going to the Dogs. The
project documents the closure of
Walthamstows famous greyhound stadium
and its impact on the community. The
exhibition was ambitious as it consisted of
two venues, 29 new pieces of work, ten oral
history interviews for gallery listening posts,
one interactive display of archive material, a
DVD of images and audio playing on a
at-screen TV and one publication,
explains Katherine. The grants contributed
to the production of the images, the framing,
signage, touring costs and marketing.
So, millions, then? Er, no, not exactly.
The total grant from Arts Council England
was 5,000 and 750 from Apex Arts, says
Katherine. The exhibition took one year to
plan and develop. The Arts Council England
application procedure is particularly lengthy
and in-depth; it took approximately a month
to plan and write.
Katherine has advice for other
photographers: Apply with plenty of time;
meet with a funding ofcer; ask lots of
questions and ask for feedback if youre not
successful. If you are successful, be
prepared to keep lots of records about the
project and its development, as you will be
asked for evidence in an evaluation report.
The Arts Council has specic aims and
goals. It is important to be familiar with
these and make sure you understand them.
When applying for funding, its important to
demonstrate how the grant will help develop
you and benet others.
My work involves and represents the
community I live in. These themes chimed
particularly well with the Arts Councils
aims. However, this was the second time
I had applied to the Arts Council. The rst
time I wasnt successful and the feedback
I received was that this was due to lack of
exhibiting experience. I managed to put that
particular exhibition together on a very
meagre budget so it was really exciting to be
able to invest in high-quality prints and
framing this time around.
Comparisontable:Businessbankingcharges
Free
period (for
or
start-ups)
Monthly fee
Standing
orders
Auto
deposits
Branch
deposits
Cheque
HSBC
18
months
3.15
54p per s/o

s/
18p per
credit
74p per
credit
63p
Barclays
up to 24
months
5.50
54p per s/o

s/
15p per
credit
75p per
credit
59p
Natwest
24 months
5.00
45p per s/o

s/
22p per
credit
66p per
100
71p
Lloyds TSB
18 months
5.00
40p per s/o

s/
20p per
credit
70p per
credit
65p
Alliance & Leicester*
for life
free
free
free
free
free
BANKS
Other banks to consider: Clydesdale, RBS, Nationwide, Allied Irish, Bank of Scotland, Cater Allen, Co-operative Bank, Halifax,
Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and Yorkshire Bank.
KATHERINE GREEN
*Now Santander. Conditions apply to some free services, e.g. cheques limited to 100 per month.
Source: Banks own websites on 1 December, 2010. This is intended as a guide only, please check current rates.
108 Businessmatters
TRADING
STATUS
Once the money starts to roll in, youll need to decide whether to be a
sole trader or set up a limited company, not to mention dealing with
thethornyissueofVAT.Weguideyouthroughthispotentialmineeld
OR MOST PHOTOGRAPHERS, the

journey to becoming a professional
is a transitional one. It begins as a
hobby, leads to a few quid to cover your
costs, grows into beer money and ends
up as a small prot. This is the kind of
growth that gives people the condence to
give turning pro a go.
Simon Chaplin is the managing director
of accountancy rm GreenStones in
Peterborough and we asked him if there is
a clear point at which someone turns pro.
Deciding when you started trading is quite
hard, says Simon. Most photographers
start out taking a few snaps for friends and
family and might receive a drink in
exchange. Technically, that drink is taxable
because it is a reward for services you have
rendered! The question when does a
hobby become a profession? is difcult
and expert advice should be taken on each
individual case.
Accountants say that a lot, but hes right.
Everyones circumstances are different and
although there is a lot of information
available, some of it is quite complex.
Expert advice doesnt have to be expensive
advice. Contact Business Link and set up a
meeting with an adviser in your area. Do it
soon though, as the regional Business Link
advisory service is being restructured from
25 November 2011.
One of the most common questions
asked of Richard Hallsworth, partner at
Nicholsons Accountants in Lincoln, is,
Should I form a limited company or be a
sole trader? Richard is a keen
photographer and regularly blogs about
photographers nances. His response:
The easy tax saving answer is yes, trade
as a limited company over a sole trader
and you will save tax. This is if you take a
salary up to the personal allowance level
and then dividends on top. The tax is saved
because you dont pay national insurance
on dividends extracted from the company.
Based on the 2010/2011 tax rates, if you
make a prot of 40,000 you would save
around 2,375 of tax and national
insurance by trading as a limited company.
His blog goes into more detail than we can
here and is a mine of useful information.

Visit: www.nanceforphotographers.co.uk
Limitedcompanyvsoletrader
Simon Chaplin agrees with Richard:

The frame for this is how much tax you
save versus what an accountant will
charge for the extra work. Zooming in on
a tax point of view, if your prots are over
about 16,000 a year then your exposure
to tax will be high enough for you to focus
on becoming a company. Excuse the
photo puns. Simons also a comedian.
You should see his invoices.
Becoming a limited company also
offers you the protection of limited liability,
so your personal assets are safe (most of
the time) and increases creditability as
most people think of limited companies as
more established and reliable. The
downside is the extra administration involved
in becoming limited: extra tax forms to le,
an extra bank account, and forms to be led
at Companies House. Most people are
happy to do all this admin because of the
tax that they will save.
Another option to consider is a
partnership, if you earn below 16,000
and your partner has no income. You can
then share the prot and make sure all
your tax allowances are used up.
Legally, you have to register a sole trader
business or partnership within three
months of earning your rst pay cheque.
You can do this either by telephoning the
Newly Self-employed Helpline (see panel),
registering online or posting a form to Her
Majestys Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
A limited company, however, needs to be
formed before you start trading, by
registering it with Companies House. Both
these processes are dull but relatively easy.
Before you can ll in these rather boring
forms, you have another big decision to
make: your trading name. This is less critical
for sole traders but they cant really protect
the name. They can sue for passing off, that
is someone pretending to be them, but this
might be difcult to prove.
Registering a limited company is more
rigorous as it involves a search of existing
Theeasytaxsaving
answerisyes,trade
asalimitedcompany
overasoletraderand
youwillsavetax
companies to make sure the name is
unique. The company becomes a legal
entity, subject to company law and also,
as Richard Hallsworth points out, to issues
over privacy. If you trade as a company,
a lot of data is held about the company on
public record, he says. Details of
directors, accounts, shareholdings and
debentures held by nance institutions are
just examples of data readily available for
inspection or download from Companies
House. Thats a good point, Richard. Now
readers can see for themselves just how
much Im struggling.
Choosing a name for your business is
probably worth an article in itself. You can
agonise over it the way you would the
name of a baby. Things to consider include
how much currency there is in your name.
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 109
PHILMAKANNA
Casestudies
Charmaine
Stark
BUSINESS NAME: TAKEN WITH PASSION
WEBSITE: WWW.TAKENWITHPASSION.CO.UK
MAIN ACTIVITY OF BUSINESS:
WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY.
TYPE OF BUSINESS: SOLE TRADER.
ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY SALES:
UP TO 16,000.
VAT REGISTERED? NO.
I started out as a sole trader. Its not as
complicated as a limited company and after
all, there is only me and the less paperwork I
have the better! However, now I understand
the business a bit better I might stop using
an accountant (who was invaluable at the
start) and start doing my tax return myself,
directly with the tax ofce, to save money.
Im not VAT registered as my turnover
doesnt justify it, and I deal with the general
public so I do not want to pass the cost on to
them. Adding 20% to my prices, when local
competition is erce and I need my prices to
be relative to everyone else, could stop
clients from hiring me. I dont think its worth
the risk or the hassle of the extra paperwork
at this stage in my business.
Casestudies
Martyn
Moore
If people have got to know Joe Blow as a

talented, reliable photographer, Joe Blows
Photos should be on the list. Is location
important? If so, maybe the name of your
town or county should be part of the name.
The same goes for any specialist services
you provide such as training. (Read pXX of
this guide to learn more about branding
and for more on choosing the right name.)
GettingtogripswithVAT
Thats already quite a lot to think about for

this issue, but theres just room to look at
one more big decision you will face:
whether or not to register for VAT. If your
turnover of VAT taxable goods and services
supplied within the UK for the previous 12
months is more than the current
registration threshold of 70,000, or you
expect it to go over that gure in the next
30 days alone, you must register for VAT.
You can also register for VAT if your
turnover is less than 70,000, and there
may be good reasons for doing that.
Simon Chaplin again: If your sales in the
last 12 months are more than the
threshold you have to register no choice.
If they are not and you take photographs
for members of the public, you should not

be registered. If you take photographs for
business clients then you should be.
Members of the public are not in a
position to claim back the VAT they pay, so
if you dont charge them VAT, your services
and products are cheaper. The downside is
that you pay VAT on stock and business
expenses but you cant claim it back.
Most business clients will reclaim the
VAT they are charged, so are less
concerned about the gross invoice. The
other advantage of being VAT registered is
that you get to reclaim the VAT you pay on
supplies and services.
There is also a scheme known as at
rate VAT that benets businesses that
dont hold much stock or dont have to buy
lots of raw materials. The basic idea is that
you charge VAT (currently at 20%) but
claim back a lower percentage (currently
11% for photographers) of your total sales.
It saves a lot of time on bookkeeping
chores and working out what is claimable
and what isnt.
Its a lot to think about, isnt it? Starting out
as a professional photographer isnt about
taking pictures all day, thats for sure.
BUSINESS NAME: NORTHLIGHT MEDIA LTD

WEBSITE: WWW.NORTHLIGHTMEDIA.CO.UK
MAIN ACTIVITY OF BUSINESS:
CORPORATE PHOTOGRAPHY, WRITING
AND MEDIA PRODUCTION.
TYPE OF BUSINESS: LIMITED COMPANY.
ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY SALES:
UP TO 16,000.
VATREGISTERED?YES,ONFLATRATESCHEME.
Most of my clients are businesses. I take
photographs for corporate brochures and
websites. I decided to become a limited
company because some of my clients are
large organisations or public bodies and
these guys like the corporate feel of a
limited company when they do business and
they can claim back the VAT I charge them.
I dont hold stock or buy much in the way of
materials, so the at-rate VAT scheme suits
me most of the time, although I felt the pain
when I moved into a new ofce recently.
You cant claim back the full 20% VAT on
purchases under 2,000.
advice for how to set up and grow a
business, contact Business Link:
www.businesslink.gov.uk.
TheTaxOffice:For advice on ling
your yearly tax return call O845 3000627.
HMRevenue&Customs: To register
as newly self-employed: 0845 9154515.
Companies House:To register your
business name or set up a limited company,
contact: www.companieshouse.gov.uk.
110 Businessmatters
HOW TO KEEP THE

TAXMAN ON SIDE
Tax isnt fun. Just the very mention of the word brings most people out in a cold sweat. But if you
take professional advice and keep on top of form-lling, it can all be a relatively painless process
HOULD FIVE PERCENT appear too

small, be thankful I dont take it all.
Cause Im the taxman. Yeah, Im the
taxman and youre working for no-one but
me. When George Harrison wrote the lyrics
for this opening song on The Beatles album
Revolver, he was pretty unhappy with the
taxman. Back in 1966 the Beatles were
paying 95% of their earnings to the Inland
Revenue and Harrison made his feelings
very clear in Taxman: Now my advice for
those who die, declare the pennies on your
eyes. Angry stuff.
These days you should expect to keep
more than one pound in 20. A supertax
today is more likely to affect bankers
bonuses than photographers earnings.
In fact, a lot of things about the taxman
have changed, apart from perhaps public
opinion. It doesnt matter how helpful and
reasonable the people at Her Majestys
Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are, we
just dont like paying taxes.
Living in a civilised society means that
we are required to hand over some of our
earnings to pay for schools, hospitals,
roads and the occasional excesses of our
leaders. Thats the way it has always been
and more than likely always be.
Everyone has a tax-free personal
allowance, which is the amount of taxable
income youre allowed to earn each year
tax-free. This year (20112012) that
amount is 7,475. For most people, pretty
much everything you earn over this
amount is subject to tax.
Income tax rates change and HMRC
publishes a ton of information on its
excellent website. For the 20112012 tax
year the Basic Rate of income tax is 20 %
and that applies to earnings up to 35,000
a year. People who earn between 35,001
and 150,000 pay 40 % the Higher Rate.
But the biggest blow is to those people on
more than 150,000 (surviving Beatles
included). Theyre subject to the Additional
Rate and pay 50 % tax and see their
personal allowance reduced.
The devil is in the detail. Things like
pension contributions and gift aid
donations can affect these gures. Please
dont wave this article under the nose of
your tax inspector, crying, but Digital SLR

Photography magazine says its this
For a typical photographer, earnings are
the difference between what you charge
for taking photos and what it costs you to
do it. Your prot is your turnover minus
your expenses.
Takeprofessionaladvice
This is basically how tax applies to a

self-employed photographer. If youve
formed a limited company and you are a
director, you can pay yourself up to your
personal allowance as salary tax-free (but
not National Insurance-free) and then draw
a dividend to which different tax rules
apply. Your company will pay a 21 %
corporation tax on its prots, which
reduces to 20 % for nancial years starting
on or after 1 April 2011.
This is the shape of current UK tax law at
its most basic. It doesnt cover National
Insurance or VAT but its already starting to
Foratypical
photographer,earnings
arethedifference
betweenwhatyoucharge
fortakingphotosand
whatitcostsyoutodoit
get quite complicated. If we carry on at this
rate youll start to wonder if what youre
reading is really an inspirational
photography magazine.
Get professional help. Everything you
need to know is published online but
sometimes talking to an expert makes it all
a bit clearer. It doesnt have to be an
accountant that advises you: local
Business Link representatives will continue
to provide a valuable service until
November before the organisation is
restructured. Business Link will help you to
understand the principles of running a
business and HMRC can give you tax
advice for free. But you should consider
hiring an accountant. Most of them will
offer an initial consultation for free and a
good accountant should be able to save
you more money in tax than they charge

you for doing your books.
Accountants seem to have an odd way
of speaking. Simon Chaplin, head honcho
at GreenStones in Peterborough, talks like
this: Whether the business is that of an
individual or a company, prots are
calculated so as to give a true and fair view
of the business in accordance with
generally accepted accounting practice
and tax legislation. Business prots for
individuals and companies are calculated
along similar lines.
Once business prots are calculated, the
UK operates a process of self assessment,
making it the responsibility of the taxpayer to
complete an online or paper tax return
declaring your income and capital gains
(prots on the sale of certain assets) on the
tax return, together with any claims for tax
allowances or reliefs.
There are deadlines for sending your
tax return in and penalties and interest
charges may be applied if it arrives late.
You will always need to complete a tax
return if you are self-employed, a higher
rate tax payer or have untaxed income
above the personal allowance.
Gettogripswithform-filling
Despite this glittering repartee, you can

learn a lot from people like Simon in your
rst year and then decide whether you
want to retain their services. Lots of
photographers do, because it allows them
to remain focused on the business of
taking pictures.
BBC news goddess Moira Stuart has
been telling us tax doesnt have to be
taxing for a few years now, and shes right.
If death and taxes are the only true
certainties, form-lling runs them a close
third. But whether you opt to ll in a paper
form or to check boxes, menus and input
text online, youre entering information you
should already know from your invoices,
receipts, bank account and diary. The only
tricky area might be deciding whether an
expense is tax-deductable and the best
time to claim it. There are clear rules for
this and Simon Chaplin now shows us he
can talk in lists as well.
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 111
PHILMAKANNA
For business expenses there are two

most important rules to remember,
explains Simon. The expense must be:
One, wholly and exclusively for the
purpose of the trade (printing paper, inks,
batteries) and two, of a revenue and not
capital nature (a camera would be capital
whereas consumables are revenue).
Capital expenses are treated differently,
with the cost of big ticket items such as
cameras, lenses and lighting claimed as
capital allowances.
There isnt a lot here to separate the
full-time professional and the part-time
enthusiast earning a few quid at weekends.
The truth is, earnings are earnings and
they are subject to tax. If you have another
job, you will probably have earned more
than your personal allowance. An added
difculty will be working out what costs are
wholly and exclusively for the purpose of
the trade. If some of your ink and paper
goes on personal projects, its hard to
make that claim.
Steeppenaltiesfortaxevaders
We asked Tom Buchan, photography

enthusiast and qualied tax accountant
(www.tombuchan.com), how will HMRC
ever know about the details? The answer
is they may never nd out, says Tom.
But (and its a big but) UK tax law places
the onus on you to be honest.
Consequently the penalties for not being

honest are steep; nancially and otherwise.
HM Revenue & Customs do operate a
black economy unit and, as your magazine
has already reported, one professional
photographic body has been submitting
names to HM Revenue & Customs in an
effort to catch out tax evaders and
maintain the integrity of the profession.
Many photographers report satisfactory
dealings with HMRC. In certain cases it has
paid interest on overpaid tax and will
sometimes offer easy payment terms
when tax has been underpaid. Like many
big organisations dealing with large
numbers of people, mistakes get made on
both sides, and HMRC has gone to great
lengths to show it can be reasonable. But
you probably wont hear The Beatles
singing about that.
advice for how to set up and grow your
business, contact Business Link:
www.businesslink.gov.uk
Finance ForPhotographers:
www.nanceforphotographers.co.uk
HMRevenue&Customs:
www.hmrc.gov.uk
GreenStones:Peterborough-based
accountancy rm: www.greenstones.co.uk
Typicalaccounts
A typical set of accounts for a
photographer would probably include
the following expenses:
Car, van and travel expenses
(parking, fuel, repairs, servicing,
hotel rooms and so on)
Repairs and renewals of equipment
Premises expenses (either use of
home as ofce or rent, rates, power,
security, property insurance and so on)
Business insurance costs
Phone, fax, stationery, printing,
computer software and other
general ofce costs
Computer and website costs
Advertising, mailshots, free
samples and so on
Accountancy, legal & professional fees
Bank and credit charges
Interest on bank or other
business loans
Bad debts (invoices included in
turnover but not paid)
Trade or professional journals/
magazine subscriptions
Membership of professional bodies
112 Businessmatters
INSURANCE:
A NECESSARY EVIL
Replacing all your kit if it was stolen or, worse, having to defend yourself against legal action, could nish
your business before it gets off the ground. Thats where tailor-made photographers insurance comes in
NSURANCE IS THE RISK business.

Both professional and semiprofessional photographers need to
consider insurance. The big question for all
of us is what are the odds?
All trades have their specialist insurance
brokers and photography is no exception.
A number of companies offer
photographers insurance cover that has
been tailored to the profession. A
photography specialist understands the
industry and will help you to solve a
problem quickly and cost-effectively
through their knowledge of the business.
They know how much kit is worth and the
best of them will come to your rescue
when you most need it.
There are many components to
photographers insurance and the right
cover for you will be a combination of the
elements possibly your own unique
combination. Lets nd out what they are.
The easiest to understand is the cover
for your kit. We own expensive equipment
and the cost of repairing or replacing that
equipment can be frightening. So we need
insurance for our kit for the same reason
we insure all our valuables against theft,
loss and damage. Next is public liability. All
trades should consider public liability and
you shouldnt hire a plumber who doesnt
have it. If one of my lighting stands take out
the eye of a model, you can bet theyll see
me in court. Not very clearly, but Ill still be
in big trouble. Public liability insurance
would offer me nancial protection, but it
wouldnt get me off a health and safety
charge if Id been negligent.
Photographers take on the responsibility
for recording special or one-off events. If
we enter into a contract, basically a
promise, that well succeed and then we
dont, we could be liable to our client for
damages. This is professional indemnity
insurance and it can even cover the cost of
restaging an entire wedding if your
memory card malfunctions.
Most insurance is discretionary, but
some is a legal requirement. If you hire
somebody to help you with a shoot ,you
must have employers liability insurance.
The exception is if its a family member.
You can nd out details on the Health and

Safety Executive website (www.hse.gov.
uk). Employers liability insurance provides
cover if something unfortunate happens to
someone as a result of them working for
you and they decide to sue you.
Arrangingbespokecover
I used to work for a company where the

photographers would hang out of a moving
hatchback, shooting cars and motorcycles
that came within inches of their wide-angle
lenses. Can you imagine writing up that
risk assessment?
Its difcult to say how much your
insurance will cost. A landscape
photographer, selling prints and carrying
out the odd commission, might be a fairly
low public liability or professional
indemnity risk, but they have to consider
travel and all the kit they take with them.
Overseas travel can make quite a
difference and, incidentally, the Republic of
Therearemany
componentsto
photographersinsurance
andtherightcoverforyou
willbeacombinationof
alltheelements
Ireland is usually considered foreign travel.
If you own a studio, the building and its
contents need to be insured, but if you hire
a studio every now and then, insurance is
likely to be included in the hire charges.
The owner of the studio should be insured
but its always worth checking.
There are so many variables and all the
specialists I spoke to offer bespoke cover,
rather than a one-size-ts-all policy. This
approach tends to be better for all
concerned but leads to large variations in
the cost of premiums. One tip, though: its
denitely worth mentioning if youre a
member of a professional association like
the SWPP or MPA, as youll be eligible for a
discount on your premium.
Towergate Camerasure calculates
premiums on an individual basis.
Hayley Luxford is Towergates operations

director. She says: There is not just one
package that will suit all. Full discussions
with clients determine the exact
requirements of the individual, and the
policy we offer is tailored to individual
needs. Our semi-professional and
professional products automatically
include all risks cover (subject to
limitations) for equipment, theft from
vehicle cover and liability cover.
A quick fact nd discussion with one of
our handlers will establish the best level of
cover together with values of equipment,
your travel pattern and a few more general
underwriting questions and we can usually
provide you with a competitive quote. You
can then arrange cover without a proposal
form. A Statement of Facts form will be
sent to you in the post.
David Jayne is managing director of
Imaging Insurance and he lists the types of
cover his company provides: Our policy
provides options for the insurance of
buildings; photographic, video, computer
and other business equipment;
photographic, video, and lm images;
sound recordings; productions; business
interruption; business money; public and
products liability; employers liability and
professional indemnity. Depending upon a
photographers individual circumstances,
all sections of the policy may be required.
Covercomesintoitsown
Thats a lot of options and serves as a

reminder of all the many things that could
go wrong in business as a professional or
even semi-professional photographer.
Maybe instead of looking at insurance as a
grudge purchase, we should look at it as an
investment in peace of mind.
David agrees: Photographers who receive
a claims settlement think weve saved their
bacon. For example, a recent claim for the
theft of all of a photographers equipment
(worth more than 7,000) was sorted out in
just three days. Our policy automatically
includes cover for the hiring cost of
alternative equipment until lost or damaged
equipment is replaced or repaired we aim
to make sure that policyholders dont lose
any work even though theyve had an

incident. Thats not the kind of service youll
get with a home and contents policy is it?
Usually home contents insurance
ceases to provide cover as soon as the
equipment is used for business purposes
or the insured starts working as a
professional photographer, says David.
While normal house contents insurance
may be better than none at all, if you earn
any money from your equipment, house
contents insurance probably wont apply.
Even if you dont earn any money from
photography, your kit probably wont be
covered if its stolen from your car. And
there may well be restrictions on values of
single items or if you go outside the UK.
Travel is also an important factor.
Holiday insurance wont normally cover
you if youre working abroad. We asked
our specialist insurers what steps can be
taken by photographers to keep their
premiums down.
Towergates Hayley Luxford again:
Premiums could be reduced by additional
security measures being present that are
over and above insurers requirements.
Another option is taking a voluntary excess
in addition to the standard excess applied
to the policy. Customers can also
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 113
PHILMAKANNA
accumulate policy discounts for no claims

and the length of time they have been a
client, which will all be taken into account
and can result in reductions in premiums.
David at Imaging Insurance
recommends being extra careful. Most
claims result from accidental damage to
equipment so more care can mean
maximising the no claims discount and
saving money, he says. You can also
cover equipment for secondhand
replacement cost if it is available
secondhand. Try to keep the amount of
equipment taken out on location to a
minimum and even consider moving to a
lower risk rated postcode.
Knowwhatyourepayingfor
Moving home or premises might be a big

ask, but theres some good advice there.
Its essential that you read the small print
of an insurance policy. Sorry about that,
but you really ought to know exactly what
you are buying. If one quote is signicantly
lower than all the rest, theres probably a
good reason for that. And if you make a
claim, you must expect your premium to
rise. Youre now a proven risk.
For a long time insurance companies
have suffered from what some people see
as a victimless crime false claims from

clients who feel they have paid their
premium for a few years, so are entitled to
make a claim. The insurance industry will
tell you that it is paying out 1.47 in claims
for every 1 it collects in premiums. These
numbers are not sustainable.
Insurance is not likely to get cheaper,
but by dealing with a specialist who
understands photography and knows the
realistic risks, youre more likely to buy the
cover you need. And if you do need to call
on your insurer, youll want them to react
like Imaging Insurance and Towergate.
Hayley Luxford has a favourite story:
We had a very famous celebrity
photographer who was on a ight to Los
Angeles. The client arrived at LAX but,
unfortunately, the photographic equipment
didnt. All of the kit was checked in at
Heathrow but mysteriously didnt make
the ight. With a demanding production
crew, models and celebrities waiting, we
had to work rather swiftly. Thanks to
supplier connections in the UK we were
able to arrange the hire of replacement kit
to enable the shoot to be successfully
completed later that day. All of this was
sorted from our ofces in Hampshire and
our client was over the moon.
114 Businessmatters
THE BREAKDOWN
ON INSURANCE
Navigating the mineeld of insurers is tricky, especially if you dont
ask the right questions. We try to make it a little easier by doing some
of the legwork for you and seeking out helpful hints and advice
E WANTED TO CALL this

feature We take the pain, so you
dont have to but Im afraid you
may still experience some slight
discomfort. Nobody likes buying insurance,
but like weve said before, think of it as
buying peace of mind. The previous article
outlined the basics of insurance, but didnt
look in detail at how much time buying
insurance takes or how much money it
costs, so weve addressed those critical
issues in this section. We promise to make it
as pain-free and as helpful as possible. You
will have more fun reading it than we did on
the phone and analysing the quotes.
At the end of it, though, you are going to
have to hit the phones and get your own
quotes. While most insurers now have
quote engines on their websites so you can
buy your policy online, wed still advise you
pick up the phone and speak to someone
to ensure the policy meets all your needs.
In an attempt to give you a really useful
guide to insurance policies and prices, the
Digital SLR Photography team rang a
range of photographers insurance
specialists to nd out what they charge,
and the policies they offer to an enthusiast
and semi-pro photographer.
Whatweasked..
By describing our needs, we had hoped to

be able to compare like with like. No dice.
Put simply, the policies offered by different
insurers are all different. Some offer only
50,000 or 100,000-worth of public
indemnity cover, others can only quote for
75,000. We were happy to accept an
excess, where we would pay the rst 250
of any claim, but some companies boasted
their policies are no excess and wouldnt
quote a cheaper price, even when we
offered to pay the rst half a monkey.
So at the end of a long day we had a
slightly frustrating set of data and a lesson
for you. The lesson is shop around, ask the
right questions (that we have been able to
list for you) and do your best to be clear
about the extent of the cover you need and
nd out the limitations of your cover. Its
that blooming small print again.

The aim of the exercise was to establish
the range of products on offer and the
range of prices. We wanted to produce an
approximate guide to premiums being
asked for using typical proles for our two
levels of photographer (you can read the
proles in the adjacent table).
The biggest denominator was the value
of kit, which we posed as 3,000 (plus
500 for computer equipment, if the
insurer could include it in their policy) for
the enthusiast and 8,000, including
computer equipment, for the semi-pro
policies. In some cases, particularly for the
enthusiast policy, insurers allowed room
for more kit value to be added on without
having to increase the premium, which
weve indicated via the Value of Kit section
in the adjacent table.
Bydescribingourneeds,
wehadhopedtobeableto
comparelikewithlike.No
dice.Putsimply,the
policiesbydifferent
insurersarealldifferent
Whatwefoundout...
If you really cant be bothered working this

out from our table, we dont mind telling
you that the cheapest quote we got for our
enthusiast prole was from Photoguard for
its Select policy at 202, with professional
indemnity as an extra. Photoguard,
however, was the most expensive for
semi-pros at 454 (Select) and 593
(Pro). Photoguard was probably hardest to
understand too, separating out the
professional indemnity and applying
discounts to parts of the policy.
When speaking to Towergate, we didnt
get a quote for 100,000-worth of
professional indemnity on the phone so
when the email came through with an
increase of almost 300 on the premium,
it was a bit of a shock for the enthusiast.
Jargonbuster
Employersliability:Protects you
from claims for damages or loss made by
somebody working for you, e.g. an assistant
claiming for damages after receiving an
electric shock from your kit.
Excess:The amount paid by the policy
holder in the event of a claim. Usually, the
higher the excess, the lower the premium.
Free and open theftpolicy: Covers
you for the theft of unattended equipment.
NCD: No Claims Discount, a reduction in
premium after a period without claims,
usually a year. Rewards loyalty to a company
and discourages claims.
Policyholder: You, after you have
taken out the policy.
Premium: The cost of an insurance
policy, paid in an annual lump sum or in
monthly installments.
Professionalindemnity: Cover for
any loss or damages to clients caused by
your professional failure, error or equipment
malfunction, e.g. a corrupt memory card or
damaged camera means you lose an entire
shoot or a car crash prevents you from
reaching the venue.
Proposer: You, before you have
taken out the policy.
Publicliability:Cover for any loss or
damage to others caused by your work as a
photographer, e.g. someone trips over your
camera bag or lights, taking a tumble.
The semi-pro was quoted 63.60 extra for

just 25,000 of professional indemnity,
which means Towergate struggles to
compete on that part of the policy.
Glover & Howe were a delight to deal
with on the phone, but to be fair, all the
companies we spoke to were excellent.
Aaduki suggested a couple of questions to
ask other insurers, condent that their
policy provided covers that others didnt,
making Aaduki quotes very competitive
with some of the best policies on offer. The
same can be said for Glover & Howe.
All of these companies understand
photography, so sit down and compile your
own personal information, decide your
own must-have policy features and our
list of 14 questions. Then resign yourself to
making ve phone calls between ten and
15-minutes long. Dont buy right away; get
quotes emailed to you so you can have a
good look at that small print.
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 115
PHILMAKANNA
Theenthusiastphotographer
You dont earn much money from your photography, but you do shoot the occasional weekend wedding and portrait shoot. When you do a wedding your
partner normally comes along for moral support and to help hold your camera bag/be a second shooter. You have a decent camera outt based around a
mid-range DSLR with an older entry-level model as a back-up, two or three lenses and the essential accessories, all totalling about 3,000. You also have
a home PC and printer costing in the region of 500. Most of your shoots are local but youd like to work outside of the UK, given the chance.
Companyy
Value off kit
Value of
Value of
public liability
liabilit professional
essional
indemnityy
Overseas cover
Is hired-in
ed-in kit
covered?
Excess
Annual
premium
Notes
Aaduki
3,500
2m
75,000
up to 60 days worldwide
extra
7.5% of claim (250 min)
268.64
Check property security

requirements
Photoguar
guard
Select
3,000
1m
extra
unlimited EU, up to 30 days

worldwide
included
no excess
202
5K personal accident, pro

indemnity is extra
Imaging
Insurancee
3,500
2m
100,000
extra
150 (250 third party)
267.31
No item worth over 1,500,

covers 600 hiring in costs
Towergatee
Camerasur
asure
4,000
2m
100,000
worldwide (region restrictions

on pro indem/public liability)
liability
n/a
250
609.50
Includes 10m empl liability,

liability
data recovery, bus interruption
Glover &
Howe
5,000
2m
75,000
multiple trips, up to 20
consecutive days worldwide
extra
10% of claim (50 min and

250 max)
266.50
Thesemi-professional
You have a full-time job but youre also serious about making money from your photography, shooting up to 12 paid wedding or portrait sessions a year.
You often have a second shooter or an assistant on a wedding shoot and you may have converted your garage in to a studio for portraits or you
occasionally hire a studio. Your equipment is worth about 8,000, comprising the likes of studio lights, a full-frame and APS-C DSLR with a selection
of fast lenses and accessories. Last year you were given a small assignment overseas and youre planning a stock shooting trip to New York.
Companyy
Value off kit

Value of
Value of
limit for quo
quote public liabilit
liability professional
essional
indemnityy
Overseas cover
Is hired-in
ed-in kit
covered?
Excess
Annual
premium
Aaduki
up to 8,000
2m
75,000
extra
100-200
328.29
Photoguar
guard
Select
8,000
1m
100,000
UK only
included
no excess
454
will pay 10% of replacement

hire
Photoguar
guard
Pro
8,000
2m
100,000
UK only
included
no excess
593
20% of replace hire, 10K per

accident, portfolio, indemnity
indemnit
Imaging
Ins opt 1
8,000
1m
50,000
up to 60 days worldwide*
extra
150-250
313.51
* liability does not include US

or Canada
Imaging
Ins opt 2
8,000
2m
100,000
up to 60 days worldwide*
extra
150-250
350.60
* liability does not include US

or Canada
Towergatee
Semi-pro
5,0008,000
1m
25,000 for
63.60 extra
extr
n/a
250-350
272.60
Towergatee
Pro
8,000+
2m
25,000
included
excludes US and Canada
n/a
150
330
Glover &
Howe
8,000
2m
75,000
multiple trips, up to 20
consecutive days worldwide
up to 2,500
value
10% of claim (50 min and

250 max)
324.75
Oursmallprint
The quotes we obtained are based on the

information provided to the insurers on
14 March, 2011. We were as consistent as
possible with the proles and questions
we used for every call, but there was some
variation depending on the insurers
questions. Every phone quote was
conrmed by email, but sometimes
contained additional information not
revealed during the telephone call. The
quotes were only valid for a limited period
of time, and that time has now lapsed.
Please do not rely on these quotes as
evidence of comparable cost between
insurers or as an accurate representation
of what you might be charged for similar
requirements. Thank you.
Notes
Reallygoodquestionstoaskinsurersoverthephone
1) If I work outside the UK, am I covered?
2) If I am covered for travel, is there a limit on
the number of overseas days a year?
3) Will I get the full receipt value of my kit back,
no matter how long I have owned it for (called a
new for old policy)?
4) Can I make a claim if I dont have the
original receipts?
5) Is the theft cover full and open, meaning
Im covered even if Ive left my kit unattended?
6) Can I get an emergency replacement if my
kit fails, is this an extra cost and will it be
delivered to me?
7) Are there situations where my equipment
might not be covered?
8) Does the professional indemnity cover me
for unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances
(e.g. vehicle breakdown leading to missed

appointment) as well as negligence?
9) What are the consequences for making a
claim? How much will my premium go up?
10) Whats the cancellation policy?
11) Is it cheaper to have a higher excess?
How much more is it not to have an excess?
12) What happens if I add kit to my policy after
its been taken out?
13) How exible is the policy? For instance,
if I turn professional in less than 12 months or
start renting a studio how could this affect my
policy and premium?
14)If I rent equipment for a shoot, do I need to
temporarily add it to my policy and does this
cost anything extra?
15)Is my kit covered if its stolen from my car?
116 Businessmatters
IS IT LEGAL?
More than ever, were hearing about photographers having a brush with the law. And the differences
between the law, its interpretation and public opinion have never been less clear. Time for some facts
RITAIN IS ONE OF the most

relaxed countries in the world
when it comes to the freedom of
photographers to take pictures. Broadly
speaking, we can take photos of pretty
much anyone, anything and anywhere as
long as its in public. Most of the time we
can photograph policemen executing their
duty, we can usually photograph other
peoples children playing in the street and
we dont need to ask anybodys
permission. We have to be careful
photographing kingshers, though.
There are restrictions and the laws
change. Linda Macpherson is one of the
UKs leading experts on photography and
the law. Shes a successful photographer
and a freelance legal consultant,
specialising in media and intellectual
property law. On the subject of what laws
should most concern photographers, she
says: The area of most general concern
for amateur photographers centres on
taking photographs of people, including
children. And, having taken them, whether
or how they can be used or published. This
is a very difcult area because some of the
relevant law is both vague and continually
developing. The law relating to privacy
rights is particularly uid and data
protection law presents a further set of
issues that have not been denitively
determined by any court.
I get a lot of questions related to the
general right to take photographs, both in
public places and on private property and
there is sometimes considerable confusion
about what constitutes a public place.
Issues of police powers and the law of
trespass would fall within this area. It
doesnt help that the law in Scotland differs
from the rest of the UK in some respects.
To help photographers steer clear of
trouble, Linda has written a guide called
the UK Photographers Rights Guide. It can
be downloaded from the accompanying
website at www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr. In her
introduction to the guide, Linda writes:
It is often said that there is no law against
taking a photograph, but in fact there are
many legal restrictions on the right to take
a photograph. So it would be more correct
to say that one is free to take photographs
except when the law provides otherwise.
In most cases its legal to take
photographs of buildings and private
property from a public place, such as the
public highway, but its an invasion of
privacy to take a photo of someone in their

home using a telephoto lens, even if the
photo is taken from a public place. Its not
illegal to take pictures of children playing in
public, but a local authoritys child
protection policy might place heavy
restrictions on photographing children at
events, schools and swimming pools.
Professional commercial photography is
prohibited in Trafalgar and Parliament
Squares in London and in the Royal Parks,
unless written permission is obtained and
a fee paid. Tourist photography is allowed
but a clear, sharp, well-composed holiday
snap of Big Ben could easily end up on a
stock photography website. So its not
clear cut, is it?
Its illegal to obstruct highways,
footpaths and cycleways, so expect to be
moved along by the police if you set up
your tripod in a busy street. Your kit may
be deemed to present a risk to the health
and safety of the public or just a nuisance.
Theareaofmostconcern
forphotographerscentres
ontakingphotographsof
people,includingchildren.
Thisisaverydifficultarea
asthelawisvague
One of the biggest areas of concern in
recent years is the power given to police by
the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 58A of
the Act has led to misunderstandings
between photographers and police
ofcers. The section covers the offence of
eliciting, publishing or communicating
information about members of the armed
forces, intelligence services and police that
is likely to be useful to a person
committing or preparing to commit an act
of terrorism.
Some coppers might have interpreted
Section 58A as: You cant take pictures of
me. Linda Macphersons take on this is:
Information would include a photograph,
and the section is very broadly drafted, as
it doesnt suggest that the information
needs to be intended for terrorist
purposes, only that it is of a kind likely to
be useful for those purposes. That might in
theory include any photograph from which
someone might be identied as a police
ofcer, and some police ofcers seem to
be interpreting it this way.
However, the same wording about

information of a kind likely to be useful is
contained in the original section 58. And
the House of Lords has interpreted that to
mean information of such a nature as to
raise a reasonable suspicion that it was
intended to be used to assist in the
preparation or commission of an act of
terrorism. So, in short, no, there is no
blanket legal ban on taking photographs
with police in them.
Another worry related to the Terrorism
Act is around powers to stop and search.
It was originally covered in Section 44,
which is no longer being enforced.
However, its remit lives on in Section 47A,
jokingly referred to in some parts of the
legal community as Section 44 reloaded.
The Code of Practice relating to Section
47A can be downloaded from the Home
Ofce website. Its a long web address, so
type it carefully: http://www.homeofce.
gov.uk/publications/counter-terrorism/
terrorism-act-remedial-order/code-ofpractice?view=Binary
Or just go to the Home Ofce site and
type terrorism act s47a into the search
box. Page 19 of the code deals with
concerns raised by photographers.
The Metropolitan Police Service has
dedicated a page of its website to
photography and although it could do with
a bit of help from the Plain English
Campaign people, its very informative,
especially the bit that says Ofcers do not
have the power to delete digital images or
destroy lm at any point during a search.
Deletion or destruction may only take
place following seizure if there is a lawful
power (such as a court order) that permits
such deletion or destruction.
As you might expect, there are
restrictions on private property. Basically,
the owner of any private space can impose
their own conditions on you being allowed
to enter that space. If the management
company of a shopping centre says you
cant take photos, well, you cant. And if a
concert venue stipulates no photography,
you will be asked to leave if you try. By
breaking the conditions of entry you
become a trespasser but the property
owner cant conscate your equipment or
insist you delete images.
So what about the kingshers, then?
Well, although there is no restriction on
taking photographs of animals and birds,
the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 117
PHILMAKANNA
PAUL STEFAN
makes it an offence to disturb kingshers,

along with dozens of other schedule 1
protected birds, at or near their nesting
places. Many wild animals, including
insects, enjoy the same protection and can
only be photographed near their nests or
places of shelter by photographers with a
licence from Natural England, Scottish
Natural Heritage or the Countryside
Council for Wales.
Oh, and its illegal to photograph banknotes without written permission from the
issuing bank. So if the UK is one of the
most liberal countries in the world when it
comes to photographers rights, imagine
what some of the others must be like.
Keepoutoftrouble
ITS A MINEFIELD. The law as applied to
photography is confusing, subject to different
interpretation and it changes fairly regularly,
so dont count on this feature to keep you out of
trouble. Use it to learn when to be most careful.
Photographers need to stand up for their rights,
law enforcement agencies need to be clear on
the laws they are enforcing and people should
use a lot more common sense. Then maybe we
could all calm down a bit. Here are a few pieces
of advice from Linda Macpherson on how to
keep out of trouble:
When photographing children it is advisable
to get at least verbal consent from parents.
Even parents of children taking part in school

or sports activities should inquire about child
protection policies covering those events.
When photographing riots or civil unrest,
make sure the police dont think you are a
participant. Move away if the police ask you to,
and stay calm, or you might run the risk of
being arrested for obstruction.
Cooperate with the police. It might be
irritating to be searched or questioned, but a
failure to cooperate may result in detention at a
police station for several hours.
Any photographer faced with specic
difculties should seek legal advice.
118 Businessmatters
PHOTOGRAPHY
AND COPYRIGHT
Ignorance, carelessness and the lack of visible victims has made copyright law one of the most
widely misunderstood and abused. So lets wise up and put a stop to all this nonsense
OPYRIGHT IS ONE of the most

misunderstood laws affecting
photography, which is strange
because at the moment it is fairly simple.
Copyright law deals with the intellectual
property of an image the ownership of a
work by the person who created it.
So unless he or she has entered into an
agreement to the contrary, a photographer
owns the copyright to the photographs he
or she takes. Each photo is their
intellectual property and cannot be used,
modied, published, copied or distributed
without their permission. Whats so hard
about that?
One of the most misunderstood aspects
of copyright is that it is perfectly possible
to grant somebody else, such as a client,
free use of an image in any format, forever,
without giving them copyright. You can
grant a licence to a client allowing them to
do whatever they want with a photograph
but by retaining the copyright, you can also
do whatever you want with the
photograph. If you surrender the copyright,
you also surrender all claims to that image
and any potential future uses and income.
Thats why you should always retain the
copyright in your images.
A possible reason why there has been so
much misunderstanding around copyright
is that the law has changed over the years.
There are different rules in different
countries and territories and like many
rights, a simple letter or contract can
eliminate or override them. It used to be
said that the owner or buyer of the lm
stock held the copyright to a photo, so that
one has been consigned to the dusty heap
of outdated law books in the corner. Next
to the out-of-date Ektachrome.
The idea that an employer holds
copyright to all images created by a
photographer employed by the company
still holds true, as long as the contract of
employment and terms and conditions
clearly stipulate that to be the case. Most
employers got that one sorted years ago.
Publishers often seek to obtain copyright
of commissioned images, even those
taken by freelancers. The publishers
argument is that they have created the
photo opportunity, they have picked up all

the costs, so why shouldnt they have all
rights to the image?
The photographers argument is that
they own the intellectual property, so why
shouldnt they be free to use it in the
future, in media not competitive to the
original client. Its a good argument and
both sides have a point.
The biggest challenge to copyright law
is digital media. In the bad old days, every
time you copied something its quality
deteriorated a little. It also took time and
cost money to make an inferior version.
Whereas a digital copy can be identical in
every respect to the original. It can be
duplicated millions of times, almost
instantly, and it can be transmitted
anywhere in the world in a matter of
seconds. It has never been easier, quicker
or cheaper to use a photographers work
without permission or payment.
Theexplosionofmedia
hasmadeitalmost
impossibletofindoutif
animagehasbeenused
withoutpermission
orpayment
Photographers go to great lengths to try
to protect their digital images, from using
visible watermarks or a proof copy
overlay, to having special webpage script
to prevent the easy right-click
downloading of an image. Some image
protection claims to embed trackable
metadata in an image le, allowing its use
to be detected and monitored across the
internet. Most online image protection
merely acts as a deterrent to would-be
photo pirates; if they see an image that
looks nice on someone elses site, that
image can be looking nice on their own site
in no time at all.
In addition, this explosion of media has
made it almost impossible to nd out if an
image has been used without permission
or payment. Print media used to be difcult
to produce, but now anybody can publish

a magazine or a book and its only the
responsible brands that are bothering to
check rights and clearance. Everybody
else takes the who does it hurt? and the
how will they ever nd out? approach.
But sometimes you will nd out and,
if it happens, right now at least, the law
is on your side. You have to prove that an
infringement of your copyright has taken
place. First of all, contact the publisher and
explain that an image of yours has been
used without permission. Tell them how
much you would like to be paid for the use
of the image and on payment that will be
the end of the matter. Demand a
reasonable amount and you should get a
reasonable response. If that doesnt work,
contact a lawyer.
Notice the use of the phrase right now
at least, the law is on your side. The
copyright law could be about to change
again after the government commissioned
a review, commonly called the Hargreaves
report after its chairman, looking at how
the UK laws can be brought into line with
the demands of the digital age. Theres no
suggestion that photographers will have
less protection in the future. One of the
ideas is to create a digital rights exchange,
which could help with the policing of image
use and provide easier access to
photographers work for legitimate clients.
The revisions to copyright law, however,
will probably lead to more
misunderstandings and misinformation,
so dont expect it to get any simpler to
enforce this simple law anytime soon.
Moreinformation
Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988:
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48
Linda Macphersonslegal Q&A:
www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr
IntellectualPropertyOffice:
(Hargreaves Report section)
www.ipo.gov.uk/ipreview.htm
EditorialPhotographersUKand
Ireland: www.epuk.org/
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 119
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
Howtohandletheclientthatasksforcopyright
The rst thing to say is that this conversation
needs to take place before a single shot is
taken. You should know what you are selling
before you start work. Default position should
be to say no to requests for full copyright.
Some photographers will walk away from a job
rather than give up copyright, knowing that
theres a line of journeymen smudgers behind
them, ready to snap it up.
You may want to control the printing of the
photographs, charging extra each time copies
are made. This is your prerogative and in that
case you wouldnt give the client digital les,
either. Explain that your business and livelihood
is dependent on the revenue from prints.
If you dont make money from prints, you
may just want to protect your intellectual
property and be free to use it in future. So when
a client attempts to secure copyright, explain that

you retaining copyright need not prevent them
from doing whatever they want with the
photographs. You can grant them a licence to do
whatever they like with the images (apart from
re-selling them, perhaps) in perpetuity. Or you can
draw up an agreement with terms and conditions.
Maybe they can use your images only in material
they themselves publish, or in print but not online,
or for a xed term such as three years. During that
time you might agree to limitations on your own
use of the image too, such as not to sell it to a
competitor of the client, or only to sell it overseas.
These are reasonable conditions that should allow
both parties to get what they want.
If a client insists on full copyright, rst of all ask
yourself why. Is there a huge commercial
opportunity for the outright owner of these
images? If so, could that be your opportunity?

Could you exploit that opportunity or is the
client in a unique position? If the client has
access to markets that you simply cant reach,
consider a revenue-share with the client. If that
wont work, then your price for the job should
reect the surrender of copyright.
To decide how much extra to charge for full
copyright, imagine how much money you could
potentially make from those images yourself.
Sure, that kid in the school portrait might be a
future winner of the X-Factor, but what are the
odds? Then again, its known that there was an
agency that did some work for a haulage
company. A photo of a random driver in a cab
went on to become the rst published
photograph of the Yorkshire Ripper. Bought the
agency boss his swimming pool, that did.
120 Businessmatters
PHOTO KIT:
BUYOR HIRE?
Dont overlook the option to rent rather than buy. Hiring what you
need rather than buying it not only saves you money, but also allows
you access to equipment you might not otherwise be able to afford
HILE ITS ALMOST second

nature for professionals to
ponder whether its worth
hiring rather than buying the gear they
need, most amateur photographers rarely,
if ever, consider this option. Over the
following pages, we provide the answers to
whether buying or hiring makes sense and
where to look for the best deals.
Whyshouldyouhire
ratherthanbuy?
There are a number of reasons for hiring

equipment. The most obvious is, of course,
that you can potentially save a lot of
money. As youll see from our price guide
table over the page, the difference between
buying an expensive lens and hiring one
can stretch to four gures!
What this effectively means is that you
can afford to use equipment by hiring it
that you simply wouldnt have the funds to
buy outright. This has a number of
benets. To begin with, if youre just
starting out on the road to making money
from your photography and cant afford to
buy expensive kit, then hiring equipment
makes sense if you earn back the cost (and
some prot too) from the photographs you
take using it. What it also means is that by
hiring, you can make use of a specic item
that you only need infrequently, say a
macro lens or a portable studioash. Its a
far better option than buying it and
knowing youve spent a small fortune on
something that spends most of its time
gathering dust.
Hiring equipment also means you can
try before you buy. This is particularly
useful if youre expecting to spend a large
sum and need to be sure youre getting
your moneys worth. For example, many
photographers thinking about upgrading
a lens can hire a marque and independent
lens and compare the handling, autofocus
and optical performance with their current
lens to see which, if any, is worth investing
in. Sure, it may mean forking out 100 or
more, but thats a small price to pay for
knowing youve made the right choice.
Especially as some rms will refund the
Whenitcomestocamera
gear,youllfindthat
literallyanythingcanbe
hired,fromanentry-level
CanonEOS400Dtoatopof
therangeNikonD3
cost of the hire if you end up buying the
lens from them.
Wherecanyouhirekitfrom?
There are a number of places, ranging

from well-known photo retailers through to
web-based rms dedicated to hiring out
photo kit. Tap in photo kit hire or camera
rental in Google and it brings up a number
of options, but wed suggest you stick to
well-known companies, which ensure the
kit they supply is regularly serviced and
well stocked. The easiest way to do this is
to check out the classied ads in the Test
Centre section of Digital SLR Photography
every issue, where youll nd several
reputable rms, including Lenses for Hire,
Lens Pimp and Hire a Camera.
If you want to visit a hiring centre in
person, then two well-known photo
retailers wed highly recommend you

contact are The Flash Centre and Calumet.
Both have dedicated rental areas with
extensive stock supplies and trained staff.
Whatsortofphotokit
isavailabletohire?
When it comes to camera gear, youll nd

that literally anything can be hired. If you
need a camera body, then youll nd
anything from an entry-level DSLR like a
Canon EOS 400D through to top of the
range models like the EOS-1DS MkIII or a
Nikon D3X is available. And lets not forget
about the option of hiring a mediumformat system. Ever dreamed of using a
Hasselblad system? Well you might not be
able to afford to buy one, but you could
probably hire one for a day (albeit even a
days hire will set you back a fair bit!).
LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 121
PHILMAKANNA
Buyin
g advic
When b
e!
you wa uying kit, you
cover a nt an extendedmay be asked
advice gainst damag guarantee to if
the oddis not to take ue or faults. Ou
r
s are ag
p
ainst yo this option, a
s
u needin
g it
Frequentlyaskedquestions:Kithire
We asked Calumet, one of the
UKs leading suppliers of
rental equipment, to answer
our list of queries regarding
hiring photo equipment.
QWhat checks are made to hire kit
so I know its reliable?
AWe test all the functions of the
equipment before it leaves us to be
sure it is functioning correctly,
including the image sensor on
digital bodies.
QWhat happens if I lose or damage
any hired equipment?
AWe charge a 15% damage waiver
fee, which covers for damage to the
kit only; an excess would apply to
each order where an item is
damaged. If the customer has their
own insurance to cover this then we
would not need to charge the 15%, so
long as we see the insurance policy
before the goods leave us.
QWhat happens if I want to take
any hired kit abroad?
AThats ne. If it is outside Europe
then we would charge a 20%
damage waiver on the rental.
QHow far in advance do I need to
reserve it?
AAs far as you like! The more notice
we have the more likely well have the
item available and we can then book
it in advance to avoid any
disappointment.
QWhat happens if its faulty when

I rst receive it?
AIn the unlikely event of the product
being faulty on arrival or going faulty
during the shoot we will do our best
to have the kit replaced. (Quite often
when we are informed that the kit is
faulty we will talk the customer
through the kit, as more often than
not it is user error rather than a fault
or it is something minor that can be
worked around.)
QIs the kit delivered or do I need to
collect it?
AWe can deliver or the customer is
welcome to collect.
For further details on hiring
equipment from Calumet,
visit: www.calumetphoto.co.uk
QWhat other equipment other than
photo kit can be hired?
AIts not just photography kit that
you can hire. Many rental rms
include desktop computers and
laptops, often bundled with software
such as Lightroom and Photoshop,
so its worth enquiring if youre
shooting on location and would
benet from a state-of-the-art editing
facility. Many of the photo rental
outlets, including Calumet, offer
rental for Apple laptops for instance.
For further information on hiring
computers, wed recommend you
take a look at our sister titles:
MacUser, Computer Shopper
and PC Pro.
Buyingyourkit:Howtopay
QWhy buy rather than hire?
AWith so many strong arguments
for hiring, its fair enough asking why
its worth buying gear at all. The
obvious reason of course is that
owning kit is far more cost-effective
in the long run; hiring should be a
short-term measure when you cant
afford to buy the kit, or simply want to
use something you wont often need.
For most people, paying by cash isnt
an option when spending a sizeable
wad on equipment, and as we
highlight below, using another
payment option often comes with its
own rewards. Here we list the most
popular buying options available to
you, along with their pros and cons...
Creditcards
Advantages: Once youve paid,
youll have a period of time, usually
around 30-45 days, to pay off the
balance without incurring any
interest or fees. If youre saving up for
the item, its an easy way to buy it
before you have the total amount you
need. Some cards offer an
introductory 0% interest period,
which is great so long as you clear
the balance before the period ends.
Benets such as insurance for
purchases, as well as extensions to
the manufacturers warranty, are
available with some cards. If youre
keen on travel, use a credit card that
gives you Airmiles and build up
points towards free ights.
Disadvantages: Credit card

companies make a fortune from
interest payments, so if you dont
clear your balance before the
deadline, youll end up paying
interest on your purchases.
Debitcard
Advantages: If youre making an
expensive purchase and dont fancy
carrying around a lot of cash with
you, then pay by debit card, which
withdraws cash directly from your
current account.
Disadvantages: You need the
balance in your bank account to
avoid going overdrawn (which can
incur penalty charges) or having
your purchase rejected.
PaymentSchemes
Buy Now Pay Later and
pay-by-instalment schemes allow
you to buy kit you currently cant
afford, offering a period of time in
which you pay by monthly
instalments or as a lump sum on a
set date in the future.
Advantages: A relatively easy way
to buy kit you havent the money for.
Disadvantages: High interest rates,
often set at the time of purchase,
means youll be paying far more than
if you pay by alternative means, so
make this option a last resort.
Youre often better off with a bank
loan instead.
122 Businessmatters
Isitexpensiveto
hireequipment?
For the majority of people, the chief bit of

kit that theyd want to hire is lenses and
thankfully there is an abundance of optics
available from all the various rms. From
sheye to super-telephoto, from ultra
wide-angle to a dedicated macro, you
wont have any problem hiring lenses,
regardless of the camera system you use.
Of course, the list doesnt stop there.
Fancy shooting a portrait session but
havent any lights? No problem, just hire
them. Need reectors, stands or ash
meters to use with them? Again, just hire
them. In fact, if you and some friends
group together, theres no reason why you
couldnt all chip in, hire a comprehensive
studio set-up and share the cost. And not
forgetting the videographers among you,
as well as hiring HD-enabled DSLRs, you
can also rent dedicated HD camcorders,
as well as important accessories such as
microphones and rigs.
youre hiring equipment that helps you turn

around a tidy prot, it ultimately isnt a
viable route to take. Pros may be able to add
the cost of rental into their fees, but if youre
shooting stock images or a wedding, this
isnt an option. The other factor to consider
is that you might not be able to hire the
equipment when you need it.
It depends what you want and how long

you need it for. Hire an entire camera outt
with lenses and ashguns and youll be
paying well into three gures, hire a
particular lens for a weekend and it may
well set you back less than 100. As
mentioned earlier, if the costs of hiring are
covered by the fees youre charging, then
youve less to worry about. But if youre
taking pictures for a small fee, or none at
all, you do need to be more careful. The
table below give you an idea of the savings
that you could make.
HowlongcanIhirefor?
This varies from rm to rm and usually

depends on what youre hiring. As a general
rule, most places have a weekend and
weekly rate, some a daily rate. However,
most are usually open to discussion and
can often agree bespoke terms, so its
worth speaking to them to see what can be
arranged. As youll discover, the pro rata
rental rate drops the longer you have the
item. You should also ask about special
offers as some rms charge a single days
rate for a weekend hire.
Whatarethedrawbacks
ofhiringgear?
The most obvious is that once your hire

period is over, youre back to square one,
but with a slightly lighter wallet/purse. While
hiring is a good short-term option, unless
Comparisontable:RentalpricesofpopularphotoequipmentfromleadingUKhirecentres
GUIDE
PRICE
Calumet
(Daily)
Calumet
(Week)
Flash
Centre
(Daily)
Flash
Centre
(Week)
Lens Pimp
(3 days)
Lens Pimp
(7 days)
Hire a
Camera
(Daily)
Hire a
Camera
(Wknd)
Hire a
Camera
(Week)
Canon EOS
5D MkII
2,300
100
400
95
332
161
375
70
122
264
Canon
EOS-1DS MkIII
7,000
140
560
125
437
241
564
Nikon
D700
2,250
90
360
161
375
Nikon
D3X
6,130
135
540
261
611
Hasselblad
H3DII-39
N/A
245
980
Canon
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L
1,789
36
144
20
70
23
52
Canon
EF 24mm f/1.4L
2,010
31
124
25
87.5
28
65
Canon
EF 50mm f/1.2L
1,910
32
128
25
87.5
25
57
Canon EF
100-400mm f/4-5.6L
f/4-5.
1,940
36
144
20
20
24
57
Canon
EF 400mm f/2.8L IS
9,810
Nikon
14-24mm f/2.8G
1,635
36
Nikon
24mm f/2.8G
1,950
Nikon AF-S 105mm

f/2.8 VR micro
Nikon AF-I
400mm f/2.8
Lens for
hire (3
days)
Lens for
Hire (7
days)
CAMERAS
70
122
264
LENSES
72
168
144
26
61
16
64
765
20
80
8,375
60
240
Canon Speedlite
580EX II
560
16
64
52.50
Nikon Speedlight
SB-900
410
17
68
15
30
35
-
33
34
-
48
30
-
74
42
61
37
53
44
64
44
64
165
254
47
68
80
41
87
58
85
28
39
57
87
174
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LEADING PROSATWORK
Businessmatters 123
PHILMAKANNA
HIRE WHAT
YOU NEED!
As well as cameras and lenses, you
can also hire studio lighting systems
and accessories. And dont forget that
there are a large number of well kitted
out studios for hire all over the UK.
Share facilities with a friend to
help bring the cost down.
124 AdviceCentre
Q&A
No question is too difcult for
business journalist and
photographer Martyn Moore.
In this section, he sources the
answers to some of your most
frequently asked questions to
put you on the road to success
Q Wheresthebigmoney?
Aha! The $64,000 question. Is there any
big money left? Lets see. Celebrity
portraitists. Back in the 1960s the money
was in taking pictures of pop stars and
actors. Five or six made it very big: there
was David, a couple of Terrys and one or
two with royal connections. Today we live
in the age of the paparazzi and you can
make big money, if youre prepared to live
without sleep and risk your life daily.
Glamour and fashion. There are
millions of snappers out there trying to
break into it. Have you seen their work?
Its amazing, so what makes yours so
special? And how many fashion art
editors numbers do you have stored on
your iPhone? If a thousand of you went
out to Milan tomorrow, Id bet the cost of
all your ights that nobody has a shot in
next months Vogue.
Landscapes? Forget it. Still-life studies?
Satisfying but not lucrative. Aerial
photography? OK if you happen to know
somebody with a helicopter and the
clients can afford the 1,000 an hour to
keep it in the air. The big money is in
people photography, although big
money is a relative term.
I photographed a family last month for
300 in front of a simple white
background with two lights Venturestyle they call it. Piece of cake, I call it.
I was done in 90 minutes. Two hundred
pounds an hour, thats cheap lawyer
territory. They showed their neighbours,
who told their friends and now a whole
village has my phone number. Think of
the reprints!
So if you can get in on the act of events,
conferences, gala dinners, weddings,
Christenings, anniversaries, graduations
and dogs, youre sorted. All you need are
brilliant interpersonal skills, reliable
good-quality equipment, technical ability
and a quick and easy system for
swapping your time and prints for their
cash. I hope I havent made it sound too
easy. I do have one other foolproof big
money idea but Im not going to write
about it here. Send me 20 and Ill tell
you all about it.
Q DoIneedanagent?
What are you, an Italian footballer? Of
course you dont need an agent. Actors
have agents because they dont like to talk
to producers about money. Successful
models have agents because they get so
many offers of work, they need somebody
to sort out the jobs that are right for
them. So, unless your art means so much
to you that it feels dirty to contemplate
the word fee, or if you have so much
work offered to you that you need
somebody to politely make some of it go
away, you dont need an agent. Trust me.
Q HowcanItellagoodphotography
coursefromabadone?
The only people who can truly tell you
what a course is like are the ones who
have been on it. Look for testimonials on
websites. Ask the course organiser if they
can put you in touch with customers who
have agreed to provide a reference.
Try to nd out how many delegates go
back for more. A business that
encourages its customers to rate the
service on its website will be pretty
condent of its performance.
Another way of getting feedback is to
ask for recommendations on a web
forum. Find out which courses other
Thereareveryfew
activitiesassatisfyingas
passingonyourskillsand
experiencetoothers.
Andifyoucangetpaid
handsomelywhile
youreatit,bingo!
Digital SLR Photography readers have
tried and what they thought of them.
Photographers with good portfolios or
memberships to associations might be
lousy teachers. Sharing your skill with
others is a gift that some great
photographers dont possess.
The rst photography courses to
publish their net promoter rating get my
vote. The net promoter rating is based on
asking customers a simple question: how
likely are you to recommend this course
to a friend or colleague? Various scoring
systems are used, but any that come out
over eight out of ten or 80% can be
deemed a good bet.
Q Whatsthebestwayofgetting
myphotosintoamagazineandis
itprofitable?
Its not as protable as it used to be.
Magazines, like everybody else, have to
make ends meet and fees have taken a
bit of a tumble. But getting work
published is fantastically satisfying, and
that, in a way, contributes to the problem.
You should be proud to see your work in

print, though, as that means it has passed a
very rigorous quality-control test.
Setting aside the low pay for unsolicited
work, heres how to do it. Send a disc of
your very best work (no more than 50,
showing wide variety. Not that one, its soft.
Bin that, its too dark) to the editor, features
editor or picture desk of your chosen
magazine, together with a printed contact
sheet showing thumbnails. The images
must be exactly right for the market the
magazine operates in, so no steam engines
to aviation magazines (unless its a Flying
Scotsman. Ha ha!).
Alternatively, email a link to your website,
where the images intended for that
magazine are presented in a smart,
easy-to-use online gallery. A few weeks later,
consider phoning the magazine to make
sure they have seen your images and nd
out what they thought of them. Emphasise
that youre looking for exposure rather than
money. You might have to be content with
picture credits and a big mug of pride for
several months before youve made enough
of an impression and get the call with a
commission. Now it can be protable.
Q Myclientsoftenaskiftheyownthe
copyrighttotheimagesIvetaken.Do
they,andifnot,shouldIgiveittothem?
Whataremyoptions?
Try not to give away full copyright. What
clients usually mean is can I use this photo
again and again without having to pay you
more money? and you can allow them to
do this without giving them copyright.
Maybe the easiest way to explain this to a
client is that they can do anything they like
with the image except resell it. By retaining
copyright, you can even allow them to resell
it as long as they at least inform you of the
sale and hopefully share with you some of
the revenue. Try to be clear on your contract
or invoice so the client understands the
limitations of use. Photographers have been
forced to be much more relaxed over rights
and usage in the digital age.
Q Ivebeenaphotographerforawhile
nowandbeenonacoupleofcourses.
Theyreobviouslyarealmoneymaker,
shouldIstartdoingmyown?
Well, as long as you can live with the old
adage those that can, do; those that cant,
teach. Its all nonsense, of course, and
there are very few activities as satisfying as
passing on your skills and experience to
others. And if you can get paid handsomely
while youre at it, bingo!
A good teacher has to be a great people
person. You should be blessed with strong
communication skills and large reserves of
patience. If you think thats you, ask a
couple of other people just to check. Youre
probably right good teachers tend to be
condent and self-aware, too.
You also need to know photography
LEADING PROSATWORK
AdviceCentre 125
PHILMAKANNA
ISTOCK PHOTO
Noneofusewanttospendmoneywhenwedonthaveto.Bysubmittingimages
tobeusedasstockinexchangeforacredit,youvegotyourselfafreeadvert
inside out. Nothings worse than shelling out
good money for a course to discover you
know more than the tutor. I should know,
Ive been on both sides of that relationship.
You need to be familiar with a wide variety of
photography equipment, too. You will need
to know how to set the ISO and image
quality on various digital cameras and
condently show your students how to ip
from auto to manual and around the
exposure modes. Youre starting to see why
theyre a real moneymaker, arent you?
So, lets assume you are made of the right
stuff to teach photography. The next thing is
understanding the market and considering
another set of questions: do you want to
specialise or can you handle studio portraits
and breathtaking landscapes and wildlife?
Will you include photo editing and
manipulation, and what does all this mean
for facilities and location?
You might consider working with other
specialists to provide a broader experience
for your students. And try to come up with a
proposition or format that sets you apart
from the other course providers out there.
Pre-course get-togethers, end-of-course
presentations, guest speakers, social
evenings and ongoing post-course support
all add value for your customers.
Let your maxim be: preparation,
preparation, preparation. Try to imagine

everything that could possibly go wrong
and then work out how to prevent it or
what you will do if it happens. One idea
might be to do a dummy run. Invite
friends whose opinions you trust and give
them a free course on the condition that
they review it as if theyd paid full price
and have to tell you how it went.
While all this is going on, you should be
getting a website organised with a name
that will show up well in search engines.
Your site should promote the benets of
your course and make it as easy as
possible to contact you to make a booking.
Finally, tell the world. Send a press
release to all the major photography
magazines and websites and nd out the
cost of advertising. Invite a journalist to
come along and review the course and
offer a couple of free places to photo
magazines as competition prizes.
All of this is just the start, of course
the real work begins now.
Q Wheresagoodplacetoadvertise?
That depends on who your customers
are. If you are an aerial photographer,
specialising in pictures of property and
land from above, then look at trade
publications like Estates Gazette. If you
shoot weddings, consider Brides

magazine or its local equivalent. Lots of
people still look at the Yellow Pages and
Thomson Local. Many towns have local or
regional lifestyle magazines that carry
regular wedding features and
supplements. Getting adverts in suitable
publications, or on websites, is a good
place to start but none of us want to
spend money when we dont have to. By
submitting images to be used as stock in
exchange for a credit, youve got yourself
a free advert. I can remember when the
local newspaper used to print wedding
photos sent in by the photographer. Does
that happen any more? Maybe thats
where theyve gone wrong!
Q IfIvebeencommissionedfora
photoshoot,canIre-sellthe
pictures?IfIcant,whatifIadjusted
theimagessotheylookeddifferent
fromwhatIsuppliedtotheclient?
Unless you have agreed otherwise,
copyright remains with you and yes,
you can sell the pictures to other people
without adjusting them. You must
consider how your commissioning client
would feel though, especially if the repeat
use could harm their business. These
matters should be understood and
126 AdviceCentre
ISTOCK PHOTO
Unlessthecommissioningagreementrestrictsyouandsetstermsforthefuture
useofimages,youcandowhatyoulikewiththem.Ifitsaysyoucant,youcant
agreed in advance. You might agree not
to sell images to anybody else for a year,
or until a magazine issue goes off sale.
You might get the client to agree that you
can sell the shots straightaway but not for
use in the clients market.
If the images were only made possible
by the original client because they were
the only people who could have created
the subject or scene, they are more likely
to have stipulated terms for future use by
others. If they havent, you might consider
sharing any income you get with them to
acknowledge their role in creating the
images then they might use you again.
If images include people, you need a
model release for those people. They may
be happy to appear in a toothpaste advert
but not one for pile ointment. So, unless
the commissioning agreement restricts
you and clearly sets terms for the future
use of images, you can do what you like
with them. If you accepted an agreement
that says you cant, you cant.
Q Iwanttobeaphotojournalist.
Whatsthebestentryroute?
Photojournalist. Its one of those words
that means something different to
everybody. Theres a breed of photo-
journalist that works their way across

Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Libya and then back
up to Syria with maybe a brief holiday to
the site of the latest natural disaster. They
live on their wits with a phone full of
contacts, a laptop full of horrors and a
carton of full-strength Marlboro. You need
a passport and courage and/or a
benevolent god. Income? Erratic. Others
document life and work in the city, rural
communities or the lifestyles of the rich
and famous. They need a nose for a story
and the means to sell it. Studying
journalism at one of the NCTJ/PTC
accredited universities or colleges
provides a good launch pad. Approach
local or regional magazines and
newspapers too, offering them a story or
making yourself available for editorial
assignments. Learn to write in the hard
news style to support your images to
make the packages more saleable.
Q Imintheprocessofchoosingmy
imagesandlayoutformynew
website.Anyadvice?
Do a quick Google search for
photographer websites and youll be
inundated with sites: good, bad and the
ugly. Study a selection and then work out
what it is about the ones you like that

caught your eye. Make a list of desirable
features and decide whether you want to hit
visitors in the eye with a big image, several
on automatic rotation, or a selection of
thumbnails. Choose images that reect
your favourite subjects, your style and your
technical prowess. Draw up your rst list of
photos and then aim to cut it by half,
rejecting any that are either sub-standard or
show techniques that are better shown in
other shots. Take your new shortlist and see
if you can cut it by half again. Remember its
quality, not quantity. It doesnt matter that
you dont put all your favourite shots on the
site from day one. Good websites change
regularly to remain fresh and offer repeat
visitors something new.
Q Whatsoftwareisgoodformanaging
myfinances?
Microsoft Excel is pretty hard to beat. My
accountant sends me an Excel spreadsheet
for my quarterly VAT returns and it provides
a good snapshot of how poor I am every 12
weeks. I type in the depressing numbers,
but no software will ever make this job fun.
Excel-style spreadsheets are almost
ubiquitous in accountancy and nance but
you have to learn how to get the best from
them. Templates are available for almost

every nancial analysis you can imagine.
Theres also Intuits QuickBooks, which is
software specically designed for small
businesses (www.quickbooks.intuit.co.uk).
A photographer friend of mine exists
almost exclusively on Apple products and
uses Billings on his Mac. He uses this to
time and cost jobs and it even issues an
invoice via email at the end of the project.
Visit www.marketcircle.com.
Q HowcanImakesureIgetpaidon
timeandinfull?
Get your bill in on time. You must set aside
time every few days to spend on invoicing.
I love invoicing, but still get horribly behind.
Put your terms at the bottom of your invoice
too. At the bottom of mine it says: Payment
within 14 days, please. Late payment will
incur an additional charge of 10% per
month. Thanks for the business.
Another alternative is to offer a discount
for early payment, which is like applying
your penalty up front but taking it off if the
bill is paid quickly. This requires extra
administration on your part and was
recommended to me by an accountant who
likes nothing better than messing about all
day with numbers on bits of paper. But it
might work for you.
Q IalwaysthoughtPhotoshopwasthe
bestsoftwareforeditingphotos,butI
keephearingthatLightroomisthe
betterchoiceforsocialphotographers.
Howtrueisthis?
I dont know. Thats not very helpful, is it?
So I asked Adobes imaging guru David
Marx for you: Photoshop is the worlds
leading pixel manipulator. There is no other
program like it for complete control over the
look and feel of your digital image. No other
program offers the same level of local image
repair or allows such artistic creativity. If
you can dream it, Photoshop can make it
happen! Undeniably, Photoshop rocks but it
is not an organiser of digital images.
Photoshop is useless when you need to nd
your favourite images. Searching, sorting
and organising are not part of its
capabilities. This is where Lightrooms
strengths lie.
Not only can Lightroom help you
organise all your les but it can help you
manage the whole digital imaging workow.
Lightroom is designed to help you from
start to nish. You get the most bang for
your buck once you learn how to use
Lightroom to empty your memory card, to
sort through your les and categorise them,
to set your initial Raw le conversion, make
minor edits and to push the nished
product out to the web or to your printer.
Lightroom handles the whole chain of
events with speed and grace whereas
Photoshop really only functions as an image
enhancer. Cheers, Dave. Now I do know.
And so do you.
LEADING PROSATWORK
AdviceCentre 127
PHILMAKANNA
Q WhendoIneedamodelrelease
formandwherecanIgetone?
If you plan to publish a photograph in one
form or another and the person in the
image is identiable, you need them to
sign a model release. The purpose of a
model release form is to obtain written
permission from people to use their
image in your photography for whatever
purpose you have in mind. Its like a little
contract relating to the use of images and
applies whether or not the model has
been paid for the shoot. A model release
form can give you permission to do
anything with your images of the model,
or it can be modied to restrict the use.
You can request one of our model release
templates by sending an email with the
subject title as Model release form to:
[email protected].
You can legally take photographs of
people in public and use them in
exhibitions and editorially in books or
magazines without a model release form
(although associating them with a
derogatory article might expose the
publisher to a libel action buy me a pint
and Ill tell you a very entertaining story
from my own experience). But you cant
use them commercially in product
endorsements or advertisements.
Makingmoneydepends
almosttotallyonwho
youknow.Theonly
exceptionisthetalented
photographerwhodoes
fine-artpicturesand
sellsthemonline
Q IfImnotVATregistered,shouldI
beaddingtaxontotheendofmy
clientsbills?
No, that would be illegal. Businesses
charging VAT have to give that money to
the taxman at the end of each quarter
and for that you need to be VAT
registered. If you dont meet the criteria
for VAT registration it means you can
keep your bills lower,
Q Whataretheprosandconsof
givingmyclientallthehigh-res
imagesfromaphotoshootondisk?
The pros are you wont have to mess
about tracking down le numbers,
designing albums, remembering print
settings and doing extra prints for the
client. The cons are that you wont get
paid lots of extra money for doing all
those things.
Be warned, though. I have a client who
was supplied every image from a shoot
via an internet server and sent a copy on
DVD. It was an all in fee because I didnt
want the hassle of managing the images

for the client, his ad agency, the PR
company and the individuals featured in
the shots. Within two months the client
had deleted all the images and lost the
DVD. Ive resent them twice now and told
the client that next time it will cost 200.
Q Canyourecommendanyhelpful
resourcestosellmyimagesasstock?
I came across one the other day. Its
called Photium and is available at
www.photium.com. You can also use a
Photobox gallery to sell prints and other
merchandise featuring your images. The
key to success with these methods is
marketing your site. If you have pictures
that people want and those people can
nd you easily enough, you can make
money from stock. It sounds easy, but it
isnt. The other option is to sell your
images as stock through an established
agency, such as iStockphoto, or one of
the hundreds that come up when you
type stock photos into Google. They do
all the marketing for you but charge low
prices for images, working on volume
sales. This means a low commission for
you but if your photos are good enough,
it can be protable in the long run.
Q Howmuchdoesmakingmoney
dependonwhoyouknowratherthan
whatyouknow?
I think making money depends almost
totally on who you know. The only
exception I can think of is the
photographer who produces ne-art
pictures and sells them online or through
a gallery. That photographer can be Billy
Nomates and still do OK, but they have to
be exceptionally talented.
The rest of us need to put ourselves
about, a lot. Never go anywhere without a
pocketful of business cards. Give
potential clients two cards, one for them
and one to pass on for you. Networking is
vital. My home town holds regular
business breakfasts and chamber of
commerce networking evenings.
When I started out as a freelancer,
I approached the organisers of these events
and asked if I could come along and take
pictures, telling them they could have the
shots for publicity purposes for free. Once
at the event, I worked the room, asking
groups to pose for a photograph. I then
gave them a business card with my web
address on it and posted photos online for
people to download free of charge. Each
picture had my web address in the corner.
I once commissioned a photographer
who put on his invoice If youre not happy
with my work, tell me. If you are happy with
my work, tell everybody. Unfortunately,
I wasnt happy with his work and told him
and everybody. Your reputation is
everything to your business and you must
work hard to maintain it.
128 AdviceCentre
Talented photographers with a huge

client base enjoy a kind of fame but youre
only ever as good as your last job. If you
mess up and handle it badly, word gets
around. So if something does go wrong,
use your people skills to make it right.
This might mean repeating the shoot for
free. Many businesses have told me that they
shine in difcult situations. The way they
handle their clients when it all goes wrong
is what sets them apart from their rivals.
Collaboration with other people in
photography is vital. Be best friends with
your printer or processing lab. Find out if
they are recommending your work or if
theyll put your card in their reception.
Work with them as a business partner.
Nurture relationships with other
photographers, too. I have two friends
whom I recommend to customers if Im
not available. Ive also assisted other
photographers, for example, doing a
wedding reception for them so they can
get to the next wedding ceremony on a
busy Saturday. And I know for a fact that
they point customers to me.
If success in business is down to who
you know, the best thing you can do is get
to know a lot of people. And satised
customers will be happy to recommend
you, as long as you do a good job and
they like you.
Q ShouldIputmypricesonmy
websiteorjustmycontactdetails?
This is an excellent question.
Transparency with pricing helps to build
trust, which leads to long-term business
relationships, but you also have to
consider that every clients needs are
different. If a prospective client
appreciates the quality and value of your
work, then they will enquire about prices,
which gives you a chance to get them on
the phone. Speaking with them rst gives
you an opportunity to show interest in
what theyre doing and discuss what they
need, sell your business a little bit more
and perhaps adjust prices appropriately.
As a commercial and corporate
photographer, I work on a day rate of
300 and I dont put this on my website.
Most people understand we operate in a
free market economy. If Im rushed off my
feet and somebody wants to book me on
my only spare day next week, Ill happily
ask them for 300. If I havent worked for
ve days and an interesting start-up
business wants a low-cost job, Ill do it for
200 if I like the look of the job and they
tell me thats all they can afford. I will
tease them about what a bargain theyre
getting, too. If youre a social
photographer, listing a few basic portrait
or wedding packages could give
prospective clients an idea if youre within
their budget. But I might put a caveat,
such as: Every job is different, please get
in touch to discuss your requirements in
detail. Above all, if you do put your prices

on your website, keep the packages
simple and the prices for prints and
products until after they see their images
or request them.
The risk of putting prices on a website
is that some clients will be totally put off
by your expectations; the upside is that
clients who are able to commission you
at that level feel informed.
Q HowdoIdealwithanoutstanding
paymentoraclientrefusingtopay?
If you are having real difculty getting
paid, you must get on the phone, asking
to be transferred to the next senior
person in line each time you get fobbed
off. Take it to the chief executive if you
have to. I rang one managing director
while wearing my journalist hat and asked
him if there was any truth in the rumour
his company had cash-ow problems. He
denied it strenuously, giving me the
perfect opportunity to say, So how about
paying my ipping bill, then, before I start
putting it about that youre in trouble?
I havent worked for the company
again, but I got paid.
Disputes can arise over the quality of
work and I cant really help you with that.
They must be resolved through clear and
sensible communication. If it goes to
court you may have to show that you
have acted reasonably. Last resort is to go
legal: Citizens Advice Bureau, followed by
small claims court.
There may even come a point where
the debt is not worth the aggravation and
time. Put it down to experience and move
on with your life after setting re to their
ofces. NO! That was a joke. Dont do
that. Just move on with your life.
Ifyoudoputyourprices
onyourwebsite,keepthe
packagessimpleandthe
pricesforprintsand
productsuntilafterthey
seetheirimagesor
requestthem
Q Imnoticingthatthedifference
betweengettingajobornotis
whetherIgivethemaccesstoallthe
high-resimagesfromtheshoot.
Whatsthebestwaytomakemoney
andgivethemwhattheywant?
Give them high-res images and charge
them a lot of money. That works. I give
my clients permission to use the images
any way they like and forever. I hold the
copyright to the images, so I can use
them too (but I wouldnt use specialised
shots myself without asking the client
rst). The client pays me a very good day
rate and Im happy to shoot em, edit em,
send em and forget em. One client

managed to lose all the images and happily
paid another 100 for me to dip into my
external hard drive for them.
Its a problem if your business is built
around selling prints, of course. In that case
you need to explain why you cant give them
the high-res version. It will help if you offer
affordable prints, making it easier for the
client to buy lots of prints from you. But
then youre up against home PCs and
desktop printers knocking them out at a few
pence each. Not much mark-up opportunity
there. Emphasise the print quality and
archival permanence of your professional
prints to help clients understand the good
value that theyre getting.
Q Iwanttostartearningalivingfrom
portraitsbutIcantaffordtohirea
studioandIdonthavethespaceinmy
housetoconvertaroomorthegarage
intoastudio.Doyouhaveanyadviceon
howIcouldrunaprofessionalportrait
businesswithoutastudio?Whatkitdo
yourecommend?
Work at the clients homes and learn to
manage with whatever space they have.
Or you can hire temporary space thats
cheaper than a studio, such as a village hall.
There are lots of two-head ash starter kits
around that will easily t in a car. Go for a
name and check out reviews in magazines
or online. Background paper and stands
arent too expensive, either. Buy the widest
rolls you can get in your car but also have
some smaller backgrounds for head shots.
Dont forget gaffer tape and extension
cables. Make sure everything is in sturdy
holdalls. Practise putting it up and taking it
down. Thats your studio sorted.
Q ShouldIgetanassistant?
What do you imagine they will do? Clean the
studio and ofce? Make tea? That would be
nice, wouldnt it? Design albums and handle
emails, maybe. If you want them to do all
the things you dont really like doing, you
probably dont need an assistant. Running a
business means doing things you never
imagined yourself doing, but that doesnt
mean you need an assistant so you can go
to the pub instead. But if you have
somebody to do all those things while you
take on more paid work, or so you can do
some networking and marketing, well,
maybe you can make the case. Remember,
an assistant will drain some resources as
well as adding extra ones. Youll have to pay
them, for a start, and then theyll expect
training. And dont forget all that HR and
employment law malarkey, either.
Assistants come in all shapes and sizes.
There are the ones who want to be involved
in the photography the second pair of
eyes and hands that can help to set up
shots, prepare equipment and even take
pictures. The true photographers assistant
will speed up sessions, make checks for you
and suggest ideas, so you can concentrate

on the subject and getting the imagery.
Surprisingly, these most useful
photography assistants will probably be
cheaper. A recently graduated photography
student will probably work for peanuts, just
to get the experience. Dont forget, they will
probably want your job, though. But dont
let that worry you. Not too much anyway.
Someone to help you to organise groups
or to hold a reector at a wedding can be a
godsend. Having someone whos
competent enough to handle guests or to
take pictures as people arrive so you can
concentrate on the wedding party can set
you apart from the competition.
LEADING PROSATWORK
AdviceCentre 129
PHILMAKANNA
Most photographers know an

enthusiast who can be drafted in to be the
second shooter for beer money. They can
be trusted with candids of guests and
might bag you the unexpected shot that
would otherwise have got away.
A true photographers assistant should
be like an apprentice. They will be looking
to acquire a set of skills and experience
that will set them up for a career in the
industry. You might have to trust them
with your kit, but like an apprentice
plumber, they should be acquiring their
own tools as well. So, be mindful of your
responsibilities. This is about giving
somebody a start, not exploitation.
If you think you have a genuine need for

an assistant, contact the local college and
nd out if there are any promising
students about to be thrown out into the
real world. Theres a website just for
wannabe assistants called www.
photoassist.co.uk. Check out some of
the moody student self-portraits and
cheer yourself up.
Find somebody who loves photography
as much as you, has some talent, and will
do anything they can to get a start in this
business. Then treat them well. Pay them
as much as you can afford, not a penny
more, and above all, keep them busy and
help them learn the trade.
EA H
YO RNELP
U CA IN
R S G
CA H Y
M W OU
ER IT
A H
MAKING
MAKI
G MONEY
FROM PHOTOGRAPHY
Buildingyourbrand
Learn the steps to success with our guide

to logo design, marketing and branding
Choosingthebestkit
Get set up for success with our in-depth

gear guide for social photography
Tax,law&copyright
Get a grip on the latest laws and the rights

of your clients, the tax man and you
Profitfromportraits
Leading pros provide expert advice on how

you can be a protable portrait photographer
Profitableprojects
If you want to earn some extra money, give

one of our pocket money projects a go
Jobsinphotography
Get some insight into the reality of living

the dream as a full-time photographer
Weddingphotography
Find out everything you need to know to

conduct a wedding photography business
Businessmatters
Experts offer invaluable advice and crucial

information on how to start up a business
Shootingforsuccess
Find out how protable your eld of choice

is and how to make it work for you
INSIDE!
EXPERTADVICEAND
PROINSIGHTTOHELP
YOUPROFITFROM
YOURPICTURES
FROM THE EXPERTS AT

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FROM PHOTOGRAPHY

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TURNING YOUR PICTURES INTO PROFIT

GET R ITABLE PRO PHY

FROM THE EXPERTS AT

THE IDEALCOMPANION FORYOUR DIGITALCAMERA

Making Money From Photography

Many enthusiast photographers dream of making a career from their

Produced by Digital SLR Photography at:

To contact editorial phone: 01733 567401

Editor Daniel Lezano

Art Editor Luke Marsh

Features Editor Caroline Wilkinson

Designer Luke Medler

Editorial Co-ordinator Jo Lezano

Stuart Cooper, Brett Harkness, Ross Hoddinott,

Display & Classield Sales: 0207 907 6651

Advertising Sales Guy Scott-Wilson

Sales Executive Joshua Rouse

Production Controller Dan Stark

NICKY BAKER DIGITAL PRODUCTION MANAGER

All rights in the licensed material belong to

Take the first steps to success by figuring out

Learn the truth about the earning potential of

Setting up your business is one thing, building

Portraits and weddings are big business and

If youre after a bit of pocket money to help

92make money from stoCk photography

72 wedding photography outfits

Master the basics of business and the

We guide you through what gear you might need

Find out the truth about making a full-time

turn to PAgE 130 to fInd out ABout

106banking and funding

We tackles those bewildering business-related

making money from photography

Making Money From Photography

OR MOST OF US who ponder on the

working in your eld of choice. Find out not

Making Money From Photography

LEADING PROSATWORK Introduction 7

while other mediocre photographers

If youre ready to make some serious

Making Money From Photography

wanting to shift career paths in one go and be

and funding.) Youll also need to think

LEADING PROSATWORK Introduction 9

Making Money From Photography

AVE A READ OF OUR three

Youve probably been taking snapshots

Youve used a DSLR for a number of

You may not have a full-time job as a

Making Money From Photography

If its money you want, the biggest earner

rather than giving clients a DVD of images

The myriad of events you can photograph

Youre only limited by how hard you work

Making Money From Photography

Of all the different types of photography,

managed to make these types of

Trust, while others try newer avenues such

Making Money From Photography

You could be sitting on a gold mine and not

It wont be your main moneymaker