Photographer Business Resources
- Stock photography websites can be a big asset to a photographer's business, since they allow you to present your freelance photography on the Internet and offer it to clients. Stock photography websites let photographer choose the pricing for their photographs and the rights for sale. The stock photography site typically takes anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of each sale, but that may be a price worth paying if your photos sell. iStock, Shutterpoint and Getty Images are examples of these types of websites.
- Losing your work can be devastating to a photographer, both financially and on a creative level. It's important to keep your images convenient and safe. There are a number of services (some free) you can use to archive and back up your work to ensure its safekeeping should something ever happen to your computer.
- Photographers need equipment that's often specific to particular jobs and expensive. Many photographers rely on local photography shops, but there are a number of Internet photography supply stores that may offer better deals on equipment and supplies, especially if you purchase in bulk. Before you give your business to a local enterprise, it can be wise to consider a larger Internet supplier that may be able to give you better pricing and has access to a wider range of products.
- Although your photographs are protected by copyright as soon as you take them, it's still a good idea to register your photographs with the U.S. Copyright Office. This can help prove your authorship and allow you to sue for infringement if your work is ever used without your permission. Additionally, there are web services that can help provide watermarking and identification of your photographs that will make it easier to detect usage of them without your permission. You can do this yourself as well, using software that creates watermarks that identify your photos and make it difficult for others to use them without contacting you first.