MoneyInPhotography.com
Helping Photographers Achieve Success
Helping Photographers Achieve Success
Your Subtitle text
One Stop Shop
I'll tell you right off....
BOOKMARK THIS PAGE!
I'm literally going to list and provide links to everything you will need to get your photography business started from computers to business cards.
Are you ready?
BUSINESS CARDS
I'll tell you first hand that a good business card is like having your resume in hand when you meet a potential client. Try to avoid making it too edgy or loud. Stick a simple design. Think classic, but avoid a cheap looking card. This doesn't mean blow a lot of money either. It should have this basic information:
-Studio Name (or your name)
-Website
-Contact Email
-Phone Number
You may or may not choose to add pictures to it. I learned that when I put pictures on my cards, I always wanted to update them every time I had a cool new shot taken...so beware.
Now you may be asking,
"Where can I get good cards made?"
Don't worry. I have you covered. They even have an awesome special for those of you looking to get quality cards for free.....yes, i said FREE. You simply pay for shipping.
Click Here For
CAMERA
You may want to refer to the Camera Guide page for a detailed analysis of photography types and camera usage.
COMPUTER
Well, this is a no brainer for me. Photography is a creative industry and there is no better computer for creative work than Apple. Period.
Not convinced?
Try to find a successful photographer, director, videographer, recording artist, graphic designer, fashion designer, or retoucher that doesn't use it.
Now if they are the people you will be collaborating with, shouldn't you be using a compatible system?
Exactly.
Click Here For
or
Buy a Discount MAC
Click Here For
CREDIT CARDS (Have to pay for it all somehow, right?)
I said I would cover everything, didn't I? Credit cards are an important part of building your credit score, but remember, use them responsibly!
Click Here For
OPTIONS COMING SOON
INSURANCE (protection for the unexpected)
Because not every experience you have in the world of photography will be a good one.
Cameras get dropped and lenses get broken, scratched, or disappear from your luggage. Insurance is rarely thought of until something bad happens.
It may not be on top of your list of things to start with, but definitely a necessary purchase. Keep it in mind.
INTERNET
You'll need internet to keep your profiles, websites, and business going. Most of you already have it or you wouldn't be on this site. If not, here's options.
Click Here For
LIGHTING
COMING SOON...
METERS
Sekonic is hands down the industry leader of light meters....period. There is no other choice. Ask any pro.
If you want to find one used or at a great price, I recommend eBay. I've also linked two other popular sellers.
Click Here For
Click Here For
Click Here For
PRINTING (Affordable printing solutions)
This is a major part of your business, especially if you're a wedding, event, or portrait photographer. Print mark ups can range from a few cents to 9X the actual price as some do for wedding photography. This is great for you in the beginning, because most of these printing sites offer free prints (usually 20-50) to new customers. Check these links to see which one(s) will work best for you...or try them all. There's no harm in that either.
Click Here For
Click Here For
Click Here For
Click Here For
SOFTWARE (Programs for touch ups)
Believe it or not, there is a choice when it comes to photo editing software. These are both excellent programs.
Adobe PhotoShop CS3 is the industry standard.
Key Features:
Industry-standard editing toolset
Perfect your images with industry-leading image-editing capabilities, which include enhanced color-correction and cloning and healing tools.
Nondestructive editing
Take advantage of nondestructive editing capabilities, including new Smart Filters, which let you visualize different image effects, and Smart Objects, which let you scale, rotate, and warp raster and vector graphics — all without altering pixel data.
Rich painting and drawing toolset
Create or modify images with a wide assortment of professional, fully customizable paint settings, artistic brushes, and drawing tools.
Advanced compositing
Create more accurate composites by automatically aligning multiple Adobe® Photoshop® layers or images based on similar content. The Auto-align Layers command quickly analyzes details and moves, rotates, or warps layers to align them perfectly, and the Auto-blend Layers command blends the color and shading to create a smooth, editable result.
Quick Selection and Refine Edge tools
Make selections in a snap. Loosely draw on an image area, and the Quick Selection tool automatically completes the selection for you. Then fine-tune your selections with the Refine Edge tool.
Built-in efficiency
Take advantage of customized workflows and a streamlined work environment with enhanced palette management so you can focus on your images, not your software.
Improved printing experience
Experience better control over print quality with color management, a larger print preview window, and more controls in one place so you can print in fewer steps. Improved printing controls, co-developed by Adobe and HP, make printing easier and more predictable and streamline setup options via integration with select printers from HP, Epson, and Canon.
Faster, more flexible asset management with Adobe Bridge CS3
Organize and manage images more efficiently with Adobe Bridge CS3, which now delivers improved performance, a Filter panel for easier searching, the ability to group multiple images under a single thumbnail, the Loupe tool, offline image browsing, and more.
Wide range of supported formats
Import and export a wide range of file formats, including PSD, BMP, Cineon, JPEG, JPEG2000, OpenEXR, PNG, Targa, and TIFF.
Third-party solutions and resources
Take advantage of a wealth of additional resources — including software plug-ins, books, and training — from the longstanding community of expert Photoshop developers, authors, and trainers.
Info Courtesy of Adobe®
Click Here For
Aperture 1.5 by Apple® is another top performer.
Key Features:
Designed for professional photographers
Aperture offers everything you need to work with images after a shoot — from organizing to publishing — in a single integrated workflow.
Advanced RAW workflow
Now you can work with RAW images through every step of the digital workflow without first having to convert them. Aperture's native RAW support is the first of its kind.
Professional photo management
Manage your projects with ease thanks to Aperture's flexible organizational tools, comprehensive metadata support and powerful search capabilities.
Powerful compare and select tools
When your shoot is over, use Aperture to quickly review all your photos, then compare and rate them to identify your very best.
Nondestructive image processing
Experiment freely—and fearlessly. Aperture never alters a single pixel of your master images, so you can make and reverse any adjustment.
Versatile printing and publishing
Produce color-managed prints and contact sheets, design customized books, and create impressive websites as beautiful as the photographs you take.
Info Courtesy of Apple®
Also, see link for further details.
Click Here For
STORAGE (Need to have somewhere to keep all your pics?)
Let's face it. If you're doing a substantial amount of shooting as most of us do, it's not possible to keep all your shots on your computer.
Most use external hard drives to store large quantities of shots as well as archiving them on DVD if possible.
Popular brands of hard drives include LaCie, Western Digital, and Maxtor.
TAXES (Great places to learn about your write offs)
I'd recommend using someone like H&R Block or a personal accountant when doing your taxes your first year as a photographer. It will cost more, but you will learn VERY important information about your write offs.
You will learn what, how much, and how often you can write off certain aspects of your business such as equipment, travel, and other expenses.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN STARTING YOUR BUSINESS!
WEBSITE
This is the most crucial piece of your portfolio. It is accessible anytime, from anywhere in the world. It should be only your best work and showcase your creativity. It is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. Use it. Abuse it.
All the necessary tools you need including domain names, email, and hosting are available.
Click Here For
Click Here For
BOOKMARK THIS PAGE!
I'm literally going to list and provide links to everything you will need to get your photography business started from computers to business cards.
Are you ready?
BUSINESS CARDS
I'll tell you first hand that a good business card is like having your resume in hand when you meet a potential client. Try to avoid making it too edgy or loud. Stick a simple design. Think classic, but avoid a cheap looking card. This doesn't mean blow a lot of money either. It should have this basic information:
-Studio Name (or your name)
-Website
-Contact Email
-Phone Number
You may or may not choose to add pictures to it. I learned that when I put pictures on my cards, I always wanted to update them every time I had a cool new shot taken...so beware.
Now you may be asking,
"Where can I get good cards made?"
Don't worry. I have you covered. They even have an awesome special for those of you looking to get quality cards for free.....yes, i said FREE. You simply pay for shipping.
Click Here For
CAMERA
You may want to refer to the Camera Guide page for a detailed analysis of photography types and camera usage.
COMPUTER
Well, this is a no brainer for me. Photography is a creative industry and there is no better computer for creative work than Apple. Period.
Not convinced?
Try to find a successful photographer, director, videographer, recording artist, graphic designer, fashion designer, or retoucher that doesn't use it.
Now if they are the people you will be collaborating with, shouldn't you be using a compatible system?
Exactly.
Click Here For
or
Buy a Discount MAC
Click Here For
CREDIT CARDS (Have to pay for it all somehow, right?)
I said I would cover everything, didn't I? Credit cards are an important part of building your credit score, but remember, use them responsibly!
Click Here For
OPTIONS COMING SOON
INSURANCE (protection for the unexpected)
Because not every experience you have in the world of photography will be a good one.
Cameras get dropped and lenses get broken, scratched, or disappear from your luggage. Insurance is rarely thought of until something bad happens.
It may not be on top of your list of things to start with, but definitely a necessary purchase. Keep it in mind.
INTERNET
You'll need internet to keep your profiles, websites, and business going. Most of you already have it or you wouldn't be on this site. If not, here's options.
Click Here For
LIGHTING
COMING SOON...
METERS
Sekonic is hands down the industry leader of light meters....period. There is no other choice. Ask any pro.
If you want to find one used or at a great price, I recommend eBay. I've also linked two other popular sellers.
Click Here For
Click Here For
Click Here For
PRINTING (Affordable printing solutions)
This is a major part of your business, especially if you're a wedding, event, or portrait photographer. Print mark ups can range from a few cents to 9X the actual price as some do for wedding photography. This is great for you in the beginning, because most of these printing sites offer free prints (usually 20-50) to new customers. Check these links to see which one(s) will work best for you...or try them all. There's no harm in that either.
Click Here For
Click Here For
Click Here For
Click Here For
SOFTWARE (Programs for touch ups)
Believe it or not, there is a choice when it comes to photo editing software. These are both excellent programs.
Adobe PhotoShop CS3 is the industry standard.
Key Features:
Industry-standard editing toolset
Perfect your images with industry-leading image-editing capabilities, which include enhanced color-correction and cloning and healing tools.
Nondestructive editing
Take advantage of nondestructive editing capabilities, including new Smart Filters, which let you visualize different image effects, and Smart Objects, which let you scale, rotate, and warp raster and vector graphics — all without altering pixel data.
Rich painting and drawing toolset
Create or modify images with a wide assortment of professional, fully customizable paint settings, artistic brushes, and drawing tools.
Advanced compositing
Create more accurate composites by automatically aligning multiple Adobe® Photoshop® layers or images based on similar content. The Auto-align Layers command quickly analyzes details and moves, rotates, or warps layers to align them perfectly, and the Auto-blend Layers command blends the color and shading to create a smooth, editable result.
Quick Selection and Refine Edge tools
Make selections in a snap. Loosely draw on an image area, and the Quick Selection tool automatically completes the selection for you. Then fine-tune your selections with the Refine Edge tool.
Built-in efficiency
Take advantage of customized workflows and a streamlined work environment with enhanced palette management so you can focus on your images, not your software.
Improved printing experience
Experience better control over print quality with color management, a larger print preview window, and more controls in one place so you can print in fewer steps. Improved printing controls, co-developed by Adobe and HP, make printing easier and more predictable and streamline setup options via integration with select printers from HP, Epson, and Canon.
Faster, more flexible asset management with Adobe Bridge CS3
Organize and manage images more efficiently with Adobe Bridge CS3, which now delivers improved performance, a Filter panel for easier searching, the ability to group multiple images under a single thumbnail, the Loupe tool, offline image browsing, and more.
Wide range of supported formats
Import and export a wide range of file formats, including PSD, BMP, Cineon, JPEG, JPEG2000, OpenEXR, PNG, Targa, and TIFF.
Third-party solutions and resources
Take advantage of a wealth of additional resources — including software plug-ins, books, and training — from the longstanding community of expert Photoshop developers, authors, and trainers.
Info Courtesy of Adobe®
Click Here For
Aperture 1.5 by Apple® is another top performer.
Key Features:
Designed for professional photographers
Aperture offers everything you need to work with images after a shoot — from organizing to publishing — in a single integrated workflow.
Advanced RAW workflow
Now you can work with RAW images through every step of the digital workflow without first having to convert them. Aperture's native RAW support is the first of its kind.
Professional photo management
Manage your projects with ease thanks to Aperture's flexible organizational tools, comprehensive metadata support and powerful search capabilities.
Powerful compare and select tools
When your shoot is over, use Aperture to quickly review all your photos, then compare and rate them to identify your very best.
Nondestructive image processing
Experiment freely—and fearlessly. Aperture never alters a single pixel of your master images, so you can make and reverse any adjustment.
Versatile printing and publishing
Produce color-managed prints and contact sheets, design customized books, and create impressive websites as beautiful as the photographs you take.
Info Courtesy of Apple®
Also, see link for further details.
Click Here For
STORAGE (Need to have somewhere to keep all your pics?)
Let's face it. If you're doing a substantial amount of shooting as most of us do, it's not possible to keep all your shots on your computer.
Most use external hard drives to store large quantities of shots as well as archiving them on DVD if possible.
Popular brands of hard drives include LaCie, Western Digital, and Maxtor.
TAXES (Great places to learn about your write offs)
I'd recommend using someone like H&R Block or a personal accountant when doing your taxes your first year as a photographer. It will cost more, but you will learn VERY important information about your write offs.
You will learn what, how much, and how often you can write off certain aspects of your business such as equipment, travel, and other expenses.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN STARTING YOUR BUSINESS!
WEBSITE
This is the most crucial piece of your portfolio. It is accessible anytime, from anywhere in the world. It should be only your best work and showcase your creativity. It is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. Use it. Abuse it.
All the necessary tools you need including domain names, email, and hosting are available.
Click Here For
Click Here For