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Branson Proposal & Family Photography, formerly Amy Fillinger Photography

Branson Proposal & Family Photography, formerly Amy Fillinger Photography

Branson Proposal Photographer | Branson Family Photographer

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The 7 smart things I did when I started my business

November 2, 2018 by Virginia

How to start a photography business (the right way)

Today I am doing something a little different on the blog. I’ve noticed that a lot of newer photographers have been following me on social media. I’ve also had a lot of questions about starting a photography business or tips for new photographers. I decided to start sharing more of my photography journey on the blog.

I wrote this post a while ago, but the busy season got crazy and I never got around to finishing it. It’s finally ready to go. You should know that I didn’t do everything right when I started my business, I made a lot of mistakes! Part 2 will come out next week and talk about the mistakes I made when I started my photography business. If you want to learn how to start a photography business the right way, you need to read them both!

7 things I did right when I started my photography business

1. Learned to shoot manual

If you want to start a photography business the right way, the first thing you need to do is learn to shoot in manual. Long before you start a business, create a Facebook page, or start charging for your services.

Even when I first started, I made it a priority to shoot in manual. I read books even before I bought my first DSLR camera. I had thought about buying a DSLR way back around 2004, but instead bought a more expensive point and shoot. In hindsight, I wish I would have bought the DSLR, but at that point, I had no idea that I’d ever do photography for a living. Once I bought my camera, I read my manual. Always read the manual! That brings us to #2.

2. Invested in my business and equipment

In 2009, I decided that I wanted to be a photographer. At that point, it was still more of a hobby, but I knew that someday I would like to do it full time. I had spent over a year reading and learning as much as I could about digital photography and manual shooting. I bought a cheap DSLR on eBay. Even though I had a cheaper camera, I immediately bought a 50mm lens.

how to start a photography business | branson wedding photographer

Photo by Smart.

Shortly after my initial purchases, I bought an 85mm lens. In 2012 (the year I officially started my business) I upgraded to a full frame camera and invested in Canon L lenses. Even though I was just starting to earn an income, I knew that investing in my business was important. One of the best portrait lenses for my extended families to couples like has been the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens for Canon.

I also invested in courses and continued reading books, and watching YouTube videos to learn as much as possible. I continue to learn today by taking courses, reading books, and listening to podcasts. There is always something new to learn. Lately, I’ve been focusing on the business side of things, but I still love photography courses and videos.

3. Had contracts in place/started an LLC

When I decided that I wanted to do photography as a business, I legally registered my business and established an LLC. I also started using contracts. These two things are very important and should be two of the first things that you do.

If you want to know how to start a photography business, making sure that you do things legally is of utmost importance. You will want to check the laws for your state and possibly speak to an attorney regarding contracts and an accountant regarding taxes.

contract | branson wedding photographer how to start a photography business

4. Kept going

Starting a photography business is hard work. Most people do not realize that a successful photography business is 90% business and 10% photography. When I started doing photography it was not my full-time job. In fact, it would be a few years before I would be doing photography full time. I also had a lot going on in my life during the first few years of my business (babies, moving, etc.) which made life even more hectic.

What I did right is that I kept going. Even when it was hard, even when I thought I would never make any money, and even when I wanted to give up.

5. Shot my first wedding for free

Even though it sounds crazy, shooting for free is one of the best things to do if you want to start a photography business. It’s much better than deeply discounting your work. Charging $20 for a session or $100 for a wedding makes you look cheap.

Sure, you might book a session or two, but you’ll be working hard and you’ll make absolutely no money. Working for free (to build your portfolio) is a much better way of starting out. I shot my first wedding for free. I shot this wedding on my eBay camera.

It definitely wasn’t portfolio-worthy, but it was a learning experience. I didn’t shoot another wedding for over a year, and when I did, I worked as a second shooter. That same year, I started booking my own weddings and they were completely different than the wedding I did just one year prior with my eBay camera.Eureka Springs wedding photographer, Eureka Springs photographer, Branson wedding photographer, NW Arkansas wedding photographer, Fayetteville AR photographer, Springdale photographer, Arkansas photographer, Tulsa wedding photographer

Not my first wedding 😉 I won’t be showing you that right now.

6. Second shooting

After my first wedding in 2011, I decided that I wanted to try second shooting. The best thing to do if you want to second shoot a wedding is to have a solid portrait portfolio. I had been shooting more portraits in 2012 and I was able to start second shooting weddings with an established photographer.

I learned a lot by second shooting weddings. Almost immediately after I started second shooting, I was shooting my own weddings.

There is one thing that I wish I would have done differently with second shooting. In the very beginning, I worked with a photographer who did not let me use the images in my portfolio. If you’re starting out, I would highly recommend finding a photographer who will let you use the images in your portfolio. I ended up doing this a few months after working with the first photographer.

Even if you can’t, the experience alone is worth it. I learned a lot working with several other photographers. After about two years, I was booking my own weddings regularly and rarely had time for second shooting.

7. Outsourced from the beginning

I had help from the very beginning. When it came to my website design and logo, I had no idea what I was doing. Fortunately, I have a friend who is a graphic designer. I’ve been working with her since the beginning. We’re actually working on another rebrand right now!

Even though we are friends and she has offered her services at a great price, it was a smart choice to outsource from the beginning. I am not a designer, and working with one has definitely helped me look more professional since the beginning.

I tried outsourcing editing but I decided that, for now, I want to do that myself. For the more extensive editing (head swaps, etc.) I do have a friend who occasionally helps with that along with some administrative work for me during the busy season. Yes, it may cost a little to outsource. However, time is money and I’d much rather pay someone to do something quickly than spend hours trying to figure it out myself!

Did you learn anything about how to start a photography business?

So, what did you think? These are the 7 smart things I did when I started my photography business. If you’re trying to figure out how to start a photography business, I hope these 7 tips help you! Keep an eye out for part 2, which will be coming out next week. Part 2 is the 5 things I did wrong when I started my photography business. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes!

How to start a photography business the right way. Here are 7 things I did right when I started my photography business. Part 2 (things I did wrong) will be released very soon! #photographytips #howtobeaphotographer #howtostartaphotographybusiness#workingfromhome #photographybusiness #photographybusinesstips

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About Virginia

Previous Post:Lindsey and Clark's beautiful Mulberry Mountain Wedding. Branson wedding photographer, NW Arkansas wedding photographer, Arkansas wedding photographer, Missouri wedding photographer, Branson photographer, Branson wedding, Eureka Springs wedding photographer, wedding photography ideas. #weddingphotographyideas #weddingphotos #bransonweddingphotographer #bransonwedding #bransonphotographer #nwarknsasweddingphotographer #arkansasweddingphotographer #arkansaswedding #weddingideas #weddinginspo #weddinginspiration #weddingphotographyideasLindsey + Clark | Mulberry Mountain Wedding
Next Post:Why you need a photographer for your Branson proposalBrad & Rebecca's Top of the Rock Proposal. 4 reasons to hire a proposal photographer, why to hire a proposal photographer for this special time in your life! #proposalphotographer #proposalphotography #proposal #bransonproposal #bransonphotography #bransonphotographers #bransonweddingphotographer #whytohireaproposalphotographer

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emily Hester

    November 8, 2018 at 12:46 am

    These are some great things! Sharing with people who want to become photographers!

    Reply
    • Amy

      November 8, 2018 at 12:53 am

      Thanks Emily!

      Reply

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Branson Proposal & Family Photography

Branson Proposal & Family Photography, formerly Amy Fillinger Photography, is a photography business based in Branson, MO specializing in extended family photography, proposal photography, senior portrait photography, and small weddings and elopements. We also serve the Springfield, Nixa, and Ozark areas.

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Hi, I'm Virginia! I specialize in proposal, engagement, and extended family reunion photography! ☺️

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Madison may have suspected Greg was going to propo Madison may have suspected Greg was going to propose in Branson, but she didn’t know exactly when! His proposal at the Branson Landing went great, and she said yes! We got so many great photos of these two, but here are a few of my favorites! 😍 
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Here’s the last sneak peak for Saturday! We got Here’s the last sneak peak for Saturday! We got so many fun photos with the Cornell family at Edwards Mill! The ducks wanted to be part of some of the photos, but they just didn’t know they were supposed to sit in front of the group for the best results! Isn’t that pom-pom hat the cutest thing ever on the little one? 😍 I don’t love the cold, but I am loving the winter outfits my clients have been wearing!
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Saturday was a busy morning at Edwards Mill despit Saturday was a busy morning at Edwards Mill despite the cold weather! Here are a few of my favorites from my session with the Raine family! Look at all those adorable grandbabies! 😍
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It was absolutely freezing Saturday morning, but w It was absolutely freezing Saturday morning, but we worked quickly at Edwards Mill and got some great family photos with the Hail family! I love when I can get some great candid shots! Here are a few of my favorites!
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It was pretty cold and windy, but that didn’t st It was pretty cold and windy, but that didn’t stop us from getting some awesome photos of the Anderson family at Dogwood Canyon this morning! The kiddos were freezing, but they did so well during their photos, and we all had so much fun! 😀 Here are just a few of my favorites.
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Yesterday I took senior portraits for Maddy at Edw Yesterday I took senior portraits for Maddy at Edward’s Mill! Here's the second post as promised, since I couldn’t narrow down my favorites to fit in one post! 😁
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Yesterday I took senior portraits for Maddy at Edw Yesterday I took senior portraits for Maddy at Edward’s Mill! We had so much fun! It was overcast for most of the session, which is perfect for photos, and there was a little bit of light rain about halfway through, but the sprinkles didn’t stop us from being able to get a ton of amazing photos! I absolutely love working with seniors and getting to be creative with locations and poses. I hope you guys love these photos as much as I do! Be on the lookout for a second sneak peak featuring Maddy - we got so many awesome shots, I couldn’t narrow down my favorites! 😁
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#417photographer #seniorphotographer #bransonmophotographer #bransonfamilyphotos #bransonfamilyphotographer #bransonreunionphotographer #springfieldmophotographer 
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It was a little chilly, but the overcast made for It was a little chilly, but the overcast made for a perfect day for photos yesterday at Edwards Mill. I had so much fun with the Creed family, and I think we got some great photos! Isn’t that little one just the cutest little guy ever?! He did amazing and was happy for nearly the entire session! Here are just a few of my favorites. 😍
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I had a fantastic time at Silver Dollar City captu I had a fantastic time at Silver Dollar City capturing Cordell’s proposal to Rebecca yesterday! The weather was perfect, the decorations were great for photos, and she said yes! 😁 Congratulations to both of you! I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your time in Branson, and that you love these photos as much as I do! 😍
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I met up with the Burris family yesterday at Dogwo I met up with the Burris family yesterday at Dogwood Canyon for some autumn family photos! It was a tad warmer than we expected, but the leaves on the trees are in full color and beautiful! Also, I think they totally nailed these outfits! 😍 I had so much fun taking these photos, though I bet if you ask the kids, I made them take photos for hooooooours. 😉 Thankfully I work quickly, so nobody actually has to endure hours of family photos with me. I imagine almost nobody wants to pose for photos for hours at a time, but if so, I’d be down for it! 🤪😆 Here’s a little sneak peak of my favorites! 😃 
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It was such a great morning for the Callins Crew’s family photos at Edwards Mill! The forecast kept pretending it was supposed to rain, but it worked out perfectly, and instead we just had awesome light for photos! Here are some of my favorites from the session. 😃 I had so much fun with your family! 
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It’s that time of year again!! 👻🎃 If you’ve been following me since last year, you’ll know that the Dorman Family has the BEST interactive photoshoots, and I get the privilege of capturing them! 😄 I absolutely love getting to step out of the box and have fun with these kids! I’ll admit, there’s a little bias because they’re my nieces and nephews, but aren’t these kids just the cutest?! 😍 The evening also consisted of a silly string fight, but there were so many cool photos from this shoot, I had to leave them out of this post! There will likely be a part 2! Also check out the boo-tiful couple at the end! 🤭👻
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Hi there! I’m Virginia…

I love coffee, racquetball, and photography! Branson Proposal & Family Photography has been documenting "I will's" and "I do's" since 2012. Read More…

about

Branson Proposal & Family Photography, formerly Amy Fillinger Photography, is a Branson, Missouri based photography business specializing in extended family photography, proposal photography, and more. Branson Proposal & Family Photography serves Branson and the surrounding areas, including Springfield, Nixa, Ozark, and Republic, MO.

Contact me:

 417.259.9142
 virginia@bransonfamilyphotos.com
Send availability inquiries here.

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