I have finally gotten off my duff and entered a photo contest & show. I don’t have any expectations, but it’s exciting to think about my photos hanging out with other photos. It’s time for them to join the party – they’ve been shut-ins for way too long! Here are my four entries; two in the wildlife category and two in the people category [scroll over photos for titles]:

Also, if you have any plans to be at the show and are interested, the two wildlife photos [framed 12x18 prints] will be on sale for $75 each. I will update if any are lucky enough to claim a prize. Wish them luck!

The following four images are for a display in our local pediatricians’ office. I can’t tell you how long it took me to decide on which images to use. They will be lined up horizontally along the front main wall. I hope you can really feel the seasons in each one of these images. I haven’t printed the large images yet [they will most likely be 20"x30"] so, before I do, I would be thrilled to get your feedback.

[Seriously. Christmas, birthdays, you-name-the-gift-receiving-holidays. Other than this holy trinity, I want for nothing other than health and happiness.]

I wanted to show off my most recent print order. The main image is a mounted 20×20 print, the prints to the left are 8x10s and 5x7s packaged in acid-fee crystal clear bags, and the beautiful custom leather albums to the right are a 5×7 20-print album and CD case (with all the full resolution negatives from the session). Honestly, I’m kind of jealous. I really need to do this for my family!

One of the hardest things about taking your passion and making it your business is figuring out how to actually make a profit. When I say profit, I’m not talking about streaming green. I’m talking about not claiming a loss at the end of the year. In this digital age, one might think it only takes two eyes, two hands and a camera to start and run a profitable photography business. So, when you look at possibly investing in a custom portrait photography session, it’s understandable to wonder about the pricing. In the hopes of answering at least the nuts and bolts of that question, I’m going to pull back the curtain and share with you my own personal monetary business investments (so far)…

Marketing
1. Website (design, domain name, hosting fees)
2. Printing (business cards, brochures, postcards, bookmarks)
3. Promotional shoots during downtime or for portfolio building
5. Blog site (design, hosting fees)
6. Samples (prints, albums, jewelry, bags etc.)
7. Networking events
8. Online advertising
9. Postage
10. Charity package/print donations

Cost of Goods
1. Prints
2. Albums
3. Folios and CD sleeves
4. Client complimentary prints
5. Lab packaging & shipping costs
6. Packaging & shipping to clients (boxes, tissue, stickers/labels, postage etc.)

Business Management
1. Business registration
2. Banking fees
3. Business software
4. Professional services (legal & accounting)
5. Office supplies
6. Cell phone
7. Setting up DBA (fees for Legal Zoom)
8. Calendar/appointment system
9. INCOME TAX & SALES TAX!

Professional Organization and Development
1. Professional organization fees (PPA)
2. Business Insurance (Liability and Equipment)
3. Forum subscriptions
4. Seminars/workshops/instructional DVDs
6. Professional Magazines
7. Photography Books

Preparation & Travel
1. Child care (for prep time, travel time & session)
2. Gas
3. Wear and tear on car
4. Location fees
5. Parking

Photography Equipment
1. Camera and back-up camera (top of the line)
2. Lenses (good glass costs a fortune)
3. Accessories
4. Backdrops
5. Lighting equipment
6. Batteries/chargers
7. Props (blankets, baskets, seating etc.)
8. White balance target
9. Camera bags
10. CF cards and CF card reader
11. Maintenance (repairs, sensor cleaning etc.)
12. Portable backdrop stand
13. Tripod

Computer
1. PC & large monitor
2. Laptop
3. Actions, templates & fonts
4. Editing programs (Photoshop CS4)
5. Plug-ins (Noiseware, Portraiture etc.)
6. Printer, ink, photo paper (test prints & invoices)
7. CDs for digital files
8. Slideshow/DVD software
9. Color calibration hardware
10. EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES (4 back-up drives totaling 4 terabytes)

After all that, if you you do good work and people are willing to pay for your particular brand/style, you might be able to add “salary” to that list. Believe me, I’m not complaining… just explaining. If you’re serious about your art, and about your art being your work, it’s a pretty big investment.