One-Man Photography Team: Jumpstart Your Business in Your Garage

Visuals, visuals, visuals. Everything right now is all about visuals. Marketing a company or product, presenting an influencer or public figure, storytelling, and more need visuals. Images create engagements. Engagements create brand retention. Brand retention creates sales. And isn’t sales the end-all product that all marketers aim for? Images make for successful campaigns that work magic on us. Humans are naturally attracted to visuals because our brains devote more processing power to vision than other senses. 50% of our brain’s resources come from what we see. The brain processes information more when we see images rather than texts. Numerous studies have shown that consumers are most likely to interact with and pull in more clicks on advertisements or online content that show images. We are so good at understanding visuals that it only takes 1/10 of a second to get the gist. Therefore, when putting up content and marketing materials, images play an essential role. Posts and contents paired with images get 94% more views than those with plain texts, according to Skyword. Thus, the appeal of high-quality photos brings in more favorable results. For photographers, this is a welcome development. More and more individuals and companies look for photographers who can supply the images they need for marketing paraphernalia, and of course, for individuals who want portraits as keepsakes. And as photographers, you should take advantage of the demand. This is the right time to set up your photography studio in your garage.

Why set up a studio in the garage

The outdoors are an excellent venue for beautiful shots as the natural light and environment add to the composition’s beauty. But let us be honest. There are just too many variables that we cannot fully control, such as casual bystanders and unpredictable harshness or presence of light. Therefore, shooting at your place and your own pace is still a better working environment to completely control all the components needed to produce a photo set. The lighting you want to achieve in just a few tinkers away, and the backdrop and props are just a hand’s reach. Everything you need for the shoot is within steps. Plus, you do not need to run to the nearest restaurant or gasoline station to find restrooms when you need one. Setting up your photography studio also means cost-effective and money-saving. Renting photography studios forces you to shell out money by the hour, and imagine if you are shooting from morning till evening, how much will that cost you. And if you are booked for many shooting gigs, the bulk of the payment you will receive goes to the renting cost. More expenses incurred are for paying gas, transportation, rental of camera and light equipment. But when you have the studio at your place, you significantly cut down on transportation fees, which could have been better used to upgrade your equipment. Moreover, you would also spend less effort and energy carrying and setting up your heavy photography equipment every time there is a scheduled shoot. And you could have spent the time spent on the road on more productive activities such as contacting clients, editing and sorting photos, uploading content, and resting–which we tend to overlook but is very much needed to be productive. Placing a permanent office in your business cards and websites will also add to the legitimacy of your photography business. Clients trust their photography needs when presented with a more professional setup.

Finding your niche

The first thing that clients will look for is your portfolio. So, it will be easier for you to market your services if you already know what kind of photography you excel at more, and it should show in your past projects. There are specific industries you can tap, depending on your niche. If you are an excellent food photographer who can also do styling, then restaurants, online food businesses can get your services. You can also offer them to layout their menu and online presence. If you can do portraiture even with your eyes closed, then you can offer your skills to companies in need of profile photos, families for the yearly portraits, or fashion and beauty models and businesses. You can also submit your photographs to online stock photos such as Shutterstock, iStock, Canva, and more. The earnings will be computed per download. Think of this as a passive income or like investing in a stock market. Your photos will be up on their websites, and you will only wait for the money to be streamlined to your account. Having your photography studio will also help you develop your skills. As you already have the equipment and studio, there is unlimited time to practice different shooting styles, widening your scope. So, if there is a need for another type of photograph, clients will reach you right away as you have already established rapport with them.

Setting up the photography studio

The first thing to address in setting up your photography studio is the space. Should you need a big room or a small area? Think of all the photography equipment, kind of photography, and target customers you will offer your services to. There should be ample space for you to move around even after setting up your equipment. It is important to consider how many people you can accommodate in the space all at once for portrait photography. It will also matter what focal distance of the camera lens you will be using. For a 50mm lens and a full-frame camera, there should be at least 10 feet between the photographer and the subject. There should also be a comfortable headroom in the frame. A south-facing window in the garage is also advantageous, as the natural light seeping into the room tends to be consistent throughout the day. It also projects softer lighting, which is suitable for portraiture and food photography. Second, a photography studio is not complete without the photography equipment. There need to be camera gears, tripods, and lighting equipment in your arsenal, and specific lenses and other gears would depend on the kind of photography you will be offering. The desktop monitor or laptop should also be color corrected to show accurate colors on your screen. It is a vital feature, especially if the photographs are used in printed materials. And to make sure that the hardware is secure, use a Fleximounts workbench. Displaying the photos on the screen in real-time will help you adjust the camera and light equipment settings. Other gears and materials needed for the shoot can be bought when the need arises. But it is good to have a plain background and chroma keys for various photoshoots. And as you collect more stuff like props and upgrade your photography equipment, use a Fleximounts overhead garage storage or wall shelving to store your things. You will need a sturdy and dependable storage system to keep your investments safe and secure. In conclusion, setting up your photography studio and business can be a great leap of faith but is a rewarding one for sure. Just trust your guts and skills, and see where your creativity will lead you. And alas, working will never be a daunting task if you love what you do.