Starting a photography business is hard work. Understanding the market, building a portfolio, establishing a professional network, managing financials, and continually learning is a lot for one person to juggle. Luckily, RMCAD photography alumna Heidi Marie Bell is here to share her photography business tips with fellow artists!
Bell is what you might consider a non-traditional student. Photography had long been her hobby during her 35-year career as an executive in the healthcare industry. “I went back to school as a personal enrichment endeavor. While at RMCAD, I decided to pursue photography as a vocation,” Bell shares. As an online student joining RMCAD from the Baltimore area, Bell quickly got a taste for headshot and portrait photography. The artist/entrepreneur now runs her successful business, Heidi Marie Bell Photography. So how did she navigate the industry as a photography graduate?
Understanding the Photography Market
According to Bell, many photographers pursue a “shoot and burn” style which involves a high volume of photographs at a lower client investment point. This was not how she wanted to approach building her photography brand. “My jam is to work more deliberately, and with fewer clients. Meaning, I need to add value and elevate the client experience so that I can charge more,” said Bell. However, she shared that there is nothing wrong with the “shoot and burn” photography method as it can be a successful business model for volume sports photography and a variety of portrait sub-genres. However, it simply isn’t the style Bell finds effective for her headshots and branding portraits.
Key Photography Markets
Because Bell’s photography pricing strategy is about quality over quantity, she built a high-quality photography brand, adding value to her client sessions through a more “customized experience.” By understanding the different types of photography that the market requires, Bell is more well-equipped to carve out her niche. She sees the value in patience while attracting her ideal client.
Market Trends and Consumer Demands
Bell says her ideal clients are small to mid-sized businesses, individual business owners, and entrepreneurs whose brands tie to their image. Attention to detail is one of her core philosophies. “Even for simple headshots and small corporate sessions, I work with clients for an extended period. I’m researching, interviewing the client, pre-planning, and following up after image delivery to ensure their needs are met,” Bell stated.
Building a Professional Portfolio
Bell takes pride in her diverse photography interests; her portfolio illustrates that pride. “My website reflects my silos of interest.” These silos include portraits, events, and families. Bell understands that highlighting multiple niches in her portfolio can be beneficial, but that it’s also an opportunity to use her professional photography portfolio to really show off her passion and specialization in headshots.
Crafting a Compelling Portfolio
Photography is all about telling a story. Throughout Bell’s work, you can see her progression in style from events to portraits, and finally informing her current style as a headshot photographer. “I consider myself a headshot specialist. I’m orienting myself towards that side of the business,” shared Bell.” In her opinion, building a photography portfolio is all about finding, honing, and utilizing your strengths and passions!
Leveraging Digital Platforms
Social media for photographers can be an easy and efficient way to share your portfolio with the world. Digital platforms can reach a broader audience and build a greater following. However, not every platform will yield the same results for every photographer. Because of the professional clientele that Bell is looking to attract, she is not devoting her time to TikTok. Bell said, “My clients are spending the most time on LinkedIn, so my efforts start there, and then I share that same content on Instagram and Facebook.” It’s so important for every artist, designer, and business owner to leverage social platforms to build their audience and find their niche.
Networking and Professional Connections
As a small business owner, Bell is always searching for new clientele to grow her business. Along with utilizing LinkedIn and other forms of digital marketing for photographers, Bell is focused on building her professional network in person and online. She said the most challenging part of owning and operating her photography business is “less about the photography and more about the relationship building.”
Importance of Networking
Networking for photographers is vital to the success of a business. Therefore, Bell saw the financial importance of connecting with the local business community and how it could help in building a photography brand that is uniquely recognizable. However, the biggest hurdle to clear was answering the question “Where are people networking?” Considering her success on LinkedIn, Bell opted to begin looking for fellow professionals and other small businesses where she knew they were gathering.
Networking Channels and Strategies
Over the past three years, Bell has gotten involved with the Greater Baltimore Chamber of Commerce. This has proven fruitful for her business, building many regional connections and generating qualified referrals. Chambers of commerce are designed to help local businesses and individuals collaborate to aid economic development in the community. Utilizing the local chamber inspired Bell to join other similar groups including organizations that support female-owned businesses like hers. Bell is proud to engage with her chamber of commerce because she sees it as a way to “give back to the community while maintaining a successful business of my own.”
Financial Management for Photographers
Financial management for photographers can be a major hurdle, whether you are a business owner coordinating many employees, a sole proprietor, or a freelancer. Bell credits her formal education with preparing her for key financial decisions. She says, “I greatly benefited from the business-related courses at RMCAD. I didn’t understand until afterward how much that would shape my business structure.”
Setting Up a Business
When setting up a photography business, Bell shared the advice that made her successful early on. Her photography business tips include establishing a home studio, utilizing QuickBooks, and taking the time to estimate costs properly. After graduating, Bell did a lot of research to understand what a business needs, such as software subscriptions, professional email accounts, web hosting, studio and location gear, and photography equipment upgrades.
Managing Finances and Pricing
Photography pricing strategies can vary from photographer to photographer, particularly depending on the genre and business model. As a low-volume photographer focused on adding value for her clients, Bell built her confidence to charge what her services are worth, which included studying the pricing models of local competitors. “Ultimately I decided I wasn’t worried about being more expensive than someone else in my community,” she shares. Bell knows the value of her work, but sometimes this means passing on opportunities that aren’t up to her pay grade. “That’s probably the biggest challenge – understanding that you’re not everybody’s photographer and everybody isn’t your client, and that’s ok!”
Continuous Learning and Skill Enhancement
Bell was no stranger to continuous learning, as her journey to photography began following her time as a full-time healthcare executive. However, going back to school to get her degree in photography was just the beginning. Bell explains that she is still learning new things every day about entrepreneurship and photography.
Advancing Your Skills
As a headshot specialist, one of the most recent skills Bell has learned is “facial expression coaching.” What is expression coaching? This is a value-adding technique where Bell guides clients into authentic expressions, providing them with the perfect final headshots. If a customer needs an image that exudes confidence, Bell can assist them in getting the most out of their experience in the studio. This specialized approach allows Bell to make clients feel comfortable in front of the camera and ensures the final product is something they love!
Embracing New Technologies
Heidi Marie Bell Photography has made quite the digital footprint for itself, and it goes beyond social media. As a headshot and branding photographer, she knows firsthand how to extend her brand. By listing her business on various front-facing sites, including her local chamber of commerce, she is building a photography brand that is professional and approachable. The more she puts her work into the market, the more customers she will attract. With media savvy like that, it is easy to see why her business currently has a five-star rating on Google!
Navigating the photography industry as a graduate can be daunting. However, if Heidi Marie Bell exemplifies anything it’s to play to your strengths. After 35 years of success as an executive, she decided to get into the arts and used the skills she learned in her previous career to her advantage. She said the secret to her success is speaking up for herself. She encourages all artists, not just photographers to do the same. Find the type of photography you’re passionate about and learn the creative photography techniques to become the best at the style. The photography industry will always welcome bold new voices, like Bell’s, who aren’t afraid to reinvent themselves!
Start your Photography Career Now!
If you want to explore the entrepreneurial and artistic aspects of photography, consider a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography degree from Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. With on-campus and online photography degree programs, you will enjoy an immersive and engaging curriculum that prepares you for a lifelong career in photography. Additionally, RMCAD offers a certificate in digital photography for those looking for a shorter time commitment.
Request more information about our degree programs today.
FAQs: The Business of Photography: Navigating the Industry as a Graduate
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How do you start a photography business after graduation?
Starting a photography business after graduation requires understanding the market, building a strong portfolio, developing a professional network, setting up business tools, and learning how to price services. It also helps to identify a clear niche so clients understand what kind of photography experience you offer. -
How can photographers choose the right niche?
Photographers can choose the right niche by identifying the work they enjoy most, studying client demand, and deciding which services best match their strengths. A clear niche, such as headshots, branding portraits, events, or family photography, can make marketing more focused and help attract better-fit clients. -
Why is a professional photography portfolio important?
A professional photography portfolio shows potential clients what kind of work a photographer creates and what style, specialty, and level of quality they can expect. A strong portfolio can also demonstrate progression, highlight areas of specialization, and help photographers build credibility in their chosen market. -
How can photographers use social media to grow their business?
Photographers can use social media to share portfolio work, reach a broader audience, build brand recognition, and connect with potential clients. The most effective platform depends on the target audience, since business clients may spend more time on LinkedIn while consumer audiences may be more active on Instagram or Facebook. -
Why is networking important for photographers?
Networking is important because many photography businesses grow through referrals, relationship building, and local visibility. Connecting with business groups, chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, and community organizations can help photographers meet ideal clients and establish a stronger professional presence. -
How should photographers price their services?
Photographers should price their services by estimating business costs, researching local competitors, defining the value of the client experience, and choosing a business model that fits their goals. A higher-touch photography business may charge more by offering planning, customization, image guidance, and follow-up instead of relying only on high-volume sessions. -
What business skills do photographers need to succeed?
Photographers need business skills in marketing, client communication, pricing, budgeting, scheduling, networking, and financial management. They also need to keep learning new creative and client-facing skills, such as posing guidance or expression coaching, to improve the client experience and strengthen their brand.
