Photography business

Posted by Felix Okoli on Saturday October 6, 2012 at 9:53:1:

The photography business is always profitable in Nigeria and this is one of the coolest businesses one can do with little or no capital and that doesn't mean that you can't do more with bigger capital. I've seen small startup photographers run a good business even from a small shop and I've seen well established ones open up large offices and even complete duplexes for just a studio. So whichever way you look at it, photography business is open to the small and big investors.

What it involves
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It is really all about taking pictures and the better you are at striking a good balance between light and your lenses and the background, the better your work would be appreciated. In Nigeria, one doesn't really need to have a professional certificate or training to become a photography as it is still largely unregulated and open to everyone. I think you may just have to register as a member of your association and then pay your taxes to the govt and you're good to go although it pays to be properly trained by an expert.

Basic Things you will need to run a Photography business
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- Digital Cameras
- Office
- Lighting
- Photo Printer
- Photo paper
- Running capital
- Studio room
- Computer (Desktop or Laptop)

How the money comes in
As a photographer, you can rake in some good money by offering a wide range of services or just sticking to specific services.

Services you can offer include:
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- Passport photos: about N50($0.3) per unit
- Portrait photos: about N100($0.6) per unit
- Event coverage
- Visa lottery photos
- Digital photos

I think the most popular service people request for is passport photos and this is by young people still in school.

How much can one make?
Think of it, if you can provide passport pictures at a rate of N200 for 4 units, then you can make N1m from selling 5000 batches of 4 units each. You just need to be where the market is, offer the right price and quality and deliver on time. I know one place in a university where they offer wait and take digital passports and these are readily available in as little as 10 mins and the quality is good.

There are many photography businesses and outlets in Nigeria and not all of them offer the same quality and price but it's good to offer good quality and with less time in order to retain a lot of customers in the long run.