A pet photography business is a wonderful way to make a living. These days, people are spending more and more on their pets and there is an increasing number who look to get treasured photographs of their pets, be they portraits or action shots. If you are considering running a new pet photography business then there are a number of things that you need to consider.

Types Of Pet

The most common pet photography requests are for dogs. The next most common is for cats but they number far fewer than dogs. Whether you choose to photograph other pets such as reptiles and rodents is up to you but you will not lose much business if you decline to do such work.

Location

Pet photographs are split into roughly two main types.

The first type is shot in a studio. These do not differ much from family portrait shots. In this respect, pets are similar to children i.e. unpredictable. Be prepared for this before you start snapping away.

The other main type are on-location shots e.g. at the beach, in a person's home. These can be either posed or action shots. You will need to carry equipment with you such as a tripod and some basic lighting equipment so you may want to look into the most portable options available to you.

Investments

You can expect to pay around $1,000 for a good camera and other essential equipment. You may also want to allocate around $200 for initial advertising costs.

Education

If you are totally new to cameras then all is not lost. The technical aspects of taking a great shot are not so difficult to grasp and a good course or book should serve you well.

Credibility

Something you should work on creating right from the start is a good portfolio of your existing work. Without being able to demonstrate your existing skills, nobody will hire you. On the flip side, a good portfolio will convert many interested parties into buyers. You may also want to showcase a small section showing your other skills e.g. family portrait photography. In this way you may be able to generate additional business simply by giving people ideas and inspiration.

A portfolio will serve not just to showcase your talents but will also allow you to practice and develop your camera skills.