How to Make a Living as a Portrait Photographer

Research the portrait photography market in your city or town. Include low-cost portrait studios like those found in big box stores as well as the higher-end professional portrait studios. Find out the service, product and fees at each of the studios.

Compare the prices and services of the different photographers and determine where you feel you can price your portrait photography sittings and print packages within your market. Determine the amount of money you need to earn to pay your expenses and the amount you want to earn to pay yourself. Break this number down to a weekly amount and divide that amount by the base price of your photography packages. You now have a number of portrait sessions you need to book each week to make a living as a photographer.

Create a marketing plan that includes a website and advertising and consider joining a business networking group or your chamber of commerce. Be proactive and call local businesses to see if they need business or professional portraits. Often if you do a good job on these, the individual you photograph may bring his family in for work. In addition, the more portraits you shoot and the more your pictures are out in the community, word will spread about the work you do.

Fill your day with the required number of portrait sessions whenever possible. If you need to shoot three sessions each day, book three for that day before you start booking appointments on other days. While ultimately it will depend on your clients' schedule, if you stick to this approach you will minimize the risk of believing you are busier than you really are.