How Much Does it Cost to Start a Stock Photography and Videography Business?
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Some believe that starting a stock photography business only requires a camera and a computer– but there are so many more variables involved in the process, both monetary and business-wise. Here’s a table of the services and equipment I use (or will be using) for starting a stock photography business, and how much they cost. I have also included items that are optional but highly recommended.
Making the jump from selling stock photos to stock videos is obviously not an easy, nor cheap one. Is it far more expensive to produce stock videos as your equipment must be more advanced, and you must employ far more services, like in post-processing, so it is a better investment. Despite it being a better investment, stock photography is much easier to start with. Photography is a skill that everyone has and can develop quite easy if they put in the effort. For stock photography, skill is often a barrier to the market. Producing stock video is much harder to start out with, as it relies on the experience of producing stock photos, as well as completely different skills, such as knowledge of computers, cameras. For both stock photography and footage, you have to be fully dedicated to your business.I had a student that wanted to start producing stock images on the weekends along with her normal job, but she had no idea about how much it costs to effectively start your stock photography business. If you want to make any profits for this amount of money you’ll be spending, you have to be involved in your business.
Stock agencies for photo and video
Prices are generalized, so they might not be the same across the globe, especially concerning hardware and services such as internet. All prices have been rounded, and I recommend checking prices by clicking on the hyperlinks to check accurate prices, as prices change over time and with different packages. Before being shocked by these numbers, it’s important to understand that these are not all one-time payments, and will be made over the course of your business’ growth. These purchases must be made over time, otherwise you’ll be financially overloaded and won’t know what to do with all this equipment if you don’t start small.
| Photo | Video | |
|
Insurance¹ |
$388 per year, $2 mil. liability, $20k for equipment | $388 per year, $2 mil. liability, $20k for equipment |
| Computer |
~$1,000- |
~$4,000- |
| Internet with Comcast | $80 per month, at <100 MBPS | $280 per month, at <1000 MBPS |
| Tripod | $600- Manfrotto 504HD-546BK | |
| Software, Adobe package | $10 per month- Lightroom /Photoshop Bundle | $53 per month for a year- Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere, Lightroom, Adobe Audition) |
| Camera² | $848- Sony A6300 with Kit Lens | $848- Sony A6300 with Kit Lens |
| Lenses² |
$500- Sony Macro 50mm $1,000- Sony Macro 90 mm |
$500- Sony Macro 50mm $1,000- Sony Macro 90 mm |
| Storage | $60- 2TB Toshiba External Drive | $12 per month- Google G-Suite |
| Miscellaneous (Cables, Filters, Memory Cards, etc.) | $300 | $500 |
| Total for First Year | $5,176 | $11,976 |
1 Insurance can be tricky to calculate for yourself- these are my personal numbers. Your location, equipment price, history, and many other factors are considered for insurance. I use www.amfam.com to get my quote for insurance on my equipment.
2 This is my personal preference, as this is my current camera and lenses for food photography.
Optional
| Photo | Video | |
| Website, WIX | $17 per month | $39 per month |
| Accountant | $500 per year | $500 per year |
| Props for food photographer | $500 per month | $500 per month |
| Model Costs | $15-$25 per hour | $15-$25 per hour |
| Assistant | $400 per month | $400 per month |
| Phone Apps | $8- ProCamera |
$15- Filmic Pro $10 per month- Spark Video Subscription |
| Plugins for Software | None | $130- Neat Video |
| Training Classes | ~$650 per year | ~$1000 per year |
| Tripod | $315- Manfrotto 190XPRO | |
| Lights | $1,142- Dracast DRP-LK-2X |
The cost of starting a stock photography business is around $5,000 and $12,000 to start a stock videography business.
Insurance
Camera equipment is quite expensive, and it is inevitable that something bad happens to your equipment. Insurance is a must-have for your camera, lenses, and other equipment as they can be easily stolen, broken, or otherwise unusable. Since the equipment is so expensive, it is often the target of theft, and losing all of your equipment at once is very expensive. Insurance allows you to have peace of mind, and in the case that something bad happens to your equipment, you won’t be in a bad situation.
Lenses and Cameras
The Sony A6300 with the kit lens is, in my opinion, the best camera for amateur photographers looking into stock photography and footage. Later on, I recommend upgrading your cameras to better match a growing portfolio of photos and videos. I’ve written a list containing all my equipment, which has my cameras and lights. Lenses are a must-have, and they must be of high quality (which often means more expensive)- I would recommend not cheaping out on lenses if at all possible. Using a less expensive camera with good lenses is a cost-effective strategy, as lenses will always affect the quality of your shots, and thus the quality of your photography business. These lenses are best seen as a good investment, as they may prove to be valuable for your business, as they are much easier to work with, and produce higher quality photos and footage.
Accountant
If you’re working in the U.S., an accountant is important to figure out the taxes that are associated with businesses. They can become quite complicated when figuring out if you’re working efficiently or not, so an accountant and bookkeeper are valuable in providing assistance to your business. I prefer to do my own bookkeeping to reduce costs, but having an accountant is very valuable for any business.
Props
Props can seem quite small, but since they are quite important in stock photography shoots, they can add up quickly. Especially for food stock photography, as you’ll be needing lots of props and cookware. Props cost very little, so purchasing a lot adds up and becomes a larger investment into your business. As your prop collection grows large enough, you’ll no longer be spending so much on props, but they are still quite expensive in the long run.
Assistant
Assistants can prove to be important, as every photographer will encounter a shoot in which they will absolutely need help, whether it be holding reflectors & lights or preparing food for a shoot. Personally, I use my family members as assistants- they’re nearby, reasonably cheap, and it’s nice to keep money in the family and paying them to help me out with shoots.
Phone Apps
Though some are free, I often use phone apps to check my different stock profiles, edit photos and footage, ensure productivity, and to read statistics concerning by stock photography business. Here are some lists of the apps that I use for both stock photography and video purposes:
Photography
Shutterstock
Adobe Capture
ProCamera
LD
Shootipedia
EyeEm
Video
iMovie
Spark Video
VlogIt
DJI GO
GoPro
FiLMiC Pro
Lightroom
Adobe Clip
Both
Over
Planoly
Tasty
Shutterstock
Microstockr
TPE
GenieAPP
Releases
Snapseed
The photography business is surely an expensive one, but it is also a hobby for others. While teaching beginner photographers, I noticed a trend among some people. They were under the impression that the stock photography business is a quick and easy way to make a lot of money with minimal investment and hard work, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Running a stock photography business requires enthusiasm and passion for photography and those that do not often fail. As with all careers, some things cannot be bought- through investments are necessary, things like enthusiasm and willingness to start small are very important in being a full-time stock photographer.
A photography business is just like any other business, as it must be tended to and constantly working to produce money. It is impossible to get a few well-selling shots and coast off of the profits from them, as your media will depreciate as new technologies are made, and benchmarks for quality are established. Your equipment will also need constant upgrading, so if you’re running your business for long run profit, your equipment must always be up to date. Software is quite important, in that some software that is necessary for editing images and videos require a subscription, so you have to be constantly paying for it.
Some investments, however, are only made once, early on. For example, my tripod- I bought it when I first started my photography business, and I still use it a decade later. A computer is also something that lasts quite long, but it should be upgraded every 4 or 5 years, as video and photography editing software is very demanding on computer hardware. If you’re working with an older computer, staying in the realm of photography is a good entry into the market, as I did when first starting my business. A more powerful computer is required to process video, so an upgraded computer is better later in the life of your photography business. A good internet connection is also required, as you must be constantly uploading media to several stock agencies. A business-class internet connection helps speed up this process, as videos are especially large and harder to upload, though better internet can be particularly expensive. Your cameras should also be upgraded every 4 or 5 years in order to keep up with changing technologies, so your business will always be ahead of the curve.
Reducing Cost
These are obviously all very large and somewhat scary numbers, but it can be made a lot easier to get into the stock business. Buying used equipment is a great way to save money while getting high-quality equipment can cut down on high costs for lenses and cameras. I usually buy my cameras brand new, while buying lenses from consignment stores to keep costs as low as possible. Using what’s available to you is also a great way to save money- almost everybody has a spare tripod or a small camera, so starting off with those instead of buying one is a great way to get into the market. It’s also important to understand that not everything is bought all at once but are done in stages, and spending money as your business grows is the best way to get new equipment.
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