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MONEY MAKING IDEAS

ADVERTISING IDEAS- DIRECT APPROACH - One way to get into this interesting business is to prepare an impressive portfolio of color and B&W advertising material. Do some phone screening of local advertising agencies and find out their specialties. Once you know which ones use the kinds of photography you do, you can take your portfolio to them, show it off, and ask to be considered when they need a photographer. Leave your business card, a wall sample, or a composite when you finish the interview. Before long, if your work warrants it, you should be getting calls. One thing to remember, be sure that you always prepare for a job, this type of photography can involve a lot of expenses to your clients that you could be liable for if you fail. GALLERIES - One inexpensive way to promote your photography work is through a gallery exhibit. Not only is it a way to sell your work, but if the show is reviewed by art critics, you will be receiving free publicity. POSTCARD APPROACH - Use postcards that show your abilities and send them to local users of photographs. Do your best to make your work standout by making it look novel, or combining it with something useful, like a calendar of events. Eye catching and useful stay around a business longer and generate more calls. SCHOOL CAREER DAYS - A little research at the library and you will be able to provide a very interesting talk to students. During your talk provide reference handouts that the students will want for reference, and to keep your name in front of them. This is an interesting way to have inexpensive direct advertising. Not sure what to talk about try the book CAREERS IN PHOTOGRAPHY as a basis. [Back]

CHILD ID CARDS - Work with suppliers and radio stations to provide ID photographs for children. All you need are some printed cards, a Polaroid Passport camera, and a laminator. The cost should be very minimal to you and can provide you some good advertising exposure. Add some coupons with the ID and you will increase the advertising benefit. (See Childrens ID Cards) [Back]

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS - People are fascinated by aerial photographs of their home, business, or city views. Pick a season when the greenery is good and rent a plane, or cut a deal with the pilot by offering to share in the profits. Fly around your town and countryside taking photographs of your town's scenic views and nice neighborhoods. If you are not afraid to make a little investment, have 11x14s made and show these images to people in the neighborhood and the businesses that are in the photographs. If not, try sending proofs to the homes shown in your photographs. Don't forget the value of arts and crafts fairs for a sales location. Properly marketed, this work often pays well enough to hire a plane and pilot for an hour at a time. When arranging for the plane be sure that the plane has provisions for opening a window in flight, or removing the door. Additinal reading on aerial photography is suggested. For a quick overview see the aerial photography section in the ideas book. As a rule of thumb, whenever you send proofs to people that have not given an adequate deposit you should mark the front of the proofs proofs with a special pen which can only be cleaned off with a special solution. This will help make sure that customers do not keep or copy your proof. Your local supplier should be able to help you with the pen and cleaner. [Back]

AIRPLANES - Many private pilots are quite proud of their hobby and would eagerly purchase a photograph of their plane in flight. One way to do this is to go to the airport and photograph airplanes as they are landing or taking off. Another way is to work with a local flight school to photograph their students on first solo flights. When doing this you should: 1. Be careful to stay in unrestricted areas, 2. Take the photographs when the wings are straight and they their landing looks perfect. 3. Do not freeze the prop with a high shutter speed. Once you have the skill level to be able to know you have the photographs, you can wait to develop the film until you have a buyer. To obtain the pilots address, log the registration number and look at the US Civil Aircraft Registry. The registry can be obtained from the library, or by writing the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington DC. Another option is to get the information on the pilot from the airport. Contact the pilot by sending the pilot a letter and contact offering an enlargement, or business or Christmas cards. Be sure to state the location and time when the photograph was taken.  [Back]

ANIMAL SHOWS - Attend dog, cat, and animal competitions at your local fair. Take many close-up pictures of the animals, record the names and addresses of the owners, and offer enlargements of their prize winning pets. You can do this by sending the owners proofs or contacts of your work with a price sheet. This takes planning, if you can cut a deal with the organization by giving them free photos in exchange for their helping and promotion your services during the day you will see your profits increase. The earlier you can contact the organization the better because it gives them a chance to communicate your services to the participants as part of their regular communication. [Back]

ANNIVERSARIES - CONTACTING THE KIDS - Watch the newspaper for announcements of these events. The listing will often list the children of the couple. Contact the children and offer to give them a $25.00 gift certificate as a gift to their parents for a full studio or in home session. The number of reprints often ordered by these groups will more than compensate for the investment. $ ANNIVERSARIES - COUPLES - Watch the newspaper for announcements of these events. Contact the couple and offer to do a free in-home photo session of them and/or their children. Be sure to arrange your times when all children can all be there for the photographs and, if possible, to look at the proofs. For an excellent supplier for portable backgrounds see Westcott in the vendor section. [Back]

ARCHITECTURAL - ARTISTIC - With the proper equipment, like a view camera, you can turn out very elegant photographs of structures that other photographers cannot achieve. Potential customers will be architects, Realtors, owners, and perhaps, depending on the structure, craft show people. Again marketing is the key. [Back]

ARCHITECTURAL - DOCUMENTARY- Another way to get photo jobs is to stay alert to construction projects in your community. Owners of the building would be interested in photographs, and so would various contractors, the architect and the construction company. You can learn of possible contacts by the signs posted in front of the construction. For best results, a large format camera is recommended, but a 35mm camera with a perspective control lens will do the job nicely. Some photographers have also had success by photographing construction in process and then offering the book and slides to the company near the time of the grand opening. [Back]

ARTIST - Photos allow artist to show interested parties examples of their work without having to take the work back and forth from their studio without risking damage. As a photographer, you can help to make this task a simple one for the artist by helping them create an art portfolio. This portfolio is similar to a model's portfolio, the only difference is that the subject is art rather than a model. Arrange a time to go to the artist's studio to do the shoot. Take several pictures of each piece of work that the artist wants and vary the lighting and exposure. Don't forget to photograph the artist at work. Sell a portfolio, extra prints, or arrange for a composite that the artist can use for mailings. Another option is to work as a contractor by shooting the artworks and handing the film over to the artist for processing. This is a relatively easy way to make $100 to $150 for a few of hours work. Note: As a contractor you give up all rights to the photos. You may offer these artists just what they need in order to get their big break. If color is important you should start each roll or unique color combination with a MACBETH color checker or equivalent comparison chart. [Back]

BEAUTY CONTESTS - Beauty contests and pageants are excellent places to make the contacts for getting into model photography. Watch the newspaper to find out about these events and try to contact the promoter to talk about giving them access to low cost photographs in return for being able to market to the contestants. Once at the event, shoot as many contestants as you can. If you get good shots, and can get them in front of the right people, you may get them published in the local paper or one of the pageant programs. Once you have developed a reputation you may find ready markets for your photographs. For example, models, pageant promoters, as well as representatives from modeling schools are in need publicity photos. These contacts will lead you to models who are always in the need of portfolio updates. Properly marketed and shot pageants could net you a reasonable profit throughout the year. [Back]

BEFORE & AFTER PICTURES - Before and after pictures are a great way to make money. It's a simple concept that can be applied to almost anything you can think of. Here are a few examples of who you can take before and after pictures for: people in diet centers, pet groomers, people having their homes renovated, landscapers, and aluminum siding installers. Let your imagination work for you and you can come up with more ideas than you ever thought possible. To begin a before and after photo session, follow these simple steps: Take pictures using one roll of film (24 or 36 exposure) of the person, place, or idea before any changes are made. Once the project is complete, or the objective met, take another set of pictures. Offer a "Before & After" album to any business who offers such a service. This is a great way for the customer to keep a documentation or a memory book of the accomplishment. or the business to show the difference that they can make to potential customers. [Back]

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS - Your first thought is probably how you can get the parents to bring their child into the studio for its first portrait. There is another way-- why not a birth announcement? The idea is to make the task of sending out birth announcements as easy as possible on the new parents. Arrange to take your camera to the hospital or to their home and take pictures of the new baby. Have them processed as quickly as possible and take the proofs to the parents. Time is valuable, so don't waste it! The picture can then be slipped into a folio along with the birth information including the names of the parents, the baby's name, birth date, weight, length, hair and eye color. Sell a complete package which includes the announcement and envelopes so that it is easy for the parents. You can even work out a color ZEROX offer that gives them a lower cost announcement with a faster turnaround. The picture makes these announcements a special keepsake for family and friends. To be successful at this you should strive to: * Make things easy for the new parents. * Don't waste time. Contact parents before the baby is born to set up a tentative date for the session. Then be sure to confirm the date a day or two after the baby is due. * Be professional; do a good job. You will earn the respect of the customer and when it's time for a new picture they will call you again. They will also refer you to friends who are having babies. [Back]

BIRTHDAYS - ADULTS - A formal birthday package works well for adults. Celebrating the birthday of a grandparent or any senior member of a family often serves as a family gathering for 4 or 5 generations. Shoot the whole group, individuals, families, and special groups like the grandkids. Sell at least one print of the large group to each family present in advance. Don't forget to consider such things as shipping or delivery cost when pricing. Those 4 or 5 generation shots are very popular and are good candidates for selling in advance. Offer a standard package of 1 group shot, a portrait of the birthday person and 1 candid. An album package priced at $150 with a family tree could also work well. [Back]

BIRTHDAYS - KIDS - Develop a standard package for kids' birthday parties. Advertise through classified ads and word of mouth. Prepare a party portfolio of 8 - 10 of your best prints (shoot a couple of parties for free to get started) to show prospective customers. Your standard "on location" package might include one 8 X 10 of the birthday child and one 8 x 10 of the whole party priced at $50. While you are there, shoot other candids of all the children, the candle blowing, the cake cutting. Tips: Pack a few balloons, hats and other props that children love. You will be a big hit with the kids which will make the event a total success. [Back]

BOUDOIR PORTRAITS - This is a hot selling item for women who want very personal photos to be seen only by their husbands or boyfriends. To be successful at this invest in clothing and costumes and find someone who can do complete makeovers. You'll need costumes and props in a variety of sizes and styles for the themes you wish to develop. Most customers will bring her own wardrobe. You need to have a book of samples prepared where the person can choose a "look" that she feels comfortable with. To improve sales, be sure to shoot "before and after" photos. This is a very personal type of photography. It must be conducted in a very professional setting. When possible, it is best to have a female assistant to create a comfort level with a prospective customer. In fact, many successful boudoir studios are ran by husband & wife teams. If you a serious about entering this type of business you should purchase books and videos dedicated to the subject. One example of such videos is a series by Chuck and Bev Hemstreet videos. These videos can be ordered through Art's Photographics. (316) 755-2787.[Back]

BRIDAL FAIRS - If you have the resources to arrange a bridal fair you can find that people in related businesses will buy floor space, help pay for advertising, and provide you with income from both the fair and in additional photo-contacts. This is no small undertaking and you should prepare yourself by studying bridal fairs conducted in other cities. [Back]

BRIDAL PORTRAITS - A bride's wedding day is one that she will always treasure. Since not all brides elect to have a professional photographer at their wedding you may find bridal portraits to be very profitable. Bridal photographs pictures are important to every bride and they need to be elegant. You also need to make the experience as pleasant for the bride as possible. If you can setup the shoot enough time in advance of the wedding you will be able to have the photographs ready for display at the wedding. Have her bring her wedding gown, veil, and anything else she wishes to use in the photo such as rings and flowers. There are many excellent sources for examples of bridal photograph. You should work up a series of half and full length photographs showing off the gown flowers, and of course the bride. Be sure to light her dress from enough of an angle that the bead-work is seen. Once the reprints are ordered, don't forget the chance to sell the proofs for a nice wedding day display or as gifts to family and friends. [Back]

BUSINESS CARDS - Photo business cards are gaining popularity and are readily available from most labs. Try making some sample cards up for yourself using a well known landmark, or something that shows your skills, and send it out to prospective clients with a product offer. Part of that offer should include a location option where you can photograph several people in the business. See the vendor page for business card suppliers.[Back]

CAKE PHOTOGRAPHY - Cake artisans are quite proud of their work and often are very disappointed with their own snapshots and would often welcome good photographs of their work. When photographing cakes and decorations strive for a simple background and use a 3-1 lighting ratio. This background could be a simple muslin that you carry with you. When taking the photographs, try overexposing one stop to compensate for all white cakes, and underexpose for dark cakes. When looking for customers, remember that there are a lot of people working part-time in the cake business and no two cakes are ever exactly alike. Check the local cake shops for message boards where you can advertise your service. When delivering the prints be sure that your studio name appears prominently on the front of the photograph. These cake photographs will be viewed by brides who may not have selected their photographer. $ CALENDARS FOR SALE - Calendars are something that everyone needs and uses. They are used more often than any other single item for advertising purposes. You can make money in calendars several ways. For example, a small business, such as a garden shop, would be the perfect promotion for such a business especially if the right photo is used and seasonal planting information is included. Since a small business may need only a hundred or so, going to a four color printer is too expensive. Instead, go to your local color laser-copier shop and work out a deal for a short run of calendars. Everybody wins. The garden shop gets their advertising calendars at an affordable price. You get your name in front of his customers -- free advertising for you. Another way is to approach calendar printers to use your photos. Charge a one time user fee of $25 to $50 for each photo used. Another approach to calendars is to use them as fund raisers. For example, one photographer shot photographs of the local firemen, sold advertising, and then sold them as a charity fund raiser for the retirement fund. [Back]

CALENDARS - ADVERTISING - Make a run of calendars that promote your own photography business. Include photography that highlights your specialty, feature photos of subjects who will become your buyers such as Little League Teams, dance groups, or any well known group. Local landmark shots do well on calendars but do not always have the appeal by themselves to sell the calendars. Another approach is to use calendars as fund raisers or to sell advertising to other businesses. If you have the image files to make an interesting calendar you may find that calendars can be a nice side income. Spend some time talking to printers who can provide you with a lot of information on creating calendars. [Back]

CAMPS - Pictures of kids swimming, horseback riding, sitting around the campfire, etc., are popular in a wide variety of photo markets. Arrange with the head counselor to take a shots of the whole group together and the kids enjoying themselves at camp. Print up plenty of 8x10 images of the groups and see how fast they sell to the kids and parents. If at all possible, get the parents to sign releases of their children in return for a discount on their photograph order. This will give you a great opportunity to build your stock files while working at the camp. If the camp has the facilities, you can even put in a darkroom and let the kids help print the photos or the darkroom can be a chargeable activity. [Back]

CATALOG PHOTOGRAPHY - Manufacturers always have some type of catalog. The catalog may only be a single sheet with a picture of the product, along with a description, or it may be a major publication. While the equipment needed will vary with the job a 4x5 view camera is usually preferred, but 2 1/4 format cameras are also used. Work closely with the client and their printer to determine the type of film and look required for the job. You can get the edge on this specialty by offering your clients more than just fine photography -- offer to handle the printing as well by working with a printer. If you are planning to approach a company you should acquire, when feasible, examples of their product line that you can shoot and use in the presentation. This will enable them to see your work and compare it to what they have received in the past. In addition, it will give you additional experience with their type of product.[Back]

CHARITY FUND RAISERS - There are certain times of the year when charity groups hold fund raisers where Polaroids, or group photographs can be something that will make you and the group money. Even if your income is minimal, the advertising exposure will be valuable and will lead to other jobs. [Back]

CHILDREN'S ID PHOTOS - Children are special people in our lives, and it is extremely important to protect them. As a photographer you can help. Many parents are interested in having photo ID cards made for their children. These are similar to driver's licenses and are a great way for you to make money while helping to ensure the safety of children. One way to get into this area of expertise is to work up with local law enforcement, Department of Motor Vehicles, or a business to sponsor an event which will provide a visual ID for kids. Call the event "Kid IDs", or something obvious. Try to get publicity for the event through the local newspapers, television stations, and radio stations. Public Service announcements of this type usually don't cost anything, and the stations may even want to help sponsor the event. Stores may also be willing to help you get the word out by hanging fliers in their store windows and they may offer to help defray the cost if given credit for their assistance. When trying to pick a location you should plan to have the shoot done in a busy mall location to insure the best traffic and to provide and incentive for stores to provide assistance. Your sitting fee should allow the parents to have two photographs. One for the child and one for the parents. Volunteers can get the information from the parents and type it on the ID card. This should include the child's name, address, phone number, birthday, hair and eye color, height and weight, school, and any other important information about the child. Take the pictures with a Polaroid camera or with the equipment provided by the police department. Then cut the picture to fit on the ID card and run it through a laminating machine. As a side item you could offer a 5 to 10 minute video of the child. The purpose behind this is for further identification purposes should the child get lost. Parents usually have other things on their mind when their child is missing, so the more they can give the police the better it will be. When doing the video be sure to get a full length shot of the child and ask them questions about their name, address, phone number, scars or birthmarks, school, names of their parents and siblings, and anything else that will help to capture their personality and mannerism on tape. Hopefully these will never be used, but it is always nice to have them in case something should ever happen.  [Back]

CHURCH DIRECTORY - Many churches have directories that include photos of each member, the group photos of choir, other activities, as well as the church officers. Other photos that highlight the year's special events such as Easter services, Christmas programs or a special summer camp are usually included. If you have thought about entering this area of photography you should contact Crown Publishing at 1-800-457-7769. [Back]

CHURCH - GROUPS - Most of us think of a church as the single body of people who make up a congregation. Actually, it is comprised of many subgroups, making it an ideal environment for a group photographer. There are choirs, classes, and many activities and celebrations which provide an excellent opportunity for church photographer. Candids of these groups will sell, but are more speculative than arranged photography. It's a good sideline business and a great way to network and get referrals. To start out, polish up your skills in your own church, then branch out to others. Develop a portfolio of quality photos reasonably priced that you can use to attract new business. You might offer to donate 10% of each sale to the church.[Back]

CHURCHES - Photographing churches offers a broad range of money making opportunities. You can shoot an official portrait of the church which can then be marketed to members. Be sure and shoot these with a large enough format to support large prints. Another option is to make plates with the photos on them of the original church building or a planned expansion as a fund raiser. This could become a partnership for you and the church to make money. A book of community churches could be a good selling item in local gift shops and drug stores along with postcards which feature the most interesting architectural structures. A book of churches could also be popular with the Chamber of Commerce or Board of Tourism. In general you should use medium to large format equipment when shooting architectural structures. The larger formats will improve your quality and help you command higher prices. [Back]

CITY GUIDES - Photograph various interesting sites around town and then prepare a photo booklet that shows the site along with legends or stories that make the site unique. Combine advertising space with these photographs from local merchants and you will have a brochure that can be sold or given away at hotels, travel agencies, or local craft fairs. [Back]

COLLEGE CAMPUS - College days are said by many to be a highpoint in their life. Parties, mixers, dances, alumni weekends, parents weekend and many other activities are all activities where a photographer can make a profit. After all, who wants to walk around a party with a camera all night when they are trying to have fun? For the photographer willing to risk the wrath of these partygoers, there is a lot of profit to be made. Campus organizations such as sororities and fraternities will often hire a photographer to take pictures at these events, or will work with a photographer who is willing to shoot on speculation. To get started contact the social director and make arrangements such as time and place and how proofs and orders will be handled. The chairman often takes on the responsibility of picking up proofs, dropping off orders, and picking up pictures when the orders are ready to be delivered. Another option is to handle the transactions by mail, but you must be sure to have the correct name of the contact person and address of the organization to ensure prompt delivery by the post office. A location charge is common for these events. Charge a location fee for each event and collect the money in advance. An hour and a half to two hours should be enough time to cover the event. Make your way around the room, taking candid pictures of everyone. If you don't, someone will be upset and you may not be hired again. Bring extra film so you won't run out and have to cut your time at the function short. Provide the organization with proof or contacts with each individual image carefully numbered. This proof sheet should include the name of the organization and college, the date, and the title or theme of the event. Be sure to provide order forms to help make ordering simple. Give the group a deadline with a price break to encourage prompt orders. If possible, try to have the organization collect the money and pay you to minimize the number of checks you have to deal with. 4 X 6 is a good professional looking format for this type of photography. If you have access to the right processing lab, you can include a small border at the bottom with the name of the organization, the date, and the title or theme of the event. If not, ALBUMS INC. has a very reasonable charge for gold stamping. Depending on the size of the group, you can make $200 or more in orders from one event. Multiply that amount by other functions you cover for the same organization and other groups they recommend to you during the year, and it can add up to thousands. [Back]

CONTESTS - Watch newspapers and photo magazines for contest announcements. Read the rules carefully, study past winners for the judges' trends. Plan your entries as carefully as you would any high-paying assignment. Planning your shot will give you an edge over the photographers who just visit their files and look for something close. [Back]

CONTESTS - LAB SPONSORED - Many national labs have special promotions that are held during the year to drum up business for themselves by giving you a baby-beauty contest that you can advertise for more business and cash prizes. Check the pro-magazines for labs that you can contact and inquire about their annual contests.   [Back]

CONTRACT PHOTOGRAPHY - One way to make money without all the administration costs associated with maintaining a studio or home office is to become a contract photographer. Customarily photographers are either paid on a per roll basis or on an hourly basis. Before accepting this type of assignment be sure that all the details and expectations have been worked out and are in writing. Another approach is a per project fee plus actual expenses. The project fee is your profit. It can be based on hours worked, the complexity of the photography or even a commission or royalty fee. Commissions and royalties can often amount to big money over the long haul. When doing this kind of work keep in mind that you are work for hire and you are giving up all rights to the negatives so price accordingly. [Back]

CONVENTIONS - GROUPS - Many conventions have groups that come from quite a distance and that rarely see each other. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, or similar organization, to find out what conventions are upcoming and then contact the organizational contact. Offer, at no charge, to come to the convention and photograph the displays or large groups. Offer to supply newsletter prints at no charge in return for having your presence announced and listed in the program. As you photograph the large groups you should take orders for the prints at that time while the emotion of the moment is high. One excellent way to do that is to use small envelopes with your business card attached. They take your card, put the money on the inside, and provide their name and address on the outside. BOOTH PHOTOGRAPHS - Go to conventions and shoot pictures of each booth. If you can, work out a deal with a 1-hour lab, have them proof everything to a 5x7, and then return to the convention to sell the prints. To help make this be successful pay attention to: 1. Pricing - shop until you find a lab that will give you large proofs at a low cost. 2. Timing - Do this as early as possible in the convention while the people are still fresh. 3. Good people skills when taking the photographs and selling them. If you can, try to get an exclusive on the service by offering prints to the sponsor. [Back]

COPIES - ARTWORK - Artist often require a copy of their work for copyright purposes, catalogs, or for selling prints of the paintings. Try advertising in local art magazines and attend craft shows handing out your price list. An equipment tip for this one is to use polarized lighting. This will help you eliminate reflections while giving an image with punch. Your local dealer can set you up with the light and camera equipment combination. Once you have the polarized lighting setup you should experiment with different mediums to learn the details of making copies. These "experiments" will then provide you with a portfolio. PHOTOGRAPHS - Offering a photo copy service to the elderly, or local genealogy groups, can be very lucrative. Try advertising in magazines like AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), or in local senior citizen magazines. Once people know that you perform the service and you will find a good market. As a benefit try offering a pickup and delivery service for orders over a certain number. You will find that people will add photographs to their order just to qualify for the convenience. For more information on copying photographs see the HOW-To section. COPY WORK FOR MUSEUMS - Provide copy services to places such as historical museums and parks, the Chamber of Commerce, and even libraries. Often these historical places have old photographs, some may even be originals, of important people, places, and events in history. In most cases these pictures are extremely old and therefore the negatives have either been damaged or no longer exist. In order for these prints to be of any educational value the images must be copied for preservation and future use. It is extremely important to have the proper equipment A Macro lens will make the job easier by providing you with the ability to recapture the extensive detail in these pictures. Offer to do the copywork on site. This will ensure that the original photos will not be lost or damaged if you were to take them out of the building. Take several shots of each photo or document to be sure you have a good quality copy for future use. Give the institution the rights to all pictures, slides, and negatives after you have processed the film. This will make it easy for the people at the institution to provide other interested parties with photos if requested. Charge a modest fee for this service, $40 for a roll of 36 exposures with a minimum of two rolls. For this fee, supply the use of your equipment and the film (either Kodak T-MAX 100 b/w or Kodak 160 Tungsten for slides). The institution pays all of the processing costs and makes their own arrangements for any copies after you have completed the original job. The advantage of copy photography for the institution is that it allows for copies to be used in long term display so that the originals can be placed in dark and safe storage, thus prolonging the "life" of the image. For the photographer, the advantage is that you provide a service for these institutions and make money where there is very little competition. [Back]

CRAFT SHOWS - JIGSAW PUZZLES - Take a photograph with special appeal mount it on thin wood or thick cardboard, using dry mounting tissue. Then cut the mounted picture into interlocking shapes with a bandsaw. Check the vendor list for two companies that offer this service. [Back]

CRAFT SHOWS - There are a lot of ideas that can go to craft shows. Watch the photo magazines and look for ideas that you can use to set your photographs off. If you create photographs that are artistic you may be able to have a printer with a color copier create sellable images that you can sell very inexpensively. One suggestion, consider volume selling. You will sell more photographs when people can make their purchase with pocket change. One idea might be using creative distortion to add originality and beauty to your work. Since you compete with thousands of other able craftsmen in the freelance market, you often need something truly different to be successful. Distortion can be obtained by shooting through various materials such as old window panes, bottles, plastic sheets, glass coated with petroleum jelly, etc. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Now and then, you should come up with a real gem as a reward for your efforts. [Back]

DARKROOM RENTAL - Most photographers don't have the space for a darkroom, but would love to be able to do their own developing and printing. If you have a good darkroom you could rent it by the hour, or by the day. You could also offer instructions, paper and chemicals for an extra charge. [Back]

DAY CARE - PROMOTIONAL - Day Care Centers are a great way for you to help someone else while making money for yourself. Often these day care centers advertise their services in the local newspaper or in community magazine. Photographs add impact to those ads by showing their facilities and the children having fun. Pictures often get the attention of the reader, thus more business as a result of effective advertising. By teaming up with day care centers to take pictures for promotional ads you can make money by charging for the service and selling photographs to parents. Be sure and get releases and keep the negatives in your files, for later orders when the daycare needs images for web sites or teaching tools for the classes. By taking the day care's advertising photos you can develop your own profits from a small job. If you do a good job for them, you will gain their respect and most likely their continued business. From that point you can solicit other day care centers and earn even more money. [Back]