How to start a food photography business.

Follow these steps to help take your food photography hobby and turn it into a money-making business.

Understand your startup costs.

The first part of starting any business is understanding your initial costs. That way, you know how much funding you’ll need to get your business off the ground.

Here are a few of the essential costs when you start a food photography business:

• Photography equipment like cameras, lenses, flashes, and other lighting
• Computer with powerful graphics capabilities
• Data storage like memory cards and hard drives
• Photo editing software, such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
• Website hosting
• Insurance

Build a professional portfolio.

Potential clients want to make sure you have the skills they need before they hire you. To prove you have what it takes, you need to build a solid portfolio.

Not only will your portfolio help convince potential customers to hire you, taking pictures to add to your portfolio can also help you hone your skills. Learn how to use different lenses, set up indoor lighting rigs, and test out creative shots to make your portfolio stand out.

Set up your legal business.

Unfortunately, you can’t just take pictures of food and call it a business. You’ll need to pay taxes and make your business legitimate according to the rules of your city, county, and even state government. Research the applicable requirements, and then be sure to set up your business properly before you accept gigs.

Market your services.

Once you have the equipment and your business is legal, you’re ready to put your name out there. Use a variety of marketing materials to help attract potential clients:

• Website
• Social media
• Business cards
• Search ads

Once you have some successful jobs under your belt, keep up with those existing clients to find out if they know any other companies that need food photography services. Networking is an essential part of marketing, especially in this field.

Want more photography tips to help improve your photography skills?

Discover how Lightroom and Photoshop can help you fill your portfolio with high-quality images that potential customers can’t resist.