Automotive based photography cinematography business start up, ideas, thought, help needed!

Do you have any sort of portfolio online already? Anyone following you @petrol360 on IG yet? Anything posted?

Start with the research. Is there anyone else near you doing this? Anyone in the nation you can borrow a business model from?

Why do I want professional photos of a car I'm trying to get rid of?

If I'm a dealership, why do I want to pay you instead of making my sales manager take a few quick snaps with his iPhone and getting it online this afternoon, not next week?

Why do I hire you over the guy who also shot my wedding? Did my kids senior photos? That I see at the track who also races or who already shoots the track days and races I do?

What can you do that I can't with the DSLR I/my wife probably owns already?

You say 12 shoots a year... What are you going to do in winter to get the nice cars out? Or all 12 shoots in summer? How fast do you think you can do the processing turnaround?

What kind of lighting equipment (and experience with lighting) do you have? Any access to a large studio space? Cool locations scoped out? Access to assistants for larger shoots or video?

I used to own a studio years ago. Your scope is limited and that can hurt. You will need to be a marketer first and photographer second. The problem is that most dealers can do what they need these days fairly easily, sadly even with a smart phone. You're going to have to convince them you can do better. When I was in TV production we produced a weekly car show for a while...don't underestimate the amount of time it takes to do something like this.

Goog luck...its tough out there.

All your time is going to be spent culling the hundreds or thousands of photos you take in a session and editing those that make the cut. It's a pretty massive time commitment for the prices you're talking about. Do a couple of free sessions and then survey the clients afterward about how much they would pay for such a set of photos. Do the math on what that means for you as an hourly rate including all the post work.

Dealers don't need you.

I've been working at a dealership for 6 months, and have watched their system/ needs for photos. They've got it streamlined- VERY efficient, and effective (for what they need).

BTW, no one owning and/or selling high end vehicles wants to hire a part-timer to do this. You'd better be a pro, and ready at the drop of a hat for whatever they need.

I would attempt to get into this business through a back door...

So (for example), you could get into digital youth sports photography. There is a huge volume of work, and the cash flow is good. Setup a mobile trailer/ sales booth that can offer the services of on-site high quality prints available the same day (as well as print later online). Work out of a concession trailer, at sporting events. Offer all kinds of sports memorabilia crap. You can take photos during the event while someone sells from the trailer- results almost instantly. Soccer moms are a really easy sell.

Once you have the capacity (trailer setup and equipped, POS system, active web sales, etc), you can then take the setup to ANY event. Corporate events, community celebrations, college sports, whatever.

At that point, it would be easy to start showing up at car shows, races, car auctions, etc. THIS is where you would make the contacts to do the kind of work you are hoping for.

Racerdave nailed it- marketer first, photographer second.

What is your current day job?

Everyone is a photographer, because we all have smart phones.

What makes your service worth paying for?

I'd suggest you keep obtaining your name. Perhaps Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I see photographers all of the time in the local Cars and Coffee Facebook groups. After every event, they post about three dozen photos to the group page. The group wins because there is quality documentation of the event. The photographer wins because they get to show that they can take very nice looking photos, even in a crowded parking lot.

Your competition is an army of high school and college kids who got their parents to buy them an obscene amount of equipment to "follow their dream". They have no overhead and either work for free, or just cheap enough to pay for gas. They are easy to spot at car shows, they all have those #@&!* sliding camera mounts.

Don't sell yourself as a car photographer...yet. Do it all. My friend is somehow a photographer on movie sets. No video, just stills. Why? I have not idea, but it pays the bills. The folks I know that shoot cars also do fashion for some reason. And the one I know that makes the best money shoots industrial stuff, like photos of gigantic generators. Seriously.

Please don't take this as me saying not to follow your idea, but I've been in the automotive industry for 17 years and it is very hard to make livable money as a car photographer. It can be done, but the heyday is over. Guys I used to pay $1k for a photo shoot I can't justify hiring because my writers have point & shoot cameras that make it nearly impossible to take a bad shot. This means my writer can sell me text and photos in one shot, and usually for way cheaper than hiring them separate. I've got one photographer I work with anymore, and even he is dropping his rates to remain competitive.

Thanks for all the feed back! There are holes on the plan but I will be working to fix them! Yes it is a very hard to get a start with everyone buying DSLR's and thinking they are photographers. I am more then willing to other things to get a start as I said I will shoot anything, but cars are the end goal. I have a few weddings booked with friends for the next year or two that could very easily turn into a business and maybe it will, but I am at a good spot to start this right now. I work at a hot rod shop and a older gentlemen comes from a magazine driving a day and staying in a hotel which is costing them a good bit of $. Iv seen his photos in the end and well... If all I did was set the camera on a tripod and leave it at chest height with the camera in auto and the flash blowing everything out then I can do it to!

Also remember I don't have overhead, I don't have employees I am more or less free labor that will shot anything for any price right now. What you see above is the whole picture of the end goal. I have talked to other people who advertise themselves as car photographers and most were like me just doing it for fun but making some money on the side. They said they said they do around 50% cars and 50% whatever else they get asked to do. Most of them go to car shows then get asked by owners to do more photos of there car.

Thanks for the thoughts and help and ideas!

SVreX wrote: Everyone is a photographer, because we all have smart phones. What makes your service worth paying for?

Along these lines, I have heard being a "photographer" is a very popular side job these days. Not because of phones, but because good quality digital cameras are pretty wide spread these days.

Don't want to discourage, but make sure you actually are clearly better then the average photographer (added value), and don't get your hopes too high.

One of the more interesting things about your RX-7 thread are the pictures. While some photos are point and shoot, many appear to be well composed. I think you certainly have an eye for photography.

Shooting interesting automotive video is a lot more complicated. Typical it takes at least three people to shoot a moving vehicle.... So you will need a crew and equipment. A crew can be some friends, but keep in mind unpaid volunteers are not always available when all the necessary elements fall into place. ... its tough, but it can be done.

Editing is just as important as getting the raw video. It takes practice to hit the marks when you also include an audio soundtrack.

The BMW video has a lot of cool elements such as a gritty background in the beginning, good lighting and interesting moving shots. Watching videos like that and understanding how it was shot is the first step.

I'm no expert but I like to experiment . I watch videos and try and figure out how and why some shots are more interesting than others. Typically it's in the camera angles and setting up a shot with a unique prospective is the key.

I build all my own equipment because I'm cheap and it's just a hobby.

My Saturn is equipped with a three way camera mount that is solidly bolted to the car.

Some home made bits for different camera positions.

This setup allows the GoPro to shoot a moving profile at a lower angle.... Its a hard shot to do by hand.

Another prospective is a high mount on the GoPro.

Here is a heavy duty adjustable mount for a larger camera.

Trailer hitch mount for shooting low. It works great for fast approaching cars.

Here is another mount for getting a cool angle. Remember to tether you equipment, don't trust suction cups.

Four foot slider because everybody likes slider shots... just don't over do it.

Hope that helps!

fujioko wrote: Four foot slider because everybody likes slider shots... just don't over do it.

This. This so frick'n much. I swear I have seen entire videos that are nothing but slider shots one after another. Oooh wow, there was another car behind that fender! I would have never guessed!

Unfortunately the "pull away crane shot" is now the new overused technique. I cringe every time I see some kid assemble a lightweight erector set over a car and hang a DSLR from it.

In reply to Skervey:

I can give you a little insight as to what you are up against...

My son is not a photographer, he is a videographer. But the guy knows how to work a camera:

Chris' website

His wife is a photographer, including having work featured in Smithsonian:

Julia's website

Neither one does automotive, but certainly could cater to the type of client you are considering wooing.

Take a look at their sites. You will find samples of work, equipment lists, etc.

He makes his living at this, but still has a long way to go to be "well established". She's good, but this is not her primary job.

This is what "getting started" looks like. It's a huge investment in equipment, time, resources, and experience.

It has been a really hard path for them to forge, because they don't have a Daddy that provides them with any equipment, etc. But THIS is the effort it will take to "make it" with that particular clientele. They've spent countless nights up learning their craft, upgrading equipment, etc.

So, take this as an encouragement. I hope you have the talent they do, and can succeed at exactly what you want to do. But consider a broader target for a starting point, and designing a business plan that enables you to "step up" to your dream role, not "step into" it.

I do the same thing, I have just started going to car shows and other events and shot things and post them online. I have gone to the group running car shows and asked to shot thier event, sometimes i change them a small fee in exchange for a booth space. other time i just ask for space to set a booth. After doing this for a few years last year though attanding a local cruise night and talking to poeple i landed a side gig as a track photographer at the local dirt track with both a sprint car team and the guy who does the anonnocing both hired me and asked me to come out and shoot the team and be the victory lane photographer. it great for a making a few extra bucks on the weekend. just beat ready to get lots of no's before people say yes for pics of thier car at an event.

My face book page is Otaku Photography on facebook.