It’s been a hot minute since I spoke with Chris Pieta, professional photographer and entrepreneur. Chris has proven himself in the photography industry and he became a reference for many upcoming photographers who are trying to build a business out of it. 

 During our conversation we discussed how people who are interested in photography can find their niche, how to overcome imposter syndrome and the importance of a good support system to get going.

From our conversation with Chris, here are our takeaways:

• Everything is moving online, so everyone is needing quality photography, therefore there is enough demand and market share for experienced and new photographers.  
• The demand is there, so if you follow the right steps there is always room to grow and scale your business.
• It is way easier to grow if you find your niche and specialize in it.
• When starting up your business and want to find your niche, don’t just focus on what you are passionate about, keep in mind your ROI as well as the return on investment of your client. It is way easier to get paid top dollar in a market niche where there is maximum return of their investment in photography, that way you can ensure some sort of sustainability of your business model.
• You may want to avoid shrinking markets altogether, like newspapers. Instead, try to identify growing markets and try developing in that area.
• It is critical that you find your client’s paint point and provide a solution.
• In some instances, when it comes to providing a quote for a project, you are better off providing a quote for the project instead of quoting by the hour. It would allow you to be able to scale your business when you need to account for other expenses such as hiring an editor for example. If you charge hourly it is harder to scale in the future and embed those costs in the quote.
• The following principles are the ABC to kick start a photography business:
  • Identify your niche, give it a shot and if it works become an expert at it.
  • Build a portfolio around it and publish it.
  • Get your sales going: cold call & build your email list.
  • Offer a discovery call. 
• If you are thinking on how to overcome self-doubt or Imposter syndrome:
  • Awareness: at times you may need to level up your game.
  • At times it may not be you, it may be you are in the wrong niche.
  • Don’t try to reinvent the wheel – somebody has already done it, follow their steps.
  • Find a proven framework that is currently working and follow through.
• How to find your passion and handle failures:
  • Respect your past experiences, even failures and they were learning opportunities.
  • Be open minded to try new things and it will help you find what is your passion.

And last but not least, surround yourself with people that will support you, it’s critical for your success.


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