INTRODUCTION.
Virtually
anyone, amateur or professional, can make a good living from
photography. Some ways are easier to succeed in than
other. Some
require
specialised knowledge and special equipment; other are perfectly
suitable
for the beginner working with nothing but a cheap pocket camera.
Apart
from your photographic equipment and ideas for marketing your work,
you'll
also need business cards and headed stationery to give to prospects
and
clients. Business stationery,
incidentally, often attracts good
trade
discounts. Have yours professionally
designed and look for a
graphic
artist who might design a logo for you.
WHERE
DO YOU START?
Begin
by selecting those opportunities that interest you and which you
feel
your present skills and equipment are suited to. Draw up a timetable
and
begin approaching editors, potential customers, and so on. Look for
suitable
places to advertise. Pin your card
whereever potential customers
might
see it; notice boards in libraries and shops, factory and office
rest
rooms, hospital waiting rooms, community centres, schools, and so on.
Write
to likely prospects. Ask local
newspapers and magazines for their
advertising
rate cards. Look at competitors'
advertisements for idea to
include
in your own.
Remember,
to be professional, you must:
Carry your camera with you everywhere. You never know when opportunity
will
strike next. Don't miss it! Better still, carry a spare camera and
accessories
if you can. Carry plenty of black and
white and colour film.
Think about having your own dark room.. No
ore lost photographs and no
waiting
for someone else to get it right.
Keep looking for new opportunities.
Never miss an opportunity to publicise your
business. Advertise in
local
newspapers; place postcards or business cards in shop and post office
windows;
pin your business card to notice boards in offices, libraries,
colleges
and business clubs. Write to anyone who
might need your services:
solicitors,
Citizens Advice Bureaus, estate agents, insurance firms, clergy,
colleges,
mother and toddler groups, nurseries, and so on.
Begin an ideas book and keep it up to
date. Lit ideas for markets,
keep
details of all customers, list events and other frequent occurrences
and
try to get in before someone else does.
Always do your best and remember that the
very best form of advertising
is
recommendation from satisfied clients.
Keep on improving and developing your
techniques. Attend a refresher
course
if need be. Never be afraid to learn
from others. Ask fellow
professionals
if you can join them on a shoot.
Keep a diary and refer to it every day.
Select a range of market opportunities. Decide which are the best
paying;
which you enjoy most, and which you are best suited to.
A
QUESTION OF COPYRIGHT
Don't
fall foul of the often intricate rules of copyright. Learn as much
as
you can before you begin earning.
A
number of excellent books are available to guide the reader through the
sometimes
complex laws of copyright. Look out for:
Blackston's
Guide to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 published
by
Blackstone Press.
Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988 available from HMSO
The
Modern Law of Copyright published by Butterworths.
Alternatively,
consult 'Writers' and Artists' Yearbook for an excellent
introduction
to the subject.
MARKET
SUGGESTIONS
FAMILY
EVENTS
You
might be asked to photograph on numerous family occasions,
including:
Christenings, Holy Communions, Confirmations, and of course,
weddings.
Weddings
present the greatest opportunity of all; they also demand the
highest
professional approach and this is a speciality best left alone
until
you gain experience, preferably from watching established wedding
photographers
at work.
Ask
an experienced wedding photographer if you can accompany him from
time
to time.
Advertise
your services through florists, car and hire firms, caterers
and
bridal hire specialists. Offer a
commission for all work they pass
your
way. Look in the 'engagements' columns
of local papers; write or
telephone
and offer your service to couples.
GLAMOUR
PHOTOGRAPHY
Glamour
photography is an extremely difficult market to break into.
But
it's also very well paid, so it might be worth a try. You might
find
work through local model schools and small catalogue specialists.
Alternatively,
send your work to lending libraries and agencies.
STAFF
PARTIES, DINNERS AND PRESENTATIONS
Offer
to take photographs at staff parties and official occasions
including
presentations, retirement parties, Christmas staff dinners,
and
so on. Advertise in local newspapers and
freesheets; have your card
placed
in shop and post office windows or pinned to notice boards in
factories
and supermarkets. Write to the personnel
department or the
social
club secretary of larger establishments.
Do this in the autumn
and
you might receive a crop of commissions for Christmas.
Ask
trophy specialists and engravers to ut your business card in their
windows. Ask them to recommend you to customers. Offer a percentage
of
every order passed your way.
POST
CARDS, GREETINGS CARDS
If
you decide to do photography for the postcard trade, decide whether
you
intend to produce, print and sell the cards yourself, or whether you
will
work to commission or 'on spec' for established firms.
If
you work alone, look for likely retail outlets: include gift shops,
newsagents,
souvenir shops, art galleries, hotels, tourist information
centres,
and so on. Offer a commission on all
cards sold.
Photography
for greetings card manufacture, normally means working to a
producer's
specifications.
Approach
a few firms with samples or write, including SAE, for
photographers'
guidelines.
POSSIBLE
MARKETS
Athena
International, P O Box 918, Harlow, Essex, CM20 2DU. Professional
quality
transparencies or posters, prints and postcards. Preferably not
35mm.
SAE essential for return of work.
CCA
Stationery Ltd., Eastway, Fulwood, Preston PR2 4WS 0772 794508
Personalised
wedding stationery and Christmas Cards.
E T
W Dennis & Sons Ltd., Printing House Square, Melrose Street,
Scarborough,
North Yorks, YO12 7SJ. First class
transparencies for
reproduction
as local view postcards and calendars. 3.25" x 2.25" or
35mm
transparencies suitable for postcard reproduction.
J
Arthur Dixon Ltd., Forest Side, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5QW
0983
523381. Greetings cards, gift wrap,
personalised stationery,
postcards
and calendars.
Giesen
& Wolff, Kaygee House, Darlington, Northampton, NN5 7QW.
Transparencies,
2.25" sq minimum. Views, floral,
cute characters,
weddings,
sympathy, juvenile interest, landscapes, humour, and anything
suitable
for traditional and seasonal occasions.
Hambledon
Studios Ltd., Hambledon House, Marlborough Road, Accrington,
Lancashire,
BB5 6BX 0254 872266 Photographs suitable for reproduction
as
greeting cards.
Hayes
Greeting Card Publishers Ltd., Thames View, Newtown Road,
Henley-on-Thames,
Oxen., RG9 1HQ Transparencies 35mm upwards.
Jane's
Information Group, Sentinel House, 163 Brighton Road, Coulsdon,
Surrey,
CR3 2NX 081 763 1030 Considers defence, aerospace and
transportation
transparencies.
Kardonia
Ltd., Farrier Street, Worcester, WR1 3BH 0905 611294 General
range
of greeting cards.
Leeds
Postcards, P O Box 84, Leeds, LS1 1HU 0532 468649 Workers
co-operative,
Publishers o campaign postcards for the labour,
environmental,
women's and international justice movements.
Lowe
Aston Calendars Ltd., Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 4HL 0752 842233
The
Medici Society Ltd., 34-42 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9HG
071
837 7099 Photographs suitable for reproduction as greeting cards.
Preliminary
letter requested.
Panache
Studio Ltd., Station Road, Henley on Thames, Oxen, RG9 1LQ
0491
578383 Photographs of finished artwork and transparencies considered.
Photo
Production Ltd., Featherby Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 6PJ
0634
33241 Colour transparencies for greeting cards.
Royle
Publications Ltd., Royle House, Wenlock Road, London NW1 7ST
Colour
transparencies required for calendar types:
Moods of Nature
and
Gardens of Britain. Natural landscape
photography taken in
Britain
and abroad, or pictures or ornate flower gardens in Britain.
J
Salmon Ltd., 100 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1BB Publishers
of
picture postcards, calendars and greeting cards.
Scandecor
Ltd., 3 Armdale Road, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 0LU
081
890 8174 Interested in transparencies of all sizes.
Noel
Tatt Ltd., Coombe Valley Road, Dover, CT17 0EU 0304 211644
Publishers
of greeting cards, prints and postcards.
Also
contact: The Greeting Card and Calendar Association, 6 Wimpole Street,
London,
W1V 1LH Enclose an SAE for full list of member companies.
MAGAZINES
Countless
British and international magazines and newspapers require
an
ongoing supply of good photographs, sometimes with accompanying
article;
sometime not. Look in your local library
for writers' and
photographers'
yearbooks, in which you'll find details of individual
publications'
exact requirements, including rate of pay, submissions
guidelines,
preferred topics, addresses, and so on.
The
following handbooks are available and you are strongly advised to
acquire
at least one for your own use:
Writers'
and Artists' Yearbook, published by A & C Black and available
from
most good stationers and book shops.
The
Writers' Handbook, published by Macmillan-PEN, and again available
from
most good book shops and stationers.
The
Freelance Photographer's Market Handbook, the official handbook of
the
Bureau of Freelance Photographers, and available from stationers
and
book shops, or direct from: The Bureau
of Freelance Photographers,
Focus
House, 497 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BP
Your
work will usually by sold by one of two general methods:
On commission, namely where an editor
approaches you and for
photographs,
or where your proposal to the editor is approved and
you
are given the go ahead.
On spec, that is where you send photographs
to the target market
in
the hope they will be of interest. Here,
more than ever, accurate
market
study is of paramount importance. Look
in any of the three
handbooks
and yearbooks mentioned above for details of specific market
interests.
Things
to consider before sending work, include:
Are readers likely to have common interests
of characteristics,
for
example, hobbies or occupation, marital status, age group, and so on.
Does the publication prefer certain topics
and subject over others?
If
so, what can you offer that might be suitable.
Are photographs usually accompanied by a
caption or article?
Do photographs complement article, or vice
versa?
Is there a preference for black and white or
colour photographs?
MARKETS
ANGLING
Angler's
Mail, IPC Magazines Ltd., King's Reach Tower, Stamford Street,
London,
SE1 9LS
Angling
Times, EMAP Pursuit Publishing Ltd., Bretton Court, Bretton,
Peterborough,
PE3 8DZ
ANIMALS
Animal
World, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
Causeway,
Horsham, Wet Sussex, RH12 1HG
Bird
Watching, EMAP National Publications Ltd., Bretton Court, Bretton,
Peterborough,
PE3 8DZ
Kennel
Gazetts, The Kennel Club, 1-5 Clarges Street, London, W1Y 8AB
RSPCA
Today, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
Causeway,
Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1HG
BOATING
AND WATERSPORTS
Canal
and Riverboat, A E Morgan Publications Ltd., Stanley House,
9
West Street, Epsom, Surrey KT18 7RL
Motor
Boat and Yachting, Prospect Magazines, Prospect House,
9-15
Ewell Road, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BZ
COUNTY
AND COUNTRY
Bucks
and Berks Countryside, Beaumonde Publications, 4 Mill Bridge,
Hertford,
SG14 1PY
Cambridgeshire
Life, Cambridgeshire Life Ltd., 4-5 Free Church Passage,
St.
Ives, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE17 4AY
Manx
Life, Isle of Man Times Ltd., Myrtle Street, Douglas, Isle of Man
Rucksack
Rambler, The Ramblers' Association, 1-5 Wandsworth Road,
London
SW8 2XX
Scots
Independent, Scots Independent (Newspapers) Ltd., 51 Cowane Street,
Stirling,
Scotland.
The
Scots Magazine, D C Thompson and Co Ltd., 7 Bank Street, Dundee,
Scotland,
DD1 9HU
EQUESTRIAN
Horse
International, Westminster House, Royal Parade, Harrogate,
N
Yorkshire, HG1 2SZ
Horse
and Pony, EMAP Pursuit Publications Ltd., Bretton Court, Bretton,
Peterborough,
PE3 8DZ
Pony,
D J Murphy Ltd., 104 Ash Road, Sutton, Surrey
SM3 9LD
FOOD
AND DRINK
The
Jewish Vegetarian, The International Jewish Vegetarian Society,
853-855
Finchley Road, London NW11 8LX
Pub
Caterer, Consumer Industries, Press, Quadrant House, The Quadrant,
Sutton,
Surrey, SM2 5AS
Publican,
Maclaren Publishers Ltd., P O Box 109, Maclaren House,
Scarbrook
Road, Croydon, CR9 1QH
Winemaker
and Brewer, Argus Specialist Publications Ltd.,
1
Golden Square, London W1R 3AB
GARDENING
Amateur
Gardening, IPC Magazines, Westover House, West Quay Road,
Poole,
Dorset, BH15 1JG
Garden
Trade News, EMAP National Publications Ltd., Bushfield House,
Orton
Centre, Peterborough, PE2 0UW
Practical
Gardening, EMAP National Publications Ltd., Bushfield House,
Orton
Centre, Peterborough, PE2 0UW
GENERAL
INTEREST
Celebrity,
D C Thomson and Co Ltd., 80 East Kingsway, Dundee, Scotland,
DD4
8SL
Readers
Digest, The Readers Digest Association Ltd., 25 Berkeley Square,
London
W1X 6AB
HEALTH
AND FITNESS
Healthy
Living, Askin Publishers Ltd., 16 Ennismore Avenue, London, W4 1SF
Slimming,
SM Publication Ltd., 4 Clareville Grove, London, SW7 5AR
MOTORING
Autocar,
Haymarket Publishing Ltd., 38-42 Hampton Road, Teddington,
Middlesex
TW11 0JE
The
Automobile, PPG Publishing Lt., 5 Rectory Road, Beckenham, Kent
The
Disabled Driver, The Disabled Drivers' Motor Club, 45 Castleton Avenue,
Bexleyheath,
Kent, DA7 6QT
MUSIC
Melody
Maker, IPC Magazines Ltd., Berkshire House, 168-175 High Holborn,
London
WC1V 7AV
New
Musical Express, Holborn Publishing Group, Commonwealth House,
1-19
New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1NG
SPORT
Athletics
Today, Peterson Publishing Company Ltd., Peterson House,
North
Bank, Berryhill Industrial Estate, Droitwich, Worcs, WR9 9BL
Darts
World, World Magazines Ltd., 2 Park Lane, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1HA
Racing
Pigeon Pictorial, The Racing Pigeon Publishing Co Ltd.,
19
Doughty Street London WC1N 2PT
TRANSPORT
Port
of London Magazine, Port of London Authority, Leslie Ford House,
Tilbury
Docks, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 7EH
Sea
Breezes, Jocast Ltd., 202 Cotton Exchange Building, Old Hall Street,
Liverpool,
L3 9LA
TRAVEL
Business
Traveller, Perry Publications Ltd., 49 Old Bond Street,
London
W1X 3AF
Discover
North America, Discovery Press, 33-35 Crouch End Hill, London N8
Holiday
Haunts in Great Britain, Brittain Publications Ltd.,
Brittain
House, 2 High Street, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 8EW
WOMEN'S
INTEREST
CHAT,
Publishing Developments Ltd., 195 Knightsbridge, London, SW7 1RE
Good
Housekeeping, National Magazine Company Ltd., National Magazine House,
72
Broadwick Street, London, W1V 2BP
Home
and Freezer Digest, British European Associated Publishers Ltd.,
Glenthorne
House, Hammersmith Grove, London, W6 0LG
Mother
and Baby, Illustrated Publications Co. Ltd., 12-18 Paul Street,
London,
EC2A 4JS
LOCAL
EVENTS
Try
visiting local events with a view to submitting photographs to
appropriate
magazines. You might consider: school
sports days,
gymkhanas,
cross-country events, rallies and exhibitions, and similar.
Alternatively,
hand your cards to visitors and, for a deposit,
offer
to take photographs which will then be forwarded to them with
invoice
for the remainder.
If
you're good, local newspapers might well ask you to cover these
events
on their behalf.
Send
a few sample photographs to the editor.
ESTATE
AGENTS
Not
all estate agents have staff to photograph property on their books.
It's
much cheaper to call on freelance photographers, who for a retainer
fee
and set charge per photograph, will rush to photograph properties
just
on the market. Leave business card and samples of your work with
local
agents. As soon as a new agency opens,
send your card and samples.
CHILDREN
Children
represent a very lucrative market indeed, whether you work to
commission
or set yourself up in schools and supermarkets where
customers
might approach you.
You
can offer your services at: swimming clubs and galas, school plays,
mother
and toddler groups, soft play sessions in sports and leisure
centres,
etc. You might also photograph birthday
parties and family
celebrations.
When
working in schools always give a donation to the school fund.
They'll
remember you again next year.
READERS'
LETTERS PAGES AND FILLER MARKETS
This
might seem perhaps a relatively lowly opening for the experienced
photographer,
but it's actually a market to which many very well-paid
photographers,
and writers, turn to during gaps in their normal
assignments
or sometimes in their spare-time. It
can, in fact, be a
very
lucrative opening for anyone who takes time to study the exact
requirements
of the many magazines and newspapers requiring photographs
(sometimes
with accompanying caption or short letter)
for their readers'
letters
pages. Fillers, incidentally, are short
pieces, including
photographs,
used when a feature falls short of the page.
Rewards
range from a token pen or stationery set, to anything between
œ5
and œ25 a submission, sometimes much more where competitions and
specific
challenges are set of readers.
If
editors prefer captions or letters, then supply them with your
photograph;
nothing too elaborate is required since the photograph
is
likely to make the sale for you.
Look
out for silly shop names, odd signs on the highway, ambiguous
notices,
endearing animals and children, and anything unusual or
specifically
related to the magazine you are submitting to.
Obtain
a few back issues of target magazines and study the photographs
they
contain. And remember, you don't have to
wait for unusual or
interesting
things to happen; you can set them up yourself.
Ask your
neighbour
to let you photograph junior wearing that jumper she made from
a
pattern included in the magazine your photo will go to; make your own
amusing
sign to photograph; do whatever it takes to come up with suitable
pictures.
Bear
in mind, those subjects likely to win favour with the average editor,
include:
animals, children, environmental issues, older people,
personalities,
hobbies and charity.
PETS
Here
we have another potentially insatiable and highly profitable
market,
especially if you can provide something a little different:
jig
saws, photographs glazed onto china, portraits subsequently painted
in
oils or watercolours, and so on.
Advertise
in pet shops, shop and post office windows, through
advertisements
in local newspapers; hand leaflets out at dog shows
and
obedience training classes; publicise up-market portraiture in dog
lovers'
magazines, animal charity newsletters, and by direct mail to
targeted
prospects.
Turn
up at dog, animal and agricultural shows, where you might work to
commission. Ask a deposit for photographs you will later
post with
invoice
for the remainder due. Horses, pigeon
and bird shows present
similar
opportunities.
WORKING
WIT AGENCIES AND PHOTOGRAPH LIBRARIES
This
category is perhaps the most rewarding the freelance photographer
might
consider. Payment is good and
established agency photographers
can
expect regular guaranteed work for several years. Agencies usually
sell
pictures on commission, paying a certain percentage back to the
photographer. Pictures re hired out to clients, magazines
and newspapers,
advertising
agencies, and anyone else requiring high quality illustrations.
Hundreds
of agencies and libraries operate in Britain alone, but that
does
not mean the market is easy to break into.
It isn't and only the
very
best photographers will succeed. When
you do find an agency
prepared
to handle your work, success is virtually
foregone conclusion;
work
will be regular and the agency will expect you to commit yourself
to
a long working relationship.
'Writers'
and Artists' Yearbook', 'Writer's Handbook' and 'Freelance
Photographer's
Market Handbook', provide detailed lists of major British
agencies,
and their precise requirements.
Study
individual agency requirements before making a submission; and
send
only your very best work, not something which has already been
turned
down by other markets. Sending anything
less than perfectly
suitable
for whatever agency is a recipe for disaster.
Stick to exact
requirements:
subject, size of print, type, number, colour-black and
white
etc. And once you've sent them, forget
about it. Agencies are
notoriously
slow and will not appreciate you bothering them with questions
about
the fate of your photographs. And never,
ever submit the same
prints
to other markets while they are still in the hands of an agency.
A
SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC LIBRARIES AND AGENCIES
A A
Photo Library, Fanum House, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 2EA
Landscapes,
town,s villages, places of interest and lesser known areas
of
Britain.
Action
Plus, 54-8 Tanner Street, London SE1 3LL Colour and black and
white
coverage of sports and leisure facilities.
Adlib
Foto Agency, 33 Albury Avenue, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 5HY
Specialist
collections including cars, children, girls, landscapes,
nature,
rock bands, the ocean and travel.
Adlib
Sports Scene, 33 Albury Avenue, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 5HY
Sports
Photography: cricket, golf, motor racing, snooker, tennis and others.
Heather
Angel-Biofotos, Highways, 6 Vicarage Hill, Farnham, Surrey,
GU9
8HJ Worldwide natural history, wildlife and landscapes, tropical
rain
forest flora and fauna, and all types of plants and animals taken
in
natural habitats. Covers: Africa, Asia,
Australasia, South Anerica
and
USA.
Animal
Photography, 4 Marylebone Mews, New Cavendish Street, London,
W1M
7LF Colour and black and white coverage of horses, dogs, cats,
the
Galapagos Islands, East Africa, and zoos.
Ardea
London Ltd., 35 Brodrick Road, London SW17 7DX
Colour and black
and
white photographs of natural history, creatures in wild habitat,
domestic
animals, deserts, rain forests, Antarctic, Aborigines,
farming,
conservation.
Ivan
J Belcher Colour Picture Library, 34 Berry Croft, Abingdon,
Oxfordshire,
OX14 1JL Colour pictures of locations
from all over Britain.
Anthony
Blake, 54 Hill Rise, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6UB Colour coverage
of
all aspect of food and wine: cooking, restaurants, farming, vineyards,
fishing. Catalogue available. Commissions undertaken.
BMV
Picturebank, 79 Farringdon Road, London, EC1M 3JY Specialists in
world
travel, covering most popular resorts. Commissions
undertaken.
Britain
on View Photographic Library, Thames Tower, Black's Road,
London
W6 9EL Colour and black and white coverage of Great Britain:
countryside,
coast, towns, villages, historic buildings and landmarks.
Specialised
file on London.
Bubbles
Photolibrary, 23A Benwell Road, London N7 7BL Babies,
pregnancy,
children and women's health.
Cephas
Picture Library, 20 Trafalgar Drive, Walton on Thames, Surrey,
KT12
1NZ General with coverage of countries and people of the world.
Comprehensive
collection on vineyards and winemaking in Britain and Europe.
The
Kennel Club Library, 1-4 Clarges Street, London, W1Y 8AB Dogs and
the
dog world. Mostly black and white.
London
Features International Ltd., Unit 3, London Close, Boscobel Street,
London
NW8 8PS Colour and black and white
coverage of international
showbusiness,
pop, royalty, sport, politics, personalities.
National
Magazines Picture Library, 72 Broadwick Street, London W1V 2BP
Selection
of photographs commissioned for National Magazines Publications.
Includes:
cookery, fashion, beauty, interiors and antiques.
The
Northern Picture Library, Unit 2, Bentinck Industrial Estate,
Ellesmere
Street, Chester Road, Manchester, M15 4LN
Colour coverage
of
landscapes and topograpy o Britain and the world. Also trees,
animals,
industry, farming, sport and flowers.
Commissions undertaken.
Only
Horses Picture Library, 27 Greenway Gardens, Greenford, Middlesex
UB6
9AF Colour and black and white coverage of all aspects of the horse:
foaling,
retirement, racing, show jumping, eventing, veterinary, polo,
breeds,
personalities.
Spectrum
Colour Library, 146 Oxford Street, London W1N 9DL A large
collection
including: travel, sport, people, pets, scenery, industry,
British
and European cities.
Stockphotos,
3rd Floor, 7 Langley Street, London WC2N 4AY
British
landscapes
and general UK material. Also USA.
Tony
Stone Worldwide, 28 Finchley Road, London, NW8 6ES Colour
coverage
of subjects of international interest including travel,
wildlife,
industry, sports, people, historic transport.
Topham
Picture Library, P O Box 33, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 5PB Colour
and
black and white coverage of news, personalities, war, royalty,
topography,
natural history, etc.
S
& I Williams PowerPix International Picture Library, Castle Lodge,
Wenvoe,
Cardiff, CF5 6AD Colour coverage of a
wide range of subjects
including:
Abstracts, agriculture, aviation, glamour, landscapes,
natural
history, people, sport, America and Australia,
Commissions
undertaken.
A
MEDLEY OF IDES AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Incorporate
one or more of the following into your business portfolio
or
start them as ventures in their own right:
Sell the work of other photographers -
usually amateur - on commission.
Start a line of reproduction prints of old
photographic street scenes.
Sell
them door-to-door, through retail outlets, at craft fairs, to shops
and
offices, and by direct mail in the locality they belong to. Buy
originals
from postcard dealers or at specialised collectors' fairs,
or
else borrow rom collectors and owners.
Set your camera up at some busy tourist spot
and take pictures of
visitors. Take a deposit and send the finished
photograph with invoice
for
the remainder.
Have you thought about offering a really
different service, such
as
aerial photography? You can hire the
plane yourself and take
photographs
of individual properties or village scenes.
Sell
door-to-door
or by direct mail.
Business
packages and franchise operations are available for anyone
interested
in aerial photography. Advertisements
are frequently found
in
specialist franchise magazines and most major daily newspapers.
Also
try: Sky Library, P O Box 40, Kettering,
Northants, NN14 3EH
Agents
required to represent this firm selling aerial sots to home
owners,
businesses, and so on.
Write and publish a newsletter of interest to
others who want to
make
their camera pay. Charge a subscription
and aim for secondary
sales,
such as books and manuals, accessories, advertising space, and so on.
Start a market newsletter for freelance
photographers. Sell on
subscription. Provide information about new markets,
competitions,
article
writers seeking o liaise with photographers, library and agency
update,
and so on.
Offer to produce an album of their more
exotic and elaborate
creations
for confectioners, bakers, cake decorators, wedding cake
specialists,
caterers and restaurants. Visit
prospects in person or
send
letter with sample photographs included.
Visit well-populated events, such as: craft
shows, antiques roadshows,
leek
growing championships and gardening competitions, art and craft
competitions,
sports events, and so on. Offer to take
photographs of
winners
and anyone else who commissions you.
Hand your cards around
in
case anyone later decides they'd like a memento. contact organisers
and
ask permission to attend. You can offer
a share of the profits to
the
club or whatever organisation is hosting the event.
Offer to restore or touch up old, faded, torn
or damaged photographs.
Offer
a range of sepia toned reproductions.
Advertise in local and
national
newspapers, postcard collectors' magazines, direct to postcard
collectors'
clubs, genealogy magazines, and so on.
Take photographs of children visiting Santa's
grotto. You can charge
customers
or else ask the shop to sponsor you.
Evidence suggests that
most
customers return for their photographs and therefore bring
increased
custom to the store.
Offer to glaze photographs onto plates and
other pieces of china.
You
don't have to take the photographs yourself if you don't want to.
Ask
customers to bring their favourite prints, or offer a complete
service
from photography to glazing.
Firms
specialising in photoglazing equipment include:
Award
and Co., 3 Cowper Walk, Offmore Farm, Kidderminster, DY10 3YS.
Turn your own photographs you have taken into
jigsaws or provide the
service
to customers bringing their own prints.
Market by direct mail
or
from stands at fairs and exhibitions.
Ask schools and fellow
photographers
to sell your work on commission.
A
special package is available via:
Jigsaw
Magic, 13 Heyshott Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO4 8AX
Make friends with an article or feature
writer. Plan assignments
together. You'll both find your acceptance rate much
increased.
Take photographs of private homes and
business premises. Have some
turned
into letterheads and take samples to homes and businesses and
offer
to produce something similar for them.
You can travel the world free as a
photographer, on behalf of numerous
customers
who will pay you well for the privilege.
You'll usually get
some
payment in advance, allowing you to fund the entire trip and have
something
left over to spend. Contact magazines,
market research
specialists,
advertising agencies, businesses, and so on.
Let solicitors and insurance companies know
you are available to
take
photographs of personal injuries and damage to property, ready
for
use in whatever claims and court cases might ensue.
Offer a novel alternative to traditional
business cards. Include
photographs
of the card holder. Advertise your
service and take
samples
of your work to small businesses, large commercial and industrial
enterprises,
private individuals, and so on. You
might find a few ask
you
to o their next passport photographs.
Incorporate an ideas section
and
perhaps include a month by month checklist of suitable topics.
August-September,
for instance, might be time to think about approaching
magazines
and newspapers with ideas for Guy Fawkes themes and bonfire
photographs.
If you're really good you might try
starting course in photography.
Take
a room in your local college or operate by correspondence.
Print photographs onto t-shirts and other
items of clothing.
Offer to photograph valuable items for
insurance purposes or else
to
help identify 'lost and found' or stolen property.
Buy and sell used and second-hand
photographic equipment by
catalogue
or list. Alternatively, specialise in
very old 'antique'
cameras
and accessories. Sell at antique and
collectors' fairs.
Watch
the weekend press for details of events.
Then ring the
organiser
and ask for a venues list and details of stall fees.
Specialise in out of print photography books
and magazines.
Sell
by post to photographers and book collectors.
Advertise
in
photography magazines and book collectors' publications.
Alternatively
sell at book fairs, antique and collectors' fairs.
USEFUL
ADDRESSES AND SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION.
Association
of British Manufacturers of Photographic, Cuine and
Audio-Visual
Equipment, 1 West Ruislip Station, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 7DW
Association
of Fashion, Advertising and Editorial Photographers,
9-10
Domingo Street, London, EC1.
Association
of Photographic Laboratories, 9 Warwick Court, Grays Inn,
London,
WC1R 5DJ
British
Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies, P O Box 4,
Andoversford,
Nr Cheltenham, Glos., GL54 4JS
British
Institute of Professional Photography, Amwell End, Ware,
Herts.,
SG12 9HN
British
Photographic Association and British Photographic Importers
Association
7-15 Lansdowne Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 2PL
Bureau
of Freelance Photographers, Focus House, 497 Green Lanes,
London
N13 4BP
Institute
of Journalists, Bedford Chambers, Covent Garden, London, WE2E 8HA
Master
Photographers Association, TMT House, 1 West Ruislip Station,
Ruislip,
Middlesex, HA4 7DW
Professional
Sports Photographers Association, c\o All-Sport,
Greenlea
Spark, ST Georges Road, London, SW19 2D
Royal
Photographic Society, The Octagon, Milsom Street Bath, BA1 1DN
Society
of Picture Researchers and Editors, BM Box 259, London, WC1N 3XX
USEFUL
READING MATERIAL
Writers'
and Artists' Yearbook
Writer's
Handbook
Freelance
Photographer's Market Handbook
All
of the above are available from most good bookshops and larger
stationers.
Camera
Cash Projects by Colin Jones Published by Chartsearch Ltd.
Make
Your Next Camera Pay for itself by Peter Coupe. Published by
Gold
Nib\Weavers Press Publishing.
The
Duffer's Guide to Photography by Peter Coupe.
Published by Columbus
Books
The
Craft of Writing Articles by Gordon Wells.
Published by Allison
and
Busby.
Make
Your Pictures Win by John Wade.
Published by The Bureau of
Freelance
Photographers
Freelance
Photography by John Morrison. Published
by David and Charles.
SPECIAL
INTEREST MAGAZINES AND PERIODICALS
Amateur
Photographer, Prospect House, 9-13 Ewell Road, Cheam,
Surrey,
SM1 4QQ
British
Journal of Photography, 58 Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 1JU
Creative
Camera, CC Publishing, Battersea Arts Centre, Old Town Hall,
Lavender
Hill, London SW11 5TF
Forensic
Photography, 87 London Street, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 8AN
Freelance
Writing and Photography, Tregeraint House, Zennor, St Ives,
Cornwall,
TR26 3DB
Photo
Answers, EMAP, Bushfield House, Orton Centre, Peterborough, OE2 0UW
Photography,
Argus Specialist Publications, Argus House, Boundary Way,
Hemel
Hempstead, HP2 7ST
PIC
(People in Camera), PIC International Promotions Ltd.,
Lingley
House, Commissioners Road, Strood, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4EU
Practical
Photography, EMAP, Bushfield Houses, Orton Centre,
Peterborough,
PE2 0UW
