Greg Phelps of Gregory James Phelps Photography in Brownsville, Texas, has been operating his studio for more than 30 years. During that time, it's safe to say that he's picked up a few tricks on how to keep your photography business profitable and successful...like pricing."I find that the word 'profit' is grossly misused and misunderstood," Phelps says. But obtaining profit in his new business was necessary when he made the switch from mechanical engineer to professional photographer.
Changing Careers
It all started when visiting friends who owned a camera shop and photo studio. There, Phelps bought a 35mm camera and a few booklets from Kodak on how to take pictures.
"When I went home that evening, I started reading and became so enthralled that I read and played with the camera throughout the whole night. I knew instantly that this was how I wanted to earn my living," recalls Phelps about his inspiration to change careers. "From then on I spent every dime I could get my hands on buying equipment, getting educated and practicing."
Since establishing his studio in 1975, Phelps has moved from photographing everything to
using his mechanical engineering background for architectural photography. In explaining his choice of specialty, he says, "I actually had chosen architecture as my first career choice but was scared away when told you had to be a really good artist. I can't draw worth a plug nickel!"In addition to architectural photography, Phelps has always been drawn to fine art photography and makes many sales in this area as well. "My focus is creating outstanding pieces of fine art for those with discretionary income who will really enjoy it," he explains.
Pricing for Profit
While specializing has helped keep Phelps' business successful, he knows that none of it would have been possible without the proper pricing of his work. He believes so strongly in the importance of pricing that h''s sharing his hard-earned knowledge--knowledge that has kept him in business for over 30 years--in a Super Monday class!
If you want to learn how to make a real profit, don't miss Phelps' "How to Price Your Photography for Top Dollar (The Right Way)" Super Monday class on October 24 in Brownsville, Texas.
"If photographers walk away from this class with the knowledge of how much it really costs to open the doors to their studios every day, they will know more than the majority of photographers today," Phelps notes. But he's not stopping there. He'll teach you how to combine fixed costs and the cost of goods sold to learn how many sessions a year must be done to break even...and to make a profit. Phelps promises that you'll leave with a "no Ouija board formula" for putting a price on your work. So, get ready to make (and keep) more money!
Learn more about Phelps' class and browse more Super Monday classes in more locations at http://www.ppa.com/education-events/sm_new.php. Read more about Greg Phelps here.
Super Monday is an educational program sponsored by PPA every spring and fall. These
daylong, interactive workshops are conducted in locations around the country, allowing PPA members to earn merits for sharing their craft and enabling all photographers to learn new skills and develop professional networking contacts.ALL IMAGES © GREG PHELPS
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