If you’re a keen photographer or an entrepreneur looking to set up an online business to make some extra money, this article may help. We take a look at several different photography-based business ideas that you can use to make yourself more money on the side or as your primary profession.

Pet photography

Pet lovers adore their pets and will happily pay to get professional photos taken of them. If you love to work with pets and understand how to take a good picture, this can be a great business idea. Pets photography can be more challenging as your subject might only stand or sit still for a short time. However, most people love their pets so much that they will like every picture you take as long as they’re in focus.

Baby and child photography

Parents love to document their children’s journey, from when they are a baby to adulthood. A popular way people do this is to get professional photographs taken at pivotal moments in their childhood. People will cherish and keep these photographs for their entire life. There isn’t too much set-up needed to start this kind of photography business, an area for a back-drop, some seasonal props, a good camera and decent lighting. You might also need to purchase some photo editing software, but many budding photographers will already have software they can utilise.

Personalised greeting cards

Personalised greeting cards are very popular; they offer people something more than a standard greeting card. Many online services already offer the ability to upload pictures so you can create personalised greeting cards. This business idea is very competitive, with a few market leaders taking the majority of the demand. However, this doesn’t mean there isn’t room for other companies to start operating in the same space. If you’re able to differentiate your personalised greeting card business, you may be able to create a profitable business. 

Photography printing

If taking photos isn’t in your skill set, you can set up a business printing photography instead. Many people will happily pay to upload their photos online and get them printed and delivered to their door. People want their photos printed on standard photography paper, but there is also a huge demand for other photography products. You could offer printing on t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, socks, photography boxes and much more. There are so many ways you can use photos to personalise products for customers. This business will require investment to purchase the printing machinery needed for the various materials, but it can be very profitable if you can offer printing services at a reasonable price. 

Photography courses

If you have many years of photography experience, you could start your own photography course. Students will pay to learn how to take the perfect picture and what techniques they can use to enhance their photos. You could create a series of courses to teach students different elements and techniques. This will encourage the people who have enjoyed your course to come back again and participate in another course.

Wedding photography

Many people consider their wedding to be one of the happiest moments of their lives and something they want to remember forever. Most people will hire a professional photographer for their wedding so they can get the best shots of their guests, themselves and the bridal party. If you’re new to wedding photography, it can be challenging to get started without a portfolio to back you up. Many people start by taking pictures at their friends’ weddings at a discounted rate so they can build a portfolio to use to gain more business. Weddings can be intense, but they’re also well-paid, and a good wedding photographer can make a lot of money from one or two weddings per month. 

Photography is something that will always be a big part of everyone’s lives, and with social media being very popular, there are even more opportunities for those with professional photography skills to make money. These are just some ideas that utilise photography and photographs as part of business products or services. There are also many other areas of photography that you can explore if you’re interested in becoming your own boss and starting up a business.