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Pet Photography Business Plan

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Adorable Pet Photography

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

Owners and their beloved pets … this is what makes our world go around. We are aware that there are many photographic studios, at either end of the spectrum, that will consider photographing a pet. However, they do not openly welcome your furry family members. At Adorable Pet Photography, pets are our only business. We are dedicated to capturing a moment you can remember forever to preserve a special relationship. With many years of experience, and a gentle approach in an unhurried environment, we will preserve your memories in a beautiful piece of photographic art. Our strong commitment to client satisfaction is showcased by the perfect photograph that captures the personality of the pet and the loving relationship between the pet and owner.

Adorable Pet Photography is a small business aimed at bringing a smile to every pet owner’s face when they see their beautiful family member captured in a stunning portrait. Our goal of superior customer service and satisfaction will take dedication on the part of all staff members and vendors. The vision manifests itself in three ways:

• Produce the same outstanding quality results time after time.
• Be recognized as the top pet photographer in the Southeast.
• Be steadfast to our commitment for customer service and satisfaction.

Our keys to success will be providing high quality portraits, competitive pricing, and excellent customer service as our hallmark.

Adorable Pet Photography is currently located in Atlanta, Georgia. We will have a staff of two, with plans to expand to a full-time operation within the next five years. The company is established as a home-operated, part-time sole proprietorship. It is the intention of the company to develop sales and broaden the client base so as to become a full-time business. The company will offer a full range of custom portrait packages. Portrait sittings are available in either the well-equipped studio, the comfort of the client’s home, or in an outdoor setting. The owner serves as the head photographer, and will require one assistant. Adorable Pet Photography is invested in the community. It will provide pro bono service to the local humane society and funding of awards for local dog and cat specialty shows.

The founder of Adorable Pet Photography has a long history as a successful photographer. A graduate of the Showcase School in Atlanta, his architectural photographs have been published in magazines such as Atlanta and Southern Living . The founder owns all of his equipment; therefore, no financial outlay is required for photographic equipment. Because Adorable Pet Photography is a home-based business, overhead is low. Salary for the owner will be withdrawn from the year-end funds once the business is established and profitable. The owner  is investing $10,000 from his personal savings, along with another $10,000 from a personal friend. This limits the short-term debt to $12,350 from the owner’s credit union, for which the business is already pre-approved.

All photographs taken by Adorable Pet Photography will carry proper copyright notice. This notice of copyright will offer protection against a claim of “innocent infringement” on the part of a client. Some clients of Adorable Pet Photography will require copyright release forms; this will primarily involve breeders and pet specialty show organizers who will need to use the photographs for publication.

The company will offer a wide variety of products, such as: formal studio portraits, location portrait sessions, holiday candid photographs, portrait finishes, and framing.

Adorable Pet Photography will aggressively seek out local vendors to form strategic alliances in order to to reduce the cost of supplies and offer more services to the client.

Many of today’s white-collar professionals, between the ages of 26 and 60, have at least one pet in the household. The pet is treated as a family member, and the owners spend approximately $26 billion annually for gourmet food, cosmetic services, health care, and specialty items. Adorable Pet Photography will reach this audience by targeting clients of these existing markets. We will fill an existing need for the client by specializing in pet photography. Through advertisements in the print media, brochures, and establishing working relationships with pet organizations and pet specialty businesses frequented by our potential client base, we will highlight our quality products and services.

What makes this industry so attractive is that, although the number of U.S. households with pets has held steady at approximately 58 million over the past ten years, the amount of money Americans spend on their pets has exploded. In 1993, overall retail sales of pet-related items were approximately $16 billion. By 1997 this number had risen to $22.6 billion, and by 2001, that number is expected to jump to $28.5 billion. Industry experts expect sales to grow steadily for the next five years, from three to 15 percent. This increased importance and love for the family pet has caused existing pet services to flourish and has created entirely new fields of pet care. Scores of entrepreneurs, such as the Petco superstores, are developing businesses catering to pet owners.

Adorable Pet Photography is in a unique position of competition. We compete against the standard portrait studio that may photograph pets, but only as an adjunct to photographing people. We compete against two other exclusive pet photographers in the Atlanta Metropolitan area, and a host of amateur photographers. The benefits and drawbacks of each of our competitors, compared with the services we offer, are hardly a match in quality and price.

The critical threats to this business venture are:

• Sudden negative change in the local or national economy, since this is a luxury item.
• Increased competition in the metropolitan Atlanta market.
• Unsuccessful partnerships with pet specialty show organizers, breeder associations, and pet specialty stores.

One of the new threats to photographic studios is the advent of the computer/digital imaging process. Many sources believe that in the years to come we will replace traditional film with digital images. While this may be true of the amateur photographer and the commercial or technical photographer, we at Adorable Pet Photography believe that the time-honored artistry of photography, exhibited by Ansel Adams, Yuseff Karsh, Annie Leibowitz, and other famous photographers, will continue to be recorded on film. While we certainly believe that digital imagery is an enhancement to the portrait photographer, and its application in portrait photography will increase, we do not believe that it is a replacement for artistic talent.

Adorable Pet Photography’s competitive edge is its commitment to customer service and satisfaction. We offer an array of services, flexible scheduling, and have the latest technology to produce beautiful photographic portraits. At Adorable Pet Photography, pets are our primary business, not a sideline or hobby. We understand pets and how to get the right elements together for a successful portrait session. We are patient, and our number-one goal is quality results.

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By beginning on a smaller scale, Adorable Pet Photography has the foresight to grow at a rapid pace to keep up with demand. We wish to maintain a steady rate of sales growth; however, we understand that sales will vary in different months. We expect rapid increases during holiday seasons that will boost sales, then allow that growth to level off at a steady rate.

The break-even point will be reached more rapidly for Adorable Pet Photography than for other types of home-based businesses since start-up costs are limited and there is little to no staff to pay in the beginning. January is expected to be the slowest month of the year, since this is the post-holiday slump.

Our cash situation is optimum. Although Adorable Pet Photography begins with little extra cash, our increased growth allows the business to gain financial ground quickly. The cash flow is negative for only two months of the first year, during the expected off-season months; the business will be prepared for this with cash reserves, and will maintain positive cash balances.

1.1 Mission

Today’s environment presents the consumer with an array of choices. Adorable Pet Photography strives to be the best choice for the client. Providing high quality portraits, competitive pricing, and excellent customer service is our hallmark. Pet photography, even in a strong economy, is a luxury; therefore, our customers will receive a portrait that captures not only the beauty of their pet, but also the personality. This will be achieved through client interviews and patiently spending time with each pet to make them comfortable in the setting chosen by the owner. At Adorable Pet Photography, we view pets as members of the family. Through consistent, high-quality results we are committed to providing each client with value and satisfaction.

1.2 Keys to Success

The key to success at Adorable Pet Photography includes our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. We will be responsible for ensuring a high degree of professionalism in three areas:

• Consistent fulfillment of the clients’ expectations.
• Competitive pricing for the quality and array of services offered.
• A fair and reasonable profit on each portrait.

1.3 Objectives

Company summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">.

Adorable Pet Photography was planned to be a part-time business venture. It will be a small business designed to meet the needs of its clients and their pet family members. We are currently located in Atlanta, Georgia. Adorable Pet Photography will have a staff of two, with plans to expand to a full-time operation within the next five years. The owner serves as the head photographer, and will require one assistant. Adorable Pet Photography is invested in the community. It will provide pro bono service to the local humane society and funding of awards for local dog and cat specialty shows.

The staff of Adorable Pet Photography understands the value of our client’s time and provides flexible schedules and locations for photographic services. We also understand the desire of the client to be satisfied with the value received for the money spent. At Adorable Pet Photography, we accept nothing but the best from ourselves and our suppliers.

2.1 Company Ownership

Adorable Pet Photography is established as a home operated, part-time sole proprietorship. It is the intention of the company to develop sales and broaden the client base so as to become a full-time business. The company will offer a full range of custom portrait packages. Portrait sittings are available in either the well-equipped studio, the comfort of the client’s home, or in an outdoor setting.

2.2 Start-up Summary

The founder of Adorable Pet Photography has a long history as a successful photographer. A graduate of the Showcase School in Atlanta, his architectural photographs have been published in magazines such as Atlanta and Southern Living. The founder owns all of his equipment; therefore, no financial outlay is required for photographic equipment. Because Adorable Pet Photography is a home-based business, overhead is low. Funding is provided from various sources: a short-term loan, the founder’s savings, and an investment from a friend.

It is the intention of the founder to keep the personal touch in the business and to keep overhead to a minimum, even as the business grows. Both the founder and the investor own homes and have spotless credit ratings.

2.3 Company Locations and Facilities

Adorable Pet Photography is located inside the city limits of Atlanta, Georgia. It is a home-based business, with an area of the lower floor dedicated to client reception, portrait viewing/gallery, office, and a 500 square-foot studio. Clients can elect to have the portrait sitting done in the studio, on location in the client’s home, or in an outdoor setting.

Our office is equipped with the latest in business technology: telephone systems, computers, fax machines, email, copiers, printers, and software. The company will maintain a high degree of professionalism by using only the highest-quality photographic equipment and film to produce its portraits.

2.4 Legal Considerations

Adorable Pet Photography will be operated as a sole proprietorship. This creates simplicity since little is required to begin operations: there is minimal paperwork, and no legal counsel is necessary to create set-up documents. Salary for the owner will be withdrawn from the year-end funds, once the business is established and profitable. Taxes will be paid via the personal return of the owner, as personal income tax rates are lower than the corporate rate. Among the disadvantages would be difficulty in obtaining outside financing during start-up; however, the owner already owns a full array of professional photographic equipment and is investing $10,000 from his personal savings, along with another $10,000 from a personal friend. This limits the short-term debt to $12,350 from the owner’s Credit Union, for which the business is already pre-approved.

The owner has received an affirmative answer from the Small Business Development Center of Fulton County, Georgia, for obtaining a business license for the company to operate in a residential neighborhood, since noise, traffic, and pollution are not factors to be considered in this type of business.

Two types of insurance will be needed for the company. The owner’s current insurance is through State Farm, who offers a full line of insurance coverage. Photographic equipment will be insured for its full value by adding a rider to the existing homeowner’s policy. An additional umbrella policy for up to $3 million will be issued to cover liability. Since this is starting as a part-time business, disability, health, and life insurance are already in place through the owner’s primary place of employment. As this expands to a full-time business, this coverage will continue in place as part of the owner’s retirement benefits. Since this is a small business with only one part-time employee, there will be no benefits package. As the business expands, the issue of benefits will be re-evaluated based on the needs of the qualified staff added to the company.

Copyright is a form of protection for original works that photographers enjoy. It is afforded automatically to any work, immediately on its creation in fixed form, and the copyright on the work normally becomes the property of the creator. Filling out a form and paying the necessary fee to the U.S. Copyright Office does not copyright a work. Copyright is part and parcel of the creation process. There is no requirement to register a copyright, but it is best to do so as a way of claiming a copyright. Registration helps immensely if suit for copyright infringement is necessary. All photographs taken by Adorable Pet Photography will carry proper copyright notice. This notice of copyright will offer protection against a claim of “innocent infringement” on the part of a client. In addition to this information being printed on the back of each photograph, the sales contract will include the same information.

Some clients of Adorable Pet Photography will require copyright release forms; this will primarily involve breeders and pet specialty show organizers who will need to use the photographs for publication.

A one-time consultation with an attorney will be obtained during the start-up process. This consultation will be used to develop necessary forms for the business and provide advice on any further legal considerations needed.

Products and Services

Adorable Pet Photography offers a variety of products and services to meet our client’s needs. We offer specific information on each of our products to the prospective client. This information is designed to help the client select a setting for the portrait session. The pictures we provide give the client a feel for the variety of poses that can be used, and help them decide if they wish to incorporate other family members in the portrait. The discussion of the different settings helps the client select a studio session, home session, or outdoor location for the portrait. We also provide instructions for each setting. For example, for formal portrait sessions, we provide detailed instructions to the owner for aiding their pet to feel at home in unfamiliar surroundings, and items such as a favorite toy or blanket to bring along to the session. The following sections are examples of the services we provide and the resulting product.

3.1 Product and Service Description

Formal Studio Portrait: The studio is a controlled environment, free from distraction, where the pet can be comfortably posed and lighted to enhance the beauty of the final image. A variety of props and backgrounds will be used to stage a setting that will highlight the pet’s features and coat color. These sessions must not be rushed, so the pet can become comfortable in the studio environment and be certain that the studio lights do not frighten or excite the pet. There is a standard charge for the portrait session which we refer to as the sitting fee. The owner is provided immediate digital images to be certain we have captured a pleasing likeness. These digital images are not the final proofs, but they do provide photographer and client with the assurance the session is accomplishing the desired outcome. A total of 24 proof-quality photographs will be provided for the client within five days of the photo session. The client will then have ten days to consider the images and the portrait packages before making a final selection.

Location Portrait Session: The pet may be more comfortable in the home or a familiar outdoor location. The staff of Adorable Pet Photography will travel to the location prior to the portrait session to select an area that is best suited for the session and is most acceptable to the owner. Prior to the session, Adorable Pet Photography staff will stage the lighting and any other props needed for the photo session. Although the digital image capability is not available for on-location sessions, 12 additional photographs will be taken to ensure the client an array of choices for the final image. If the location selected for the photo session is in a public park, the owner, not Adorable Pet Photography, is legally responsible for the behavior of the pet. There are two on-location photo session fees. The fee for a photo session in the home is more than the studio because the equipment must be transported, staged, and then broken down. The fee for the photo session in an outdoor location is the most expensive because an assistant is required for managing light-enhancing equipment throughout the session. The client will be provided 36 photographic-quality images within five working days of the photo session. The client will then have ten working days to consider the images and the portrait packages before making a final selection.

Holiday Candid Photographs: Adorable Pet Photography, through arrangements with local pet stores and other pet specialty stores, will provide pet owners with the opportunity to have 12 snapshot-quality photographs taken of their pet with Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Adorable Pet Photography will also be available at these locations for other holiday-themed candids, such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. The fee for these candid photos is standard and includes twelve photos that will be mailed to the client within five days. Negatives from these photo sessions will remain the property of Adorable Pet Photography should the client wish to have reprints made.

Additional Services: Adorable Pet Photography is aware that a pet portrait is an investment as well as a cherished memory. We offer a variety of portrait finishes from which to choose. These finishes will be shown to the client upon pick up of the proofs, and the client will be given a brochure which illustrates these finishes to compliment a variety of pet images. These finishes are used on the beautiful portraits that are displayed in our studio gallery. Adorable Pet Photography also offers custom and ready made framing for all portraits. We have a beautiful selection of tabletop frames to enhance the client’s selection, and a variety of framing materials displayed in the studio for custom frame construction. At Adorable Pet Photography we are committed to customer service and satisfaction.

3.2 Fulfillment

Adorable Pet Photography employs local vendors who have the same desire to be the best at what they do. Through the use of reliable local vendors, we are able to reduce the cost of supplies and offer more services to the client. We use only Kodak™ film, which is processed by APA Laboratories. APA Laboratories deals only with professional photographers and offers the latest in photo finishes and portrait sizes. By using the services of APA Laboratories, Adorable Pet Photography is able to reduce the need for additional personnel, expensive photographic laboratory equipment and supplies, thus minimizing our start-up cost and capital investment. This saving trickles down to the client in our portrait-package pricing. At Adorable Pet Photography, we concentrate on the artistic quality of the portrait image; we leave the enhancement of that image to the taste of the client and the professionals at APA Laboratories.

3.3 Competitive Comparison

Adorable Pet Photography is one of three photographers in the Atlanta area that specialize in pet portraits.We are experts in working with pets to make them comfortable and to bring out the inner quality and personality of the pet. We also work with the other family members to include them in the portrait session, if that is the desire of the client. Although we are a new organization, we are not novices to photography or photographing pets. Our scheduling and location flexibility are specifically geared to be client friendly.

The fee schedules for Adorable Pet Photography portraits are competitively priced. No other area photographer offers the flexibility and array of services provided to the client at Adorable Pet Photography. Our commitment to customer service and satisfaction is unequaled.

At Adorable Pet Photography, we care about our community. We use only local suppliers who have a reputation for excellence and timeliness; thus, we add back to the economy of the area. We participate with the local Humane Society by creating a virtual adoption page on their website by photographing the animals available for adoption. These photographs have helped to increase the adoption rates of the local programs.

3.4 Technology

Digital imaging technology has brought new and exciting tools to photography. Today the client can see the images recorded in the studio moments after they are taken. High-resolution printers make a print of the image readily available–no processing of film is required. The software to control and manipulate the digital images can remove unwanted objects and shadows, and enhance other qualities. Many sources believe that in the years to come we will replace traditional film with digital images. While this may be true of the amateur photographer and the commercial or technical photographer, we at Adorable Pet Photography believe that the time-honored artistry of photography, exhibited by Ansel Adams, Yuseff Karsh, Annie Leibowitz, and other famous photographers, will continue to be recorded on film.

With a single piece of equipment–the camera–different film emulsions can be used to control grain, contrast, tone, and texture of an image. This image, and the lighting of the subject, is composed in the artistic eye of the photographer and captures a moment in time. While we certainly believe that digital imagery is an enhancement to the portrait photographer, and its application in portrait photography will increase, we do not believe that it is a replacement for artistic talent.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

Many of today’s white collar professionals, between the ages of 26 and 60, have at least one pet in the household. The pet is treated as a family member; and the owners spend approximately $26 billion annually for gourmet food, cosmetic services, health care, and specialty items (Hunter, 1999). Adorable Pet Photography will reach this audience by targeting clients of these existing markets. We will fill an existing need for the client by specializing in pet photography. Through advertisements in the print media, brochures, and establishing working relationships with pet organizations and pet specialty businesses frequented by our potential client base, we will highlight our quality products and services.

4.1 Market Segmentation

The breakdown for the market for Pet Photography is somewhat diverse, as are the products designed to meet those needs. Individuals, as well as organizations, require the services that we provide. In order to provide the greatest depth, the market segments have been broken down into private organizations and individuals stratified by age groups.

Private Organizations and Businesses:

Private organizations and businesses, such as the American Kennel Club, sponsor specialty pet show events. Championship pet breeders represent the second largest volume in units, but the most exposure to other potential clients, in the pet owner segment. The pet shows will generate documentary photographs for the organizers of the show as well as publicity photographs for the winning pet owners. This category has the potential for tremendous referral and direct sales to pet owners. In addition, the market potential for professional breeders of championship stock for quality studio portraits is high.

Pet Owners:

The market in this category can be further divided into product lines designed to meet the needs of pet owners:

• Studio and Location Portraits: This category will generate the second-highest level of income for the business; the market segment will be white collar professionals 26-60 years old. Individuals that fall into this age group have at least one pet per household and spend in excess of $25 billion dollars annually on their pets. The studio portraits will capture a lasting memory, and the location portraits will highlight the relationship with the family at home.
• Seasonal Promotions: This category represents the highest level of sales. The product in this category will appeal to the same age group, but focuses on a more candid photograph to capture the pet in a theme setting such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or Halloween.

Stock Photography Market:

Copyright of all photographs taken by Adorable Pet Photography will be retained unless the rights are specifically sold to the pet owner and the negatives are released. These photographs will be marketed as stock photography for use on calendars or promotional material. While this represents a small volume in overall sales, it represents a tremendous potential for exposure to new clients.

4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy

Our target markets are middle- to upper-middle class families, couples, individuals, or private organizations and businesses. We chose these groups because they are most likely to have pets who would be considered a member of the family, and because they are most able to afford high-quality studio portraits of their pets.

In today’s current environment, pets occupy a prominent place in a family, or as the central focus of attention in a single household. Sales trends for pet-related merchandise have shown substantial annual increases since 1996 (Bunn, 1998). Pet industry sales closely parallel the general trends, such as gourmet foods, high-fashion accessories, and medical and dental needs (Simpson, 1998). Adorable Pet Photography fills a need for capturing a moment in time, or preserving a special relationship and providing loved ones (the human kind) with a high quality portrait of them and their best friend. Considering the rise in income and population, coupled with the increased spending for pet-related items and services, the demand for pet photography services can only increase.

4.2.1 Market Trends

As Americans have enjoyed increased standards of living, they expect to pass this on to their pets. Where consumers used to pick up pet food on their weekly excursion to the grocery store, they now buy gourmet premium foods, which exclude animal by-products and replace them with prime cuts of meats and other high-level ingredients, some of which are sold only through veterinary offices. Dog and cat owners spent $8.7 billion on pet food in 1996, and the market is expected to reach $10.5 billion by 2001 (Bunn, 1998).

In addition to regular meal planning, dog-centric bakeries are now found in major cities that offer the ultimate in guilty canine pleasure, using natural ingredients (no sugar, carob instead of chocolate, etc.) to create food and treats similar to those of their owners (chocolate-flavored croissant-like dog biscuits, for example). One company, Alaska Canine Cookies, went international and reported a 400 percent growth rate in their first year, 1996, and settled into a more manageable 200 percent rate in 1999 (Veltkamp, 1999).

The market trend, as the human element permeates the pet industry, leads to pets not being buried in shoeboxes in the back yard as much as they once were. The trend, since 1996, has been to give an animal a proper funeral. There were 650 pet cemeteries and crematories active in business in 1996, with the cost of a pet burial between $235 to $800 (Powell, 1998). The market segment of pet owners is becoming a more solid profit maker, with the trend towards spending more money on a pet with every passing year.

4.2.2 Market Growth

The number of U.S. households with pets has held steady at approximately 58 million over the past ten years, with an estimated six of ten U.S. households owning a pet in 1996, up from 56 percent in 1988. There were 59.1 million pet cats in 1996, up 3.6 percent, and 59.2 million pet dogs, up less than one percent. However, the amount of money Americans spend on their pets has exploded. In 1993, overall retail sales of pet-related items were approximately $16 billion. By 1997 this number had risen to $22.6 billion, and by 2001, that number is expected to jump to $28.5 billion (Hunter, 1999). Industry experts expect sales to grow steadily for the next five years, from three to 15 percent, according to surveys conducted by the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Powell, 1998). Thus, while there does not seem to be a great increase in people who own pets, the ones that do have them are valuing them more.

The veterinary services market totals $20 billion annually. According to an annual American Animal Hospital Association survey, the average dog owner spends $187 per year on veterinary services alone (Littman, 1998). No longer is the primary care veterinarian handling all of their patient’s needs. Specialty care veterinarians who have additional training, such as surgeons, internal medicine specialists, ophthalmologists, and dermatologists, are in great demand (Tuthill, 1999). Doggie day-care centers are springing up all across the country and carving a niche in the pet-care industry. Busy professionals feel guilty about leaving their best friend alone all day, the animals can romp the day away in a “cage-free” environment. Centers for pampering pets, such as Hollywood Hounds in Los Angeles, feature pet massages, “pawdicures,” and complete make-overs for dogs. They even boast a backyard gazebo for “muttrimonies” and “barkmitzvahs.” While kennels have always been around, modern day dog and cat owners are being more selective for their four-legged loved ones when leaving town for a business trip or vacation. Thus pet sitters, who come into the pet’s home and take care of them while the owner is away, and luxury pet lodging and resorts, which provide themed suites, nature walks, swimming pools, and nutritional/gourmet dinners, are reporting waiting lists (Jan, 1999).

There are 8,500 independent full-service pet stores in the U.S., and 1,150 pet superstores, such as Petsmart™ and Petco™ (Powell, 1998). Thus, this increased importance and love for the family pet has caused existing pet services to flourish and has created entirely new fields of pet care. Scores of entrepreneurs are developing businesses catering to pet owners.

4.2.3 Market Needs

Pets have always been an important part of the American family. However, as the American culture has changed in the last two decades, an even more prominent role for the pet has emerged. In today’s mobile society, people often lose touch with their community, friends, and family, so they draw closer to their pets. As more people put off having children until later in life, pets are increasingly lapping up the luxuries that had once been reserved for human housemates. Making pets into family members is typical of an economy driven by middle-aged professionals with two-income households and fewer, if any, children. These “baby boomers” are now hitting the peak years of 35 to 65. In some cases, the pet alleviates the Empty Nest Syndrome for older married couples. Their animals are not just pets but companions, and many owners consider their pets their children. Society is getting better educated and more accepting of pets across the board, and there is existing research that proves pets are a benefit to one’s health (Palmer, 1998). People are now treating their pets as children, a pampering not seen 20 years ago.

The importance of the family pet is evident, and it calculates into big business. People want to show how much they care. Thus, it only makes sense that this important member of the family should be included in the family portrait, or even have a separate photo shoot of their own. Indeed, with increasing frequency, we now see pictures of pets on employee’s desks in addition to, or instead of, human family members. A photography studio that openly welcomes animals appears to be a viable business unto itself.

4.3 Service Business Analysis

Adorable Pet Photography is in a unique position of competition. We compete against the standard portrait studio that may photograph pets, but only as an adjunct to photographing people. We compete against two other exclusive pet photographers in the Atlanta Metropolitan area, and a host of amateur photographers. The benefits and drawbacks of each of our competitors as compared with the services we offer are hardly a match in quality and price.

Standard Portrait Studios:

• Strengths: Established studio locations and support staff, often with repeat clients. Reputation as reliable and stable business.
• Weaknesses: Often very expensive, with little or no experience in pet photography. Pets are a sideline and not the major focus of the business. Can be inflexible with scheduling and out-of-studio work.

Other Exclusive Pet Photographers:

• Strengths: Have been in the market longer, have established client base and reputation.
• Weaknesses: Array of services is limited, inflexible with schedules, and limited studio capability. Quality of final portrait.

Local Amateur Photographers:

• Strengths: Pricing.
• Weaknesses: Quality of final product, lack of professional photographic equipment and skills.

4.3.1 Business Participants

The portrait photography business is composed of thousands of small, individually-owned studios, and several large franchise operations. Pet portrait photography is a new, but very successful, niche market which is experiencing rapid growth. While this segment of the industry is largely individually owned studios or “on location” photographers who operate without a studio, one company, PetStar™ is offering a franchise operation with instruction and low start-up costs.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

Adorable Pet Photography will use marketing databases to accurately target our market. Working closely with local pet show organizations, specialty pet stores, and other pet service businesses, we will place well-designed advertising material in these locations to illustrate our capabilities. Our portrait studio will maintain flexible hours and scheduling to accommodate and expand our client base. Because we are dedicated to customer service and satisfaction, we will use our client base to continually maintain our reputation for excellence.

5.1 Competitive Edge

Adorable Pet Photography’s competitive edge is its commitment to customer service and satisfaction. We offer an array of services, flexible scheduling, and have the latest technology to produce beautiful photographic portraits. At Adorable Pet Photography, pets are our primary business, not a sideline or hobby. We understand pets and how to get the right elements together for a successful portrait session. We are patient, and our number one goal is quality results.

5.2 Marketing Strategy

Data from PRIZM, a Boston-based marketing firm, suggest that the best way to reach Adorable Pet Photography’s target audience for portrait photography is through the pet-related services they use. Adorable Pet Photography will establish working relationships with businesses such as grooming salons, specialty pet stores, and veterinary clinics. We hope to place brochures and framed pet portraits in these locations.

Another strong marketing opportunity is available through the local area pet shows and local breeder associations. Adorable Pet Photography will establish a working arrangement with the Cherokee Cluster and Jack Onofrio pet show network to provide photographic services to document winning pets, their owner/breeder, and show judges. In addition to the exposure with breeders, Adorable Pet Photography will have an exhibit space at these pet shows with framed examples of our work, brochures, and business cards. This will increase our exposure to the attendees of the pet shows, most of whom are pet owners.

Finally, Adorable Pet Photography will establish relationships with pet specialty stores to offer candid photographs of pets and owners in seasonal vignettes. Although this generates revenue, it will be used as a marketing tool to increase exposure to people between 26 and 60 years old. This marketing strategy is aimed at increasing our studio and on-location portrait business.

5.2.1 Promotion Strategy

Adorable Pet Photography will use specialty pet show events to broaden our client base through direct marketing to individual pet owners and breeders attending the shows. Through an arrangement with the specialty pet show promoters, we will have a link to our website. On this link we will feature information about our services, pricing, location, and showcase examples of previous work. We will advertise our services by placing brochures and finished photographic works of art in pet specialty stores, grooming salons, and veterinary clinics. Through the Showcase School of Photography, we will offer classes for teaching amateur photographers how to take successful candid photographs of their own pets. Finally, we will place ads in the American Kennel Club’s monthly magazine. These advertisements target breeders and pet enthusiasts, and highlight Adorable Pet Photography’s quality portrait packages and reasonable prices.

5.2.2 Positioning Statement

For the pet owner who desires a photographic portrait, Adorable Pet Photography’s custom portrait package will capture the beauty and personality of the pet and document a lasting and cherished piece of art. Unlike portrait studios that photograph pets only as a sideline, pets are our only business. We understand that a pet is an important family member and that this special relationship should be captured in a way that pleases the client.

5.3 Sales Strategy

Adorable Pet Photography’s sales strategy is to showcase the proof portraits for the photo sessions in a beautiful folio. We will present all proof photographs for the client’s consideration; however, we will select and highlight the portraits that capture beauty and personality, and we will enhance the beauty by grouping photos in our custom folios. We will take the time to discuss the proofs with the client and ensure that the customer is satisfied with the results.

5.3.1 Sales Forecast

By beginning on a smaller scale, Adorable Pet Photography has the foresight to grow at a rapid pace to keep up with demand. We wish to maintain a steady rate of sales growth; however, we understand that sales will vary in different months. As noted in the following chart and table, rapid increases during the holiday seasons will boost sales, then allow that growth to level off at a steady rate.

Being a new business, we realize that the home and studio portrait sessions will be the slowest to grow because they require initial marketing efforts and advertising; after the first year, we anticipate a 10 to 20 percent growth rate. The Holiday Seasonal Promotion and the Pet Show Location segments target an existing market already built by the pet specialty sponsors and merchants. Because the client base is already established, this will be the first segment of the business to show rapid growth. Predicted growth rate for these segments is also 10 to 20 percent.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

The management of Adorable Pet Photography will be very simple in the first few years. In addition to performing the artistic functions of the business, the photographer is also the proprietor and initially must be involved in all aspects of the business, such as marketing, payroll, management of both accounts receivable and accounts payable, and other miscellaneous business details. Additional personnel can be added as the business accounts grow, in order to alleviate these responsibilities from the photographer.

The staff for the first two years of operation will consist of one part-time individual who will serve as an office and photographer’s assistant. In the third year of operation, this position will be upgraded to a full-time assistant as the assumptions regarding profitability come to pass.

Adorable Pet Photography’s growth will be deliberate rather than fast paced. It is possible that the business will need additional staff. Gaps in the personnel structure might well occur in the support staff. It is a reasonable assumption that the demands of the office, and also assisting the photographer, might become too much for one individual. Depending on the strengths of the individual that fills the first part-time position, the second staff member will be hired as a complement, and both will be trained in the other’s duties.

6.1 Personnel Plan

Because the business is small, there is no need for an elaborate personnel structure. The receptionist/photographer assistant position will initially only be needed part time. The following table assumes that this position will become full time in fiscal year 2003. No salary is set for the owner, and will be determined at year end, based on profitability of the business. This is feasible only because the owner has additional income to support normal living expenses.

A reasonable staff for start-up would be one part-time employee in addition to the photographer. The duties and job description would for this person would include:

• General reception duties, including phones, mail, and greeting customers.
• Setting appointments and managing appointment calender.
• Tracking inventory and supplies.
• Billing, handling both accounts receivable and accounts payable.
• Assist photographer in portrait sessions.
• Assist with marketing strategies and plans.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

Photography businesses usually require an enormous initial investment in equipment and facilities. The owner of Adorable Pet Photography has been an avid photographer for many years and possesses professional-level photographic equipment to get the business off to a good start with minimal debt. In addition, the will be a home-based business, with no rent or lease commitment. The charts and tables that follow demonstrate that these up-front investments allow Adorable Pet Photography to function with limited debt and overhead. This gives the business a quicker break-even point and increased profit margins from the start. As Adorable Pet Photography grows, a debt-free philosophy will be maintained.

7.1 Important Assumptions

Tax rates are included for informational purposes. We carry a small loan burden that will affect this rate minimally.

7.2 Key Financial Indicators

The following chart benchmarks four key indicators, including sales, gross margin, operating expenses, and inventory turnover. These were chosen due to their significant impact on the health of the business. These are not focused on gross amounts, but on year-to-year changes. The chart uses indicator values that are set to compare changes with the base year showing up as 1.00, and all successive years showing up as multiples from the base.

7.3 Projected Profit and Loss

Adorable Pet Photography expects a 15 percent annual growth rate for the first three years due to the owner’s already established reputation and contacts. Overhead is expected to be stable, with the exception of the receptionist/photographer’s assistant becoming a full-time position in fiscal year 2003. This allows a predicted 20 percent increase in profits before interest and taxes in the second year of business; this figure remains stable even with the increase in personnel expense the third year. It should be noted that the owner’s salary will be taken out of this figure.

7.4 Break-even Analysis

The break-even point will appear more rapidly for Adorable Pet Photography than for other types of home-based businesses since start-up costs are limited and there is little to no staff to pay in the beginning. January is expected to be the slowest month of the year, since this is the post-holiday slump.

7.5 Projected Cash Flow

7.6 Projected Balance Sheet

Adorable Pet Photography is set up for business. According to the numbers, there is steady accumulation of cash and assets. No major capital investments are expected throughout the early years, so the liabilities remain limited. Net worth steadily grows.

7.7 Business Ratios

The following table includes Industry Profile statistics for the photographic studios/portraits industry, as determined by the Standard Industry Classifications (SIC) Index code 7221. These statistics show a comparison of industry standards and the key ratios for this plan.

Bunn, D. (1998, January 3). Pampering pets is big business. Rocky Mountain News , pp. 1B.

Hunter, G. (1999, March 14). More companies cash in as owners pamper pets. Detroit News , pp. D1.

Jan, T. (1999, July 3). Ah, yes, it’s a dog’s life — some posh alternatives to kennels beckon dog lovers who want the very best for their pets while they’re away. Seattle Times , pp. A1.

Littman, M. (1998, June 29). Wags to riches. Crains Chicago Business , pp. 11.

Palmer, J. (1998, August 3). Pampering pets becomes big business. Business Record – Des Moines IA , pp. 17.

Powell, B. (1998, April 6). Cashing in on critters owners help boost pet products industry. Fort Worth Star-Telegram , pp. 16.

Simpson, C. (1998 January 12). Copycat products – pet suppliers take cues from human trends. Chicago Sun-Times , pp. 4

Tuthill, W. (1999, August 9). Pet M.D. operates in very special niche. Capital District Business Review , pp. 39.

Veltkamp, R (1999, June 28). Alaska Canine Cookies tops with dogs, owners across the nation. Alaska Journal of Commerce , pp. 8.

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Pet Photography Business Plan

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How to Write A Pet Photography Business Plan?

Writing a pet photography business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

Introduce your Business:

Start your executive summary by briefly introducing your business to your readers.

Market Opportunity:

Photography services:.

Highlight the pet photography services you offer your clients. The USPs and differentiators you offer are always a plus.

Marketing & Sales Strategies:

Financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your company. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

Business Description:

Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:

Describe what kind of photography company you run and the name of it. You may specialize in one of the following pet photography businesses:

• Studio pet photography
• On-location pet photography
• Lifestyle pet photography
• Event pet photography
• Commercial pet photography
• Fine art pet photography
• Describe the legal structure of your pet photography business, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.
• Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.

Mission Statement:

Business history:.

If you’re an established pet photography service provider, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.

Future Goals

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

Target market:

Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.

Market size and growth potential:

Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.

Competitive Analysis:

Market trends:.

Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.

Regulatory Environment:

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your pet photography business plan:

• Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
• Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
• Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
• Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

Describe your services:

Mention the pet photography services your business will offer. This list may include services like,

• Pet portraits
• Pet family portraits
• Lifestyle photography
• Pet events & celebrations
• Location-based sessions
• Pet model or commercial photography
• Digital image editing & retouching

Describe each package:

Provide a detailed description of each package you provide, with the details of how many candid, portrait, edited, or raw images will be there in each package.

Additional Services

In short, this section of your pet photography plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.

Pricing Strategy:

Marketing strategies:, sales strategies:, customer retention:.

Overall, this section of your pet photography business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your pet photography business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

Staffing & Training:

Operational process:, equipment & software:.

Include the list of equipment and software required for pet photography, such as camera, lenses, lights, tripod, memory card & storage, editing software, etc.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your pet photography business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Founders/CEO:

Key managers:.

Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.

Organizational structure:

Compensation plan:, advisors/consultants:.

Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea.

This section should describe the key personnel for your pet photography services, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:.

Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.

Financing Needs:

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

• Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
• In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
• Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your pet photography business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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This sample pet photography business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful pet photography plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our pet photography business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a pet photography business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful pet photography business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your pet photography company.

How to get funding for your pet photography business?

There are several ways to get funding for your pet photography business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

• Bank loan – You may apply fora loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your pet photography business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your pet photography business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your pet photography business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any pet photography business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

How do I write a good market analysis in a pet photography business plan?

Market analysis is one of the key components of your business plan that requires deep research and a thorough understanding of your industry. We can categorize the process of writing a good market analysis section into the following steps:

• Stating the objective of your market analysis—e.g., investor funding.
• Industry study—market size, growth potential, market trends, etc.
• Identifying target market—based on user behavior and demographics.
• Analyzing direct and indirect competitors.
• Calculating market share—understanding TAM, SAM, and SOM.
• Knowing regulations and restrictions
• Organizing data and writing the first draft.

Writing a marketing analysis section can be overwhelming, but using ChatGPT for market research can make things easier.

How detailed should the financial projections be in my pet photography business plan?

The level of detail of the financial projections of your pet photography business may vary considering various business aspects like direct and indirect competition, pricing, and operational efficiency. However, your financial projections must be comprehensive enough to demonstrate a complete view of your financial performance.

Generally, the statements included in a business plan offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.

About the Author

Vinay Kevadiya

Vinay Kevadiya is the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, the #1 business planning software. His ultimate goal with Upmetrics is to revolutionize how entrepreneurs create, manage, and execute their business plans. He enjoys sharing his insights on business planning and other relevant topics through his articles and blog posts. Read more

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Pet Photography Tips + How to Start a Pet Photo Business in 2024

Your ultimate guide to becoming a pet photographer! Find out camera gear, settings, pro tips – plus how to set up your pet photography business.

Learn | Photography Guides | By Ana Mireles

Pet photography has to be one of the most fun photography genres out there!

Whether you’re taking stately pet portraits of dogs or photographing kittens in teacups, there’s never a dull moment!

If you want to nail impressive pictures of your pet, this guide has you covered, with details on what gear to get and camera settings to use.

Plus, if you’re looking to make pet photography your specialty, read on…

We’ve also provided steps on how to set up your pet photography business, including what to charge and how to find clients.

So, let’s get our paws into it :)

Table of Contents

What Equipment Is Needed for Pet Photography?

Credit: Roberto Nickson

It is, of course, possible to photograph pets with nothing else than a camera phone. Most pet owners do it.

However, to become a professional photographer , you need better equipment. You’ll need to deliver consistent quality work.

It’s essential that you can deliver to your clients something they can’t do by themselves. Otherwise, why would they hire you?

We all know that the camera doesn’t make the photographer. However, some things can only be done with professional equipment.

Here’s a list of equipment recommended by pet photographers. You can use it as a guide and adapt it to your budget and needs.

What is the best camera for pet photography?

All professional and many semi-professional cameras are suitable for pet photography. There are a few features that make some of them better than others tho.

• The fps of the camera. This refers to how many pictures per second you can shoot. This feature is key for action photos where you use continuous shooting mode.
• Buffer speed. It’s one thing to shoot many photos and another to process them and save them on the SD card. A good buffer speed ensures that your camera won’t have to pause while you’re shooting in burst mode.
• Sensor size and resolution. This will ensure a good-quality image that renders all the details and color gradation.
• Fast AF system. You’ll want an accurate and fast-responding camera to ensure sharp images. It’s especially useful if it supports animal eye-tracking.

Here are some of the best cameras for photographing animals:

• Sony Alpha a6400
• Sony a7R III
• Canon EOS R5
• Canon 6D Mark II
• Nikon D3500

If you want to get up close and personal with cats and dogs, without them knowing you’re actually taking a photo, you can even try a pet camera – just don’t expect amazing image quality, but you’ll definitely get something unique.

Cat collar cameras are a fun tool to use as well, giving you some unique POV shots of what your cat gets up to.

What lens is best for pet photography?

Credit: Lucas Pezeta

There are two types of lenses – prime and zoom. As with many other subjects in photography, there’s a huge debate trying to decide which one is best. In my opinion, there isn’t a clear superiority because they both have pros and cons. As such, the best one depends on what type of photo session you do.

Prime lenses are smaller and lighter, so they are great for going on location. They also have a wider aperture. This is helpful when you shoot in low light conditions, and it helps you to blur the background.

Primes are usually cheaper and deliver great-quality shots. On the downside, you lose versatility. You can only change focal lengths if you bring two or more prime lenses.

Zoom lenses, on the other hand, give you more flexibility. You can switch back and forward through a range of focal lengths. However, even the most expensive ones won’t have as wide an aperture as a prime lens. They are also heavier and more prone to malfunctions due to all the internal parts.

Now that you know the overall characteristics of each one, it’s up to you to decide. You can find a deeper comparison of primes vs zooms in this article if you’re still unsure.

You also need to decide which focal length you need. This also depends on the location and the type of pet. Telephoto lenses are the most popular for pet photography. However, most pet photographers have at least one more. It can either be a normal or wide-angle lens.

Whichever type of lens you choose, there are a few features you need to focus on. First, you’ll want a fast lens. Second, it should have image stabilization. Third, always go for an AF lens.

If you’re looking for a prime lens, these are some of the best:

• Sigma 105 f/1.4
• Sony 135 f/1.8
• Nikon AF-S VR Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G
• Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G
• Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G
• Canon EF 50mm f/18. STM
• Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

Best zoom alternatives:

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• 24-70mm f/2.8
• 70-200mm f/2.8
• 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

What lighting is best for pet photography?

Credit: Mink Mingle

You can do pet photography with natural light, an off-camera flash, or studio strobes. It all depends on the type of images you want to get.

Remember that some animals, such as nervous or shy dogs, don’t react well to flashes. In this case, it’s better to stick with natural light. Otherwise, they won’t relax, and you won’t be able to get good pictures.

If you work outdoors, you’ll usually work only with natural light. However, you can use an off-camera flash when there’s too much contrast. This way, you’ll get some dramatic underexposure skies with a perfectly lit subject.

On the other hand, if you’re a studio pet photographer, you’ll usually be using flashes. This is common for commercial pet portraits.

Other pet photography gear

Here are a few more things that will come in handy as a pet photographer:

• White Balance card
• Cleaning Kit
• An extra battery
• Graduated ND filter

5 Pet Photography Tips for Great Photos of Your Furry Friends

Now that you’re all set up with your gear, here are some pet photography tips to get you started.

1. What are the best camera settings for pet photography?

Credit: Alotrobo

The best exposure settings depend on the available light and the type of photography you want.

For example, low-key portraits require different settings than outdoor running shots. So, take this advice only as a starting point.

You’ll need a fast shutter speed . This will help you to have a sharp subject. For example, you should use 1/1000 sec or faster to freeze a running dog.

Instead, you’ll need the shutter speed to be twice your focal length for a pet portrait. Let’s say you’re using a nifty fifty; then you need to set the shutter speed at 1/100 sec.

The aperture should be wide enough to compensate for the fast shutter speed. Also, a blurred background is better for pet photography. A good starting point is to set your lens to the widest aperture and adjust from there. You want to achieve a blurred background and keep the pet in focus.

The ISO is always best to keep low. Use ISO 100 if you have enough light to do so. This way, you’ll avoid any digital noise.

Burst mode is ideal for action photos. If you’re doing portraits, keep the shooting mode to Single Shot. Otherwise, you’ll have to cull hundreds of photos .

Use Continuous Auto-Focus mode . You can find it as AI-Servo on Canon cameras or AF-C in Nikon and other brands. This will track your subject’s movement to keep it sharp.

• How to change shutter speed on a camera

2. How to keep your pets in focus when taking pictures

Credit: Septimiu Lupea

One of the hardest things to master in pet photography is to have a sharp subject.

This is one case where using the auto-mode is better than going manual. Animals move fast and erratically; they’re hard to focus manually.

A responsive camera will do great if you choose the right AF mode.

If your camera supports animal eye AF mode, you should use that one, and you won’t have any problems.

Otherwise, use a single-point AF mode. This way, you’ll have more control over the result.

You should consider the composition and the eye level of the animal to decide which focus points to choose.

If the pet is moving, use continuous focus mode. This way, the camera will re-focus as the subject moves.

These are the most recommended settings, but feel free to experiment. Ultimately, the goal is to have the pet’s eyes in focus.

The best way to achieve this is ultimately up to you. It’s always a good idea to read the manual to understand which modes are supported by your camera and how they work.

• How do you take creative pictures with cats?

3. How to get great pet action shots

Let me start by telling you that action shots need lots of practice.

Even the most experienced photographers take many pictures to get a single good image. So, don’t give up if you can’t make it on the first try.

The most popular action images are from dog photography. The ‘run to me’ shot is one of the most trendy, but don’t forget about other animals. Cats make great subjects when playing with a thread or horses jumping an obstacle.

In any case, the location is key. The animal should have enough space to move freely.

Of course, a horse needs more space than a rabbit, so this depends on your subject. That’s why they’re mostly done outdoors, but it’s also possible to do them in the studio.

You’ll need to use a fast shutter speed. So, you need a well-lit environment.

Almost all pet action images use continuous light. That’s because using continuous shooting ensures you capture the perfect moment.

However, it’s also possible to use a flash – as you can see in the video above.

The ideal lens depends on the shot you’re trying to make. However, the most used is a telephoto lens – it can be a prime or a zoom lens.

Unless you’re doing a shot where the cat or the animal is jumping at the camera, it’s better if you’re at their eye level.

• How do you take good pictures of your dog?
• Dog photoshoot ideas

4. How do you take creative pet portraits?

Credit: Anna Shvets

Are you thinking about getting more creative in your portrait photo sessions? You’re not alone.

Creative pet portraits are trending right now, especially in dog photography.

There are different ways to get creative and get beautiful photos. One of the most common is to use costumes and props.

You can also experiment with different angles and focal lengths. For example, photograph pets from the top with a wide angle for a funny portrait. Or from below a glass table to snap their adorable paws.

Light is another element that you can use for your creativity. You can use uneven lighting, for example. Or use color gels.

Whatever you decide to do, ensure it matches the pet’s personality. That’s what will make it a great pet portrait.

5. Try your hand at smartphone pet photography

Credit: Samson Katt

Most pet photos done with a smartphone are from cat and dog owners. They are mostly candid shots, meaning you’re dealing with the available light.

To better control the results, use an app that allows manual control of the camera settings.

If you’re doing action shots, use continuous shooting. In most phones, you can activate it by pressing and holding the shutter button.

If you’re doing pet portraits, get at the pet’s eye level. That will get them calm and comfortable. Use a neutral background and soft light. This can be during the golden hour .

Finally, don’t forget about post-processing. You can download a photo editing app to do it.

How To Set Up a Pet Photography Business?

It takes more than talent and passion for doing pet photos to actually run a business.

Here are some basic steps to guide you into the professional world with the goal of eventually setting up a pet photography business.

• Create a business plan

In this document, you’ll need to outline your objectives and how to achieve them.

Here, you’ll also lay out your starting and ongoing costs.

You’ll define your target audience and calculate your prices.

This will serve as a guide to keep you focused and grow your business.

It’s also essential if you plan to apply for a loan or attract a business partner.

• Get your gear

You don’t need to buy the most expensive equipment from the first day.

However, you need a starting kit that allows you to deliver images that are worth charging for.

It’s common to underestimate the importance of the equipment.

This is because, as you’ve probably heard – the best camera is the one you own.

This is true to start doing photography and keep on improving your skills.

However, there’s a reason why professional photographers have expensive gear. So, get the best gear that you can afford.

Make sure you don’t offer things you can’t achieve with that equipment.

Last but not least, remember that you can rent equipment if you need it for a special photo shoot.

• Design your pet photography brand

The brand is everything that will make your business unique and recognizable. It starts with the name and logo.

Then, you should keep it consistent through your marketing channels, social media profiles, and website. You can use Shotkit’s branding guide for photographers to build a killer brand to help you out.

• Find your way through the legal and taxes issues

This will be different in each country. So, you’ll have to get informed about the steps you need to take to legally and financially set up your business.

• Get insurance

Once you become a professional, your gear won’t be included in your home insurance. So, you’ll need to protect yourself from loss or damage.

You should also consider general and professional liability insurance, errors and omissions coverage, etc.

This is good practice for all pet photography businesses. Furthermore, in some countries, it might be a legal requirement.

• Build an online presence

Pet photography is a business that can benefit from offline marketing and word of mouth.

However, you still need to build an online presence. You should have a professional website with an online portfolio.

Many photographers create a blog to bring traffic to their websites. You should also have one or more social media profiles.

Check out our guide on how to build a photography portfolio to learn more.

• Start marketing

Once your business is set up, it’s time to start getting clients. You can do offline and online marketing.

Offline marketing could be handing out flyers, leaving business cards at vet clinics and pet stores, attending local events, etc.

Online marketing, instead, is everything you do on the Internet. It implies paid advertising, webinars, special discount codes, building a mailing list, etc.

Is there a market for pet photography?

Credit: Nadia Vasil’eva

Yes, pet photography is a booming market. Of course, this might be different according to where you’re based. Generally speaking, though, this is the best time to become a pet photographer.

Think about it. From stores to hotels, everything is becoming pet friendly. People are opening Instagram accounts for their pets and buying gadgets, gourmet food, etc.

Pets have become an essential part of our families. As such, we want to capture special memories with them.

To understand if there’s a market in your area, start by choosing your speciality.

Do you want to do dog photography or horse photography ? Are you looking to photograph people with their own pets?

Or do you want to do commercial photography with trained animals?

Once you figure that out, it will be easier to determine who’s your client. Analyze if there are enough potential clients in your area.

You’ll also need to know who’s your competition. See if there are enough clients for all of you and how you will stand out.

What should I charge for pet photography?

The first step in building a pricing list is to be aware of your yearly expenses.

Then, decide how much you want your profit to be and add it to your expenses.

Then, divide that by the number of sessions you can do per year, and that’s your price.

Once you know how much you would like to charge, you need to see if your pricing meets the market.

Research to see what other professional photographers in your area are charging.

You should also interview some potential clients to understand their means and needs.

Figure out how much they would be willing to pay.

Finally, make sure that the quality of your services is adequate to your fees.

How do pet photographers get clients?

You can start by approaching your neighbours or pet owners in your area.

For example, if you’re a dog photographer, you can start by doing dog photos at the local park.

As you know, dog owners share information on services they’ve liked. So this can get word of mouth going.

You can even encourage it by offering referral discount codes.

Another way to market offline is to leave brochures at local businesses.

For example, at the vet or pet stores for cat and dog photography.

Instead, you can go to riding schools and sports shops for horse photography. It depends on where your potential customers go.

That’s why it’s important to identify your target audience.

You can take advantage of many free tools to market online. For example, launch a contest on your social media.

Also, write a blog on your website that would answer questions your potential client might be googling. This way, you’ll show up on their search results.

There are many ways to market as a photographer. You can find more photography marketing ideas in this article .

Pet Photography FAQs

How do you take good pictures of pets?

Use natural light, for example, the golden hour. Find a neutral background and blur it to create separation. You can do this by using a wide aperture. If you don’t know how to use the camera in manual, use the semi-automatic mode, Aperture Priority . Also, try different angles to find the best one.

What makes successful pet photography?

Successful pet photography is the one that captures the best moments. It should also reflect the personality of the animal. If the owner is in the picture, it should reflect their relationship too. The world is full of cat images and dog photos. A successful one is the one that stands out amongst them.

Is pet photography profitable?

Yes, pet photography can be very profitable. However, you need more than talent to make a living out of it – but that’s true for almost anything. You’ll deliver good results if you have the equipment and the skills. Once you have that, you’ll need to market yourself and give excellent customer service.

Final Words on Becoming a Pet Photographer

I know any cat or dog lover photographer has thought about becoming a professional – after all, what better way to celebrate your passion for pets and your photography skills?

I hope these pet photography tips gave you an idea of how to realise your dreams.

Let us know in the comments what other photography tips you have for beginner pet photographers.

Check out these 8 essential tools to help you succeed as a professional photographer.

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Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.

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Pet Photography Business Plan Example

AUG.07, 2018

Do you want to start a pet photography business?

Are you planning to start a pet photography business ? Pet photography is a fun yet highly profitable business venture that is gaining momentum in the recent times. Having the love for pets and good photography skills forms the basic foundation for starting this business. According to a 2011-2012 survey by the American Pet Association, 62% which is 79.2 million American households own a pet. An increasing number of pet owners wishing to have portraits of their pets has been witnessed in the recent years. With a good business plan and strategy in place, you can definitely reap good revenue from pet photography.

Executive Summary

2.1 the business.

The Pet Photography business will be registered as Pets Port Inc. and will be situated in Houston, Texas. The business will be owned by Paula Grace who is an experienced and award winning photographer.

2.2 Management Team

Prior to starting a pet photography business , Paula Grace worked as a professional photographer for many years. She has in-depth photography skills having worked in numerous companies and award winning productions as a photographer for over 15 years.

2.3 Customer Focus

Paula deeply understands how the pet photography industry works and for this reason, she has the right strategies in place to target her customers who are primarily pet owners interested in having their pets professionally photographed.

2.4 Business Target

Paula Grace knows where to concentrate her marketing efforts in order to target the appropriate customer segments. Her target is to reach out to markets that will maximize revenue for Pet Port Inc.

Company Summary

3.1 company owners.

Paula Grace is an experienced animal photographer with a career spanning almost two decades. During the her career, Paula worked for various high profile U.S. photography businesses and offered her expertise on various projects. She is also an award winning photographer recognized for her immense talent and contribution to the industry.

3.2 Aim of Starting the Business

Paula decided to begin plans of how to start a pet photography business after realizing the increasing demand from pet owners who wish to keep portraits of their pets since they’re considered to be part of the family. With a large population of pet owners in Houston, this was definitely a great location for the business.

3.3 How the Business will be Started

Pet Port Inc. will begin operations after a comprehensive market research has been done and a SWOT analysis completed. In this pet photography business plan , Paula Grace has worked closely with financial experts to come up with a detailed financial plan.

Services for Customers

Pet Port Inc. plans to offer a wide variety of products and services to its clients in order to increase its competitiveness. Starting a pet photography business should involve a careful selection of products the business will offer to make it stand out. Paula Grace intends to focus her energy on providing unique, creative and high quality products and services. Anybody planning on how to become a pet photographer must think of how to diversify their range of services to attract more clientele to the business. Pet Port Inc. is definitely well positioned to offer quality services because the owner, Paula Grace has extensive knowledge of how to do pet photography for a diverse range of clients. The following are products and services that will be offered by Pet Port Inc.

• Formal studio portraits where pet owners bring their pets to the company’s studio equipped with latest photography technology and lighting equipment for the best shots
• Location portrait session where photographing the pet is done from home or a select location chosen by the pet owner
• Holiday pet photography where Pet Port Inc. organizes for special pet photo shoots during special holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.
• Pet photography consulting and advisory services

Marketing Analysis of Pet Photography Business

In today’s world, pets are increasingly holding a special place in households across the United States. According to statistics, most people aged between 26 and 70 keep at least one pet in their household with the pet being treated as a family member. In the U.S. alone, pet owners spend around $26billion annually on pet gourmet food, healthcare, specialty items and cosmetic services. With these trends, it’s definitely a great idea to start pet photography business and capitalize on the increased hype. In this business plan for pet photography , Paula Grace has done a comprehensive marketing analysis for Pet Port Inc.

5.1 Market Segment

For Pet Port Inc. to meet its revenue targets, the pet photography business has identified the market segments it needs to reach out to. This is important to help the pet photography business to know where to focus its energies.

5.1.1 Pet Owners

Pet owners are nowadays investing a lot of money to take care of their pets and ensure they are comfortable. This has seen an increased spending on pet related services among them pet photography. Houston is a large city with thousands of pet owners making it one of the most lucrative market segments for Pet Port Inc. given the mass market of pet owners, the business must find strategies of positioning itself strategically to connect and market directly to pet owners. If well tapped, this target market alone can exceed revenue expectations for the business.

5.1.2 Pet Related Businesses

There are many businesses in Houston and its environs selling different kinds of pet accessories. Forming partnerships with pet specialty shops will be of immense benefit to Pet Port Inc. as these businesses receive a large number of pet owners who they can then refer to Pet Port Inc. for pet photography services. This is a great strategy the business can use to expand it coverage area and target more clients.

5.1.3 Households

Houston has a huge number of households that keep pets. How to grow a pet photography business depends on how well you connect with local households which are an immediate revenue source for the business. Despite the fact there are other pet photography businesses, there are still numerous opportunities for the business to tap into.

5.1.4 Pet Zoos

Pet zoos are an important target market for Pet Port Inc. since they keep a large number of pets and can therefore, be in need of pet photography businesses. The advantage of pet zoos is they can offer bulk photography orders which generates a huge amount of revenue for Pet Port Inc.

5.2 Business Target

Pet Port Inc. is fortunate to set up shop in Houston which has a wide target market to explore. There are still unexploited market segments the pet photography business can focus on. The business hopes to achieve an annual sales growth of between 20%-25% in the first three years of operation.

5.3 Product Pricing

When starting your own pet photography business , it is good to do market research and come up with a realistic but profit-oriented pricing strategy to steer the business towards success. In the case of Pet Port Inc. pricing will be determined after a comprehensive market research has been done to determine how much competitors are charging.

Pet Port Inc. plans to come up with a structured and effective marketing campaign to reach out to its customers. How to be a pet photographer and be successful begins with implementation of creative marketing strategies in order to realize business success.

6.1 Competitive Analysis

Pet Port Inc. has done a comprehensive market research to identify the best strategies to survive in a highly competitive field and remain relevant in the industry.

6.2 Sales Strategy

For Pet Port Inc. to advertise its products and services to customers, the following sales strategies will be implemented to help the pet photography business achieve its goals.

• Introduce the pet photography business by sending introductory letters and business brochures to the intended target markets
• Drop pet photography business handbills to public facilities in locations and neighborhoods with several pet owners
• Advertise the business on the internet using channels such as Social media platforms i.e. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Open a blog for the business and join pet related forums
• Create a basic but search engine optimized website to boost online presence
• List the business on directory listings such as the yellow pages
• Advertise the business on local print and broadcast channels such as newspapers, radio and television.
• Encourage word of mouth marketing especially through referral marketing

6.3 Sales Forecast

Pet Port Inc. has come up with a detailed sales forecast to steer the pet photography business to growth.

Personnel Plan

If you’re learning how to open a pet photographer business and be successful, you need to have a team of trained personnel to manage the business. A personnel plan has been formulated to identify the right team of staff to run Pet Port Inc.

7.1 Personnel Plan

To help the business plan realize its objectives, the following staff will be hired by Pet Port Inc. Paula Grace who is the owner of the pet photography business will be the Chief Executive office overseeing day-to-day operations of the business. She will be assisted by the following members of staff.

• 1 Admin Manager
• 2 Marketing and Sales Executives
• 3 Pet Photographers
• 1 Accountant
• 1 Customer Service Executive

Successful applicants will undergo on-job training a few weeks before the official opening of the pet photography business.

7.2 Average Salaries

Pet Port Inc. intends to compensate its members of staff the following salaries within the first three years of operations.

Financial Plan

Pet Port Inc. has formulated a comprehensive financial plan that will steer the pet photography business on the path towards growth. When considering how much does it cost to start up a photography business , you need to know which financial parameters are related to your business and how to make strategic financial decisions that will drive business growth. In this case, Paula Grace will raise most of the capital from her personal savings. She will be assisted by two investors and creating a bank loan she intends to secure to finance any budget deficit. The following is a comprehensive financial analysis for Pet Port Inc. The following is a comprehensive financial analysis for Pet Port Inc.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The financial forecast for Pet Port Inc. is based on the assumptions below.

8.2 Brake-even Analysis

Pet Port Inc. brake-even analysis is shown in the graph below.

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

Profit and loss information for Pet Port Inc. as calculated on a monthly and annual basis is indicated below.

8.3.1 Monthly Profit

8.3.2 Yearly Profit

8.3.3 Monthly Gross Margin

8.3.4 Yearly Gross Margin

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

Below is a summary of Pet Port Inc. Pro forma cash flow, subtotal cash received, subtotal cash spent, subtotal cash from operations and subtotal cash spent on operations.

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

Below is a Projected Balance Sheet for Pet Port Inc. that shows assets, liabilities, capital, long term assets and current liabilities.

8.6 Business Ratios

The following is the Ratio Analysis, Business Ratios and Business Net Worth for Pet Port Inc.

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How to Start a Pet Photography Business

With pet specialty stores and dog-friendly restaurants becoming the new norm, more and more families are embracing the idea of openly expressing their love for their pets. Pet photographers, whether working in teams or as individuals, are there to catch a family’s four-legged loved one in action. Whether at an adoption event, dog show, horse race, or private photo shoot, these moments are captured on film, delivering pet lovers a keepsake they’ll cherish forever.

Learn how to start your own Pet Photography Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start a pet photography business by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Pet Photography Business
• Form your Pet Photography Business into a Legal Entity
• Register your Pet Photography Business for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your Pet Photography Business
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Pet Photography Business
• Get Pet Photography Business Insurance
• Define your Pet Photography Business Brand
• Create your Pet Photography Business Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your pet photography business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Pet Photography Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your pet photography business?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening a pet photography business.

There are a number of pet photography franchise options available for the entrepreneur who prefers support and guidance as they start on this journey. Liquid capital required to franchise with Lil’ Pals Pet Photography is $71,000. $10,000 of this goes towards your initial franchise fee, while the remaining $61,000 is used for start-up costs.

Start-up costs include the following:

• Canine behavior training
• Photography equipment (camera, lens with autofocus, zoom lens, and memory cards)
• Mobile studio
• Computer and editing software
• Marketing materials

Each employee will need their own set of equipment, as well as a reliable vehicle.

What are the ongoing expenses for a pet photography business?

Most pet photographers choose to forego the physical studio, opting for a mobile studio instead. This offers more flexibility and reduces overhead costs tremendously. When planning your budget, consider the following ongoing expenses:

• Equipment repairs and replacement
• Vehicle repair and fuel costs
• Mobile studio props — as trends change, you’ll need to keep adding to your studio options
• Animal treats, toys, and leashes
• Annual state registration fees, sales tax license, and city occupational taxes
• Payroll taxes — consider hiring freelancers as you start out to reduce initial expenses
• Liability insurance
• Ongoing education/workshops
• Software updates
• Website hosting and maintenance

Who is the target market?

It’s estimated that there are more than 78 million pet dogs and 85.8 million pet cats across the United States. A vast majority of these animals are considered a part of the family, going on road trips, to the store, and out to dinner. For most pet owners, there isn’t much they wouldn’t do for their furry family members — this is your target audience.

How does a pet photography business make money?

Your organization will generate revenue from each photography shoot. Most businesses charge a flat rate for the shoot, including a specified amount of photos. Additional goods and services are offered for an additional fee.

Rates vary depending upon the photographer’s experience and location. Most offer multiple packages, which include the photo session and a specified number of photos. Packages might start in the area of $175, and can reach upwards of $350. Additional photos are available for an additional fee.

How much profit can a pet photography business make?

Your company’s profitability depends upon a number of factors — how much you charge per session, how many packages you sell at each level, and how your business pays other photographers on your team. For example, one pet photographer out of Seattle charges $350 for a basic package. He is currently the only photographer, so all work is completed by him. If he shoots five sessions a week, he brings in $7,000 per month in fees. With an average of $600 per month in expenses, he earns a profit of $6,400 each month.

How can you make your business more profitable?

To make their businesses more profitable, industry professionals have implemented the following strategies:

• Offer to hang your art for sale at local vets, restaurants, groomers, and humane societies.
• Include printing and framing as part of your service for an additional fee.
• Offer a variety of products to choose from, including: key rings, calendars, cards, t-shirts, coffee mugs, and earrings.
• Consider taking photos at horse shows, racetracks, horse breeding farms, equestrian centers, adoption events, and dog shows.
• You can also offer to shoot photos for pet walkers, breeders, or groomers that these professionals can use in their online and print marketing materials.
• Christmas photos showing clients’ pets with Santa Claus have become a recent consumer favorite.
• Approach local breeders, trainers, and groomers about taking advertising shots.
• Sell stock photos to websites like iStock and Dreamstime .
• If you’re skilled at videography, include this as an additional service.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your pet photography business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a pet photography business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits .

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses .

Certificate of Occupancy

A pet photography business can be run out of a large storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

• If you plan to lease a storefront :
• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a pet photography business.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
• If you plan to purchase or a storefront :
• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for you business’ location to ensure your pet photography business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a pet photography business

Before building a marketing strategy, research your area to determine how pet friendly it is. If the local market is already saturated with pet photographers, or if it isn’t particularly pet friendly, expand your service area to reach those who would be more interested in your services.

Once you’ve identified your service area, approach local dog magazines and pet publications. Purchase ad space and offer your services for a featured article. Give back to the community by offering a photography session to your local animal rescue. By doing so, you’ve helped save a life and the community has a chance to see your work.

Create a portfolio of your work, including photos of a variety of different types of pets (birds, fish, tortoises, rats, and, of course, dogs and cats). Approach local businesses that cater to animals and ask to leave a copy of your portfolio and business cards. Businesses should include: groomers, dog daycare, high-end pet stores, veterinarians, dog parks, and dog-friendly cafes.

Setting up a booth at Pet Expos is also an effective way to reach your target market. Pet photographers have also found success donating a photo session package to their community’s animal fundraising events.

How to keep customers coming back

Customer retention often comes down to the quality of goods and services you provide. Always treat animals with the respect they deserve, and do your best to deliver excellent photos to every customer. Incentivize current customers by offering referral and repeat booking discounts.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

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Is this Business Right For You?

Pet photography is the perfect career for an individual who understands, and is inspired by, a family’s love for their pets. Whether photography is your hobby or your current chosen profession, uniting your passion for both is the ideal way to venture out on your own professionally.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

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What happens during a typical day at a pet photography business?

If you’re contemplating opening your own pet photography business, it’s important that you clearly define your vision and professional goals. Will you be involved, rolling around in the dirt, waiting for the perfect shot? Or do you prefer to handle the administrative duties, leaving the photography to your talented staff?

Regardless of which path you take, your days will include the following activities:

• Answering phone calls, scheduling shoots, and collaborating with pet owners regarding their vision for the photo shoot.
• Attending pre-shoot meet-and-greets with clients and their pets, preferably on location.
• Prepping for photo shoots and collecting any props that might be necessary.
• Driving to photo shoots — many pet photographers say this takes up a considerable amount of their time.
• Educating yourself regarding animal behavior, dog and cat breeds, and the latest in camera/photography trends.
• Marketing and networking with members of the community who share your love of animals.
• Delegating responsibilities and photo shoots to your team.

There are a number of administrative tasks that will also require your regular attention. If the creative aspect is what drove you to this profession, consider employing someone who can handle these responsibilities.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful pet photography business?

As a pet photographer, it’s important to show kindness and patience towards your subject. Each animal possesses their own personality, quirks, and hang-ups. Unlike humans, however, they’re unable to verbalize what they’re feeling. You must be able to read their cues, relying solely on the pet’s body language.

Successful pet photographers suggest signing up for courses in canine behavior, ethology, and animal training through an academy such as Trish King’s Canine Behavior Academy . While this training won’t deliver you the patience necessary for this profession, it will provide you with the tools required to read their cues and shift the animal’s focus whenever necessary. Additionally, a basic course in pet photography could provide you some valuable insight into capturing the true essence of a pet’s personality.

What is the growth potential for a pet photography business?

More than 62% of U.S. households now include at least one family pet. With the number of pet owners increasing, this industry is set up to see significant growth in the coming years. With pets being a significant part of many families, many owners are now interested in displaying professional photos of their pets, and they are willing to pay for high quality images.

Not sure if a pet photography business is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.

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Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a pet photography business?

Experienced pet photographers offer the following advice:

• An animal’s true personality comes out when they feel comfortable and secure. For this reason, a mobile studio is most effective.
• The most successful photo shoots happen when the photographer and animal have had a chance to meet before the scheduled session. The cost of your time and transportation to meet the pet in advance can be factored into the total package you are selling.
• Speak with the pet owner prior to your photo session. Does the pet have any quirks, habits, or fears that you should know about?
• Treats will help most sessions go smoother. Be sure to ask the owner about any food allergies before offering treats.
• Practice makes perfect. Get to know your equipment so well that it starts to feel like an extension of you. If you have to look down to change your shutter speed, you could miss the ideal shot.
• Include animals in your practice sessions — the more badly behaved the better. This will prepare you for just about any scenario.
• Research the style of other photographers in the area. What is their style and how does it compare to yours? A distinct style is what will make you stand out above the competition.
• Growing up with dogs doesn’t make you an expert. Be honest with yourself regarding your knowledge and skill level. Read up on the different breeds, and consider taking a basic handling course.
• Never force an animal to pose in an uncomfortable position.
• If your subject is a dog, always keep him/her on a leash. This can be edited out later.
• Keep your schedule flexible and keep in mind how special this pet is to their family members. There may come a time when you’re asked to drop everything to photograph a dying animal.

How and when to build a team

Successful entrepreneurs never turn work away. As word starts to spread, you may need to hire additional photographers. There is always the potential for injury when working with animals. Keep this in mind when considering prospective employees. Look for someone with prior animal experience and with the maturity to handle stressful situations with ease. Since each photographer will represent the company, the quality of their work is critical. Review each prospect’s portfolio before making a final decision. Try to build a well-rounded team by adding photographers with different styles and/or experiences. The more options you can offer your clients, the less likely they are to seek the services of someone else.

Useful Links

Industry opportunities.

• Franchise opportunity
• Society of Animal Artists

Real World Examples

• Ann Arbor business
• NYC business

Further Reading

• Tips for starting a pet photography business

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

Small Business Trends

How to start a pet photography business.

Pets are often considered part of the family, so it’s no surprise that there’s a strong market for and need for professional pet photography. And given the ongoing rise in pet ownership, the pet photography market will continue to grow. People love their pets, and they will appreciate the services of a professional pet photographer who can capture their spirit and personality.

The Pet Photography Business

Pet photography occupies a unique niche within the professional photography industry. It focuses on capturing the personalities and moments of pets, often in collaboration with their owners. This goes beyond just having pet business ideas .

This niche allows photographers to combine their love for animals with their photography skills, creating a specialized market segment. Their market is pet owners who are emotionally connected to their animals and place great value on professional photos of them.

Essential Skills and Equipment for Pet Photographers

Essential skills and techniques for a pet photographer include:

• Patience and understanding of animal behavior.
• The ability to create a comfortable and safe environment for pets during sessions.
• Knowledge of photography fundamentals such as composition, lighting, and post-processing.
• Familiarity with pet handling and posing techniques.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work with pet owners.

Mastering the Pet Photography Skills

Professional photographers are skilled at using the proper gear and lighting to get the best images. But what is marketing in the context of pet photography? It’s about understanding how to promote your unique skill set.

A great pet photographer has the ability to connect with the animal, and understand how to bring out its personality in a photo. They may interact with the pet and its owner or owners before taking any photos, which will help the pet relax and become interested in its surroundings, instead of fearful.

The photographer may get down on the same level of the animal, using treats or toys to get its attention. Once the pet is relaxed and interested, it will be easier to get good photographs.

Gear Recommendations for a Professional Pet Photographer

Recommended gear includes a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a variety of lenses, including a portrait lens (e.g., 50mm or 85mm), wide-angle lens, and telephoto lens.

You’ll also need a sturdy tripod and external flash. Reflectors can also be beneficial.

Props such as toys and pet-friendly accessories can enhance your shots.

Starting Your Own Pet Photography Business-Step by Step

Creating your pet photography business plan.

A business plan for a pet photography business should include:

• Business goals and objectives.
• Target market and customer personas.
• Pricing structure and packages.
• Marketing and branding strategies.
• Financial projections and budgeting, which should include small business insurance .
• A timeline for launching and growing the business.
• Understanding common business structures can help you navigate the complexities of running a pet photography business.

Market Research and Identifying Your Target Audience

If you’re wondering how to start a business in pet photography, market research is crucial. You need to understand your competition and the demand in your area.

Factors to consider in market research and determining your target audience include:

• Identifying your competition and their strengths/weaknesses.
• Understanding the demand for pet photography in your area.
• Defining your ideal client demographics and psychographics.
• Identifying trends and preferences within your target market.
• If there are other pet photographers in your market, how can you distinguish your business? Take photographs in clients’ homes? Use extravagant backdrops? Make sure you research what the competition is doing, or not doing.

Pricing, Profitability, and Packages

When setting prices, consider factors such as your costs, market demand, and perceived value. Offer a range of packages to cater to different budgets. Ensure your pricing covers your expenses while providing room for profit. You can refer to a business startup checklist to ensure you’re covering all bases.

Research what area photographers are charging for standard photo packages, such as graduation pictures or baby pictures. Remember that clients who want professional pictures of their pets most likely consider the pet to be part of the family.

Marketing and Branding Your Pet Photography Business

• Build a strong online presence through a professional website and social media. Make sure to include client testimonials. A  website startup guide can be invaluable in this phase.
• Showcasing your unique style and love for pets in your branding, to attract potential clients.
• Utilizing SEO techniques as you build your webside, to improve online visibility.
• Networking with local pet-related businesses.
• Offering promotions or referral programs to attract initial clients.

Building an Impressive Pet Photography Portfolio

Start by offering discounted or even free sessions to build your initial portfolio.

Showcase a variety of pet subjects, styles, and settings. As you gain experience and clients, update your portfolio with your best work.

Your most common assignment will be dog photos. Will you also photograph other pets, such as cats, horses, pot-bellied pigs, chickens, ferrets, birds and others?

Networking with Other Pet Professionals

Definitely network with pet related businesses such as pet stores, groomers and veterinarians.

You may also network with an animal shelter or pet rescue to provide photos of available pets. You most likely won’t be paid for such work, but when your business name is associated with the photos, that is very good public relations work.

Where to Offer Your Pet Photographer Services

If you have a studio, of course, use that for your pet photography. But don’t be afraid to take the show on the road:

High-end pet stores

Set up a photo shoot area for shoppers who bring their pets to the store. You can set this up with a seasonal theme, such as a holiday.

Dog-friendly cafes

Dog friendly establishments are also great opportunities for partnering. Take photos of pets and patrons enjoying some leisure time, and post them to both your own and the cafe’s website. Of course, images are available for purchase.

Pet Expos and similar events are great places to show off your portfolio and meet potential clients.

Collaborations with Local Businesses

With so many people being pet owners, it’s not just pet related businesses who are best for networking. You can find ways to collaborate with local business owners. Join your local Chamber of Commerce or business association group, where you can meet business owners and brainstorm on how to combine your efforts.

Challenges and Opportunities in Pet Photography

No new business is without challenges. When you overcome those challenges, you’ll increase your opportunity to grow your business, and your bottom line.

Carving Out Your Niche in Pet and Dog Photography

The standard pet photography request if for dog photos. That’s going to be the mainstay of a pet photography business.

You can branch out from that by focusing on other pets, such as cats or exotic pets.

Another focus can be on action shots. For example, there are many dog sports, to include tests of hunting skills, navigation of obstacle courses, dock diving, lure coursing (chasing an object through a field), barn hunting and more. For a list of events in your area, check the American Kennel Club website and search under Events, using your state or area.

Each event will have a secretary, who is responsible for taking entries. That’s the person you’ll contact to see if you’ll be allowed to take photos at the event. You can download the photos (watermarked and protected from reproduction) to a website or dropbox, and use software to allow the pet owners to order the photos.

Navigating Common Challenges

Pets don’t always behave or follow instructions. They may be uncomfortable and even fearful when a large camera is pointed their way. As we previously discussed, taking time to let the pet relax and get to know the photographer, as well as the immediate area, can make the actual photo taking much easier.

Some animals are challenging to photograph due to their appearance. For example, a dark-eyed black Labrador Retriever may need the photographer to use special lighting techniques and reflectors to bring out the definition of its eyes and face.

Pet photography can also be seasonal. For example, business may be strongest before the holidays, as families hope to create the perfect holiday card, including their pet. To adjust to seasonal business fluctuations, keep your business thriving by using other holidays or special events to interest clients.

FAQs: How to Start a Pet Photography Business

What should a pet owner look for in a pet photographer.

Pet owners are looking for a photographer who is not only very skilled, but very good at interacting with pets. The best photos will be of a relaxed, happy pet.

Is photographing dogs harder than photographing other pets?

There are a lot of factors to consider when answering this question. Some dogs are quite photogenic, in fact, seem to understand that it’s an important occassion and enjoy the process. Others just want “whatever this is” to end. And the difficulty of getting a good photograph of a dog is also related to its level of training – for example, will it sit or lie down on command? Stay?

The answer is similar with cats. Some may be accustomed to carrier travel and be relaxed enough for a photo. Others may prefer to hide under the furniture.

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Start a Pet Photography Business

Turning Passion into Profit: The Magic of Pet Photography

PET PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

Related business ideas, discover your perfect domain, pet photography mini business plan, expected percent margin:, earnings expectations:, actions to hit those numbers:, equipment and skills:, marketing and customer acquisition:, service expansion and partnerships:, pricing and sales:, cost control:, not what you had in mind here are more ideas, grab your business website name, step 1: determine if pet photography business is right endeavor, breakdown of startup expenses, breakdown of ongoing expenses, examples of ways to make money, step 2: name the business, step 3: create a business plan, step 4: obtain necessary licenses and permits, types of licenses and permits, how to obtain licenses and permits, cost of licenses and permits, benefits of obtaining licenses and permits, step 5: set up business finances, opening a business bank account, obtaining a business credit card, step 6: market the business, invest in advertising, utilize word of mouth, offer promotions, step 7: purchase necessary equipment, cost of equipment, financing options, maintenance and upkeep, step 8: create a website, tips on optimizing the website, tips on promoting the website, step 9: network and build clientele, examples of building clientele, explore more categories, take the next steps.

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How to Start a Pet Photography Business (6 Major Tips)

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Pictures of pets are some of the most sought-after ones on the internet of all time. If you have a passion for animals and photography, starting a pet photography business is ideal. Why not create photos everyone wants? What could be better than waking up every morning to photograph puppies? For some, nothing. But much like any other business endeavor, there are things to consider before going down this road.

6 Tips on How to Start a Pet Photography Business

We all wish that photography were only about taking beautiful pictures. But the reality is that any creative endeavor still has a business side. A pet photography business is 10% photography and 90% business. Besides hours of editing work, much of your time is spent on the business side. You must run errands, deal with contracts , find creative ways to garner new business, etc. Here are six details to remember when starting a pet photography business. They’ll help you get started on the right foot!

1. Take Business Courses or Intern With an Established Photographer

2. Become an Expert Marketer

3. Keep Spaces and Equipment Spotless and Sanitized

4. Find a Good Lawyer and Accountant for Support

5. Expand Your Photo Kit to Maintain High Standards

6. Deliver the Best Customer Service to Keep and Attract Clients

Conclusion: How to Start a Pet Photography Business

We hope our tips help provide a good foundation for your pet photography business. After opening a pet photography business, you’ll begin to develop your own very unique style. This is because the nature of running a business requires you to find what you’re good at and bring that to the forefront. Partner a good business plan with photographing new, beautiful, fun, and unique animals. This formula is for the greatest gift—finding your own pet photo business style! For more great tips for better pet photos , check out our ultimate guide on pet photography .

Popular Content

How to Start a Pet Photography Business (My Best Tips)

What better way to spend time with pets than by photographing them? Here are my pro tips on how to start a pet photography business.

On an average day, I take anywhere from 3 to 300 pictures of my dog, Banjo.

There’s just something about how she sticks her tongue out at me, or sits so pretty, or rolls around on my bed, messing up the blankets, but doing it adorably. According to my Instagram feed, I’m definitely not the only dog lover who has this problem.

While many of us are happy snapping away on our smartphones — maxing out the memory capacity with photos of our pets being so stinkin’ cute — some people would like to graduate from cellphone snapshots to professional-level pet photography. They’re looking to start a pet photography business.

It’s not easy — but if you’re dedicated, you can definitely make that happen.

Hi, my name is Allison, and I have been engaged in photography for many years, including a stint as an executive board member of the St. George’s University Photography Club. In 2014, I opened my business called Go Gray Artwork. In this article, I’ll give you some pro tips on how to start a pet photography business.

How to Start a Pet Photography Business

Basic supplies and know-how.

First things first: You’re going to need some equipment and the knowledge to use it.

If you’re just starting out, consider buying:

• An entry-level DSLR camera
• Basic photo editing software

Even though these are the basics, the initial investment when you start your business can be staggering. And if you’re serious about the business, you’re going to have to pay a lot to compete with all the other local pet photographers.

If you already have the basics down, then expand by adding some or all of these to your shopping list:

• A high-quality DSLR camera
• 2–3 prime lenses with different focal lengths and apertures
• Indoor and outdoor lighting tools
• Studio equipment (for a photography studio), including backdrop, flash, props and more
• Advanced photo editing software
• Advertising materials

This can all get expensive quickly, but you can upgrade and purchase as your business grows.

Where to Shoot Photos When You Start a Pet Photography Business

Consider these 3 locations for pet photography sessions:

1. Your Client’s Home

In this scenario, your subject will probably be more comfortable than if your client traveled to you. Scruffy the Beagle may be more relaxed and easier to work with in the comfort of his own home.

However, keep in mind that you will have fewer options for backgrounds and may have lighting issues if you are shooting pet photos indoors.

2. An Outdoor Location, Such as a Dog Park

Natural light is almost always the best for doing a photo shoot of pets, especially if your subject is particularly active.

Bright light means a faster shutter speed, so you can get great shots of Scruffy playing and running. The natural backdrop often adds a lot to a photo as well, capturing moments that seem less posed or rehearsed .

3. In Your Studio

If you have reached a point where you have a professional pet photography studio, you can set up photo sessions any time, regardless of the weather or the time of day or year.

With studio lighting, there’s simply less to worry about — finding the perfect outdoor location or trying to squeeze in as many shots as possible during the “golden hour” aren’t a concern.

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You can also use different backdrops and props for your pet photography sessions. However, be warned: These photos will probably look a little more artificial and posed.

Finding Clients

This can be the trickiest part.

Chances are you won’t be the only photographer in your area, and specializing in pets is going to narrow your customer pool. So how do you get your name out there?

• Print some eye-catching business cards. Leave them in locations where you know people will see them, such as pet supply stores, animal shelters, boarding or grooming facilities. Make sure you first ask the business owners if they mind.
• Use free advertising. Create a business page on Facebook, and encourage your friends and family to share it with other pet lovers. Post an ad on Craigslist or on similar websites. Put together a free website with examples of your pet photography.
• Volunteer your services. Many animal shelters post photos of their adoptable animals online. If you volunteer your pet photography services and provide the shelters with great pictures, then they may share your business information on their websites and social media platforms.

Finding clients can be slow work. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t seem like business is picking up.

Just keep pushing for exposure and encourage your happy customers to share their experience.

Check out this photographer’s work with pets (and other animals):

How Pet Photography Fits Into Your Life

One of the most important things to consider when you start your photography business is whether this is going to be your hobby or your career:

• If it’s just a hobby, your availability will be more limited, and it will take longer to get started and establish clients. But the income will be supplemental, and you can treat your business a bit more casually if you’d like.
• If you want to pursue pet photography as a career, you’ll need to do a lot of research to make sure that you’re competitive in your field. Keep your prices fair but not too low. Make sure it’s easy for customers to locate and contact you.

Most important, believe in yourself.

If you know you have the right skills, your photography is great and you love your furry clients, then you’re already pointed in the right direction. Best of luck to you on your journey as you start a pet photography business!

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How to Become a Pet Photographer: A Beginner’s Guide

WRITTEN BY:

Kayla Fratt

March 18, 2019

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K9 of Mine is reader-supported, which means we may earn a small commission through products purchased using links on this page. Here’s how it works .

Interested in a dog-themed field of business and have an affinity for art? You might want to consider becoming a pet photographer!

As a pet photographer, you’ll help capture precious memories for families of their pets.

Many pet photographers also volunteer their time and skills to help get animals adopted from shelters, allowing you to really help out animals in need through your work.

Here’s what you need to know to become a pet photographer.

Pet Photography: A Great Job For Art & Animal Lovers!

As a pet photographer, you’ll be able to decide which area you’d like to focus on. Just like being a dog trainer, in many ways it’s best to niche down in your marketing.

You can always expand out from your niche, but marketing gets a bit easier if you position yourself as the “Dog Show Photographer” or “Pet Family Portrait Photographer” rather than a generic “pet photographer.”

Some example niches for pet photographers include:

• Pet Portrait Specialists. If you go this route, you’ll need to set up a studio – many pet portraits are done indoors as well as outside. An indoor studio allows more flexibility as far as lighting goes, but startup costs can be high. If you don’t have a studio, you’ll have to be able to schedule sessions in specific locations and plan photo shoots based on the available sunlight and weather!
• Dog Show and Trial Photographers. Many dog shows and trials hire photographers to cover the gig. You may be paid by the trial organizers, or will rely on generating revenue through owners purchasing photos of their dogs from the show (or both). This gig requires an intimate understanding of the shows that you’re covering. Getting a great shot at an agility trial without distracting the dog (and risking an enraged owner) is no small task! Fast-paced trials can also be difficult to shoot because dogs only run the course once or twice, and if you miss the fast-moving dog, you can’t try again. Dog shows are almost always on the weekend and require extensive travel.
• Marketing Photographers. Brands like Ruffwear and PetCo have professional photographers on staff. While it’s not easy to get hired for one of these positions, a marketing gig allows you to avoid the headache of owning your own business. Depending on which company you work for, your hours and travel schedule can still be quite intense with this position!
• Shelter Dog Portrait Specialists. Some large animal shelters have a part-time (or even full-time) pet photographer on staff. Many of these positions are a great way to supplement your business with extra, recurring income – and some can even be a full-time job. Whether you do this part-time, full-time, or volunteer, helping get pets adopted through breathtaking portraits is a noble use of your skill!

Perks and Setbacks of Being a Pet Photographer

• You set your own hours and rates. You can charge whatever you’d like and work whenever you please. Like with many other small businesses, of course, this comes with some pros and cons. While you can technically set your own hours, you’ll likely have to work weekends to make this job profitable, and chasing down potential clients can take a lot out of you.
• Time spent with animals, without the cleanup. Unlike many other dog-focused businesses, pet photographers rarely have to deal with the grosser sides of animal handling. Doggie daycares, dog trainers, and veterinary staff all have to deal with more poo and pee than pet photographers!
• People Skills Required. Like with most other dog-focused fields, pet photographers also need excellent people skills. Navigating the expectations of clients is never easy, and sometimes it’s hard to get clients to understand why rates are a certain price. Though many clients will be grateful for the work you do and are going to love their pet’s photos, some clients will always be a bit harder to please. In other words, this isn’t the job for someone who doesn’t like people!

Skills & Equipment Required For Pet Photography

Pet photography isn’t an easy or cheap profession to get into. While things are going to be easier for you if photography is already a hobby, expect significant startup costs.

At a minimum, you will need:

A DSLR Camera

Many professional photographers actually own a few different cameras, but starting out, you will probably be just fine with one.

The Nikon D5300 (this set is an excellent starter) or Canon 7D (a higher quality camera that will do better for action shots) are good all-around cameras to start with for dog photography.

A Few Solid Lenses

You’ll need different lenses depending on what sort of pet photography you’re doing.

If you’re mostly focusing on portraits, you’ll need a different setup versus someone who’s planning on photographing the Iditarod!

Fixed lenses work great for studio work, but you’ll likely need some zoom lenses for event work, that that’s when things can get quite pricey.

For Beginner Pet Portraits: You can’t go wrong starting off with the much-adored, budget-friendly 50mm fixed lens (lovingly nicknamed the nifty fifty). If you’re not used to having a fixed lens, it can take some getting used to (no zoom means you’ll have to move around a lot more, physically getting closer or farther from your subject as needed). However, the low f-stop allows for great natural light options and some beautiful depth-of-field effects.

Dog-Friendly Props

If you’re mostly focusing on family portraits, it’s smart to have some props on hand. Flower headbands, cute stuffed toys, and baskets can all be used to create adorable and memorable photos. Get creative!

A few favorites include:

• Flower crowns are especially popular for bully breed dogs (like American Bulldogs) and for sighthounds, but all dogs look great in them!
• Small chalkboards for hanging around the dog’s neck or behind the dog.
• Gorgeous handmade bandanas to make the dogs really stand out.
• A variety of toys and chews to keep the dog busy.
• An elevated surface for the dogs to stand on to create unique shots.
• Food-themed plushies also allow for some pretty adorable photo moments.

NOTE: Make sure to ask clients to bring in a favorite toy their pet loves. Even raggedly old toys can be precious if it’s one your dog has had forever, and many owners end up enjoying having at least one photo of their pet with their favorite plaything (whether that’s a tennis ball for fetch-manics or a giant Kong for tough guys).

Also consider keeping on hand some seasonal-themed props like squeaky toy pumpkins, candy canes, etc for specific holidays.

Pet Photography Portfolio and Website

You’ll need a place to display your work and attract clients. While you may be able to attract client through Instagram, it’s important to have a full site set up where people can book you, see your prices, and flip through past photo shoots.

Option 1: WordPress

For those who are a bit more web-savvy, WordPress is a great option that allows for a lot of customization and fine-tuning.

With WordPress, you’ll need to:

• buy a domain ( GoDaddy is a great domain marketplace to start)
• purchase hosting service ( WPX is who we use – they rock and have amazing customer service!)
• buy a theme (optional but highly recommended – Generate Press is one of the most popular)

WordPress is often the better pick for folks who want to build out a significantly-sized site. If you’re just looking to showcase your portfolio and add a contact form, the easier-to-use Wix or SquareSpace might be a better option.

We use WordPress for K9 of Mine, and it works well for our massive site, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there have been headaches and hair-pulling along the way, especially when I first was setting up the site and didn’t know as much as I do today.

PROS: Thousands of themes and plug-ins to add all kinds of features to your site, plus easy to find a developer who knows WordPress. Lots of customization and easy to scale from a starter blog to a larger website.

CONS: While WordPress isn’t exactly complicated, it can have a bit of a learning curve for newbies unfamiliar with content management systems. The process of signing up with hosting, buying a domain, and choosing a theme can be a lot for those who aren’t comfortable on the web.

PRICE: WordPress itself is free, but buying a domain, hosting services, and themes will cost you.

Option 2: Wix

If you’re more of a beginner, Wix is a great option – it offers a really easy-to-use setup wizards that lets you build a beautiful website in minutes.

With Wix, you get access to hundreds of beautiful-looking templates, with plenty of specific photography-geared templates to get you started.

Wix also offers a decent number of free apps (as well as paid ones) that can add additional functionality to your site.

Another advantage is that Wix does offer a free plan – – if you’re not too keen on whipping out the credit card right away, the free option is nice to get started and play around a bit before making a monetary commitment.

PROS: Definitely the easiest to get started with. Lots of training videos and walk through guides. Free to start.

CONS: While Wix is free to get started with, you may need to pay more as your site grows. It can also be a pain to move off of Wix onto another platform if/when you’re ready to leave. Wix’s themes also aren’t completely mobile-responsive, so you may need to tweak things to look good on smartphones. Once you choose a theme, you can’t easily switch, so choose a design you like off the bat.

PRICE: $12 – $18 per month.

Option 3: SquareSpace

Similar to Wix, SquareSpace offers an easy-to-use setup wizard that can get you up and running with your new website fairly quickly.

As far as ease-of-use, SquareSpace sits in the middle – it’s not quite as easy as Wix, but definitely not as complicated to use as WordPress.

SquareSpace offers tons of gorgeous, visually-oriented templates that can be used to showoff your best shots.

However, changes can be tough to figure out with SquareSpace – there isn’t an extensive add-on/plugin marketplace as there is with Wix and SquareSpace, so if you don’t know code, you’re kind of stuck with the template you choose.

While the website builder is certainly helpful, it doesn’t seem to be quite as intuitive as the Wix builder, so it may take some time to really master SquareSpace’s builder.

PROS: Membership includes hosting, and solid customer service gives you 24/7 access to help when things go wrong. Great for minimalist designs. You can also switch design themes whenever you want, and SquareSpace themes are also mobile-responsive.

CONS: S quareSpace doesn’t make it easy to add functionality (while WordPress and Wix both have plug-in/add-on shops). If you want to add functionality in SquareSpace, you’ll need to do some HTML.

PRICE: Free tier is available, while premium memberships (which include a custom domain, more storage, ad removal) range from $11 – $35 per month.

Lighting Equipment

External flashes, studio lights, backdrops, and reflective shields can all really take your photos to the next level.

These lighting extras are more important for portraits (you probably won’t be able to bring them into an agility ring), so do your research on which tools are best for your chosen niche.

For External Lighting:

One of most basic rules of photography is to turn off your camera’s flash and opt for natural light instead. For indoor studio work, you’ll still want to ditch your standard flash, but will likely need to use external lighting to illuminate your subject indoors.

Light umbrellas are great for portrait studios , emitting a soft, diffused light that can help light a subject without creating harsh shadows.

STARTER PICK: The LimoStudio Umbrella Lights are great for newbies, as they’re nice quality without breaking any budgets. The kit even includes a carrying case and bulbs too!

• ▶️ 【Contents】 [2 x] 33-inch White Umbrella / [2 x] 33-inch Black & Silver Umbrella / [3 x]...
• ▶️ 【Enhanced Light】 2,100 Lumen Light Bulbs Create 700W Equivalent Brightness with 5,500K...
• ▶️ 【Quality Umbrella】 White Umbrella with Soft & Even Texture Spreads Light so Evenly &...
• ▶️ 【Light Bulb Socket】 UL Listed Safety Proven Bulb Socket with Umbrella Install Lock / 11...

For Backdrop Support & Stand:

This is another item that’s only necessary for studio work. Whether you want to use a plain white backdrop, a green screen, or fun pattern backdrops, you’ll need a stand to support those backgrounds!

STARTER PICK: The Julius Studio Backdrop Support Kit is a decent one to start with. It includes an extendable crossbar, support stands, clips, and a carrying case. No backdrops are included – you need to grab those separately!

• ✅ 【Contents】 (1 x) Telescopic Crossbar, 2-Set / (2 x) Heavy Duty Side Stands / (6 x) Spring...
• ✅ 【Dimension】 Adjustable Width Max: 10.16 ft. – Min: 5.3 ft. / Height: Max: 8 ft. – Min: 3...
• ✅ 【Upgrade Features 1】 Upgraded Pole Thickness & Strong Joints for No Shaking / New Metal Head...
• ✅ 【Upgrade Features 2】 Larger & Stronger Structure Enables Outdoor Activities & Weather...

Alternatively, you can get an entire beginner portrait studio pack with lighting equipment, backdrop supports, as well as backdrops in a complete kit.

This set from Neewer also includes softbox lights, which are similar to umbrella lights, but offer a more controlled diffused light that can also be hooked up as “slave flashes” that can flash bright light when you take your photo, rather than blinding your subject with bright, continuous light.

For Reflective Shields:

Reflective shields are handy for indoor portraits but are also hugely helpful for outdoor shots when you want to reflect extra natural light onto your subject.

Reflective shields come in different sizes and materials based on the effect you are trying to achieve (gold adds warmer tones, black blocks out light, white brightens shadows, etc).

Keep in mind you’ll need an assistant to hold the shield and position it as per your instructions.

STARTER PICK: The Etekcity 24” Reflector Disk is a great one to start with – it’s actually a 5-in-1 disk, so you can choose which material you want based on what your needs are in the studio.

• 5-In-1 lightweight reflector: Gold, silver, white, black and translucent
• Gold: warm up the picture; Silver: brighten the picture; white: bounce light into shadows; black:...
• Collapse multi-disc light reflector into a portable size for travel or storage, best for...
• This photography reflector comes with 10-inch durable zippered carrying pouch

Some Experience with Pets

While you certainly can get into pet photography without being a professional trainer or vet, it’s good to have a basic understanding of dog body language and how to move around dogs.

Photos of happy dogs are much more appealing, and it’s easier to make a dog happy if you really understand dogs. Just liking dogs or “having a way with animals” isn’t really enough – it’s important to dedicate some time to learning how to read dog body language and how to make skittish or excited dogs more relaxed.

Canine Photography Photo Editing Software

Even the best photos generally require some touch-up after the shutter clicks. Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop are both popular for a reason! Editing is part of the photography process, and investing in good software helps you provide your clients with the best photos possible.

Aside from startup costs, keep in mind that freelancing or owning your own business can be a lot of work on the business end of things!

Owning your own business and working from home is great in many ways – you can make your own schedule, rates, and job description.

But someone also has to deal with taxes, business plans, health insurance, business insurance, and more. That person will probably be you.

Pet Photography Courses: Learning How to Shoot People’s Pets

One of the best ways to learn pet photography is through a course. Online classes allow you to practice and work at your own pace, regardless of your schedule.

You’ll still need to get out and practice, but you won’t be held to a rigid schedule or feel pressured at first like in an in-person class.

If you already have experience working as a professional photographer and just need to adjust a bit to working with furry clients, make sure to check out our dog photography tips for beginners !

Otherwise, if you’re starting from scratch, there are some great online courses that can help you polish up your photo skills.

Here are a few online courses for learning pet photography:

Pet Photography Masterclass . This introductory course will give you the basics of how to compose good photos, set up photoshoots, and edit photos in Photoshop or Lightroom.

The course is geared towards pet parents, but also includes some information on monetizing your photos. While this is the only class we recommend that’s pet-specific in the title, it doesn’t actually seem to have much information that’s pet-specific as far as body language or dog photo pose ideas !

• Experience Level: beginner
• Rating: 4.4 / 5 with nearly 50 ratings

Photography Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Photography . This intensive class really takes you from A to Z of learning photography. While it’s not pet-specific, this course is much more in-depth. It’s over 10x the length of the pet-specific course above, and it’s a top seller on Udemy with good reason!

• Experience Level: Beginner to intermediate
• Rating: 4.6 / 5 with over 13,000 ratings

Photography Composition & Portrait Photography Masterclass . This class focuses more on composition and lighting than the technical details of how to use a camera. Paired basic existing knowledge of how to use a camera, this course is sure to take your photography skills to the next level!

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Rating: 4.4 / 5 with nearly 700 ratings

Ultimate Photoshop Training: From Beginner to Pro . This class is perfect for really learning how to edit your photos and make them shine after you’ve left the studio. Photoshop can be really difficult to use at first, and learning how to use it to its fullest potential is a great way to take your photos from good to great.

• Hours: 12.5
• Rating: 4.5 / 5 with nearly 7,000 ratings

Inside Your Dog’s Mind with Victoria Stilwell . This class is not a photography class, but it’s an excellent introduction into how dogs think and feel.

As you learn to understand body language and dog communication, you’ll be able to apply that to taking photos of pets.

• Rating: 4.1 / 5 with nearly 1,000 ratings

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy Photography Series . Fenzi Dog Sports Academy is the premier online academy for all things dog sports.

They have been running several intensive photography classes lately that focus on preparing you for photographing your dog, dog shows, and dog competitions. These courses can be quite intense and are generally more expert-level than those on Udemy . Check the schedule to see what’s available now.

• Hours : 6-week self study course
• Experience Level : intermediate to advanced
• Rating: Highly rated, but no star system on Fenzi Dog Sports Academy.

Udemy runs frequent sales, so don’t be deterred by high price tags! Keep an eye on the courses and see how much you can save. Keep in mind that these early investments in your business will help you make more profits later.

Also remember that you can deduct course sales as business expenses later for taxes!

How Much Do Pet Photographers Make?

Pet photography can be an expensive field to break into. Depending on your area and your success with marketing, pet photography can also be a difficult business to maintain.

On average according to The Balance Careers , photographers around the United States made about $32,500 per year in 2017 and $43,000 in 2018. These statistics don’t separate out animal photographers from other sorts of photographers.

According to Hair of the Dog Blog , pet photographers tend to make far less than other photographers – just $19,000 per year.

Competition is fierce for full-time photography positions, though freelance photography and running your own business comes with its own challenges.

In some areas, it will be difficult to make a full-time salary on just pet photography. You may need to supplement your income, especially at first, with event photography, wedding photography, portrait photography, or other freelance gigs.

Pet Photography Pricing: How Much Should You Charge?

It’s always difficult to price your own freelancing and business. It’s smart to start out by checking Yelp and other directories for other local pet photographers and see what their rates are.

This will help you estimate how much to charge for your area. Pet photographers in New York or Los Angeles are probably able to charge much more than photographers in a small town.

It’s also important to remember that more experienced photographers with better portfolios can charge more. If you’re a beginner with a small or non-existent portfolio, you’ll probably have to start with more affordable pricing.

Most photographers offer a few different packages to help owners select what’s best for their pet and their budget.

Common package options include:

• A “destination” photoshoot for $75-$250 per hour. This generally includes an hour of photography and a set number of edited photos or prints.
• A studio photoshoot for $50-200 per hour. Again, this generally involves an hour of your time and a certain number of photos for the pet parents.
• Extra time for $30-100 per hour.
• An extra fee of $25-$50 for additional animals.
• A fee for additional edited photos, prints, or digital rights to the photos. This fee can vary widely from $10 to much more, depending on what sort of prints you’re offering.

NOTE: Offering customers full rights to the digital photos will allow them to print photos themselves at convenience stores or even order mugs with their pup’s face on it. Since you’re giving over unlimited access to the shots, rather than just a few prints, this can be a big money-maker.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to set your prices in the sweet spot where owners are willing to pay, but it’s worth your time.

Although $250 for a one-hour photo shoot sounds like a lot to an owner, it actually includes at least three to five hours of your time and access to thousands of dollars of equipment!

Some photographers also offer regular budget photoshoots where people can come to the studio for mini sessions that are much cheaper – consider offering these as a way to cater to more people and build your portfolio.

Also consider what kind of pricing structure will work best for your clients and you (you may need to experiment a bit to figure out what works). Do you offer a cheaper studio session fee and hard sell the digital photos? Or do you offer a pricier package that includes several prints and digital access?

Do I Need Insurance For My Pet Photography Business?

It’s always a good idea to get business insurance – especially when you’re dealing with expensive photography equipment!

Insuring your photography business will help you protect yourself and your business.

Insurance may cover:

• Medical bills
• Liability insurance for any spaces that you rent
• Damage to your own equipment
• Commercial automobile insurance in case your insurance doesn’t cover commercial usage of your car
• Disability insurance in the event that you are the sole breadwinner of your home and something happens to you

There are several affordable photographer insurance plans available through Full Frame Insurance .

Pet Photography Business Plans

It’s important to really plan out your business before jumping in. While you may already be a skilled photographer with lots of passion, running a business isn’t easy!

Check out some of these online pet photography business plans to get yourself started.

• BPlans.com Pet Photography Business Plan
• Hair of the Dog Academy – includes business plan work in the course.
• Profitable Venture’s Pet Photography Business Plan

Pet Photography Inspiration

Get inspired! Looking at the websites, blogs, and Instagrams of other excellent pet photographers is one of the best ways to really up your game. Here are some of our top picks:

• Zoo Studio. This studio produces some of the hands-down most amazing photos of pets I’ve ever seen. Be prepared for National Geographic-equse inspiration here!
• Skylight Pet Photography. This studio is high-quality yet offers some attainable inspiration. Skylight does a great job in the studio in particular with some fun shots.
• Barkography. This photographer does an excellent job of playing with colors to make pets really stand out. Study how this studio uses backgrounds to bring out the best in pets.

• Westway Studio. This studio specializes in outdoor portrait photography. Enjoy the beautiful lighting and get inspired by how they capture the joys of pets in their photos!
• Adventures of Ego on Instagram. For gorgeous photos that you can spend hours scrolling through, look no further than this account. Ego is a ridiculously attractive border collie who spends a lot of time traveling. Get inspired by this account’s focus on the outdoors and adventure!

View this post on Instagram Wicked witch of the West vibes 🧹 . . . Headed out to experiment with more of these shots. Anyone interested in some behind the scenes? ________________________________ #bordercollie #theglobewanderer #hikingdogsofinstagram #dogsthathike #9gag #spacewheel #adventurevisuals #nikonnofilter #BeanOutsider #weeklyfluff #hikingwithdogs #bestwoof #thevisualcollective #rei1440project #animaladdicts #ruffpost #buzzfeedanimals #wildlifeplanet #thisweekoninstagram #ig_myshots #lensbible #visualsoflife #thedodo #nikond810 #viewbug #folkgreen #campingwithdogs #optoutside #barked #ourplanetdaily A post shared by Sydney and Ego (@expeditionego) on Jan 23, 2019 at 12:11pm PST

• Nelle and Ellen on Instagram. Like the Instagram account above, Nelle and Ellen is very outdoorsy. Study this account to learn a lot more about editing, how to pose your dog, and how to capture the moments of joy in the outdoors.

View this post on Instagram Ice queen 👑 —— I switched up my editing 🤪 get ready for a new feed. —— #campingwithdogs #livelifeoffleash #wildernessculture #backcountrypaws #mountaindog #adventuredogsofficial #optoutside #outdoorswithdogs #hikingwithdogs #campinghiking #liveyouradventure #thegreatoutdogs #dogsonadventure #mydogist #amongthewild #bestwoof #aestheticdogoftheday #aestheticdogs #coloradopup #adventurepup #hikingandcampingwithdogs #nelleandellen #womansbestfriend #coloradodogs #coloradohiking #colorado #rockymountains #mountains #colorfulcolorado #choosemountains A post shared by Nelle & Ellen & Louise (@nelleandlouise) on Feb 5, 2019 at 7:10am PST

Pet photography can be a fun hobby or a great business. Either way, it requires a bit of work and equipment to get started.

Whether you’d rather start learning the basics of composition and editing with your phone or you want to jump right in with a new DSLR and a few classes, you’ll quickly be able to help others capture the beauty of owning a pet.

How did you get started as a pet photographer? Let us know your top tips in the comments below!

Know you want to work with dogs, but are flexible with careers? Make sure to also check out our articles on A) the best jobs for dog lovers B) how to get started as a professional dog trainer !

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How to Start a Pet Photography Business

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Mary Hope Kramer works in the equine industry and has a passion for careers in the animal industry. 

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Pet photography is a fun and profitable niche business that allows you to combine a love of animals with technical skill in photography . According to the 2011–2012 survey by the American Pet Products Association, pets are an important part of 79.2 million U.S. households (62% of all households). A growing number of owners are interested in displaying professional photos of their pets, and they are willing to pay a premium for high-quality images.

Good photography equipment is expensive and there are many components you will need to purchase. You will need several digital cameras, as it is important to always have backup cameras during a session. Tripods, reflectors, and a variety of lenses and flashes should also be a part of your inventory.

While some shots may be done outside with a natural background, you will also need a backdrop stand and backdrop material for indoor work. Props are often useful when composing shots.

Don’t forget to have treats and toys available to help get a pet’s attention. The crinkling sound of a candy wrapper often gets them to prick their ears and focus on the camera. You also might bring a tape recorder of interesting sounds to get the pet’s attention. Species-specific sounds are often the best bet for drawing attention.

Experience and Technique

If you do not already have a background working in photography, taking a series of classes to learn the basics is highly recommended. Local community groups or colleges often offer photography classes. Another option, if you can find a willing mentor, is to apprentice yourself to an experienced photographer .

You will need to know how to use lighting, lenses, flash, shutter speed, angles, and poses to capture the most detailed images possible of your subject. The animal’s expression and coat texture are especially important considerations as you compose your shots.

Animals are a lot like children in that they can be difficult to photograph. Be willing to go with the flow and take advantage of unexpected moments. You might not get them to sit still for a particular shot, but you could come up with something even better in the process.

Pet photographers can offer a number of services in a variety of locations. Photoshoots can take place at your studio, a client’s home, or a local park. A photo package is offered to the client after the session and they choose the proofs they wish to purchase.

Pet photographers can also take photos at dog shows, horse shows, and pet adoption events. Holiday photos with Santa are a perennial favorite. You may also find work taking advertising shots for groomers, trainers, breeders, or pet shops.

Equine photography is a growing subset of the pet photography business and those specializing in this area take photos at horse shows, racetracks, breeding farms, and equestrian centers. Conformation shots and competition shots are popular purchases.

You can also consider selling some photos for stock photography collections or multimedia advertising purposes.

Some photographers charge a sitting or session fee, but the majority of their income tends to come from offering high-quality prints or digital images for sale. Options may vary, but generally, a photographer offers several packages at different price points with prints of various sizes.

Rates can vary widely based on experience, location, and options included. For example, one well-known Seattle photographer offers a two-hour session for up to three pets, and you can choose two locations. The base fee is $350, and photo packages run about $500. Other photographers in different regions offer more affordable rates.

Your best bet is to find out what pet photographers charge in your area for various services and packages. Price your packages reasonably based on your level of experience and the going rate in your area.

There are a number of ways to advertise your new pet photography business. Leaving flyers and business cards at pet-related businesses, using phone directory listings or Craigslist, and taking out ads in pet or lifestyle magazines are common options.

A photo session package can be a great item to donate to a fundraising event, as it will give your business great exposure while at the same time contributing to a deserving cause.

You can also work out an arrangement with local vets, humane societies, or restaurants, offering to provide artwork to cover their walls. You may even be able to offer your work for sale while on display, perhaps giving the business owner a cut of the proceeds. This is a win-win proposition and certainly will bring attention to your pet photography business .

Word of mouth and referrals will become an important source of new business. Be sure to provide some sort of incentive to current clients for repeat bookings and referrals.

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How to Start a Successful Pet Photography Business

Do you want to start a pet photography business? If yes, you are in the right place. Here in this article, you will find all the steps to build a profitable pet photography company.

Pet photography is most suitable for pet lovers with a passion for photography. It is a fast-growing and super fun genre of photography.

Many people want to celebrate animals and the role they play in our lives. Every owner of dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, and fish can all be your potential customer. Providing high-quality portraits at competitive pricing is the key focus area of this business.

You can offer a range of services such as Portrait sitting in the studio, in the client’s location, or in an outdoor location. One can also offer pet videotaping services, complete with music, titles, and special effects. Full-time or part-time, operate the service on a mobile basis.

11 Steps to Start a Pet Photography Business

1. is pet photography business right for you.

First thing before actually jumping into the photography business, it is essential to check whether you have the qualities required to run this business. Below, we list down some of the aspects that will work as a big plus:

Pet-loving attitude: Are you really a pet lover ? Pet photography is messy, dirty, and at times incredibly frustrating work. You need to be comfortable with being jumped on by Great Danes, pawed by pugs, and scratched by cats. You also need to be exceptionally patient.

Location Matters:  Your operational area matters. Check the pet population and general attitude towards the pet. Do people see dogs as “just dogs” or are they part of the family or substitute children? Check the amount of disposable income the average pet owner has, and the general cost of living.

Well-equipped manners:  Are you well-equipped with tools, equipment, and accessories? Pet photography is similar to sports and wedding photography in the sense that if you miss a moment, it’s not likely to be repeated. Get to know your equipment back to front before you start charging for your work.

2. Create a Pet Photography Business Plan

Crafting a business plan is most important. Decide the ownership pattern and accordingly obtain registration. For a small business, the proprietorship is the best option. Talk to a small business consultant about the tax regulations of your state.

Keep a dedicated space for your home-based pet photography studio. Space must contain a reception area, photo gallery, office, and photo shooting space with backdrops.

Determine your mission statement. Write down the objective of the pet photography business with clarity. Financial planning is also a must. Major fixed-cost investments are the camera and equipment. Variable cost includes manpower cost and marketing expense. Determine your target niche and how you will going promote the service. Calculate the break-even point and approximate rate of return.

Some of the basic aspects that your photography business plan must address are the following:

• Initial and running costs
• Your target customers
• Pricing structure
• Where and how do you plan to offer the services?

3. Learn Different Products & Services In Pet Photography

You can offer a variety of services to meet your client’s requirements. Specify every product and service on the brochure clearly. It will help your client to take decisions about different settings. Such as studio sessions, home sessions, or outdoor locations.

#a. Formal Studio Portrait: You can offer an excellent studio portrait service with a pet-friendly atmosphere. Your studio must be equipped with a variety of props and backdrops. You can provide some immediate digital images for your client’s likeliness.

#b. Outdoor Location Portrait: Sometimes pet owners prefer the photo shoot at their location like home or outdoor places. Your equipment must be transported, staged, and broken down. You must keep in mind the different pricing for this. In this case, you will need to have assistants.

#c. Creative Photo Frames: You can offer a large number of creative frames. Such as bamboo-made, wooden, metallic, canvas gallery wrap, photo albums, and even glass frames. This will help you in generating more revenue.

#d. Videography: Video clipping is another way to get extra profits. You can offer pet videos complete with music, titles, and special effects.

#e. Different Printed Items: You can also offer a wide assortment of products that customers can have their pets’ photographic images transferred into key tags, greeting cards, calendars, mugs, hats, T-shirts, sports bags, and bumper stickers.

4. Equipment For Pet Photography

Good quality pet photography equipment is a must if you want to do serious business. You will need several digital cameras, tripods, reflectors, and a variety of lenses, and flashes should also be a part of your inventory.

You will also need a backdrop stand and backdrop material for indoor work. Props are often useful when composing shots. Procure some attractive toys for pets. You will need to know how to use lighting, lenses, flash, shutter speed, angles, and poses to capture the most detailed images possible of your subject.

5. Calculate the Cost

The cost will largely depend on the kind of services offered and the scale of operation. However, the startup investment to start a full-fledged pet photography business will be a minimum of $25,000. The cost includes training costs, legal costs, photography equipment, a mobile studio, editing software with an updated computer, and promotional costs.

One also needs to include the recurring costs of running a pet photography business for at least the first six months. Some of the ongoing expenses that you will have to incur are equipment maintenance, transport expenses, studio props, operational expenses, and marketing material costs.

6. Register Your Pet Photography Business

To run a hassle-free legally compliant business it is a must to register your business. Select the appropriate business structure as per your resources and scale of operation.

For example, if you are from the United States, forming an LLC is a popular option as it makes your annual tax filing easier and most importantly protects your personal assets from the business ones.

Additionally, check with a local competent authority for the kind of licenses and permit requirements to run a photography business in your locality.

7. Name Your Business

Choosing a catchy and relatable pet photography business name goes a long way in creating a successful brand in the industry in the recent future. You can check our stepwise guide on the steps to be followed to create a name for your business .

8. Buy Software

An updated photo editing software is one of the most important tools in running a successful pet photography business. There is plenty of excellent photo editing software available in the market. Select the one that fits you best. It is without saying, having knowledge of photo editing is a huge plus in this business.

Also, buy a phone exclusively for business activities. It not only helps in better communication with your suppliers and customers but also helps in building an automated business.

9. Fix Pricing

Fix the pricing carefully. Some photographers charge a sitting or session fee, but the majority of their income tends to come from offering high-quality prints or digital images for sale. Options may vary, but generally, a photographer offers several packages at different price points with prints of various sizes. Rates can vary widely based on experience, location, and options included.

10. Buy Business Insurance

Though often ignored, buying business insurance is almost mandatory for any business owner. It will protect you and your family in the event of a financial loss. The two basic insurance one must consider buying are general insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance(if you have employees).

11. Have a Marketing Plan to Get Clients

All said and done, if you do not have a plan to sell your pet photographs, the whole exercise of building a pet photography company will fall flat.

Create your pet photography blog as an effective marketing tool. Start promoting your business locally. Regional pet publications are one of the best options for print marketing for pet photography. Give advertisements on local yellow pages. Many larger cities have dog magazines that highlight a broad range of topics including informative articles important to dog owners. Advertise with them.

The best places for displaying your business are dog daycares, groomers, and boutique pet stores. Partnering with pet service-related businesses is a great way to find clients with disposable incomes. Setting up a booth at one of the pet-friendly events is the best way to have your work in front of your target market.

More on Pet Business:

• How to Start a Pet Shop Business
• How To Start A Pet-Sitting Business
• How to Start A Pet Cremation Business

It is without a doubt, pet photography is a good business to start at present. In fact, almost two-thirds of the US population have pets in their homes. And all pet business owners love to create an album of their pets. Hence, the prospect of making profits out of pet photography is only to rise in the coming years.

About the Author: 99businessideas.com led by Rupak Chakrabarty is committed to helping beginners, entrepreneurs, and small business owners in starting, managing, and growing their businesses.

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How to Start Pet Photography Business in 9 Steps

For animal lovers who also have an interest in photography , a career in pet photography could be a good fit. 

A self-rewarding business option would be to set up a photography studio in your own home and specialize in photographing animals. 

The genre of photography known as “ pet photography ” is one that is expanding rapidly and is a lot of fun to practice.

Many people have expressed a desire to honor animals and the contributions they make to human life. 

Every person who owns a dog, cat, reptile, bird, or fish has the potential to become a customer of your business. The primary goal of your pet Photography company is to satisfy customers by offering portraits of a high standard at reasonable prices.

You should be able to provide a variety of services, such as portrait sittings either in the studio, at the location of the client, or in an outdoor setting of their choosing. 

One more option is to offer videotaping services for pets , complete with musical accompaniment, titles, and various effects. 

Run the mobile service either full- or part-time depending on your availability.

Pet Photography Business Stats

Combining a passion for photography with an interest in animals can result in a successful and entertaining niche business called pet photography, which offers the opportunity to make good money.

The American Pet Products Association conducted a survey in 2011–2012 and found that pets play an important role in the lives of 79.2 million households in the United States . This represents 62% of all households have pet with them.So, This is a viable Business Model. American Pet Products Association

The number of pet owners who are interested in displaying professional photographs of their animals is growing, and these owners are willing to pay a premium for photographs of superior quality.

Is Pet Photography Business Right for You?

Prior to starting a photography business, it is crucial to determine if you possess the necessary qualities to be successful. Below, we highlight some of the features that will serve as a major plus:

Tools & Gears Are your tools, equipment, and accessories sufficient? Pet photography is comparable to wedding and sports photography in that missed moments are unlikely to be replicated. Before you begin charging for your services, you should learn your equipment inside and out

Pet-loving attitude: Are you a true animal lover? Photography of pets is a filthy, dirty, and at times extremely irritating occupation. 

You must be fine with Great Danes jumping on you, pugs pawing you, and cats scratching you. Additionally, you must possess remarkable patience.

Location Is Crucial: Your operational area is significant. Examine the pet population and overall pet-related attitudes. 

People view dogs and cats as “simply dogs & cats” or as family members or surrogate children. Examine the average pet owner’s disposable income as well as the general cost of living..

Decide on Different service offers Within Pet Photography

You can provide a number of services to fulfill the needs of your clients. Clearly describe each product and service on the brochure. 

It will assist your client in deciding between several settings. For example, studio sessions, home sessions, and outdoor settings.

Pet Videography: Video clipping is another option to earn more income. You can provide pet videos that include music, titles, and other effects.

Creative Photo Frames : You can offer a wide variety of creative photo frames. Including frames made of bamboo, wood, metal, canvas gallery wrap, photo albums, and even glass.

This will aid in increasing your revenue. You can provide an amazing studio picture service with a pet-friendly environment for formal studio portraits. 

Your studio must have an assortment of objects and backgrounds. 

You can supply your client with immediate digital photographs of their likeness. Outdoor Location Portrait: Sometimes pet owners prefer to have their pet’s portrait taken at their home or in an outdoor setting.

Your equipment must be moved, staged, and disassembled. You must consider the various pricing options for this. In this situation, you will require assistance..

Equipment For Pet Photography

If you want to be taken seriously as a pet photographer, you must have high-quality equipment. 

• There are a variety of cameras available for usage in a variety of contexts, and the same is true for cameras used in pet Photography
• As per many pet Photographers, we spoke to Canon PowerShot SX740 Digital Camera is an excellent  Point & shoot camera option to go with for pet photography for beginners, and for the professional  Canon 5D EOS Mark III is the best DSLR option

Top 5 Cameras Suitable for Pet Photography

• Sony A 7 IV – the best Overall camera for pet photography
• Canon PowerShot SX740  – the best Point & Shoot camera for pet Photography[ Best for Beginners]
• Canon 5D EOS Mark III –  the best DSLR option for pet photography[ Best for Professionals]
• Nikon D3500  – the best compact & Lightweight camera for pet Photography
• GoPro HERO7 – Best Adventure Camera for Pet Photography / Videography

Get your Adobe Photography plan

Adobe photography plans.

• Adobe Photography Plan :  $9.99/month
• Adobe Photography Plan (1TB):  $19.99/month
• Lightroom Plan (1TB):  $9.99/month

A trial version lasting just a few days is available- Check out Adobe Photography plan Review.

Get them both in the Creative Cloud Photography plan starting at just US$9.99/mo. 

You will require many digital cameras, as well as tripods, reflectors, and a range of lenses and flashes.

For interior work, you will additionally need a backdrop stand and background material. 

When composing images, props are often helpful. Obtain some appealing toys for pets. 

You must understand how to use lighting, lenses, flash, shutter speed, angles, and postures to obtain the most detailed photographs of your subject possible.

Also read:  7 Best Cameras for Pet Photography as per Experts | For All Skill Levels (Updated 2022-23)

Buy quality equipment, especially lenses. Prime lenses are not inexpensive, but you certainly get what you pay for.

I would recommend the following lenses to get you started with a Canon camera:

The 70-200mm f/2.8 MkII version provides excellent bokeh backgrounds and is ideal for capturing action images like a dog chasing a ball along the beach or in the park.

The Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens is the best $150 you will ever spend. I have the $1,500 f1.2 50mm lens , so I probably could not distinguish between the two. Other than the $1350 deficit in my bank account…

A wonderful 85mm 2.8 or 100mm macro lens would also be a great addition to your camera bag, but you can’t spend money you don’t have, so picture some dogs and earn money first! There is much opportunity to acquire additional equipment as the business develops.

Ironically, you will likely always use your two favorite lenses, regardless of what else is in your camera bag. I know I do!

7 Best wide-angle Lenses for canon cameras

Know the Initial cost of starting a pet Photography Business

What are the costs of starting a pet photography business? For the entrepreneur who prefers support and guidance as they embark on this journey, there are a number of pet photography franchise options available. 

Read my latest Blog How much does it cost to start a Photography Business

The following are examples of startup costs:

• Website – Pet Photography & portfolio-related website: Pixpa.com – Website Builder for Photographers is a good Option.
• Marketing Materials
• Canine behavior training
• Biz Insurance
• Photography equipment ( camera , lens with autofocus, zoom lens, Lighting, and memory cards)
• Mobile studio
• Computer and editing software- Get your Adobe Photography plan
• Photography Biz Contracts

Here are the links for relevant Photography Biz Contract documents: They cost each around $495. You don’t need to have all of them But the Portrait Photography Contract Template ( Gen Portrait Photography contract), Print Release Contract Template , Second Shooter Photography Contract Template ( if you are hiring a second Photographer), and Videographer Contract Template ( If you are VideoGraphing the event)

• Portrait Photography Contract Template
• Print Release Contract Template
• Videographer Contract Template
• Second Shooter Photography Contract Template
• Wedding or Event Planner Contract Template
• Wedding Photography Contract Template
• Equine Photography Contract Template
• Liability Waiver and Media Release for In-Person Events

Hone your Photography skills

Maintain your commitment to learning new things and enhancing your skill set.

It does not matter where you are in your profession as a wedding photographer; you really must make it a priority to continue your education. 

Your skill sets may always be improved upon, much like any other creative business you might run. You should never stop studying and become educated in your field of work. 

If you bring in fresh skill sets, your company will have a better chance of continuing to thrive and prosper. You can choose from among a large number of available wedding photography courses on UDEMY,  CreativeLive & SKILLSHARE

If you are prepared to continue improving your photography talents, then enrolling in an online education program is an excellent choice for you to make. 

You may easily maintain working on expanding your skill set without having to physically go into a classroom, which is something that any busy small business owner can appreciate.

Register Your Pet Photography Company

The registration of your company is an absolute necessity if you want to run a legally compliant and hassle-free business. Determine the most suitable organizational structure for your company by taking into account its resources and the scope of its activities.

For instance, if you live in the United States, forming a limited liability company (LLC) is a common choice since it simplifies the process of submitting your annual taxes and, more crucially, it separates your personal assets from those of your business.

Additionally, verify with a local competent authority to find out what kinds of licenses and permits are necessary to establish a photography business in your area by inquiring with that authority about the prerequisites..

Name Your Business & Get a Domain Name for your website

Picking a name for your pet photography company that is both memorable and accessible will go a long way toward establishing your place as a reputable brand in the market in the near and immediate future. 

Also, Read My blog on How to Name your Photography Business

In the event that you are interested, the following is a list of some of the business names for pet photography companies  that I particularly like:

• Puppy Tales
• Hairypants Photography
• The Photographer

Some photographers want their brand to have a more professional appearance; therefore, it is important to give serious consideration to the brand name and test it out on a variety of people.

We use  Namecheap  to Purchase all our Domain names ..  here is the link to purchase the domain for your Pet Photography business. Get your Domain from Namecheap

Get your Pet Photography Website Up & Running

Create a website immediately. Regardless of what kind of business you run, this method will help you succeed.

As much as it may seem like a lot of work, putting together a website is one of the best investments you can make for your company.

Your pet photography will attract attention when posted online. That is much more so when it’s noticeable.

Perhaps they’d like to get in touch with you! Consider the potential of a website that not only features your work but also facilitates online bookings.

BOOM. Using an online system, you may increase your lead generation and easily snag new customers.

And yes, this means that you can secure new business even as you snooze.

Also, read; 7+ Best Website Builders for Photographers in 2022

Pixpa.com – Website Builder for Photographers

The perfect platform for photographers.

With Pixpa , you can make anything you might need for an online photography business, including portfolio pages, blogs, and client galleries. The platform aims to give photographers one place to create it all!

Get some Photo Editing Tools

Purchase some software for editing photos. When it comes to establishing a successful pet photography business, having up-to-date photo editing software is one of the most crucial things you can have. 

There is a wealth of high-quality photo editing software currently on the market to choose from. Choose the one that works the best for you. 

In this line of work, it goes without saying that having skills in photo editing will put you miles ahead of the competition.

Also read:  The best tablet for Photo editing in 2022

7+ Best Website Builders for Photographers in 2022

Know the Ongoing costs of pet photography Business

What are the continuing costs associated with operating a business that photographs animals? The majority of pet photographers choose to forsake the traditional studio setting in favor of working out of a mobile studio. 

This allows for greater flexibility and results in a significant reduction in overhead costs. 

When creating your budget, you should take into account the following recurring costs:

• Photography Gear repairs and replacement
• Toys, snacks, and leashes for the animals
• Registration costs are paid to the state annually, sales tax licensing fees, and occupational taxes paid to the city
• Ongoing training and instructional workshops
• Upgrades to the software
• Marketing materials
• Hosting of websites and upkeep of those sites
• Payroll taxes – once you get started, you might want to think about using freelancers to help lower your startup expenses.
• Insurance for legal responsibility
• Mobile studio props; in order to keep up with the times, you’ll need to continue adding to the possibilities available in your studio.

Set the  Pricing of your Services

What do pet photographers charge? I checked with a few pet photography Businesses in Melbourne-  rates begin at $99 for a simple session with an online gallery from which to choose photographs. 

The session costs increase to almost $800, which includes high-resolution photographs and a selection of items.

Obviously, you may need to begin with cheap pricing that represents your level of expertise or at a level that would attract new consumers and allow you to grow a portfolio.

You shouldn’t discount the value of complementary items or services.

As a photographer, it can be nerve-wracking to propose a price increase. Sometimes company owners are too self-conscious about their prices to actively pursue upselling opportunities. 

Well, if you’re delivering a worthwhile extra that can supplement a service that they’re already interested in investing in, it can help cushion that large investment until you’re ready to buy it!

Change your approach to what you’re prepared to provide. You can easily increase your earnings and make a customer even more satisfied with their purchase by offering them add-ons like as canvas prints, calendars, magnets, and monthly memberships (and share your info. with others).

More money can be made with less time spent on emailing potential buyers by using a professionally written and branded investment guide. Check out our sample photography Pricing Calculator- You can download for free.

Market/Advertise your Pet Photography Biz

Advertising is not always inexpensive, but it is effective! Adwords and Facebook advertisements are the most effective and can be targeted to certain demographics or geographic locations. 

I  would suggest advertising within 100 kilometers of your city, so you’re not stuck in traffic when you could be photographing dogs at a nearby beach.

Large events such as the Dog Lovers Show in your city are ideal for advertising and purchasing a booth. Although having a booth at the trade show is expensive (about $2,000 from memory), it brings in clients and increases brand recognition.

Maintain a constant social media presence by posting frequently.

You were prepared for this eventuality. Social media content marketing is extremely popular for two main reasons: 

1) a sizable percentage of the world’s population uses social media on a regular basis, and 2) promoting a business on these sites is quite easy and costs nothing.

What follows is a list of suggestions to get you going. Share your working approach, why you think professional images are better, some finished work, a client’s experience, and more!

Advertise on Facebook.

Using Facebook advertisements is a great method to promote your pet-related business. Local businesses can benefit from social media advertising since it is cost-effective and easy to tailor to a specific marketing budget. 

Want some aid? Try giving away a free initial consultation, introductory meeting, or other service! If you can impress them, they will return.

Put up a tonne of posts on your blog.

To become recognised as an authority in the pet photography field, you must first establish yourself as such through your blog. 

On pet photography advice, of course, but also client anecdotes that show your method in action. Spreading images you’ve taken of shelter dogs can assist immensely.

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About the Author:

Manny Acharya is the co-founder of Artmellows. Your go-to place for Design, Digital Art, Digital sculpting, Photography, Design Tools and gears Info, and Product Reviews. Manny is a Digital Artist, 3D Sculpt Designer, Ardent Photography, Drone flying Enthusiast, and tech Lover. He supercharges Digital Art and design by crafting memorable 3D sculptures & 2D Design and art. Learn more About Manny:

PS: Manny has created a Beginner Friedly ebook to Learn the Nomad 3D Sculpt App . Know More about the eBook . Know more about Manny

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Plan Templates

Pet photography business plan templates and samples.

No matter what shape or size, most people treat their pets equal to that of how they treat a human. To these people, pets are family. Other people even prefer getting a pet than having a child. It is only natural that these people would want their pet to be photographed. It is also natural to hire a professional photographer.

Business Plan

Business plan versus business proposal, key sections of the business plan.

• Executive Summary – The executive summary is basically the overall summary of your business. These section of the business plan should communicate an overview of your business concept, key objectives, plans on how to accomplish these objectives, ownership structure, management team, what you are offering, target markets, business advantages, financial projections and marketing strategy and be able to do this in at least one or two pages long. Although this page is usually found around the first few pages of the business plan, it is ironically written last. The executive summary provides the summary of all that is detailed in the plan, as a quick reference. However, as it is a summary, it does not need to be as detailed as the other sections of the business plan.
• Business Overview – The business overview is an overall introduction to your business. In the overview, you can write the history of your business from its beginnings to where it is now. Your business mission and vision statements should also be found here as well as your business ownership structure.
• Products and Services – This is the part of the business plan where you expand and products and services. You should include the details of the features, benefits, and competitive advantages of these services you offer. In the case of your pet photography business emphasizing on your competitive advantages is a must. Emphasize on what makes your business great and especially on why people should avail of a pet photographer than just getting a regular photographer.
• Industry Overview – This section of the business plan is your opportunity to demonstrate your business’ viability in your industry. You do this by discussing the size and growth of your industry, the pet photography industry or the photography industry in general, its key markets. You should also detail here how your customers can avail of your services and which targets will you be attacking.
• Marketing Strategy – A marketing strategy is used to describe your target market segments, competition. It is also in this part where the unique selling point (USP) of your business is specified. The marketing strategy should discuss your pet photography’s pricing and promotion with how you plan to promote them and how these promotions will appeal to each of your target markets. It should also include the cost of these marketing whether they be guerilla marketing tactics (social media marketing, word of mouth, etc.) or traditional (print, broadcast, tradeshows). Lastly, the marketing strategy should specify how you plan to sell or provide your services.
• Operations Plan – The operation plan details how you run your business operations. In the operation plan, include a profile of your management team, your human resource plan, business place, and an overview of your day-to-day operations.
• Financial Plan – Arguably, this is the most important part of the business plan. In this part of the business plan, you will need to show your projected final statements, at least up to three years worth. These should include income statements, pro-forma balance sheets, monthly cash flow and annual cash flow statements. Financial statements can include a lot of jargon and as such, it might be a good idea to summarize these statements into digestible sentences that are easily understood.

What Your Business Plan Can Show

• Trust – Creating a business plan can help you demonstrate the values of ethics and integrity. Ethics and integrity are what builds trust and that trust is greatly valued by people.
• Understanding of Your Business – In writing your business plan, you can prove to investors that you have a great handle on your business. In short, shows that you know your stuff. When you are writing your business plan, it is part of your job to articulate your mission and vision statements, your product offerings and how you plan to turn a profit.
• Financial Confidence – Your plan can show whether or not you have confidence in your financials. Being able to clearly articulate the risks in investing in your new venture and showing little to no fear of them would be a great trait to show to investors. Though, you should also include how these investors can recoup their money in case the venture fails to ensure them that they are in good hands.

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The 49 best photo spots in Moscow

Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

1 The Moscow Kremlin

2 Red Square

3 Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

4 st. basil's cathedral, 5 bolshoi theatre.

Track your travel spending and split costs with friends

Plan your trip. Keep your budget organized. Split the cost between tripmates. Wanderlog does it all.

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Stay organized with a to-do list, packing list, shopping list, any kind of list.

16 Grand Kremlin Palace

17 state historical museum, 18 public museum of the moscow metro, 19 cafe pushkin, 20 armoury chamber, 21 vorob'yevy gory, 22 all-russian exhibition center, 23 moscow zoo, 24 alexander garden, 25 sokolniki park.

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26 Muzeon Park of Arts

27 ostankino television tower, 28 patriarch's ponds, 29 neskuchny garden, 30 museum of soviet arcade games, 31 dormition cathedral, 32 the carlton, moscow, 33 monument to minin and pozharsky, 34 annunciation cathedral, 35 russian state library.

Perfect for road trips

See time and distance between places, and optimize your route to get the most of your day.

36 Winzavod

37 museum of the history of vodka, 38 komsomolskaya, 39 moscow state university, 40 poklonnaya hill, 41 ostrov mechty (dream island), 42 moskva river, 43 business district "moscow silk", 44 vorob'yevy gory, 45 memorial eternal flame.

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46 STREET ADVENTURE

47 underground gallery, 48 old arbat hostel, 49 moscow school of painting, sculpture and architecture, top searches in moscow, popular road trips from moscow, what's the weather like in moscow.

It depends on when you visit! We've compiled data from NASA on what the weather is like in Moscow for each month of the year: see the links below for more information.

• Weather in Moscow in January
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Explore nearby places

• Likino-Dulevo
• Ivanteyevka
• Orekhovo-Zuevo
• Semyonovskoye
• Ivanovskoye
• Rumyantsevo
• Dzerzhinsky
• Sovkhoz Imeni Lenina
• Dolgoprudny

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Moscow throughout the year

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Looking for day-by-day itineraries in Moscow?

Get inspired for your trip to Moscow with our curated itineraries that are jam-packed with popular attractions everyday! Check them out here:

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Best attractions in nearby cities

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Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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Zemelny Office Building in Moscow by UNK architects

UNK architects : The most northern building with a green facade in the world.   The  Zemelny  business center is located close to the Moscow subway station named  Ulitsa 1905 Goda . The building is surrounded by XX-century industrial architecture, three kilometers away from the Moscow City business district.  Zemelny   has become a ‘green’ alternative to it.

The tower with a total area of 39000 m2 stands on a three-floor stylobate. Its facade is wrapped in a fishnet-like diagonal metal shell. As a precedent for the elevation, the UNK team used hyperboloid structures designed by Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov, the author of the Shukhov Radio Tower in Moscow .

The new office building will become an ideal place for those who value the functionality of the workspace and its harmony with the surrounding nature. 

UNK architects wanted the building to remind of a private house that is though located within the city boundaries. Its architecture features a lot of glass framed by the delicate snow-white metal outline. There is Virginia creeper (flowering vine in the grape family) planted on the balconies. Every season it will transform the tower's visual comprehension: paint the facade with bright green in summer, add a red splash to it in autumn and fully expose it in winter after the leaf fall. The external metal lace shell has an uneven rhythm thus imposing the effect of an ‘artificial perspective’. It visually thinns the building and makes it more elegant. 

The main volume of the building has the shape of an isosceles triangle. Elevator lobbies and egress stairs are located in its central part. Every floor is divided into six independent spatial blocks. The site is fenced and has an individual recreation area. The underground level accommodates a parking lot with 370 spaces and is equipped with charging units for electric cars.

The triangle plan helps to achieve a very high building area efficiency factor. The major challenge during the construction was to erect a building that occupies most of the site. To solve it our team used the top-down construction method, where underground levels grow down from the street level. 

Zemelny is located on a three-story stylobate that accommodates infrastructure, event halls, a café, and multiple shops – all those can be used both by the offices’ tenants and residents. Through the use of vertical planting, the building provides another green area to the citizens. Zemelny's infrastructure is public and available to everyone which turns it into a new point of attraction of the district.

In the evening   Zemelny  is decorated with light that is being poured along hyperploid structures featuring the lacy external envelope. 

Over time the Virginia creeper vines that are planted in tubs behind the transparent facade structures will make their way around the building's envelope and become an additional source of oxygen for the city. The unique architecture of the building stimulates new development for this industrial area and provides additional objects of urban infrastructure for the residents.

By Naser Nader Ibrahim

• Office Building
• Commercial Architecture
• Zemelny Office Building
• Zemel'nyi Business-Center
• UNK architects
• Dmitry Chebanenko
• Yuliy Borisov
• UNK Architects
• Zemelny Business Cente

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