Photo booth: how to start a business from scratch

Selling a background for a photo

Many people now use a beautiful background for a photo to advertise their business or promote their personality through social networks and mobile applications such as instagram. But not everyone can think of, find or make a beautiful background for a photo. Therefore, I suggest that you start making beautiful materials and unusual background compositions for photos and sell them.

Who needs a background and what for ?!

Production and services What to sell ?!

There are just a huge number of options for products in the category "background for photo"! The main thing is that fantasy and a sense of beauty work. I will give a few examples of finished products and the method of their production.

Example of products and services:

• A sheet of plywood, and on it a composition of various elements of a certain theme and a burner on the plywood hashtag of the customer and a small hashtag of the manufacturer of this background;
• A sheet of covered plywood leather with an embroidered logo or hashtag of the customer;
• The customer's inscription carved from wood or metal on a special machine - hashtag or the name of the company;
• A large piece of plexiglass engraved in the form of the logo, the name of the company or customer hashtags and LEDs illuminating plexiglass;
• Large billboards for photographs at events;
• Rental of background paintings;
• Service of photography of products with the correct exposure of light and angle.

To implement this business idea, you may need the equipment that I described earlier in my articles "Business idea - laser engraving", "Mini typography for students and business" and "Shop of modular paintings at home". It is advisable to familiarize yourself with these articles.

This business idea can be implemented gradually, without spending a lot of money at the very beginning, and gradually expand your range by purchasing additional equipment.

If you are serious about photography, then you should know that this is creativity that makes it possible to earn money. All you need is a professional camera, good internet, and a computer.

It turns out that there are photobanks (photo stocks, microstocks) where you can upload your photos, drawings, and get money for downloading them. Photo stocks are necessary to diversify and decorate the pages of many publications and Internet sites.

How to make money on photobanks

All you need is to register and upload your pictures to the site. When a buyer is found, you will receive money. Not bad, isn't it? But that's not all, you keep the copyright on the photos, you can sell them without limitation in the number of downloads, constantly making a profit. The accumulated amount can be withdrawn.

Select a specific topic to get started. The most common ones are: auto, sports, people, tourism, business. Interesting? Let's briefly go through the well-known photobanks.

Types of photo banks

Shutterstock. om is one of the best, but at the same time strict photobanks. Note that this is a US company. When registering, you will need to send a scanned passport. In addition, you will have to pass an exam by sending 10 of your works to the photo stock. If you suddenly fail the test, you can retake it (once a month).

Image requirements are as follows: images must be at least 4 megapixels for newly employed and 2.5 megapixels for permanent employees. Mandatory with jpg and eps extension. At first, $ 0.25 will go out for one purchase of a photo, and when $ 500 is accumulated, then the prices will rise to $ 0.30. If, for example, your image is downloaded by a thousand people, then you will receive $ 250. Now imagine that you have a thousand images? Not a bad profit, agree.

To withdraw money, use the Internet wallets Paypal, Moneybookers, where the maximum withdrawal is $ 75. The photo stock can send you a check by mail (the amount paid is at least $ 300).

Istockphoto. om ranks second in terms of income, perhaps the most popular microstock today. It opened in the United States, therefore, like Shutterstock. om, in order not to pay 30% tax, you need to fill out a tax return with the TIN.

There are also test items here. When registering, you will need to upload three scanned photos from your passport (driver's license) and wait for a response two weeks later. Then a maximum of 15 images can be uploaded. They must be in jpg format and larger than 1200 x 1600 pixels.

On this photo bank, the downloaded photo will cost $ 1–40, and your profit will be 20% of the amount. Withdrawal of funds is possible when your amount reaches $ 100. It is carried out through the Internet wallet of the payment systems Moneybookers, Payoneer, Paypal. Or otherwise - by check in the mail.

123rf. om is one of the simplest and most undemanding photo stocks. Great for beginners. You will also need a scanned passport when registering. The exam consists of 10 of your works, which can be passed loyally. Photo requirements: 4 megapixels in eps and jpg format.

Instant Photo Services are ideal for a beginner. A demanded niche, minimum investment, quick start. The photo booth is serviced no more than 3 times a week, which allows you to combine business with other activities and receive almost passive income.

For the last few years, paper photographs taken in photo booths have been popular in Russia. It's fun, fast, and somewhat old school. Photo booths have become in demand again thanks to Instagram, which has revived the fashion for printed images. In addition, the development of vending has helped to form a new offer on the photo services market - when a client can come and take a photo for documents on his own, without a photographer or administrator. Therefore, the first and most important reason why it is worth implementing the idea with a photo booth is its popularity.

Another reason is simple business organization. It does not require hiring employees and going through large-scale paperwork. All that is required for the opening is a small investment and high-quality equipment. The photo booth is serviced no more than three times a week, which allows you to combine business with other activities and receive almost passive income. Moreover, competition in this niche is low, especially in the regions. This simplifies the process of starting a business and creates a more comfortable environment for running it. Next, we will deal with the main points of opening and running this case.

The essence of the business

The photo booth is a snapshot device that is equipped with powerful software and a printer that immediately produces finished photos. Some types of equipment provide the ability to apply effects, make photo adjustments, etc.

The photo booth technology is very simple. No employees are required to work, except for a preventive mechanic. The client enters the booth, makes a deposit to the bill acceptor, selects the desired mode or type of picture, and then takes a picture. The client approves the image and receives the finished photos. The scheme is simple for both the visitor and the entrepreneur.

Target audience of photo booths:

teenagers aged 14-17 who follow trends actively use social networks.

young people under the age of 30, romantic couples who take photos together for memory.

people aged 30 and over - their goals can be different, ranging from those described above to photographs for documents.

corporate clients who book photo booth rental for events.

Fashion in photography has captured everyone today. People post pictures on social networks, record life events. For those who want to open their own business, professional photo sessions can be an excellent option, which will bring not only income in the future, but also moral satisfaction from creative self-realization. There are more and more photographers every day. Most often it is a hobby. But the most successful and creative photographers can monetize their hobby by turning it into a job they love.

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Where to start a photo business?

You need to have at least minimal photography skills. Any photographic technique can be suitable for initial training. To make a profit, you need to purchase a semi-professional or professional SLR camera that can guarantee high quality images.

You don't need to buy the most expensive new product right away. The competition in the photography business is very high. Therefore, an expensive purchase will pay off for a long time. To build up a client base, a mid-range camera will be enough.

When purchasing a camera, do not forget about interchangeable lenses, extra batteries, memory cards and a handy pouch. The cost of all these items necessary for work will be the initial cost. If a person wants to become a successful photographer, then it will not be superfluous to attend courses where you can learn the basics of the profession.

Another necessary preparatory step for starting a business at a photo shoot is the purchase of programs for processing photographs and their study. The most popular photo editing software is Adobe Photoshop. Buying a licensed version will require some costs, but will allow you to access all the functions of this program. The basics of photo processing can be studied independently, because there are a large number of free electronic resources for this.

Searching for clients for photo sessions

High competition among photographers makes the beginner do a great job of finding his clients. In the first stages, you do not need to set a high cost for your services. You can hold several photo sessions for your friends for free or for a symbolic reward. These first photos will make up the aspiring businessman's portfolio.

In your search for the perfect shot, photography can be much more than just a hobby for you, and it's not your fault. If you are thinking of making photography a hobby of your life and becoming a freelance photographer, we have a couple of ideas and guidelines for you to consider before you get started.

What kind of photographer are you?

The work of freelance photographers can be roughly divided into two main categories, although many work in both:

Customer-ordered photo sessions - weddings, portraits, family celebrations, advertising, food, pets, etc.

Stock photography - this includes pictures taken for the purpose of further sale and use by various photo banks. There are many sites that offer access to photo archives where photographers can sell their photographs and thus make a living.

Step one: writing a business plan

Whatever idea of ​​creating your own photo project comes to your mind, abstract thoughts and successful beginnings should become part of the plan that is being implemented. Writing a plan will help define your goals and the strategy for achieving them. There are tons of guidelines on the internet for writing a business plan and explaining how to put together concepts like demand, your goals, and your budget. These sites will help you get started:

How to write your business plan

Business plan for a professional photographer

How to open a photo studio: business specifics and practical advice

Step Two: Portfolio Development