This blog post is about how to start photography business in Nigeria this 2023 so that people who are interested in taking photography up as a full time or part-time business can learn the various processes involved in commencing this business venture after carefully reading the details of this article.
According to Wikipedia, photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed in many fields of science, manufacturing (e.g., photolithography), and business, as well as its more direct uses for art, film and video production, recreational purposes, hobby, and mass communication.
In Nigeria today, the photography business is still booming despite the fact that many smart mobile phones and other smart devices for taking quality pictures have been developed. Irrespective of the development of state-of-the-art-smartphones with cutting edge technology, the quality of the images a Canon camera or other top quality digital cameras can capture is still far superior to those of these smart devices in terms of their resolution and other photographic factors.
This is why till today, many people still pay professional photographers a premium to have photoshoots for many of their functions, be it birthdays, weddings, house warming parties, child dedication, etc., in fact, there’s hardly a function that goes on anywhere in the country that wouldn’t require the services of a professional photographer to help keep the memory fresh long after the event may have passed, further highlighting why the photography business in Nigeria today is very profitable and will not go out of fashion any time soon.
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT FOR STARTING A PROFITABLE PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS IN NIGERIA TODAY
If you are fascinated with picture taking and you want to take it a step further by venturing into professional photography as your line of business, the following equipment are what you will require to start a profitable professional photography business in Nigeria today:
- A very good digital camera
- Camera bag
- Tripod
- Lighting
- Backdrops
- Lenses
- Props
- Editing software
- Desktop computer/laptop
- External hard drive
- Photo printer, etc.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO START PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS IN NIGERIA 2023
The following are the step by step processes on how to start profitable professional photography business in Nigeria this 2023:
STEP 1: CHOOSE AN AREA OF SPECIALISATION IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Before venturing into photography business proper, just your love for taking pictures will not be enough to earn you the title of professional photographer. You will need to choose a niche or area of specialisation in this business that you want to major in so that you will be known as an authority in this niche in the years to come when you have become very acquainted with your phot business. Some of the areas of specialisation in the photography business include but are not limited to the following: portraits, documentaries, event photography, abstract imagery, landscapes, etc.
STEP 2: GO AND LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS
After choosing an area of specialisation or a niche in photography, the next thing for you to do is to go and learn the required skills that are very essential to your success in this business. You can do this by enrolling in a school of photography or paying a big photography organisation or agency to train you for a specific period of time. You can also look out for very good photo studios that take apprentices so that you can hone your skills in this business, especially in your area of specialisation before you venture out to become your own boss.
Learning is key and it is very important that you get trained so as to avoid being half baked when you start your own business. Endeavour to learn how to manipulate light as this can make or break your business. Also make sure that you learn manual mode which enables you to set the camera to produce the image you want it to produce, it is like telling the camera what you want it to do and not the other way round. When you shoot in manual mode, you can manipulate light just as you want as opposed to other camera settings that are designed to give you images that the camera was created to produce for you.
STEP 3: DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS
Every good business starts out with a detailed business plan and your photography business shouldn’t be exempted. Your business plan for your photography business in Nigeria is simply a document explaining in detail what you want to achieve in your business in the long run and the various strategies needed to make your plans a reality. Your business plan should feature the following in it:
- An overview of your photography business
- Executive summary
- General company description
- SWOT analysis
- Market research
- Your strategy
- The team
- A marketing plan
- An operational plan
- Financial projection
- An appendix.
STEP 4: REGISTER YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS WITH THE CAC
Endeavour to register your photography business with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) so that your business can be identified with as genuine. You can start out by simply registering your business name as the tax implication is low after which you can upgrade to a limited liability company as you grow your photography business.
STEP 5: GET A VERY GOOD DIGITAL CAMERA
A very important device that you require for your photography business is a very good digital camera. You as an upcoming photographer need your own camera to function effectively and grow your business and investing in an excellent camera should a priority for you. There a budget-friendly cameras that you can buy and master their functions to take great pictures. Your camera should at least have these features or camera modes: Auto mode, Macro mode, Portrait mode, Landscape mode, Sports mode, Aperture priority mode, TV mode, Night portrait mode, Manual mode.
STEP 6: PRACTICE AND KEEP PRACTICING
Photography business requires you to learn something new everyday so you should practice and never stop practicing so that your image quality will come out very nicely. Because you cannot become the best in the business all in one day, that is why you must keep practicing to master your art and perfect it. You can take snapshots and send to other more experienced people in this business to get their honest thoughts about your work, this will help you become even better at what you do.
STEP 7: GET A GOOD LOCATION TO SITUATE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS
As you grow in your photography business, you will find out that it is not enough to just be an outdoor photographer. You will need a studio space and as such, you should look out for a very good location where you can situate your studio to attract a large customer turnout.
STEP 8: ADVERTISE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS
As with every other business, you will need to advertise your photography business to draw potential customers to you. You need a good marketing strategy to put yourself out there. Make sure that you take advantage of the various channels of advertising so as to get your customers coming in droves to patronise you.
