[dhodgeh]

Just received an e-mail offer for a discounted price on this live stream conference.

Making some money from this serious hobby of mine had been on the fringe of my mind, but not something I have given any serious thought.

So, for $139, and a few hours of time over a couple of days, I'm wondering if I would get anything useful out of it. I know to make money from any endeavor takes some effort, and I have got to wonder if I have the motivation in my retirement to actually turn this hobby into a business, not matter how small.

Any thoughts from the hive?

[aslyfox]

. . . I have got to wonder if I have the motivation in my retirement to actually turn this hobby into a business, not matter how small.

Any thoughts from the hive?

check with your professional tax advisor:

if memory serves

you may be able to deduct " expenses " from your " business " but you must make a profit within a certain number of years

if not, it is not a " business " but a " hobby " and those deductions will not be allowed, and you have to pay them back

[Mooncatt]

check with your professional tax advisor:

if memory serves

you may be able to deduct " expenses " from your " business " but you must make a profit within a certain number of years

if not, it is not a " business " but a " hobby " and those deductions will not be allowed, and you have to pay them back

If in the U.S, ditto all of this for me too. Taxes can be a pain, so don't neglect them!

I've thought about making some side cash with photography as well, and here's my thoughts based on how I'd approach it.

1. Establish yourself and get the beginnings of a reputation. Not just on your style, but your professionalism with clients as you do free sessions for practice.

2. Make sure your turnaround time is adequate.

3. Research other photographers in the area to see what sort of prices you may be able to charge. It's likely you'll see a lot of others doing this as a side hustle as well for cheap, so don't set your expectations too high on what the market will bear. If it's not enough for you, improve on #1 some more and try to offer something unique to your clients.

3.1. Don't sell your services too cheap either, expecting to under cut the competition and increase profits through market share. From every story I've read, pricing yourself cheap gets you the bottom of the barrel clients that are often times more of a hassle than you want. I.e. Late to the appointments (or simply not show), show up disheveled, won't listen, etc.

4. Consider doing charity work both for good will and free marketing.

5. NEVER LET SOMEONE PAY YOU WITH "EXPOSURE!" That translates to "I'm a cheapskate that wants free photos and will share it on social media, which will drive almost no one to you as a client."

6. Learn how to interact with clients. If this doesn't come naturally to you, it can be hard to get the creative juices flowing.

7. Invest in props to give you some variety, unless your goal is to make every photo look the same as if it's class pictures day. Props are cheap ways to add value to your services.

8. If you sell prints, get established with a reputable printer so you can deliver consistent results.

9. Be flexible. If you cancel sessions because a client is a few minutes late, no one will want to work with you.

10. Under promise and over deliver! It'll make for happy clients, and happy clients are repeat clients that tell their friends.

Last, and probably most importantly, don't pay random people $139 to tell you how to make money. I'll only charge you $100 for what I just offered. My point is that sort of program may not be worth it and verging on scam. They may give some tips, but unlikely anything earth shattering, and it'll still require you to do most of the leg work anyway. There's plenty of ways to learn what you need without that expense.

The only caveat I'll throw out here is I'm basing this all on the vague info you presented about the webinar. If the info in the email is little more than "pay us to teach you to make money," then it's a no go at any price. They would have to be offering up specifics on what is being taught so you can judge if it'll even be relevant to you. Even then, that money may be better spent elsewhere, such as an instructional class or props.

[DeadJohn]

How to make money with photography? Get a bunch of other photographers to pay you $139

Joke aside, I don't know whether that conference is any good or not, but in general the photography business is very challenging. There are many hobbyists who will work cheaply or for free.

[btnapa]

Any thoughts from the hive?

It is hard to tell. He is an established photographer with many revenue streams. If you are a total novice, he will have some pointers for you. However, do not look for the "answer." It is hard to make money from photography these days... and it is a lot or hard work. I was watching a video recently by a landscape photographer who broke down his total revenue by category and most of his money came from offering seminars and YouTube video advertising. Very little came from actual selling of his photos or prints.

[Rondec]

I think Scott Kelby is an interesting fellow. He has generated quite a bit of income from writing how-to books -- everything from photography using your smart phone to Lightroom essentials and so on. I actually own a few of his books and the Lightroom book was definitely helpful. Some of the other books are a bit simplistic.

As to whether he has magical ways to generate income that we don't know about, I doubt it. It's all about exposure and old-fashioned hard work. Social media, like Instagram, can help, but it requires a lot of effort to follow people, make posts with interesting images, and promote yourself in ways that don't feel too much like promotion that people turn you off.

[dhodgeh]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, I know that a lot of work has to be put in any endeavor to make money, and I have to question my commitment to anything of this nature. I am retired, and at the moment, not willing to work to hard at anything.

I was hoping someone might have gone through something like this, and maybe found some low hanging fruit that could bring in a few bucks every now and then.

[Mooncatt]

I was hoping someone might have gone through something like this, and maybe found some low hanging fruit that could bring in a few bucks every now and then.

I have known people to put some of their photos up on stock photo sites in hopes of selling a few. That can be low effort, but also low reward due to the shear number of other photos competing against you.

[Wheatfield]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, I know that a lot of work has to be put in any endeavor to make money, and I have to question my commitment to anything of this nature. I am retired, and at the moment, not willing to work to hard at anything.

I was hoping someone might have gone through something like this, and maybe found some low hanging fruit that could bring in a few bucks every now and then.

Just remember, in the world of professional photography, someone is always ready, willing and able to do the job you are bidding on for less money, and most people vote with their wallets.
One of the best life decisions I have made was to stop playing the pro photography game and take it back to hobby status.

[Rondec]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, I know that a lot of work has to be put in any endeavor to make money, and I have to question my commitment to anything of this nature. I am retired, and at the moment, not willing to work to hard at anything.

I was hoping someone might have gone through something like this, and maybe found some low hanging fruit that could bring in a few bucks every now and then.

My wife was pretty active with wedding photography for a while, but then between the birth of our last child and COVID, she basically took to the last three years off.

Getting back into it, she decided she would do weekly posts on Instagram (and a little on Facebook) using older photos -- sometimes doing polls -- which one of these looks better or sometimes with little inspirational quotes. She also decided for the time being to do some family shoots to stay busy and top of mind with people in the area.

If you aren't on social media, I would get on and study how pros with the type of photography you want to do practice self promotion. Maybe it seems a bit crass, but it works and the only investment it requires is time.