Where to Find Cheap Disposable Cameras

There are many kinds of disposable cameras. All disposable cameras are already inexpensive, but there are some that are even more of a bargain than others. While individual disposable cameras are almost always affordable, sometimes the price becomes an issue when many need to be bought at once, such as for a wedding. Aside from that, it’s always nice to get the best price possible, even if you’re buying a single camera.

There are many sources for disposable cameras online, such as eBay. The way to get the best possible price per camera is to buy them in bulk. There are many retailers that cater to brides and grooms and offer good bulk prices, or even specific wedding packages. Typically, the more they buy, the better - the greater the quantity, the lower the price per camera.

Just remember that a discount disposable camera may or may not have a flash, and may not have the limited perks and options that are usually offered with disposable cameras such as processing with a CD. Typically they have 27 exposures each. Apparently some companies use generic (often reused) disposable cameras — these are not as good as new unused ones.

Your best bet is to buy in quantity or bulk to get wholesale prices for your cheap disposable camera. Look for specials and sales too. Disposable cameras can be found for as little as $2.00 for a daylight camera (with no flash.) When the prices are already so low it can seem like a waste of time to look for a lower price yet, but there are some amazing deals out there. And it can be especially important to find good deals when you need to buy a large quantity. The good news is, those deals are out there. Packages designed for weddings can be especially cheap, but of course they can be used for any large event — family reunions, graduations, school functions - the sky’s the limit.

Disposable Underwater Cameras

Disposable digital and film cameras (also called single-use cameras) provide a cheap and easy alternative for photographers. They offer an option for times when you don’t want to risk your expensive equipment but you do want to take some photographs. For example, what could be a scarier combination for a photographer than an expensive piece of camera equipment and water? While professional underwater photographers (or serious hobbyists) are willing to spend a lot of money on their underwater cameras, what about the rest of us? Disposable underwater cameras offer an inexpensive alternative. After all, we may only want to take pictures one time on a snorkeling vacation. Why should we have to buy or rent a lot of expensive equipment?

Disposable underwater cameras are ideal for a wide variety of outdoor adventures where water, sand and rough use might come into play. Use them underwater, (many models are actually waterproof from 15 to as much as 50 feet underwater) but also use them above water for many outdoor shots in sunshine or on a light cloudy day at the beach, the pool, or even the desert.

An underwater disposable camera can also be called an all-weather camera since it is ready for anything at anytime. It’s ideal for shooting outdoors in wet and even snowy conditions. Think of it as not only waterproof but also weatherproof, allowing you to use it to get some great shots in the great outdoors. Use it in the rain, on the slopes, on a boat or in the ocean. Use it while snorkeling, skiing, fishing, boarding, or surfing. Take great photos of sunsets, wildlife, waterfalls or crashing waves.

The disposable underwater camera you buy should be extremely durable and rugged. It should be easy to grip and take pictures, even with gloves on. It should fit in your pocket, beach bag or purse.

Most of these cameras are pre-loaded with 400-speed film with 27 exposures, and include a shock resistant, heavy-duty housing that floats. They are cheap (you can pick up a disposable underwater camera for about $6.00 to $20.00) and even cheaper if you buy them wholesale in quantity.

Not all underwater cameras come with a flash. To get really nice underwater images, your best bet is an external strobe so you won’t create “”backscatter”" (which looks like snow or dirt in your pictures). Also remember when taking your photos, especially when snorkeling, to keep the sun behind you and to take advantage of that beautiful blue clear water. With a disposable underwater camera you really can take great pictures anywhere and at anytime.

Disposable Cameras Info provides detailed information about digital, wedding, and underwater disposable cameras, as well as cheap and wholesale disposable cameras. Disposable Cameras Info is the sister site of Underwater Cameras Web.

Where to Find Cheap Disposable Cameras

There are many kinds of disposable cameras. All disposable cameras are already inexpensive, but there are some that are even more of a bargain than others. While individual disposable cameras are almost always affordable, sometimes the price becomes an issue when many need to be bought at once, such as for a wedding. Aside from that, it’s always nice to get the best price possible, even if you’re buying a single camera.

There are many sources for disposable cameras online, such as eBay. The way to get the best possible price per camera is to buy them in bulk. There are many retailers that cater to brides and grooms and offer good bulk prices, or even specific wedding packages. Typically, the more they buy, the better - the greater the quantity, the lower the price per camera.

Just remember that a discount disposable camera may or may not have a flash, and may not have the limited perks and options that are usually offered with disposable cameras such as processing with a CD. Typically they have 27 exposures each. Apparently some companies use generic (often reused) disposable cameras — these are not as good as new unused ones.

Your best bet is to buy in quantity or bulk to get wholesale prices for your cheap disposable camera. Look for specials and sales too. Disposable cameras can be found for as little as $2.00 for a daylight camera (with no flash.) When the prices are already so low it can seem like a waste of time to look for a lower price yet, but there are some amazing deals out there. And it can be especially important to find good deals when you need to buy a large quantity. The good news is, those deals are out there. Packages designed for weddings can be especially cheap, but of course they can be used for any large event — family reunions, graduations, school functions - the sky’s the limit.

Disposable Cameras Info provides detailed information about digital, wedding, and underwater disposable cameras, as well as cheap and wholesale disposable cameras. Disposable Cameras Info is the sister site of Underwater Cameras Web.

How to Buy Wholesale Disposable Cameras

Wholesale disposable cameras are disposable cameras bought in quantity. Bulk disposable cameras are the best single-use camera deal online. If you really want to save money, disposable digital and disposable film cameras can be bought wholesale, in quantity.

This is a great idea for many events such as weddings, where they can be provided as a table favor for each guest to have fun with at the reception. One company offers these for $11.95 per camera (this is for a quantity 20 or more and includes the cameras, the processing, place cards and instructions for the place settings and it also includes a free photo web site). In general, a higher quantity will allow for a lower item price.

Wholesale disposable cameras or bulk disposable cameras usually offer 27 exposures and 400 to 800 ASA film speed. They sometimes come with a flash, and may be for indoor/outdoor use. Sometimes cameras come with images imprinted on them, and this external decoration (which does not affect the performance) can affect the price. Look for out-of-season images, such as an American flag in December or a Christmas tree in July.

Even disposable cameras with many features can be had for good prices if bought in bulk and/ or wholesale. For example, a re-loadable underwater sports camera with a flash, 27 exposures and 400 ASA speed can be found for under $5 if bought in bulk (25 or more).

There are many sources online, such as eBay. When ordering, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for, outdated, short-dated, or re-used cameras.

There are many options available through wholesale; buy bulk disposable cameras to get the very best price for many occasions such as weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, holidays, New Year’s, school proms, retirement dinners, business events, conventions, reunions, dances - the possibilities are endless.

Disposable Cameras Info provides detailed information about digital, wedding, and underwater disposable cameras, as well as cheap and wholesale disposable cameras. Disposable Cameras Info is the sister site of Underwater Cameras Web.

June 25, 2007 | Filed Under Photography

A Guide to Underwater Cameras

There are two types of underwater camera systems: an “”amphibious”" camera, which is a self-contained waterproof system, and an SLR land camera with waterproof housing. Amphibious systems are small, compact, and easy to travel with, while SLRs offer more advanced features, such as auto-focus, advanced exposure control, and through-the-lens viewing.

The “”amphibious”" cameras are probably best for those of you who want a simple, easy-to-use point-and-shoot camera. Amphibious systems usually have a built-in lens and they will take pictures on land as well as underwater. They also have an automatic film load and advance and are generally compact, lightweight, and rugged.

If you are a more serious photographer and want the advantages of a single-lens reflex camera you will probably be happier with a land camera in waterproof underwater housing.

As a new underwater photographer you need to know the difference between taking pictures on land and underwater. The difference is what you are shooting through to take the picture. Air is transparent, whereas water is not. Light does not travel in a straight path underwater like it does in air. Water is denser and it includes particles of sand, plankton, and other debris which scatter, reflect, and absorb light.

You should know that all your underwater equipment needs and requires special care. Salt, sun, dirt and improper storage can damage a camera. Even though all your new stuff is made from rugged materials built for underwater use, it still needs to be rinsed in fresh water after every use. Saltwater should never be allowed to dry on the joints of the controls and metal fittings. Salt is your system’s number one enemy. Do not rinse with a hose. The high pressure may actually force salt crystals and sand into crevices. Use only soft lens tissues or photographic lens cloths on the lenses.

The most important thing you need to know about your underwater camera care is how to clean and lubricate the O-ring after every use. The O-Ring creates a watertight seal to protect your equipment from water, and so it is very important. The seal must be flawless- with no scratches, cuts, sand, hair - nothing on its surface. If it is not, the underwater photo equipment will be ruined. Water must be kept out! When in doubt about the sealing capability of an O-ring, always throw it out and replace with a new one.

Both your camera and your flash will need a watertight housing. You can use a flash fill-in to brighten underwater subjects at close range. Even with large flash units, though, light does not extend beyond 12 feet. The maximum effective distance of most flashes is four to five feet. Subjects farther away will not appear very colorful. Don’t forget you need to wait for your flash to recycle.

Assess conditions underwater before you dive and set aperture and shutter speed before entering the water.

The best time to take pictures without using a flashgun is between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun is overhead. To capture sunrays with the subject in silhouette, face the sun. Close-up shots of fish are best taken at night–the fish are sleepy and not as active

The Benefits of Underwater Digital Cameras

Underwater digital cameras are fun and easy to use under the water and great above the water as well. Use your underwater digital camera in all kinds of weather, for many activities and in a variety of locations that could be either wet or wild.

Are underwater digital cameras better than the film underwater cameras? It’s up to you to decide. The digital camera cannot run out of film. It has the ability to delete bad shots or change to a lower resolution if you need extra shots.

They have better (up to 4 times) depth of field. This is also great for wide-angle photography in low light conditions. Shooting with film at f4 would typically produce fuzzy backgrounds and edges. The same scene shot in digital will give you sharp photos

When using a strobe, most film cameras are limited to shutter speeds of 1/60th - 1/250th of a second. The new consumer digital cameras don’t have mechanical shutters and will sync at speeds up to 1/800th of a second. Therefore, you can shoot in bright shallow water where high f-stops would make strobes ineffective. Higher shutter speed options allow you to keep your f-stop at a better setting. These high shutter speeds are also great for freezing light rays and fast action.

35mm zoom lenses don’t do well underwater. They are bad at close-focus. The built-in lens in the new digital systems offer a large zoom range with minimum focus ability to 8 inches or less. So if you had a new digital camera and a high quality aspheric housing port, you could take a 100degree wide-angle shot and zoom into 1:3 macro shot without changing lenses. Who likes to change lenses all the time?

Underwater digital cameras are small and lightweight, and the quality is comparable to film if you go for the higher resolution shots. Scans and digital camera images require a small amount of sharpening in Adobe PhotoShop®. Just apply the “”unsharp mask”" filter for an instant improvement.

Underwater digital cameras are not perfect, however and like video, the cameras have a tough time with high contrast scenes. Also, it’s fairly expensive to transfer your digital files to slides if you are interested in having your images presented in slide shows. However, most digital cameras allow you to plug directly into a television for image display. And there are digital projectors on the market that produce brilliant images and even professional presentations complete with audio tracks.

Unfortunately the underwater digital camera has not fixed the one worst digital camera problem: when you press the shutter release, the camera will not immediately take the picture. This shutter delay could be a problem–fish swim fast.

If you’re just starting with underwater photography, it would probably be best to purchase a digital underwater camera instead of a film underwater camera. The instant feedback of digital imaging will take years off your learning curve. With the 5 megapixel cameras, print qualities are great.

Regardless of your photo experience, think about your goals with underwater imaging. Shooters looking for instant results, quick web posts and prints of 11 in. x 14 in. and smaller will be thrilled with digital. Digital is probably the best solution for all new shooters that are comfortable with computers. Instant feedback is always great.

If you are still not sure, however, try out the equipment before you buy it. Take a class with demo gear and instruction. Then buy something wonderful and go out and have a great time with your new digital underwater camera.

Underwater Cameras Info provides detailed information on underwater cameras, including underwater digital cameras, underwater video cameras, and underwater fishing cameras, as well as underwater camera housing and cases. Underwater Cameras Info is the sister site of Disposable Cameras Web.

The Advantages of Underwater Camera Housing

You will need an underwater camera housing to keep your valuable camera dry. This is a very important piece of equipment.

When shopping for underwater camera housings, you may choose from single lens reflex (SLR) housings and digital housings. As a general rule, most underwater housings for compact digital cameras use externally mounted wide-angle lenses. These lenses are actually quite good for their low price and offer 100 degree wide-angle coverage and macro down to 1:1 (life-size) reproduction. Since these cameras have built-in zoom lenses, they are quite flexible and can be used for a large variety of subjects. Most of these lenses can be added or removed while underwater and therefore allow you to be ready for anything.

Check your underwater camera housing to see how many feet it is rated (its maximum working depth underwater). Will the camera be adequately and safely protected during use in rugged environments? Does it have injection-molded plastic? Is it constructed to take the rigorous environments that underwater photographers and outdoor photographer’s experience, and will it protect digital cameras in these demanding activities?

Just as most underwater video manufacturers limit their design efforts to Sony cameras, the majority of still housing systems are built around the Nikon line. Although Canon has increased in popularity with topside professionals, few underwater housings are offered for Canon systems.

For your underwater camera housing, you will want something durable. It should be made from machined aluminum, black type III ‘hard’ anodize finish, and sealed with a nickel-acetate process, have no sticking buttons or faulty electronic controls, use quality optics with clarity, sharpness and no vignetting (cutoff dark corners) to spoil your images. It should allow you to change lenses underwater from wide to macro with a MultiPort and include lighting options.

Underwater Cameras Info provides detailed information on underwater cameras, including underwater digital cameras, underwater video cameras, and underwater fishing cameras, as well as underwater camera housing and cases. Underwater Cameras Info is the sister site of Disposable Cameras Web.

June 25, 2007 | Filed Under Photography

Applications of Underwater Video Camera

There’s so much you can do with an underwater video camera. If you enjoy snorkeling or diving, you can use the camera to show your friends and family the beautiful tropical fish, colorful coral reefs, and other underwater treasures you encountered on your vacation.

But that isn’t all. Videotape the children (and adults) swimming at the ocean, lake or pool. This could help them improve their swimming techniques or record their very first swim. Or you could plant your underwater video camera on the bottom of your pool and enjoy all the underwater swimming and games played on the VCR.

You could put this camera in your aquarium and see the fish and water life from another view on your television across the room.

Many people use underwater video cameras for fishing, ice fishing and boating. Think of this: You can actually see the type and quantity of fish below the water surface or find out what the conditions are like beneath your boat. Are there weeds, rocks, or sand? You could also inspect damaged propellers. All you have to do is attach your underwater video camera to your boat hook or fishing pole.

Your underwater video camera should connect to most camcorders TVs, VCRs, portable monitors and LCD screens with AV inputs.

You can also record everything on your computer with an underwater video camera. All you need is something called a Grabbee Video Grabber. Then you connect the camera to your lap top and record.

How far can you see using an underwater video camera? About 10% farther than a diver can. Water clarity plays more of a role than the depth and available light. Typical viewing distance of an underwater video camera will range from 3 feet (very poor visibility) to 50 or 60 feet (excellent visibility).

You should have a choice of a color camera or black and white. In the past black and white cameras were much more light sensitive and were a better camera to use underwater. This is not the case any longer. Today’s color video cameras are very light sensitive and can produce a very nice image in low light. So price is really the major consideration when choosing a black and white or a color camera.

During the day most underwater video cameras will operate on natural light to about 100 feet in most water conditions. Beyond 100 feet or at night you will need to use the auxiliary lights.

A Guide to Underwater Camera Cases

If you are buying a new underwater camera or video camera, you will need an underwater camera case. And this case needs to be watertight, airtight, dustproof, crush resistant and designed to keep your valuable equipment safe from all the elements. It may also be rustproof, pest-proof, and chemical resistant to oils, fuels and solvents. It may have flame retardant included and be molded with a UV stabilizer, making it ultraviolet resistant. (This will prevent the plastic from becoming brittle if left in the sun for extended periods of time.)

Some of the best cases are subjected to a 24 hour submersion tests, manufactured to exceed of 400 lbs of stacking, and a drop test at 48 inches.

Some have a “”pressure release purge valve”" that guarantees a perfect seal by incorporating its own O-Ring under one of the latches. And you will never forget to set the valve since it automatically activates when closing the case. Pressure is released as you open the latch.

Removable Accuform foam may be included with your underwater camera case. This is vertically pre-scored, high-density foam that is easily formed to provide a snug fit to protect your equipment from the abuse of your toughest adventure.

Underwater Cameras Info provides detailed information on underwater cameras, including underwater digital cameras, underwater video cameras, and underwater fishing cameras, as well as underwater camera housing and cases. Underwater Cameras Info is the sister site of Disposable Cameras Web.

June 25, 2007 | Filed Under Photography

Infrared Photography and the Car Thief - Successful Digital Imaging

Infrared photography is sometimes placed on the outside edge of the mainstream photographic world. To the uninitiated observer infrared photography conjures up television images of car thieves speeding away from police helicopters during the dark hours of the night, only to be caught hiding beneath bushes beside a darkened home as their hot bodies light up the camera monitor in the police chopper like Bedouin camel herders atop a Sahara sand dune.

In recent times professional photographers have made use of infrared film predominantly for black and white portraits. However infrared photography is now not out of the realm of possibility for the average amateur photographer. Digital cameras are now providing the clever photographer with the opportunity to create beautiful infrared images at a fraction of the cost when compared to film.

Not all (or more accurately - not many) digital cameras are set up to be able to shoot infrared images.

So how do you know if your digital camera can shoot infrared images?

This is a simple one to answer!

Point your digital camera at a television remote control and take a photograph of the infrared sensor that’s located at one end of the remote while pressing buttons on the control to send out an infrared beam. If your camera can shoot an image of the infrared light being emitted from the LED of the TV remote control then you are on your way to producing an infrared image!

It’s not enough to simply have any old digital camera for shooting infrared images. The type of digital camera that you’ve purchased will determine whether infrared images will be successful. Your camera should be at least a semi-professional digital or digital SLR-type with screw fittings to be able to connect filters to the lens.

The lenses of the cheaper and smaller digital cameras don’t usually support fittings for filters so may not be appropriate for digital infrared imaging. Check your camera’s documentation to see if it will accommodate filters.

Next you will require an infrared filter. The Hoya R70 infrared filter is one of the best and cheapest to buy, however at around US$40 or more it can be out of the price range for most would-be infrared amateurs - especially since you still don’t know if the end-product image will be what you want to achieve! If you’ve got the money to spare (or to blow!) then give it a go.

After purchasing an infrared filter, attach it to your camera, set up a tripod outdoors on a sunny day and shoot away! The first thing you’ll notice is that you can either see nothing or very little through the camera eyepiece.

Your camera will be recording images in the infrared spectrum - not visible light - so you would expect to see very little light through the filter with your own eyes.

Be aware that adding an infrared filter may have serious effects on your camera’s electronics or lens. Consult your camera’s operations manual or manufacturer before fitting any infrared filter to your camera, and never look through an infrared or any other type of filter with your own eyes.

Photo Shop Australia http://www.PhotoShopAustralia.com/ has a large array of infrared example images captured using combinations of shutter speeds, aperture and light sources.

Phill Petrovic is the owner of Photo Shop Australia at: http://www.PhotoShopAustralia.com/

Photo Shop Australia provides unique and amazing Australian nature photography including macro, infrared and landscape images of Australia. Photo Shop Australia also has a page of totally royalty free images available for free download for businesses and personal users.

Infrared Photography and Big City Crime

One of the major problems of the larger cities of the word these days is crime. It appears that the larger the city the more-acceptable serious crime seems to be. If not because to the proliferation of serious crime then because the mindset of its citizens have been conditioned to accept the serious behaviour of a minority of its inhabitants.

So, how does this statement relate to infrared digital photography and the hobbyist or professional camera operator?

Not much escapes the all-seeing eye of the infrared camera of the police helicopter as it chases a carload of thieves down the freeway in the middle of the night. They will almost invariably be caught by the police when they exit their vehicle thanks to the thermal heat imaging of the helicopter’s infrared camera.

Likewise, your own infrared daytime photography should let no entity go unnoticed. After all - you’ve spent a lot of time setting up the shot and composing the image with just the right light, shutter speed and aperture. Your mindset should not be to simply accept inaccuracies and faults with your photograph, but to go that extra step to eliminate them altogether.

Just like the officers in the police chopper, why would you go to great lengths to capture that final important infrared image only to decide at the last second to give up the chase?

Digital infrared photography does have a few things that should be taken into account to ensure your image is as best as could be. The following combination of items will affect your image:

Light, Dust on the infrared filter, Type of infrared filter, Exposure setting, Aperture and Movement of the subject

The digital infrared images at Photo Shop Australia http://www.PhotoShopAustralia.com/ have varying amounts of light, shutter speeds and apertures.

Low light may require longer exposure times if you can’t get the aperture down low enough. This could have a dramatic effect on the final image - especially if you are shooting a subject that may move even slightly.

Dust on the infrared filter will affect the image by producing “blind spots” in the final image. A close inspection of your infrared image in your photo editing software will reveal these. The blind spots can be smudged out of the image easily, but if you have hundreds then it may be more worthwhile to recompose the image than to edit the digital photo.

The type of infrared filter will also determine the outcome of the print. The Hoya R70 filter seems to be the best-priced for digital infrared photography.

Exposure and aperture settings can be played with until you find the best combination for your camera. But keep in mind that usually the higher the F-stop the longer the shutter speed required. So shooting a moving subject at a long shutter speed can result in unwanted effects.

Long shutter speeds (of up to 15 seconds or more) of trees on a windy day can actually produce the most spectacular effects.

We’ve all seen those long exposure night photographs of cars moving along a freeway. Long exposure daytime digital infrared imaging can produce amazing results too. You just have to get creative with your camera and subjects. Think of the possibilities!

Be aware that adding an infrared filter may have serious effects on your camera’s electronics or lens. Consult your camera’s operations manual or manufacturer before fitting any infrared filter to your camera, and never look through an infrared or any other type of filter with your own eyes.

Phill Petrovic is the owner of Photo Shop Australia at: http://www.PhotoShopAustralia.com/Photo Shop Australia provides unique and amazing Australian nature photography including macro, infrared and landscape images of Australia. Photo Shop Australia also has a page of totally royalty free images available for free download for businesses and personal users.

Tiny Cameras, Big Pictures and Make Your Photos Great!

The path to picking a digital camera usually leads to a fork in the road. On one side is the small camera that’s convenient to carry but doesn’t take the sharpest pictures; on the other, a camera that crisply catches all the details and color but is comparatively bulky. Sometimes it’s our fault that our photos didn’t work out; we didn’t notice distracting, extraneous objects in the image or forgot to ask for a certain pose. Sometimes it’s the camera’s fault; as impressive as many of today’s cameras are, they’re not perfect. And sometimes it’s no one’s fault; some lighting situations are just plain impossible to control.

Fortunately, digital photography’s marriage of the camera and the PC has made it easier than ever to get our pictures to match our memories, or even to improve upon them. To do so, you need three things: image-editing software, an understanding of what you can do with that software, and the vision to see what needs to be done to fix your photos.

One way to overcome these problems and still have all the convenience of a pocket sized camera is to learn how to edit photos so that they end up looking professional even though the equipment used wasn’t high end professional photo taking equipment. Go to http://www.abcphotoediting.com and check out their simple to read e-book that takes you through step by step exactly how to sharpen your images, take out any distractions from the photo, improve the lighting, or anything else you’d like to do. This e- book is easy to understand, and very good value!

Start Your Own Photography Business from Home

Anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary skills can set up a home business, marketing photography. You need only to convert a room of your house into an office, and then you can work immediately.

With modern technology in the form of SLR digital cameras, you do not even need the room for a dark room. You need only to have a personal computer and a photo-editing program. The standard is Adobe Photoshop.

It is not necessary to clutter yourself with equipment you do not need. You can hire equipment on and when you need it basis. You have the freedom to work part time for a while until you can devote yourself full time to photography. All you need to be is a serious photographer. There are two types of photographers that makes their living from photography, the serious photographer and the very serious photographer. You can always bookmark this link and then you can quickly access just about all you’ll ever need from here.

Whilst the technical skills needed to make a successful photographer have never been easier, other aspects have changed the business. The market for photographs of virtually every type has widened, the world seems to have an insatiable appetite for photographs. However the price has fallen as the marketing net has broadened. Photographers are needed in many more fields. For instance many people use car web sites, they simply did not exist ten years ago, and they sell their products as a result of photography. Cameras used by scuba diver’s are now an excellent quality, and whilst they are initially expensive, they have forged a new market. People celebrate special occasions more with photography, than they did years ago. The travel and advertising markets have a greater need for landscape, travel and nature shots.

It is now easier than ever to turn your dream into reality and create a worthwhile business out of an engrossing hobby. However in today’s modern world there is more to it than simply pointing a camera, and shooting a picture. You need to be aware of marketing techniques, and here marketing simply means transferring ownership of a product, in this case an image from a buyer to seller. You also need to be aware of any local gaps in the market in your local area. You should also try to be on top of your competitor’s prices, to undercut an existing photographer is one choice, but to neglect to value your skills and not charge enough to cover your overheads is another matter entirely. Remember this, its an important point.

Use your skills to the best advantage of the business and define what you want from it. Writing a business plan helps to keep you focused on the areas you specifically want to exploit. A business plan helps you to define your goals and strategies, it will be changed and updated, but it will help you, to keep things in perspective. You can then refer back to it when things become confusing or complicated. Everyone’s business plan will be different, as every objective will be different, but there are certain common factors that make up a good business plan which will help your business grow. It allows you to develop a professional attitude to your business, which not only helps you to increase your earnings, but also help you to finance your business.

For the photographer it should include, your business name, or your own, with full details of the proposed location of the business, a copy of your logo, as well as details of your copyright notices. What is the form of your proposed business (sole ownership, partnership, Limited Liability Company or Corporation). This should be followed by a table of contents, which focuses on a logical order. There are resources that will give you further details on such as profitable-photography.com

Included after this should be the type of business you intend to pursue, in a fair amount of detail, and it should contain the services you intend to offer. This section should include any future gaols or avenues you would like to explore, stating your clear objectives. This is so you can check at a later date whether your objectives are on course, or if you have got sidetracked.

If you envisage at any time you may need financial help, then you should include your personal business history.

You should also state a clear and concise marketing plan that should demonstrate how your business will differentiate from the businesses of your competitors. You should be able to establish whom your customers will be, as well as where your market will be, as in wholesale or retail or a combination of both. You should also be able to determine how long this type of market will be available to yourself.

The next section should clearly define your opposition, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. This should include the ways you may be able to exploit any gaps in the market in the specific area where you live. A section should follow this on how you intend to market and promote your individual services.

A financial segment should be included as to how you intend to manage the day-to-day bills of the business. How you intend to price your services, and what factors influence this pricing structure, which includes a section on your competitor’s financial structures. This means a fair amount of detective work as well as homework. Get your friends to ask from quotes from the local competition. Or try an even more direct approach, tell your competitor’s that you intend to start a new business, and that you do not want to undercut them, as this reduces the cake for everyone. They may well offer to help you construct a pricing structure that ensures everyone’s livelihood. It is in their interests to help. Not everyone will be cooperative, but it may mean you can get a truer picture of the market factors that govern your area.

Make a list of all the equipment you will need in your first year, as well as how and where you intend to purchase. Note any difficulties that may arise in obtaining your supplies. Note whether the prices of your supplies have a seasonal fluctuation, that may help you influence you when to buy. You should make a note of any local licenses that will be necessary, as well as any zoning restrictions, that may restrict the growth of your business. Your neighbours may not be thrilled at a procession of customer’s to your door, check whether they can restrict your services. Make a study of all your business insurance requirements.

The final segment should be devoted to how you intend to finance the growth of your business, as well as isolating what your financial needs will be. This should include a projection on your future earnings, as well as an accurate assessment of your outgoings’. This should be assessed on a monthly basis for the first year, and on an annual basis for the following three years. An important aspect of the financial statement is an assessment of the break-even point of your business, in other words the minimum you will have to take to pay your expenses.

The purpose of this documentation is to allow you to enunciate what the core elements of your business will be, in doing this it should help you to be able to quickly evaluate the success of your business objectives. If you are not clear on your objectives then you cannot possibly make a plan to bring about the success of those objectives.

Publisher & author: Roy Barker. Roy is the author of the popular ebook, Income from Photography - a downloadable ebook which guides the reader on how to start up and market a Profitable Photography business. It can be viewed at http://www.profitable-photography.com. Other related and reviewed services & research sources can be found at http://www.profitable-photography.com/html/117/ The information on this and adjoining pages may be reprinted and used on other sites providing all information remains unchanged and the article and all pages remain as they are found here in its current font size & image with all links in tact.

Publisher & Author: Roy Barker. Roy is the author of the popular ebook, Income from Photography - a downloadable ebook which guides the reader on how to start up and market a Profitable Photography business. It can be viewed at