Today people love exploring themselves and are cultivating their passion turn into their career, but it demands dedication and hard work. Nevertheless, photography is one of the most creative passions turning out to be a career path for people around the globe, making it more competitive day by day.To build, grow and sustain your business in such a competitive market, you must have a blend of both, raw talent and a knack for marketing, which would result in creating a niche for your sustainable business. As rightly said by business philosophers, any business model can turn out to be sustainable if there are regular improvement and enhancement of the product with a blend of consistent branding of the product, both online and offline. Entering this market would involve essentials which would include the purchase of quality gadget depending upon how much your pocket allows. Instead of getting into debts, sustainably grow your business. It will give you time for gear improvements with the inflow of business. So, investing a very high amount will not make any sense if your business isn't making money yet. Many professional photographers advise planning on the budget between INR 2lacs-3lacs to start your photography business which would include the major essentials. They suggest starting with good quality photography camera, flashes, memory cards, and two external drives which in total would not cost you more than INR 2lacs. You should also hold a computer or laptop with sufficient memory which would be range approximately INR 50k – 60k. This would make your work easier, and you will have sufficient space for storage and craft your work. To have the upper hand as per the current market trend, you should have your website, which can get prepared in INR 5k-10k. This helps you in showcasing your work and makes you more presentable while dealing with the customer. Also, you should have Photoshop subscription (can save more on yearly plan) which would help you in beautifying your work. Most of your business will flourish through word-of-mouth, so your business would only depend upon you. Business cards also play an important role in the marketing of your brand as this industry requires meeting new people every day. Moreover, there will be a set of customers who would also be searching for your work online so; you can market your business via social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to start). Social media would help you in outreaching your work to the masses in a single click. Wedding photography, being seasonal, has been one of the most consistent sources for better payouts. Many photographers have created wedding photography packages taking promoting themselves as a one-stop-shop for the complete occasion. It requires multiple gadgets and prior preparation solving every situation in terms of lighting, memory storage, charged battery, etc.If you do not want to be a part of this oversaturated wedding photography market, you can enter into other avenues which are getting explored with the growth of the industry. Commercial photography: All businesses these days are focussing on creating web pages wherein you can capture images of their products or services, facilities. Professional headshot photographs of the board members and management team can also be an area you can look upon. Real estate photography: Builders, as well as real estate agents, want to market their product on their website as well as other online sites and demand for professional images of the site and look to capture 360-degree or interactive video footage. Event photography: Many organizations look out event photographers for getting professional images and video to cover a full season or a specific event (e.g., local marathon). You can get a contract with these organizations. Shooting these events would require expensive gadgets for capturing the event.Product photography: Many retail businesses and artisans are selling their products online and look for product photographers to capture the images for their product from different views angles. Jewelry photography: With the ease of technology jewelers are also selling their products online. Big brands like Tanishq, Malabar, etc. are showcasing their products through images and videos. As this industry is getting explored more and more, it is broadening its reach, turning passion into a business. You would require industry influencers and longtime relationships if you are looking to grow your business and improve your work. I would advise that you should be going ahead with a sustainable approach as the cost of the photography business would depend upon the category you choose for your career.
