Experience
I have done a little pro photography on and off over the last four decades, including a bit of child photography in the early seventies, all the brochure photographs (and a calendar shot) for my employer (a mower manufacturer) in the late 1970s. (They wanted monochrome and colour alternative for each shot, so that was a good excuse to get a Hasselblad) …and some “table top” product/catalogue photography, including engraved glass and gold and silver (the type of work that the local pros could not tackle!)
Concept
There are tens of thousands of budding photographers out there trying to start businesses with point-and-shoots and £3k redundancy money, so I aim to tackle the type of work you cannot do well with a point-and-shoot.
Business plan
Buy some kit and look for work. ¿This should be the other way round?
The trouble is that MFD view-camera kit with a set of good digital lenses and electronic shutters for no-touch DOF merge and remote use on a 10m tripod is not cheap... but I almost have enough to get started.
Pricing
Initially, with no track record, and no portfolio, I could not hope to get any money up front, and so I will make no charge for travelling expenses or my time, but just charge one tenth of what it would cost to hire the kit, or one tenth of what the customer would expect it would cost to hire the kit… ¿£20 or £30 per day?
By the time you have found the work and got paid for one job in five, this would be more like £20 or £30 per week… but at least you would be working towards having a portfolio!
Supply and demand would come into effect and prices would hopefully be increased when the diary gets full for a few weeks ahead.
Forecast
This system can work, and, after five years, when your wife has left you your house has been repossessed, you might be able to afford the rent on a two room flat, or, plan B, you live and work in an old van.
Reality
Unfortunately, all of the above is too ambitious, as I have a heart condition, and I cannot really hope to cope with the physical and mental stress of any work, so I am a hobbyist!
...but they might do some good at the hospital next month.
Has anyone had similar experience? or got any suggestions as to how I can improve the plan?
I have done a little pro photography on and off over the last four decades, including a bit of child photography in the early seventies, all the brochure photographs (and a calendar shot) for my employer (a mower manufacturer) in the late 1970s. (They wanted monochrome and colour alternative for each shot, so that was a good excuse to get a Hasselblad) …and some “table top” product/catalogue photography, including engraved glass and gold and silver (the type of work that the local pros could not tackle!)
Concept
There are tens of thousands of budding photographers out there trying to start businesses with point-and-shoots and £3k redundancy money, so I aim to tackle the type of work you cannot do well with a point-and-shoot.
Business plan
Buy some kit and look for work. ¿This should be the other way round?
The trouble is that MFD view-camera kit with a set of good digital lenses and electronic shutters for no-touch DOF merge and remote use on a 10m tripod is not cheap... but I almost have enough to get started.
Pricing
Initially, with no track record, and no portfolio, I could not hope to get any money up front, and so I will make no charge for travelling expenses or my time, but just charge one tenth of what it would cost to hire the kit, or one tenth of what the customer would expect it would cost to hire the kit… ¿£20 or £30 per day?
By the time you have found the work and got paid for one job in five, this would be more like £20 or £30 per week… but at least you would be working towards having a portfolio!
Supply and demand would come into effect and prices would hopefully be increased when the diary gets full for a few weeks ahead.
Forecast
This system can work, and, after five years, when your wife has left you your house has been repossessed, you might be able to afford the rent on a two room flat, or, plan B, you live and work in an old van.
Reality
Unfortunately, all of the above is too ambitious, as I have a heart condition, and I cannot really hope to cope with the physical and mental stress of any work, so I am a hobbyist!
...but they might do some good at the hospital next month.
Has anyone had similar experience? or got any suggestions as to how I can improve the plan?