Digital Photography Money Making Tip #5
Looking for a way to make money with digital photography?
There are plenty of ways. This is one of them.
Teach a digital photography class.
You could rent space somewhere and advertise the class. Undoubtedly you would attract participants, but there are costs involved. Renting space and advertising are fine if you have the resources. If you are just starting your career as a digital photographer, you might look for more economical approaches.
Here are some suggestions:
1. Contact the Continuing Education Department of your local community colleges, school districts or universities. These entities are in constant search of new courses to offer. Not only will you have free space, but you will be paid to run your class. Fee structures will vary. Expect to be asked to present an outline of your material, the number of students you can handle at a time and possibly a portfolio of your work. You might want to help market your digital photography course yourself. Most Continuing Education Departments cancel classes that attract too few registrants.
2. Contact the mangers of scrapbook stores and other craft stores. Scrapbookers and other crafters often use photographs in their projects. Also, these stores run workshops regularly, so they are set up to handle classes. Since many scrapbookers want to learn digital photography and also want to know how to use digital editing photo software, you might work this into a two-part course.
Fee structures vary. You will probably be paid a set amount for each participant, and there will be a required number of participants. Be prepared to show an outline of your course and a portfolio. Remember to leave a pamphlet or business card for every participant.
3. Contact Photography Stores. Many photography stores will already be running courses on using digital cameras. However, they may well have a need for a replacement digital photography instructor to handle overload or to fill in while regular staff are vacationing or ill. If they are not already runnin such a couse, try to set one one.
Alternatively, you could contact the manager of a large department store that has a photography department. See if you can negotiate an arrangement to present a workshop to people who purchase digital cameras. The store can promote this as a value added service. Naturally, you will provide workshop participants with pamphlets and business cards promoting your services as a professional photographer.
4. Contact Real Estate Associations. Realtors use cameras to photograph properties. The pictures appear in various marketing materials, newspapers, newsletters, and on their web sites. Photography in general and digital photography in particular are necessary skills, but not necessarily a skill that the agents possess. If your local real estate association has an office, you can enquire about using that space for your class.
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Note that if you are planning to teach digital photography classes, you will want to be very clear about what you can accomplish in a class. It could be cumberstome or difficult to provide individual instruction to participants who bring their own cameras.
Instead, you might develop a list of techniques that you can explain and demonstrate using a projector and screen if the class size is large, or by handouts if small. One of the best digital photography sessions I ever attended had a large number of participants. The instructor stood at the front of the class and used a laptop and projector to demonstrate his points. He also showed us digital editing done with Photoshop - and sold a CD covering specific Photoshop techniques. The CD sold out. This is an excellent idea, and one that you might consider. For some groups, the more affordable and easy to learn Photoshop Elements could be a better choice of digital photo editing software to include on your CD.
This is just one money making suggestion. Check the article list for more ways to make money with digital photography.
Thank You!
June Campbell
P.S. New to digital photography? Find out how you can take spectacular photographs with your digital camera in thirty minutes or less. Visit StartMyDigitalPhotography.com
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