Photographer's Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business [Paperback]

Vik Orenstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2004

Displaying the same wit and charm that made her Creative Techniques for Photographing Children a commercial success, Vik Orenstein shoots straight with photographers on what it takes to build a successful photo business. She combines big-picture thinking with a soft touch to deliver sound, practical advice on such core topics as developing a marketing plan, building a clientele, networking and maintaining creative fulfillment. This guide is a major asset for amateurs seeking a friendly overview of the business; established photographers delving into a new niche; freelancers interested in selling stock; photographers starting their own studio. At 320 pages, the book's similtaneous deep and broad treatment makes it an excellent companion to the business-focused introduction found in Photographer's Market. Vik also covers such important specialities as wedding, commercial and nature photography in individual chapters and frequently complements her own advice with that of industry experts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Vik Orenstein has been a photographer for more than 20 years, starting first in commerical work, then opening her own children's photography studio in 1988. She has consulted for both Nikon and Pentax and is the author of Creative Techniques for Photographing Children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books; 1 edition (April 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582972648
• ISBN-13: 978-1582972640
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #511,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

189 of 196 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bad Business, October 26, 2004

By 

Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Photographer's Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business (Paperback)

I gave this book two stars because some reader might want to open a studio for children's photography. Anyone else looking to get into the photography business or improve photography business skills should probably look elsewhere.

The author's approach is to offer a topic related to the business of photography and to raise issues, but she seldom provides answers, and when she does, they are seldom of use to most photographers. For example, the author has a chapter on lawyers. In it she indicates the legal problems that a photographer might face, from copyright to leases. Instead of telling the reader anything about these subjects, she says to hire a good lawyer. As my kids say, duhh...! Similarly she says there are several different forms of ownership that a photographer can use. Therefore... consult a lawyer.

And when she does give advice, it is often wrong and dangerous. For example, she says that in determining whether a person is a contractor or an employee, one should look at whether a person does the same job for several different people. Actually, the government regulations provide 14 separate points that have to be considered with no one-point controlling. Several judicial nominees have learned how important this issue can be.

But where the author really misses the boat is on the issue of marketing. For any businessperson, including a photographer, marketing is perhaps the most important function. If you don't have income, you don't stay in business. But the tips the author gives only apply to studio photographers. Marketing is different for a stock photographer and an editorial photographer, and for all the specialties in between, but Orenstein seems to ignore this.

I don't understand why this book needed photographs, unless it was to meet the requirement for 320 pages. But if one is going to include pictures in a book aimed at photographers, they'd better be good. The pictures in this book are muddy black and white pictures on paper with a low reproduction quality.

Perhaps it's impossible to write a book about the photography business that applies to all the specialties in the game. I know that it is possible to write a useful book aimed at a specialist, because I have the example of John Shaw's "Business of Nature Photography". Even though a little dated, it is probably more helpful generally to someone getting into the photography business than Orenstein's book is.

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Stating The Obvious!, January 2, 2006

By 

Relentless "skepticalbeliever" (Gainesville, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photographer's Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business (Paperback)

I'm going to have to concur with the comments of Conrad. I think the author did a great disservice to her audience by giving such a marginal advice as to how to start and run a photo business. Further, time and again she is simply stating the obvious (i.e. if you don't know how to file your taxes, hire an accountant).
What really threw me off, though, is that she seems to be giving advice as to how to start a business under the assumption that the person has unlimited resources at his or her disposal. This is her approach (hyper-abridged): Buy all the equipment/rent studio space, hire a CPA, hire a lawyer, promote yourself, mass advertising, get line of credit, expand.
The author's overly simplistic model seems to be out of touch with the realities facing most, if not all, start-up businesses which is funding, funding, funding, funding and more funding. No matter how good a plan or how good idea you might have without proper funding you won't make it--period! Furthermore, it's unbelievably hard to get decently-priced business loans for a start-up (assuming you can get one at all).
This book simply put is mediocre and needs work. I gave three stars because I thought some of the advice she gives is definitely good advice; that said, I don't think this primer in and of itself is very good for photo start-ups or people considering becoming one.

37 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent book for anyone opening the photo studio, January 27, 2005

By 

Blue "tgis" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photographer's Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business (Paperback)

This is an excelent book if you are thinking about OPENING A PHOTO STUDIO. Person that wrote the review before mine obviously missed the point of this book and expected something more for less than $20.
So, this book gives a lot more than these kind of books usually do, particularly in the essence of the studio photography business. In addition, it is written very nicely with real life ups and downs of the business.
List of just a few out of many things I have found useful:
1. Interviews with other professional photographers in different fields and from different backgrounds. Many examples on how to get into the business.
2. A whole chapter on business plan - covers the core of figuring out what your business is going to be about (target, competition, pricing, cost, your name, etc.) It also includes copyright issues.
3. Venue ideas - home, studio, sharing space, partnering, franchise...
4. Startup marketing techniques and ideas through author's own experience: message, goals, target market, direct mail, websites,auctions, mall kiosks, client gifts, etc...
5. In terms of different business entites, she explained the basics on partnership and corporation. Since she is a photographer and not a business advisor, she suggested to consult a professional advisor/attorney/accountant.
There are many more things that I could write about this book. Since I don't have time, my suggestion: Buy the book. And don't expect miracules. The author obviously dedicated this book to studio photographers, so DON'T EXPECT to see marketing for stock or editorial photographers. Although, if you are smart enough you will be able to relate to the problems and ideas author is talking about. Cheers!