There are so many ways to become self-employed nowadays, and one of such is the photography business.
The most interesting part about it is that you can start the business on your own with some YouTube tutorials, and all you need is a good camera and you will be able to scale through the industry.

Before you start up, it will be worthy to take note of the fact that the photography business is a very competing one.

An average town in Nigeria has more than 15 photo studios, I've been to Owerri, Asaba, Orlu, Aba, Umuahia, Calabar and several other cities and you will always see studios spread all around.

The second thing is that people have mighty smartphones now, and you cannot go so far with a low-budget camera.

There is a lot to the business other than just taking photos, and we'd be seeing them below;

How To Start A Digital Photography Business In Nigeria

In order to begin your own digital photography business, you have to;

• Choose a niche

You can't just dive into the business without first knowing what kind of photos you will be taking. Do you want to become an event photographer? Do you intend selling nature photos to stock image websites and businesses who would be needing them?

Do you want to include videoing to your own trade? It's all up to you! This will help you stand out from the crowd and pursue your calling effectively.

• Buy the right tools and equipment

You can start your photo studio with iPhone or any other smart device, no matter how bright their cameras may be. One of the first things you need to budget for is a good camera, and you can get a very nice one from Jumia or Konga for only ₦180,000.

There are other more affordable ones, but a photographer friend gave the range of prices for the best professional cameras.

You also need other items like your camera tripod, laptop and software, external flash, SD memory cars, prime lens, cleaning kits and camera bag.

Learn how to shoot photos in manual mode

At first it will be worth a lot of headache, but you will surely master it with time. It will help you understand light, and once you are through with this, you can be able to take stunning photos.

Learning this will help you deal with other tricky situations associated with light situations that the auto cannot handle.

• Build your photography portfolio

After getting the essentials and learning the craft, it is time to build your portfolio. Take good photos of people, places and events, depending on your niche.

It is very advisable you create a website and social media pages also, they build the first impression and you can be getting a majority of your customers from the internet.

• Create your business plan

A business plan will help you plan yourself well to avoid un-calculated risks. You need to invest in so many things, including your equipment, shop and advertisements.

A business plan will help you effectively plan the way you channel money into a particular part of the business for better profits.

• Register your business

Before or a few moments after launching your business, it is advisable you register it with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

You can begin the processes from their official website. You have to make an initial payment of ₦800 to search and secure the name for 6 months, then register it with ₦17,000.

• Invest in advertising your business

You might need to spend a little on advertising, especially to create awareness to people staying close by of your new business.

Banners, posters and sign-posts will be okay for your offline ads, while you need to invest in Google and social media ads for your online ads.

• Deliver your work very well to retain your customers

When customers come, try to make them feel at home. Flatter them a little, while maintaining professionalism. Tell them they are so beautiful, and handsome too for the guys! Who doesn't like hearing that?

Deliver the photos on time and in the best quality, and they will tell their friends about you.

 Photography is a very lucrative business and can be making you more than ₦200,000 monthly if done properly.

Make sure you credit yourself to your works too, and your customers will proudly be advertising you on their social media handles.

Thanks a lot for reading along. What do you think? Kindly drop us a comment and don't forget to share to your friends.

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