How to open a photo studio: specifics of the business and its organization. Business plan for a photo studio with calculations Opening a photo studio from scratch

With the development of digital technology, the market for photographic services is expanding. Thematic photo sessions outdoors and in the studio, family and individual, are becoming popular. Today, any creative person can open a photo studio and turn their passion for photography from a hobby into a business - just follow the developed plan.

Choosing a business concept

For a photographer, a studio is a way to combine hobbies and work, the opportunity to shoot regardless of weather conditions, and to vary the setting for interior photo shoots. If you have achieved recognition as a photo artist, opening a photo studio will be an opportunity for development.

When planning your business, take one of the existing concepts as a basis:

Interior photo studio. To work productively, you need to rent or purchase premises and decorative items. In the absence of a stable client request for interior photography, the studio pays for itself only by renting it out to beginning photographers and providing related services (stylist, hairdresser, makeup artist and others).
Home photo workshop. The capabilities of a photo laboratory created on the basis of an apartment are limited to portrait photography.
Photo salon. A small room with a minimum of equipment for making photographs for documents.
Room for photographing children. The concept is designed for loving parents who want to capture their children in professional photographs.

Photo gallery: types of studios

Create a list of services in accordance with your requests:

individuals (family and individual photo sessions, event photography);
commercial companies (photos for souvenirs, photography of goods for advertising catalogues, corporate events).

Additional sources of income:

cooperation with glossy magazines, shooting branded products;
photo shoots with aspiring models for portfolio;
artistic processing and retouching of the best photographs;
hairdresser and makeup artist services;
instant photo;
production of souvenirs;
master classes and lectures on image processing;
hourly studio rental during downtime.

Souvenirs with photos are an additional way to earn money

At the beginning of your creative journey, create a set of additional services in accordance with your budget. Choose ideas that do not require enormous costs or specific equipment to implement.

Benefits and Risks

The cost of photo studio services varies from 3 thousand to 10 thousand rubles per hour of work, and additional costs are minimal. Business profitability is high if you prevent possible risks:

increased competition;
seasonality of demand (probable downtime);
low liquidity (impossibility to sell the studio in case of collapse).

In a competitive environment, do not inflate prices for services. Look for an individual approach to customers - develop a discount system for regular customers, come up with bonus student programs. To minimize risks, provide professional services, collect and offer portfolios to clients. During downtime, run competitions for free photo shoots and distribute gift certificates. Hire a team of qualified employees who can work in your absence, ensuring the stability of the company.

Step-by-step instructions for opening a photo studio from scratch

To open a photo studio from scratch, an aspiring entrepreneur needs to go through five stages:

Business registration.
Choosing a room.
Purchase of equipment.
Studio decoration.
Personnel selection.

Documents for business registration

You can register the activities of a photo studio in the form of a limited liability company (LLC) or an individual enterprise (IE). The advantages of an LLC are the ability to expand, create a network of branches and attract financing from external sources. The positive aspects of an individual entrepreneur are a simplified registration process, no need to keep accounting records, and the ability to spend proceeds at your own discretion.

Documents for registration of individual entrepreneur:

notarized application form No. Р21001;
certified copy of passport (all pages);
receipt for payment of state duty in the amount of 800 rubles.

By default, when registering an individual entrepreneur, the general taxation system (OSNO) is established. If you have chosen a different type (simplified system or single tax on imputed income), fill out an application to change the tax system (notification form 26.2–1).

Documents for LLC registration:

application form No. Р11001 certified by a notary;
articles of association;
minutes of the meeting or the sole decision of the founder to create the company;
certified copies of the founders’ identity cards;
receipt of payment of state duty 4000 rubles;
if necessary, an application to change the taxation system (notice 26.2–1).

The minimum authorized capital of a limited liability company is 10,000 rubles.

When registering a company, select the types of planned economic activity in accordance with the OKVED classifier. Possible options for a photo studio:

activities in the field of photography (74.81);
printing activities not included in other categories (22.22);
other types of publishing activities (22.15).

After sending the documents to the registration authority, proceed to choosing a premises.

Studio location and space requirements

The success of a photo studio depends on its location. When choosing a room for a future studio, analyze the following factors:

distance from competing companies;
convenience of accommodation for clients, distance from public transport stops, availability of parking spaces;
possibility of installing outdoor advertising structures near the building.

The minimum height of the room for installing lighting equipment and a podium is 3 m, the optimal height is 3.7 m. The width of the photography pavilion is from 5 m, necessary to accommodate a paper background. The length is calculated as the width multiplied by two.

Gray background reflects light evenly and softly without interfering with shooting

In addition to the stylized pavilion, the studio should have:

screen;
dressing room;
shower cabin;
foyer with reception desk;
technical room equipped for printing photos and providing related services.

If you have the funds, additionally equip a relaxation room with a tea table and a drinks machine.

Equipment for photo shoots

Having chosen a room, proceed to the technical equipment of the studio. Install four or five light sources and attach softboxes to them. Additionally purchase:

reflective umbrellas;
classic hard light reflectors;
stands for light sources;
portrait plate;
herons and holders;
flash meter for measuring exposure;
nozzles in the form of curtains and honeycombs;
paper backgrounds with fastening;
flash synchronizers;
interior items, props;
mirror and steamer for the dressing room;
computer and photo retouching software.

Photo gallery: equipment and props

If necessary, buy a DSLR camera and a set of lenses. When choosing a camera, contact manufacturers specializing in the manufacture of photographic equipment - Canon and Nikon. Do not read advice on forums - focus on the technical parameters of the device and your own needs. List of important characteristics of a professional camera:

matrix size;
matrix resolution - from 13 megapixels;
ISO matrix sensitivity - from 10 to 25,000;
the ability to manually change settings;
dimensions and weight.

Studio decoration

When setting up a studio, take into account the general requirements for filming premises. Paint the walls and ceiling in a neutral gray color, and lay wear-resistant matte linoleum of the same shade on the floor. If the studio has a window, install a cornice above it and hang curtains made of light-proof fabric.

Equip the pavilion with ventilation and air conditioning systems, consider the location of sockets, convenient for moving equipment. There are three studio design options:

a simple gray hall without decorations;
hall with colored backgrounds;
themed room.

Using the last design option, do not forget to change the decorations depending on the time of year. In winter, install a Christmas tree, lay a fluffy carpet on the floor and scatter artificial snow. In the summer, decorate the space with flowers or style it with a beach theme.

Studio decoration for the New Year

Use light pastel colors to decorate an area for photographing children and couples in love - it will be popular with studio tenants and clients, increasing the profitability of the business.

Recruitment

The photographer is the main “weapon” of the photo studio. If you have realized yourself as a photographer and plan to work independently, do not hire employees at first. After successfully working for two to three months and receiving your first income, hire an administrator to maintain your client base and a cleaner.

If you are opening a photo studio as a business without doing photography, pay attention to selecting a photographer. At first, it will be he who will shape the image of the studio.

Having formed a client base and promoted the studio, hire specialists on a contractual basis to provide additional services:

makeup artist for applying makeup;
hairdresser to work on hairstyles;
stylist to create an image;
seller for trading related products.

Makeup artist creates the image of a model

A photographer, makeup artist and stylist can not only provide services directly, but also conduct master classes for beginners on shaping the image of a model, correct lighting or image processing.

Promotion and advertising of photo studio services

To attract clients, advertise the studio’s services on available resources. Create a website or group on a social network and upload a portfolio of your best work. Think about how much your services will cost, post the price list in the public domain.

Sign service contracts for large corporations - they will invite you to photograph their own events. Other advertising opportunities:

discount system;
Gift certificates;
promotions and sweepstakes;
installation of banners near the studio;
advertising on television and radio.

To form and maintain the image of the studio, take part in creative exhibitions of professionals.

Financial plan - expenses and projected income

When opening a photo studio, plan one-time and monthly expenses and try to predict income. Approximate calculations are summarized in tables.

Table: calculation of initial investment

Table: monthly expenses

The average cost of a photographer’s services is 1 thousand rubles per hour. Average daily employment is 3–4 hours. The rest of the time, the studio is rented at a price of 900 rubles per hour on weekdays and 1200 rubles per hour on weekends. Average daily workload is 3 hours.

Table: Projected Monthly Income

Is it profitable to open a photo studio: reviews from entrepreneurs

At first, you will work at a loss to yourself. But if you manage to develop the project and develop a client base, ensuring the premises are fully occupied, the photo studio will begin to make a profit. This is confirmed by reviews from entrepreneurs from business forums.

A successful photo studio must have a “trick”. This should not just be a room where you can take pictures, but a stylized salon with a thoughtful interior design and interesting photo zones. Creating a creative space requires financial costs.

Alexandrof

I have been tracking trends in the photography business since 2011. There are over 40 studios of various types operating in St. Petersburg, and every year 1-2 of them close or change the direction of their work. A studio is a good option for an established photographer who wants to maintain income during the winter. If it is possible to attract 20–30 customers per month and rent out the premises, the studio will pay for itself.

http://www.biznet.ru/topic188946.html

In a photo studio, a range of services can lead to success: photo for documents + on-site photography + photo processing + sale of souvenirs. In other cases, it will be difficult to earn your bread and butter.

http://www.penta-club.ru/forum/topic/87654-I want-to-open-a-photo-studio-in-little-Siberian/

Video: how to open your own photo studio

The business plan contains approximate figures that you can adjust depending on the region, your own needs and the requests of the target audience. Before you open a photo studio, calculate your own business plan based on what is proposed and act in accordance with it.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

We solve the problem of how to open an interior photography studio from scratch. Given: a creative person who wants to realize the abilities of a decorator Conditions: 700 thousand rubles. Find: profitable business opportunity.

Today photographs are an integral part of our lives. So familiar that it’s hard to imagine how people lived without the ability to capture memorable events in photographs. Now everyone has a smartphone with a camera at their fingertips, with which they take pictures every day. However, most of us still want high-quality, beautiful photographs taken by a professional photographer in a beautiful setting.

How to define a photo studio concept

Planning your photo studio needs to start with clear positioning. What type of service will you provide? There can be two options: you either provide interior space for photographers who shoot there; or organize photo sessions, providing a whole range of services - from providing a studio to makeup and, directly, shooting. The first option is less expensive. Here the business owner is focused on creating the interior. The second option is more complex because it requires a whole team of professionals (photographer, makeup artist, costume designer or stylist, administrator), and is more expensive. If the entrepreneur is a photographer, then it is more rational for him to choose the second option. But according to the terms of the task, the entrepreneur is a creative person who intends to independently design the interior of a photo studio. Therefore, the essence of the project is to provide an interior studio for rent for photo shoots.

How to analyze the photography business market

To analyze the market, it is not necessary to conduct large-scale marketing research. It is enough to find out how many photo studios operate in your city and study their approximate list of services. Your main assistant is the Internet. Today, almost all photo studios have their own website or social media account. Look at what interiors are presented there, how much it costs to rent a photo studio, determine their territorial location (Yandex.Maps, Google Maps or 2GIS will help). Based on the collected data, you will be able to plan your business more thoughtfully and create competitive advantages.

To attract clients, you will have to offer something that other photo studios have not yet offered. For fresh ideas and inspiration, look at what's on the market in other regions. You should also understand that your ideas should appeal primarily to your audience. Therefore, we advise you to find out what topic is relevant among the city’s population, what is the demand for existing services. This information will help you avoid unnecessary expenses.

How to calculate how much money you need to open a photo studio

The required investment is one of the most important elements of any business planning. In order to open your own photo studio, you will need from 700 thousand to 3 million rubles. It all depends on the scale of the business, the complexity of the interior, the idea, the city and the premises. For example, if you want to buy the premises in which the studio will be located, the amount will exceed 3 million. But 700 thousand rubles is enough to open a photo studio. You can save on the premises itself - rent it; for staff – limit yourself to studio rental services; interior – carefully consider locations that can be compactly placed in the rented area, and wisely select decorative elements, choosing budget options. You can also save on renovation costs by choosing a room in good condition. By the way, this will save not only money, but also time, allowing you to launch the project faster.

We will return to the money issue later when we plan to fill the photo studio. We are still getting used to the idea that we need about 700 thousand rubles.

How to choose a room for a photo studio

If your studio is located in the city center, this is an ideal option. But achieving this ideal is not so easy: firstly, there are many requirements for the photo studio premises that are not so easy to fulfill; secondly, renting premises in the center is not a cheap pleasure. Therefore, you can consider options located in the city center, but on less traveled streets. Going far, to industrial zones, which will take a couple of hours to get to, is not the best option. It is also impossible to place a photo studio in a residential area, because it does not provide essential services to attract residents of nearby houses. You need to attract people from all over the city, so the most logical choice is the center.

Now let's move on to meeting all the requirements for the photo studio premises itself:

high ceilings - from 3 meters;

studio length is at least 8-10 m;

the required repairs must be cosmetic, otherwise you will spend a lot of money and time on remodeling;

the space should not be divided by vertical beams;

When choosing a floor covering, you should give preference to dark color and high wear resistance. Otherwise, the floor will quickly lose its attractive appearance.

On average, the cost of an 80 sq.m. premises rented in the city center is 50 thousand rubles.

Once the room has been chosen, you can think about the layout. The room needs to be divided into several zones, each of which will house a location for shooting. A good photography studio should have at least three locations. Also, do not forget that in addition to the workspace, you should provide an area for receiving visitors and a toilet.

How to choose the interior of a photo studio

So we come to the main thing - planning the interior of a photo studio. The main character who determines the interior of the studio is the entrepreneur himself. Here he can realize all his creative ideas, give free rein to his imagination and get creative.

It should be noted that, no matter how sophisticated the designers, the most popular are the following location themes:

romantic - they are designed for clients who buy family photo sessions or love stories. Such a location should be of medium size to accommodate a family. Typically, romantic locations are made in light colors, with floral motifs;

stylish locations that are popular among younger audiences. The design style is close to loft or modern and is most often decorated in dark colors;

the third room is usually called the "chameleon" because its interior changes for seasonal filming. Here you will have to change the environment frequently, which will allow you to re-attract clients and invite new clients on the eve of various events. Typically, locations are based on the theme of the seasons.

For inspiration, we have collected several interesting interior concepts for decorating a photo studio.

You can support the romantic style with a chic hanging bed decorated with a canopy and flowers. It looks very beautiful and gentle. Miniature swings will also look interesting, which will help create lively shots in motion. But a romantic interior does not have to be in light colors. A country style location - a hayloft, a romantic inscription on a wooden wall and a mini-picnic - will look stylish and unconventional. Why not romance?

Within the walls of a photo studio you can imitate the space of the street. For example, equip a cozy courtyard with a beautiful door, a veranda or a fence covered with grapes, a bench and a bicycle left near it.

To maintain a stylish loft, you can make a brick wall or a gradient background that imitates plaster. A chalk board will be an interesting addition - inscriptions and drawings on it can set the mood of the photo; designs made from light bulbs that look good in the frame; stylish armchairs and step-ladder racks.

Ready ideas for your business

You can provide creative details that make the interior special. Attach a bicycle to a brick wall, decorate a window in an unusual way and turn it, for example, into a porthole, “grow” a magic tree in the studio, cover one wall with different wallpapers, creating several backgrounds for photographs. It is also important that the interior contains many interesting details that clients can interact with (books, pillows, musical instruments, three-dimensional letters, etc.).

How to equip a photo studio

There will be a minimum of lyrical digressions here - only dry numbers.

Renovation of the photo studio premises - 150 thousand rubles.

Equipment - 150 thousand rubles, approximate list of equipment: light sources (from 4 pieces), umbrellas for transmission and reflection, curtains, attachments for reflectors, synchronizers, mounting installations, stands, herons, tripods. If you are afraid of incomprehensible names, you can contact companies that provide ready-made sets of equipment for photo studios. To choose the right equipment, you can consult a professional photographer.

Decorations – 250 thousand rubles.

Business registration – 20 thousand rubles.

Rent of premises – 50 thousand rubles.

Total: 650 thousand rubles.

How to legalize a photo studio

While our studio is being renovated and decorated, we can take care of organizational issues. First, you should register your business. For a photo studio, the LLC or individual entrepreneur format is suitable - it all depends on your personal plans. It is safer to register an LLC, but registering an individual entrepreneur is much easier. As an individual entrepreneur, you will be able to conduct basic accounting and choose a simplified tax regime. As for the registration of activities according to OKVED, code 74.2 (Activities in the field of photography) is suitable for a photo studio - it includes several subsections.

To operate a photo studio, you do not need to obtain any licenses; a standard package of registration documents is sufficient. But it is required to obtain permission from the fire inspectorate to open a photo studio in the selected premises.

Ready ideas for your business

It is also worth mentioning inspections, which sometimes frighten entrepreneurs. Photo studios do not belong to the category of the consumer market that inspectors are closely interested in. Therefore, there should be no difficulties with the control authorities. The main thing is to keep the premises clean and tidy and provide high-quality services.

Another important issue is the search for personnel. A photo studio requires at least 2 people for the position of administrator who will work in shifts. If you want to save money, you can become one of the administrators, reducing labor costs. The average salary of one administrator is 25 thousand rubles. You will also need to hire a cleaner who will monitor the cleanliness of the premises. It does not have to be included in the staff.

How to advertise a photo studio

Promotion of a photo studio is usually carried out via the Internet. Beginning entrepreneurs place special hopes on social networks. And for good reason. Practice shows that Instagram gives the greatest return when managing your account properly. After all, the photo studio business is based on high-quality photographs, so this resource is best suited for promotion.

First, you need to photograph the studio locations yourself, and in the future you can ask photographers to use their work to demonstrate the locations. Contacts, examples of work, decoration options, information about promotions, and reviews should be posted on social networks.

You can promote your studio through collaboration with photographers. And the now fashionable word “collaboration” would be appropriate here. What is their logic? You independently invite photographers to shoot in your studio, in exchange for providing the location, he undertakes to post information about you in his account. Essentially, this is an association for the purpose of mutual benefit: the photographer gets a photo shoot in a beautiful interior, and you get advertising for your photo studio.

You can also attract customers with profitable promotions and offers. Organize a drawing for a certificate for a photo shoot in your studio; provide a discount on certain days; Organize a promotion to support family photo sessions at a discount. All these actions will have a positive impact on the promotion of your studio.

When planning a business, most entrepreneurs focus on two parameters: required investments and profit. It's time to ask the question - how much can a photo studio earn?

To give a specific answer, you need to determine the cost of services. To do this, we look at the prices that competitors set. Each city has a different price level. But on average, 1 hour of renting a photo studio will cost 1,300 rubles. You can count on 120 hours of rented filming per month (that is, approximately 4 hours of filming per day). In this case, the revenue will be 156 thousand rubles. Then the net profit will vary in the amount of 70-80 thousand rubles. During weddings and New Year's holidays, this amount can increase significantly due to increased demand. With an average monthly profit level of 100 thousand rubles, you can recoup the investment after 10-12 months of work.

How to assess the risks of a photo studio

Any business involves risk. You should take into account all possible difficulties that may arise when opening and operating a photo studio. This will allow you to quickly respond to threats or avoid them altogether.

The first risk is outdated props. The specifics of the work of a photo studio require constant updating of locations and props. Irrelevant, out-of-fashion props are unlikely to decorate the photo and interest the client. Therefore, the owner of a photo studio should always be on trend - monitor trends and change the content of the studio in a timely manner.

Ready ideas for your business

The next type of risk is increased competition in the market. To reduce the impact of this risk, it is necessary to regularly invest money in marketing, improve the level of service, conduct competent work with clients, and create unique offers on the market.

Another risk is the seasonality of business. In the summer months there is a decrease in demand, but the most active months for photo studios are November, December, February and March. To minimize the risk, during low sales, organize competitions for free photo shoots and distribute gift certificates. You can also expand the list of services. For example, rent out a room for holding any events (birthdays, master classes, etc.).

Thus, you can determine the main advantages and disadvantages of opening your own photography studio. After weighing all the pros and cons, you can make a final decision about opening this business.

Table 1. Pros and cons of opening a photo studio

It is quite possible to organize a photo studio by spending no more than 700 thousand rubles. To consolidate the material, we offer a checklist for opening a photo studio from scratch.

Checklist for opening a photo studio:

Demand analysis

Competitor analysis

Studio concept development

Search for rental options

Premises assessment

Conclusion of a lease agreement

Measuring a room for a design project

Creation of a design project for each location

Business registration

Cost planning (list of materials, necessary furniture and decor, equipment)

In recent years, the popularity of photography has increased several times. Now not only professional models who need to update their portfolios, but also those who want to add bright and creative high-quality photographs to their family album have begun to take an interest in studio shooting.

Not only famous photographers with many years of experience want to open their own studio. Ordinary businessmen also find this direction quite promising. Naturally, to open a photo studio from scratch considerable capital investment will be required. But with a properly developed marketing policy, these investments will begin to pay off within a few months after opening.

Specifics of the photography business

Most often, photo studios are opened pursuing the following three goals:

Professional studio photography (creation of catalogues, portfolios, booklets, etc.).
Shooting for reporting.
Renting out premises and equipment as additional income.

Working in a photo studio is hard work every day. The peculiarity of this business is that Photographers usually have few regular clients. Quite a few families regularly update their photo albums.

On the other hand, it is always worth remembering about competition, which is quite high in this area. The same factor can be associated with a fairly long period of formation of a circle of regular customers.

It is also worth distinguishing a professional photography studio from a photo salon.

Do you want to open a pizzeria? We will help you choose the format of such a business and develop a business plan if

First of all, the studio employs professional photographers who can offer their clients interesting ideas for upcoming shooting and have the skills to deeply process photographs using special graphic editors. For example, Lightroom and Photoshop. In addition, they do an excellent job not only in studio conditions, but also outdoors.

Photo studio workers can take good photos for documents, but, as a rule, they do not work outside the salons.

The studios offer their clients many other services. For example, photographing weddings or children's parties, creating slide shows, printing photographs and photo books.

Registration

Registration is a very important step when starting your own business. Without this stage, all commercial activities of the photo studio will be considered illegal. If an audit suddenly comes your way, you risk losing not only your reputation, but also your entire business.

You can register your studio as an individual entrepreneur (IP) or a limited liability company (LLC). At the same time, for Russians, OKVED number must be selected 74.81, which corresponds to activities in the field of photography.

Opening an individual entrepreneur may be the best option if most of your clients are individuals. Moreover, registering an individual entrepreneur will cost a little less than an LLC. But it is worth remembering that, according to the law, if the company incurs debts, the entrepreneur will be held liable with his personal property.

An LLC can be opened by more than one person. However, for this you will need availability of start-up capital. A limited liability company usually enjoys much greater trust among clients and potential business partners than an individual entrepreneur.

To open your own photography business, you don’t need to spend a lot of time obtaining licenses and other permitting documents.

How to open your own photo studio from scratch at home? We invite you to watch a video in which a professional photographer shares his experience.

Selecting a room

Your photo studio should be located as close to the city center as possible. The cost of rent, naturally, will be significantly higher than in residential areas. But it will also be much more convenient for clients to get to you.

The area of the room must be at least 60 square meters, and its length is 10 m. This is due to the fact that the distance between the photographer and the model should be no less than three human heights, and between the model and the background - two. About 90-95% should be allocated to the studio itself. At the same time, it is worth considering a comfortable waiting room for clients, as well as a dressing room and locker room. Large studios may also have showers and other amenities. It all depends on your financial capabilities.
Ceiling height also matters. If ceilings will be lower than 3 m, it will be very difficult for you to arrange all the necessary equipment correctly to get the desired result.

The photo studio should have several large windows, which will allow the photographer to work not only with studio lighting, but also with natural lighting.

The dressing room should be light under all conditions. It should contain large mirrors. Don't forget that makeup artists will be most comfortable working in natural light.

Once you find the ideal space, you can sign the lease and begin renovations. By the way, you will have to work not only on lighting. The studio should have good ventilation and heating system. After all, your client could be a cheerful company of a dozen kids or a family with a small child.

The quality of the wiring is also of great importance, because you will need to connect a huge amount of equipment. If your studio will be open 24/7, then don’t forget about soundproofing. This will help avoid conflicts with people living next door.

Before you start decorating the interior, divide the room into zones, think about what you would like to see in your photo studio, and draw up a design project for it. If your studio has several rooms, you can safely decorate them in different styles, but if you are limited to one room, then you can divide it into several stylistic sectors. If the room is small, choose neutral colors for the interior. This way you will get rid of unnecessary reflections on the model’s body.

Necessary equipment

What does it take to open a photo studio from scratch? You will have to purchase the required minimum equipment, which will consist of:

at least 3 softboxes of different sizes and several attachments for them. Optimal power - from 500 J;
umbrellas for light and reflection;
reflectors;
sources of light;
stands, tripods, holders;
reflector;
color filters;
flash meter;
flash synchronizers;
backgrounds and mounts for them.

You can also purchase additional items if necessary props and a SLR camera with a set of lenses.

We must not forget about the accompanying premises. You can go to the dressing room buy a dressing table, a large mirror, chairs and a screen. An iron and ironing board or a steamer will also come in handy. The administrator and photographer must be provided with a computer with the necessary programs installed, appropriate furniture and telephones.

Please remember that the list only includes essential equipment. In the first few months, you will have the opportunity to understand what is still missing to run the studio more efficiently and fill in the gaps in the kit.

Recruitment

Ideal if you are an experienced photographer who is opening a studio for himself. In this case, all you need is to find a good administrator who will communicate with clients, maintain order in the photo studio, update information about your establishment on the Internet and help you during the shooting process. If you are focused on working seven days a week, think about finding several administrators, to provide them with shift work.

If you need to choose a photographer, pay attention to the candidates' portfolios. Don't ignore young applicants they may turn out to be several times more creative than their more famous colleagues. The work of experienced craftsmen can cost several times more than the services of the “younger generation”. However, this is a worthy price to pay for their experience, which can be the key to the success of your business.

A good photographer must be able to communicate correctly with a client, understand what he wants from a photo shoot, and also have a supply of bright and original ideas for high-quality photographs. Remember that the photographer is the face of your business.

You can also hire a stylist, makeup artist and hairdresser. They will help your clients create exactly the look they expect to see in photographs. You can hire a part-time accountant or use the services of an outsourcing accounting company to do your bookkeeping and prepare quarterly reports.

Advertising and promotion

How to correctly and most effectively build a marketing policy for a photo studio? First of all, pay attention to social networks, websites and thematic forums. If you are renting out studios and equipment, it would be a good idea to attract the attention of experienced professionals. Invite them to the opening let us try out new equipment, think about possible discounts, bonuses or special programs for regular customers. Believe me, no photographer can resist such temptation.

From time to time, various promotions or lotteries may be held. You can highlight some in which discounts or bonuses will apply at certain hours or for certain services in your studio. You can also create a discount program for regular customers.

Don't underestimate modern web technologies. A bright, well-built website can become a wonderful business card for you. And don’t forget that good photos and satisfied customers are the best advertising for your establishment.

Possible problems and risks

Any investment of capital and opening an independent business is associated with some risk. What should you be wary of when opening a photography studio?

There is a lot of competition in the photo business, the presence of competitors with lower prices, etc. A well-thought-out advertising campaign will help correct the situation.
Inconsistency of demand for a number of services provided. A wide range of services provided will help you avoid problems.
Possibility of losing some personnel. To avoid this, try to create a cozy atmosphere in the team, and also think about a employee motivation program.
Risk of loss of property. Nobody not insured against robberies, power surges or fire. A good smoke alarm and contract with a security company will help you minimize this risk.

The structure of the photo studio and composition is described in the video.

At the end of the 19th century, at the dawn of amateur photography, hardly anyone could have imagined that over time it would become one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Today, everyone takes photographs, and offers to “conduct professional photography” clearly exceed demand. And yet, photography remains far from the cheapest activity. Not counting phone photos for Instagram, of course. Therefore, these ultra-budget life hacks will certainly be useful to many novice photographers.

Amateur photographers from all over the world offer their options on how and with what they can replace expensive photographic equipment and get decent results. Maybe you have some ideas too?

1. Lenses for a fashionable bokeh effect can be cut out of plain cardboard and attached to the lens using tape

2. The cardboard “sleeve” of a coffee glass will protect the lens and future photographs from the bright sun

3. A box of Pringles chips with a slight movement of scissors turns into a flash tube. Now you can work with light, highlighting individual objects against the general background

4. A fabric bag filled with peas or cereal will serve as a tripod stand. And no effect of trembling hands!

5. If desired, you can replace the lightbox with a sheet of white paper, attaching it to a well-lit window

6. And the ring flash is like a pizza box. True, you will have to practice your cutting skills

7. Wrap cling film around the lens to get a romantic light-exposed effect.

8. And by putting a nylon sock on it and securing it with an elastic band, you can get an even more romantic “soft focus”. The favorite effect of all girls on social networks.

9. You can use a transparent plastic bag and tape to make a waterproof case for filming in the rain.

Why not have a photo shoot at home instead of going to a studio? You'll have the opportunity to personalize your shoot and save a lot of money. With a camera, a window, and a few assistants nearby, anyone can create a series of professional-looking photographs right in the comfort of their own home.

Steps

Part 1

Preparation

Choose a location for your "studio". Find a white wall, preferably in a room that receives plenty of daylight. If you don't have a white wall in your home or it's obscured by any images, hang a white sheet from the ceiling and tape it along the floor. This way you will create a semblance of a studio background for a photo shoot.

Open the curtains and let the sunlight fill the room. Lighting is the most important element when conducting a quality photo shoot, and natural light produces the best results.
- Plan to start shooting at a time when there is plenty of sunlight coming through the windows. This way you don't have to rush to take pictures.
- If your room receives bright sunlight, diffuse it with a sheer white curtain or thin white sheet to create a softening effect and avoid harsh shadows.
- Even on cloudy days, the sun can provide enough light for your photo shoot.
Find lamps with “deaf” shades. Table lamps, for example, often have shades like this, closed on one side, so you can focus their light to a specific location.
- You may also consider purchasing studio lighting fixtures that are used by artists and photographers for this specific purpose. Among them are inexpensive ones that can be found in lighting stores or photo stores. If you are going to do more than one home photo shoot, this will be a profitable investment.
Create a professional atmosphere. Use lighting to fill the room with soft light, without the presence of shadows.
- One light should be directed towards the ceiling, creating a soft glow over the white paint. This light should softly illuminate the subject from above.
- Use another lamp to “fill” the space with light; Place it at the back of the room, far enough away from the subject that it won't create a shadow.
- Both of these types of lighting can be used in combination with diffused natural light. Different light sources will help create the optimal environment for a professional photo shoot.
- Do not use lighting coming from above, from the ceiling, otherwise sharp shadows cast by the object cannot be avoided.
- You can use an umbrella, piece of cloth, or other material to diffuse or filter the light.
Prepare the necessary props. Perhaps a simple wooden stool will suffice for your model to pose for, or perhaps you've decided to do a photo shoot with a fun theme. Prepare all the items you will need and arrange them tastefully on a white prepared background.