How To Start a Photography Business When You're Broke

Becoming a professional photographer when you are broke is not an overly easy task.
With the internet crammed with gear reviews and camera snobs stating that you must have a certain level of gear to be called a professional, it can be very daunting.
When I started out in photography, I didn't have any money and I was very nervous about trying to start such an expensive career. If I knew now what I knew then, I would have been far less stressed about my career path.
Hopefully this information might be of use to you to.
In my bag I have
Canon 90mm TS-E lens amzn.to/2YBUPxh
Canon 45mm TS-E Lens amzn.to/33iZwel
Carl Zeiss 100mm Makro Plannar Milvus f/2 amzn.to/2osNmzY
Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4 amzn.to/2N0yi6D
Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4 amzn.to/2M99No6
Canon 5DS. amzn.to/2KpHjnX
If you want to join our community, I have a facebook / 1893064874281393 group as well as an instagram page / scottchoucino

[@kaylakey9183]

As a beginning photographer this is a real breath of fresh of air. After constantly feeling I will never be good as the professional photographers I look up too! Thank you!

[@TinHouseStudioUK]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jamestarry4814]

Best/realist photography channel on KZbin and Best content on Fstoppers. 14 years into my career. Have never bought studio lights, they would be nice, but I can get by without them-If i NEED them then I rent them. Same with lens'-I have two lens' that get used daily and thats it. Eveything owned is everything being used. in 14 years not one client has ever commented on the camera that I use...... only other photographers!!

[@charlieshelton]

Another valuable addition to your channel! Your open and honest no BS approach is really kicking chunks out of most of the other sponsored or biased content out there!

[@TAWPhotography]

Great video! I was killing myself thinking I needed more gear. This video definitely opened my eyes for this new year.

[@ashbae007]

This was very helpful for me, Thank you! I am on benefits and in poverty now and trying to see if I can get out with photography. Everyone around me swears It is my calling. I just don't have alot of faith in myself, I don't see what they see being extremely successful. Guess confidence is something I need to work on in order to start then.

[@Wurzil78]

I’ve gone down your KZbin channel worm hole. Absolutely Loving it! Your comment on “shooting evening at 1.2 like an idiot” made me chuckle!😄

[@benharris3949]

Love this and the companion article. While not skint, with a young family photography kit is the last thing I can spend money on. Right now my entry level Canon is serving me well. When I wanted more reach than my kit lens, I bought a broken vintage 135 2.8 for £10 and fixed it, learning how to shoot sport in manual focus and got some magic shots in the process. When I showed up to shoot an event for a client who is used to being at fashion week, they were super happy to see a DSLR and OCF. That was the moment I learnt its more about showing up than it is the gear.

[@fredvanleeuwen]

"It will take a decade to get to a point where you're making enough money to go and buy fancy camera gear..." I cannot agree more. I've been shooting professionally for the last decade on a Canon 5D Mark II (still shooting on it currently), and there have been many upgrades over the years, but I've finally found the camera I know will suit me and my workflow. The only problem is getting a camera in a third world country where client budgets are low, import costs are skyrocketing and stock is hard to find.

[@manilamartin1001]

I live in the Philippines and most people can't even believe I shoot for a living. They think it's just a hobby here.

[@Tiffinandtea]

I used to have an old bangor Nikon from my late father in law and agree with this. My brother has recently started out in photography. Just as a hobby. His camera is pretty basic but he is great with photoshop and his images (mainly travel - well jel) are really quite good.

[@hogg1media627]

I just landed a friend's wedding for 2k and i shoot with a Nikon D3200, 24mm nikkor vintage lens (36mm on crop) and Pro Black Mist Filter. Im a year in! This is my second 4th gig. I learned not shoot for little or nothing. on the flip side to this, i stay active in photo and videography so people see my improvements and growth. They ask me to shoot my way! Thats the goal for me..

[@xxxyyyxxx9]

Great advice. A tip from the filmmaking world, sound is 80%. The hard parallel walls in your editing suite make for a too-bright, echo rich sound. Notice the difference from when your recording in the studio. Love your stuff. And a word this yank learned from you: crack on!

[@amittasa3873]

I already read your article on fstoppers! It was pleasure to read that and also watch the video, I really needed that.

[@vikmanphotography7984]

For people starting out, I pretty often recommend a few cheaper vintage primes and one off brand speedlight+ umbrella. This is by no means the definitive list of starter kit but... Sony a6300 Minolta w.rokkor-x 28mm f2.8 Helios 44-2 58mm f2 Minolta Rokkor-PF 100mm f2.5 Godox tt685 speedlight for whatever camera brand you have.

[@carstenhoeifoto]

A brutally honest episode. I’m using exactly the procedure you propose. 3 weeks ago I bought a 5Ds-r second hand with low “mileage”. Yesterday I bought a second hand 85 mm 1.4 for my portrait work, it looks brand new and 60% off - compared to a new one. Now I will sell my 100 mm macro. In december I’ll buy a second hand 5D mk IV. It’s all a question of keeping the costs under control.

[@cl0udbusting]

Excellent video, Scott! A refreshing change to the gear-centric videos we're bombarded with. I've been taking photos for a little while but have only recently decided to try and make a living from it. I am conscious sometimes about gear and lighting, but the client is never aware of all that most of the time.

[@brad_in_yyc]

Absolutely love this video. I'm sharing it around. I hear so many new photographers that complain about this. Thanks for putting this out Scott. Just sad it took me this long to see it!

[@keithvlogs1]

Thanks sooo much... its very inspiring.... speciapy when im starting out and have hit a wall

[@AngloSaxon1]

Hello, I am just starting out in photography and I'm 55 years old. I shoot Fuji cameras. I have two cameras one is a Fuji XA5 which is a relatively cheap camera but is a 24.2-megapixel camera, and a Fuji XH1. which is an excellent camera that I bought for video for advertising my martial arts club. But I want to get into photography and I am skint now, not a pot to piss in and I only have XC lenses because the XF lenses are so expensive. Do you think the XC lenses are good enough to start working with?

[@Michaelajacksonfilms]

Vanlife has helped me a GREAT deal. Keeps my kit and overhead small.

[@applepie2806]

I'm actually starting right now and im broke too but I have a nikon D90 and an 18-55mm nikon lens but im planning to upgradea bit but will focus on enhancing my skill rather than the camera. Btw, im 18 and im doing this as a side hustle since I have classes for 5 days a week. So yeah, all of us brokies feel the same, but we can sure change our mindsets

[@DanAndreiKluska]

Another great video for a beginner. Always, all the people tell you you need fancy-schmancy gear to do stuff. I slowly discover that my growing experience and better knowledge of my camera and lights make better pics. Not a new very expensive camera. Thank you dearly for this honest video.

[@batworker]

I still take my 450d and kit lens away on any foreign trip, because it’s small and light..and I’ve never looked at ANY of the photos and thought ‘I wish I’d taken my 6d, the photos would have been so much better’

[@shawnthrillfly2033]

Really appreciate your out take on this, even myself have been doubting my camera purchase as I'm shooting on a zv1. I'm was always afraid clients wouldn't be satisfied with the image quality like a canon 5d or Nikon.

[@tonyvaldivia7300]

Bravo! Experience always has very good advice for those that will listen and learn. Try to stay calm and keep on truckin'!

[@jonblockimaging697]

i love it. glad i didn't make the mistake of buying things on credit.

[@cswann8]

Love the idea of this, and I know it's 2 years old, but hear me out. Nobly "broke" has any business trying to start a business. If You're broke, you first need to understand why you're broke and address that. Most likely you're broke because you suck at managing money. Yes, a decent body and a 50mm can earn you money on the side. But that's a whole other animal than trying to start a photography business.

[@pakkeungwan]

Really enjoying your channel. I totally agree with what you say here although, I applied to a photo agency recently and one of the 2 reasons why I wasn't taken on board was that I didn't have enough lenses (I asked for specific feedback). I have 4 already, all of which are mentioned in your videos.

[@Noname-yu8qw]

when I started I used whatever camera I could borrow from friends and I could made photos that were published in journals, the cameras I used were worse than todays phones :)

[@joshuagharis9017]

The skills are most important

[@EdAb]

All true... and I'm finding the longer I work professionally, the less I want the latest and greatest gear. Three years ago I needed to buy battery powered, studio strobes. The only kits that had the power and features I needed were the Broncolor Siros 800L and the 1200L Move pack, with MobiLED heads, so I bought them. I love those lights, and even when I include the Para 133 I bought, they have pretty much paid for themselves already. Shortly after I bought the Broncolor lights Godox came out with their battery powered monolights. Considering the price difference, if I had to do it over again, I'd probably go down the Godox road instead. There is not much the Broncolor lights can do that the Godox can't. I don't see myself switching over to mirrorless anytime soon either. Cheers!

[@drk6587]

Thank you for this video; very timely and apropriate from my perspective.

[@pixiedixie3682]

Hi Scott . I find your videos down to earth and very interesting Thank,s a lot .

[@CanadianArchivist]

Someone could go out and buy an expensive body for 3,000 and a lens worth 2,000 and think they have it all and they’ll get great images. You can do that, and your photos can still be really bad. It’s dumb spending that much if you can’t compose or know nothing about the exposure triangle. I received an entry level DSLR Nikon D3400 as a gift. I previously shot film and that camera was thirty years old and bit the dust. So I was happy with the new camera. The Nikon came with an 18-55 kit lens. I like shooting sports. Particularity minor hockey. So I purchased a 70-300mm. Then the idea of portraits came up and wider apertures. So I picked up a 50mm 1.8. Three lenses is enough for now. The camera is aps-c, so there is a crop factor for images and lenses. Over time, I purchased 2 speedlites with controllers, a four umbrella kit with two stands, a tripod, gels, a softbox and an external audio recorder. The camera I have has no mic jack and mono recording. I think I have about 2500 dollars in equipment. All on Amazon. Thinking of someone that buys one body and one lens for six thousand, I think I’m ahead. I can do more. Learn more. Be more creative. When I’ve earned the money to buy more expensive camera bodies and lenses, I will already have most of the other equipment I need, and some experience using it. Keep the videos coming ...

[@romeojespinoza9821]

Could You Explain More On The Mistake "don't shoot on 1.4 the whole time" I felt that since I bought a 50 1.4 and always stick to 1.4

[@RoKbOy211]

Often times, beginner photographers will hide behind a super wide aperture in order to secure their shots. This can take away a lot of the work that goes into finding a good location, background, and overall composition. I find that, as an amateur myself, I've fallen into that trap quite a bit Sean Tucker is one of my favorite photography KZbinrs, and he voices this phenomenon way more eloquently than I ever could. Basically, I think the point being made is that good bokeh does not inherently produce a good frame. Though shooting wide open can be a good strategy to secure those shots, it should not be used as a crutch. I hope this made at least some sense haha :) His video is called "How to become a better photographer through 'visual exercise'" and I can't recommend his channel enough.

[@voNashemaalo]

Thank you for been real, I have old camera and I am trying to have more clients but how!? What I need to start to make $, usually they were using me for free fed up of it

[@AtlantaTerry]

They were only using you for free because you allowed them to do that. Put your foot down and say to yourself, "No! From now on, I get paid for my work." Watch Joanie Simon's KZbin video on how to get clients that pay you.

[@voNashemaalo]

@@AtlantaTerry hey Thank you so much.

[@voNashemaalo]

@@AtlantaTerry if not bothering can you please send me the link, I will certainly watch. Thank you so much

[@AtlantaTerry]

@@voNashemaalo search KZbin for "Bite Shop" to see all of Joanie Simon's videos listed.

[@DexMediaja]

Thank you so much for this awesome video I’m a photographer from Jamaica and I post video like these also 🙏

[@Alex-hongry]

The biggest change to my spending was being a limited company. Money in can’t be (legally) spent on coffee or lavish things. Only buying things that will be specifically for business, making life easier/work quicker (so you can do more) and see an immediate return on investment are possible with a company card. This meant I was broke but my business was able to grow by investing. 👌

[@triplewinlin5576]

Wisdom.

[@hungryninja9185]

Thank you for your knowledge :)

[@FoyersPhotography]

great video, thanks

[@lesr9417]

Like your videos, like your style!

[@DEI_TERRA]

Ten years? Things move slow in Europe.

[@nerdynautilus5373]

But how do you get jobs?

[@eliskaprochazkova1434]

I love you. You are awesome :)

[@RomelosLife]

quality advice

[@dominicwroblewski5832]

You save the best for last. BUY USED GEAR ! I only buy used gear and I have tons of it and I do photography for fun. I think half of the fun is "hunting" for bargains. To succeed in life you have to spend money wisely .

[@SRF-vm3fy]

in what age did you start your photography bysiness??? I am 32 and i just started and i think that years passed and i am little bit old..

[@AtlantaTerry]

Think only of the years ahead of you because there is nothing you can do about your past. I am 75 and still going at it.

[@SRF-vm3fy]

@@AtlantaTerry Thank you for motivating me Terry plus for your positivity.

[@ollyyung2859]

dang, you looked a lot better with a well taken care of beard and a good haircut...what happened.

[@casianosd]

How do you look so young from only 1 year ago?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@TinHouseStudioUK]

life is hard haha