Welcome one and all to the brand new and exciting business known as Kris M Photography. I get so many photographers commenting on my work and telling to take the leap and open my own company, that I have decided to go ahead and do it. I mean, what better time to try and open your own company than in the middle of a global pandemic, while your government is threatening to rip itself apart due to major political differences. I mean, fun times and all.
Obviously, this is my first post. So what to talk about? Well, I'm not going to get into actual photography stuff. Look, starting a business is hard work. And, as the saying goes, you've got to spend money to make money. Which is a cute way of saying that it costs sooooooooo much money to even think about getting started, before you can even think about ways to charge and start getting your money back. Most new businesses fail in the first 3 years because it costs so much money to start them and you get back oh so little of it.
Take for example, any little store that you see pop up. By the time the store owner gets to the point of getting a store front, they have probably been pouring hard work and money into that business for a year already. That means, that even before the doors open, they are significantly in the red. Hopefully, the stars align and they start making money right away. Usually, that's not the case.
So, photographers have to buy their equipment, even the cheap equipment isn't cheap. Then they have to buy their editing software. Those amazing shots are great when taken and made amazing with editing. Don't get snooty here, even the great film photographers edited their work, they just had to do it a much much harder way. Camera in hand, editing software available, the photographer needs to take amazing shots. If they are portrait photographers, they have to find willing subjects to let them practice their craft. If, like me, they are scenic photographers, they have to wander around looking at the world from every angle possible to get those great shots. Then they spend the time editing. Oh, and don't forget about continuing education. A good photographer becomes a great photographer by studying, reading, practicing, etc.
Ink isn't free, shipping isn't free. This "hobby" turned business is expensive.
If you choose to take pictures of humans in poses, you can charge them to help recoup some of your costs. I, and other photographers like myself, cannot charge our subjects however. Those plants just won't pay up.
But, at least for me, sharing the beauty of the world is so worth it.
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