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Photo studio from scratch. Photo studio from scratch: how much will it cost to organize a business for a beginner

  • Production plan
  • Marketing plan
  • Financial plan
  • Step-by-step plan for opening a photo studio
  • Which OKVED code to indicate when registering a business?
  • What documents are needed to open
  • Do I need a business permit?
  • Technology for opening a photo studio
        • Similar business ideas:

Business plan for organizing a private photo studio in an office space with an area of ​​more than 70 square meters.

How much money is needed to start this business?

The entrance ticket to the opening of a modern photography studio averages 800 - 1200 thousand rubles. To provide quality services, investments in technology, design and advertising are required:

  • Deposit for renting premises during renovation (70 sq. m.) - 100,000 rubles.
  • Repair and design - RUB 300,000.
  • Equipment (monoblock, reflector, curtains, beauty dish, stripbox, crane and crane stands, octabox, paper backgrounds, stands) - RUB 550,000.
  • Website creation—RUB 50,000.
  • Advertising - 30,000 rubles.
  • Business registration and other expenses - RUB 50,000.

Total - 1,080,000 rubles.

Production plan

To operate a photo studio, you need to select a room with an area of ​​70 square meters. m. The main thing you should pay attention to, according to experts, is the height of the ceilings in the room. It should be at least 3 meters (ideally, the higher, the better). For this reason, opening a photo studio in an apartment is not possible - only office space. There are no specific advantages based on the location. You can open both in the central part of the city and in residential area. However, the second option looks slightly preferable to the first because it is much cheaper in terms of rent. People are ready to travel to a good studio from one part of the city to another.

What equipment to choose for a photo studio

No less important stage— purchase of professional equipment. Saving here is not always the way out of the situation. Especially if the studio is planned to be rented out. Thus, buying Chinese equipment will be 3-4 times cheaper than European equipment. At the same time, the difference in quality will be what is called “visually”. Chinese technology works unpredictably: it may not work, give light of different power, show completely different color temperatures, and so on. And the face in the photograph may turn out white on one side and blue on the other. Correcting defects not only takes up the photographer’s time, but also makes the client nervous.

Which tax system to choose for this business

A license is not required to conduct such activities. As an organizational form, both an ordinary individual entrepreneurship (IE) and a company with limited liability(OOO). The taxation system can be UTII or simplified tax system. Both are special. the regime is exempt from the obligation to pay income tax, property tax and VAT. It is not necessary to install a cash register.

Download photo studio business plan

Marketing plan

A photo studio can earn money in three main areas: private photography, commercial photography and photo studio rental. Often, business organizers choose the latter business format, since it does not require professional photography skills from the entrepreneur. All that is needed is to properly equip a photo studio and rent it out to experienced photographers. But, as practice shows, photo studios that make money only from rent do not exist for a long time - the monetary “exhaust” is not so large. Therefore, the ideal format is to engage in several areas at the same time. That is, carry out independent photography, and in free hours rent out the photo studio to other photographers.

The most modern and effective method promoting photo studio services is advertising on the Internet. Without a good website and group in in social networks It is almost impossible to promote services. Word of mouth is also of enormous importance. For example, one of the photographers posted an interesting work done in your photo studio and other photographers who wanted to repeat this success liked it. It’s a good idea to advertise commercial photography through the business press and glossy magazines.

Financial plan

Permanent monthly expenses photo studios, according to business plan calculations, are:

  • Rent (70 sq. m.) - 50 thousand rubles.
  • Salary + insurance contributions (administrator and photographer) - 70 thousand rubles.
  • Advertising - 20 thousand rubles.
  • Consumables - 10 thousand rubles.
  • Taxes (UTII) - 10 thousand rubles.
  • Accountant services (outsourcing) - 10 thousand rubles.
  • Other expenses - 15 thousand rubles.

Total - 185 thousand rubles.

How much can you earn by opening a photo studio?

  • The average bill for the service (1 hour of work) is 3,000 rubles.
  • Ordered hours per day - 5 (50% of working time)
  • Revenue per day - 15,000 rubles.
  • Revenue per month (22 days) - 330,000 rubles.

Hence the profit: 330,000 - 185,000 = 145,000 rubles per month. Business profitability is 43%. With such indicators, the project pays for itself in 8-10 months of work (taking into account the time for promoting the studio).

We recommend download photo studio business plan, from our partners, with a quality guarantee. This is a full-fledged finished project, which you will not find in the public domain. Contents of the business plan: 1. Confidentiality 2. Summary 3. Stages of project implementation 4. Characteristics of the object 5. Marketing plan 6. Technical and economic data of the equipment 7. Financial plan 8. Risk assessment 9. Financial and economic justification of investments 10. Conclusions

Do you love photography and dream of making money from your hobby? Do you want to know how to open a photo studio and what is the profitability of this business? Let's look at the key issues related to creating your own photo studio and calculate the expected profit.

How to register

Everything is traditional here - you can set up an individual business or LLC. An individual entrepreneur is much easier to work with and tax, and an LLC opens additional features for cooperation with large clients and advertising studios.

The main thing in a photo studio is the equipment.

Photo studios do not need licenses or any separate documents, so you can register in just a few days. You will also have to obtain permission to open from the fire inspectorate - it is issued for the existing premises.

Types of photo studios

There are several options for photo studios. Let's list the key ones:

  1. Photo salon. This is a narrowly specialized establishment that deals with urgent photographs for passports, driver’s licenses, etc. The salon also provides photo printing services.
  2. Photo studio. They offer photo studio services and organize themed shoots for everyone. Typically, a photo studio has several specially decorated rooms and various “offsite” decorations.
  3. Photo studio. This is a professional establishment, ready to fulfill any wishes of its clients. Here you can conduct a full-fledged photo session, hire a photographer for a wedding or other event, or order subject photography.

A classic salon requires virtually no investment or professional staff - anyone can take photos and print them. Organizing a photo studio or photography studio is more difficult, but these establishments bring in more profit.

What services does the photo studio provide?

If you want to know how to open your own photo studio from scratch, then first read the list of services provided by similar establishments:

  1. Wedding services (photo and video).
  2. Outdoor photo sessions (including thematic ones).
  3. Studio photography.
  4. Object shooting.
  5. Making photographs for documents.
  6. Carrying out advertising photography.
  7. Children's photography.
  8. Family photography.

A good photo studio needs professional photographers

Additionally, the studio can provide the following services:

  1. Creation of special hairstyle and makeup.
  2. Decoration of premises for filming.
  3. Creating a thematic image.
  4. Organization of outfit rental.
  5. Post-processing and printing of photographs.
  6. Creation of “photo paintings” (inserting photos into frames).
  7. Restoring old photos.

The studio is good precisely because it can provide related services, which, with the right approach, bring up to 50% of the total profit.

Read also: The principle of discretion in civil proceedings

How to choose a room

Where is the best place to set up a photo studio? Our step-by-step instruction will give you the answer to this question too. Best in the central areas of the city or on the main street. The minimum area of ​​the room is 65 m2, the ceiling height is at least 3 meters. A big plus is that there is parking nearby. In the room itself, you will need to organize a locker room, a dressing room and a wardrobe for storing costumes. The average rental price for such premises is about 40-45 thousand rubles per month. If you plan to carry out themed photography with decorations and makeup, then you should equip the studio with a full bathroom and shower for visitors.

How to decorate a room

Try to decorate your photo studio in a discreet and monochromatic manner, avoiding unnecessary diversity and bad taste. All attention should be drawn to the model, not the walls or decoration. Most professional photography studios simply paint the walls white/beige to maximize contrast and allow for post-processing of the photos. But it is better to use color combinations. You should have white (light), black, green, gray and pink backgrounds for different photo shoots. The material can be fabric, paper, plastic, silk-screen printing. Red brick is well suited for creating an industrial style, so do not rush to make repairs and cover the walls with plaster.

There is no need to decorate the photo studio with colorful colors and patterns - everything should be strictly

Necessary equipment

A professional photo studio requires professional equipment, because you plan to take not only photographs for documents, but also conduct subject/thematic photography. You will spend most of the money on purchasing equipment. You will need to purchase:

  1. 2-3 professional cameras.
  2. Set of lenses.
  3. Softboxes.
  4. Tripods.
  5. A set of backgrounds, decorations, costumes.
  6. Curtains and reflectors.
  7. Sources of light.
  8. Reflective umbrellas.
  9. Flashes with wireless synchronizers.
  10. Nozzles, diffusers, filters, etc.

Note: Buy cameras and lenses from the same company so that they are interchangeable. This way you will save on equipment in the future by changing only the “carcasses” and not the optics.

Additionally, you will need to purchase furniture - a couple of sofas, armchairs, chairs, tables. In the dressing room you will need a large mirror, a manicure set, a table, a hanger, and an iron.

Be sure to provide Internet access to the studio, purchase several computers and the appropriate software for photo processing.

Team

Who to hire for your studio? It all depends on the size of your business and your preferences. There is a photo studio in which the owner takes care of everything - he takes pictures, deals with taxes, looks for clients and processes photographs. But this approach is only possible if you have few clients.

The photo studio must be large enough

The second option is to hire third-party photographers. This is usually done if the studio receives a lot of orders for events, but cannot cope with them itself.

To do own business and start earning more than at your main job, you can use many ideas. In almost every area this moment there is a high level of competition. At the same time, the level of demand for various types of goods and services is not always the same.

One of the most profitable ideas is the organization of a photo studio.

In order to organize any type of business, you need to register the enterprise. For a photo studio, as for other types of activities, there is a standard choice - registration as a . The advantage of the first option is the simplicity and low cost of registration, and the second - greater consumer confidence.

The choice of legal form should be chosen based on the concept of the establishment.

So, if it is planned to provide services only individuals, enough . If advertising shooting will be carried out in the studio, where the customer will be a legal entity, it is best to prefer. After this, you need to register with the tax office.

To carry out activities no license required, therefore, from a legal point of view, a photo studio is one of the simplest types of business. In addition to registering a company, it is necessary to prepare constituent documents and make copies of them, as well as obtain permission from the fire department.

Types of photo studios

  • The most simple view studio (which many experts do not perceive as such) is photo salon. It requires virtually no costs for organization and maintenance. There are narrow specialists working here, and the main target audience is people who urgently need to print a photo or have their photo taken for a document.
  • The second, more preferable and profitable type is the opening of an establishment in which there will be a room with several backgrounds for filming. At the same time, it is desirable to have various thematic and interior rooms to attract a wider audience.
  • Finally, the third option is universal. It is the most difficult to organize, since such a studio provides all typical services and can also carry out complex individual orders. In addition, opening costs are significantly higher than in the first two options. However, it is for this type of photo studio that there is the greatest demand, and, as a result, it becomes possible to obtain high level arrived.

List of possible services

Any studio, regardless of its size, can provide whole line services. Most of them are relatively simple from the point of view of organizing work, but at the same time they can seriously increase the level of profit. So, first of all, all establishments provide photography services in various formats:

  • Outdoor photo session;
  • Wedding;
  • Studio of various subjects;
  • Photos for various documents;
  • Advertising photography;
  • Family photo sessions;
  • Children's.

To conduct most photo sessions, people require additional services, including:

  • Makeup;
  • Hairstyle creation;
  • Image selection;
  • Rental of outfits;
  • Interior design for a photo shoot;
  • Search for the required premises;
  • Photo processing;
  • Photo printing, etc.

In addition, a photo studio can specialize in additional services. However, it is advisable to add them only after attracting a sufficient number of clients and achieving payback. So, you can design embroidery, paintings and photos into baguettes and frames, sell standard frames, restore old photographs, do photomontage, and also create collages or entire albums.

An interview with the owner of such an establishment about opening such a business is in the following video:

Selection of premises

In order to attract a large number of customers, you need to carefully choose the location. Thus, the establishment should be located in areas located near the city center. At the same time, it should have convenient parking.

The area of ​​the room should be at least 60-70 square meters with successful implementation of zoning. A separate place should be allocated for a dressing room, wardrobe or locker room, as well as workplace administrative staff. In addition, you need space to place lighting equipment.

The rental cost varies from 30 to 55 thousand rubles per month, depending on the size of the room and the location of the studio.

An important requirement is the ceiling height, which must be at least 3 meters. This is necessary in order to be able to conveniently place equipment for work. Finally, it is important to understand what a studio should create pleasant impression at the client's and get him to relax in front of the camera.

In the case of themed photography with a lot of makeup, it is advisable to organize not only a bathroom, but also a small shower.

Design and decoration

As for the design of the room, it should not be pretentious and stylish. The model occupies the central place in the photograph, so the design should not distract too much from her. It is important to understand that the choice of design depends on what services the studio will specialize in. In particular, for studio photography of various subjects, it is best to paint the walls white.

In any case, the background must be considered as a key detail in the design. There should be at least 4 zones in total, each of which will have its own background color. In this case, it is advisable to use various materials:

  • Smooth fabric;
  • Fabric drapery;
  • Paper disposable;
  • Silkscreen printing;
  • Plastic, etc.

Among the obligatory colors we should highlight White and black. Most preferable as additional beige and pink, as well as gray and green. An interesting solution would be to imitate various natural and non-natural materials (for example, brick). Thus, the approach to design should be non-standard, but have certain boundaries to prevent excessive diversity and bad taste.

Necessary equipment

Equipment and furniture play an important role in achieving success. Their purchase is the main cost item. To get started, the studio will need the following types of equipment:

  • Various backgrounds and mountings for them;
  • Set of lenses;
  • Photoboxes;
  • Curtains;
  • Tripods;
  • Reflectors;
  • Professional camera;
  • 5-6 light sources and holders for them;
  • Reflective umbrellas;
  • Beauty plate;
  • Holders;
  • Flashes and synchronizers for them;
  • Reflector attachments, etc.

A separate cost item is the purchase of props and interior items. These can be armchairs, sofas, high chairs. It is advisable that the room has large windows - in this case, you can design the window sill so that you can take pictures on it.

To organize a dressing room you will need screens, dressing table, large mirror, iron and ironing board, chairs and hangers. In addition, you should buy several computers and install photo software on them, as well as install a telephone line. Finally, you will need devices for printing photos and Internet access.

You can use pillows, soft stuffed ottomans, flowers, soft toys, etc. as interior items. Props and small decorative items are optional and depend on the chosen areas of work.

Organization of work, personnel

Depending on the size of the studio and the chosen specialization, it is necessary to decide on the need for own staff. At first, the role of administrator and accountant can be performed directly by the entrepreneur himself. If he is also engaged in photography, then there is no need for staff.

In the absence of a stable flow of orders, it is most profitable to hire photographers for a specific event or photography.

This approach is less expensive than maintaining people on staff who need to be paid wages even in case of downtime.

If the photo studio is universal, and also in a situation where orders are growing, it is advisable to start forming your own staff in order to be confident in the final result and full satisfaction of the client’s demand. So, the studio will need:

  • Administrator;
  • Photographers;
  • Part-time cleaner;
  • Part-time accountant;
  • Designer (who can deal with photo processing, layout, etc.);
  • Makeup Specialist;
  • Stylist;
  • Hair specialist.

It is important to understand that the last three positions are necessary only for establishments specializing in portrait photography or outdoor photo sessions. In other cases, it is enough to have specialists who are hired for a specific order.

Finding clients through competent marketing policy development

For a small studio in the first stages of work, there is no point in resorting to expensive advertising. The best remedy service promotion is own website. Everyone has similar establishments it is quite template and therefore inexpensive from a development point of view. The website should contain services, approximate prices, as well as a portfolio of works in various genres shooting.

You can attract clients through social networks and specialized forums. At the same time, it is a good idea to provide discounts and promotions for new customers.

If you want to work with corporate clients or carry out reportage photography, you should contact advertising agencies: it is in this area that orders of this kind are most often needed, and there are no photographers on staff.

A huge advantage for a photo studio is the fact that after recruiting a certain group of clients, investments in advertising are significantly reduced (and often reduced to zero), since the “word of mouth” effect operates. To maintain demand and the emergence of new orders, it is enough to distribute booklets or business cards at various retail outlets where photography equipment is sold.

Costs, approximate income and payback period

The studio, compared to other types of business, is quite simple to organize and does not require large quantity investments. The entrepreneur will incur the following costs:

  • Payment of rent for premises several months in advance - from 35 thousand rubles per month;
  • The cost of renovating the premises is about 200 thousand rubles;
  • The cost of purchasing equipment and furniture is about 250-350 thousand rubles;
  • Expenses for the purchase of additional interior items – 50-100 thousand rubles;
  • Advertising expenses – from 10 thousand rubles;
  • Website development – ​​about 25 thousand rubles;
  • The cost of preparing documents and registration is about 10 thousand rubles.

Total investments range between from 700 thousand to 1 million rubles. At the same time, the profit of a small photo studio for 12 months of work is about 600 thousand per year. Accordingly, the payback period for such a company is from one year to one and a half years.

Thus, the studio is a profitable and easy to organize type of business. Despite high competition, provided the quality of work and proper promotion are high, you can quickly attract regular customers (both individuals and legal entities) and seriously increase your earnings.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

We solve the problem of how to open an interior photography studio from scratch. Given: a creative person who wants to realize the abilities of a decorator Conditions: 700 thousand rubles. Find: profitable business opportunity.

Today photographs are an integral part of our lives. So familiar that it’s hard to imagine how people lived without the ability to capture memorable events in photographs. Now everyone has a smartphone with a camera at their fingertips, with which they take pictures every day. However, most of us still want quality and beautiful photos taken by a professional photographer in a beautiful setting.

Therefore, it is quite natural that currently opening a photo studio is a promising business idea. Renting out a space ready for photography is very profitable. This business requires relatively small investments and can quickly pay for itself. Another plus is its creative focus. After all, thanks to such a project you can realize your creative abilities and prove yourself as a designer.

The photography studio market has undergone enormous changes. Do you remember what photo studios looked like before? A white canvas against which you pose with simple props. Now the interior of photo studios can be considered a work of art. Typically, studios offer several interiors to choose from for shooting. Each interior is clearly thought out, full of interesting locations and details that can be used in shooting. The originality of the design determines whether a person will want to come to the studio for a photo shoot. The interior is the main component of success for a photo studio.

However, in addition to the creative component, the photography business has many organizational issues, which you need to understand to open your own photo studio.


How to define a photo studio concept

Planning your photo studio needs to start with clear positioning. What type of service will you provide? There can be two options: you either provide interior space for photographers who shoot there; or organize photo sessions, providing a whole range of services - from providing a studio to makeup and, directly, shooting. The first option is less expensive. Here the business owner is focused on creating the interior. The second option is more complex because it requires a whole team of professionals (photographer, makeup artist, costume designer or stylist, administrator), and is more expensive. If the entrepreneur is a photographer, then it is more rational for him to choose the second option. But according to the terms of the task, the entrepreneur - creative person, who intends to independently design the interior of a photo studio. Therefore, the essence of the project is to provide an interior studio for rent for photo shoots.

How to analyze the photography business market

To analyze the market, it is not necessary to conduct a large-scale marketing research. It is enough to find out how many photo studios operate in your city and study their approximate list of services. Your main assistant is the Internet. Today, almost all photo studios have their own website or social media account. Look at what interiors are presented there, how much it costs to rent a photo studio, determine their territorial location (Yandex.Maps, Google Maps or 2GIS will help). Based on the collected data, you will be able to plan your business more thoughtfully and create competitive advantages.


To attract clients, you will have to offer something that other photo studios have not yet offered. For fresh ideas and inspiration, look at what's on the market in other regions. You should also understand that your ideas should appeal primarily to your audience. Therefore, we advise you to find out what topic is relevant among the city’s population, what is the demand for existing services. This information will help you avoid unnecessary expenses.

How to calculate how much money you need to open a photo studio

The required investment is one of the most important elements of any business planning. In order to open your own photo studio, you will need from 700 thousand to 3 million rubles. It all depends on the scale of the business, the complexity of the interior, the idea, the city and the premises. For example, if you want to buy the premises in which the studio will be located, the amount will exceed 3 million. But 700 thousand rubles is enough to open a photo studio. You can save on the premises itself - rent it; for staff – limit yourself to studio rental services; interior – carefully consider locations that can be compactly placed in the rented area, and wisely select decorative elements, choosing budget options. You can also save on room renovation costs by choosing a room in good condition. By the way, this will save not only money, but also time, allowing you to launch the project faster.

We will return to the money issue later when we plan to fill the photo studio. We are still getting used to the idea that we need about 700 thousand rubles.


How to choose a room for a photo studio

If your studio is located in the city center, this is an ideal option. But achieving this ideal is not so easy: firstly, there are many requirements for the photo studio premises that are not so easy to fulfill; secondly, renting premises in the center is not a cheap pleasure. Therefore, you can consider options located in the city center, but on less traveled streets. Climbing far, into industrial zones, which will take a couple of hours to get to, is not the best the best option. It is also impossible to place a photo studio in a residential area, because it does not provide essential services to attract residents of nearby houses. You need to attract people from all over the city, so the most logical choice is the center.

Now let's move on to meeting all the requirements for the photo studio premises itself:

    high ceilings - from 3 meters;

    studio length is at least 8-10 m;

    the required repairs must be cosmetic, otherwise you will spend a lot of money and time on remodeling;

    the space should not be divided by vertical beams;

    When choosing a floor covering, you should give preference to dark color and high wear resistance. Otherwise, the floor will quickly lose its attractive appearance.

On average, the cost of an 80 sq.m. premises rented in the city center is 50 thousand rubles.

Once the room has been chosen, you can think about the layout. The room needs to be divided into several zones, each of which will house a location for shooting. A good photography studio should have at least three locations. Also, do not forget that in addition to the workspace, you should provide an area for receiving visitors and a toilet.

How to choose the interior of a photo studio

So we come to the main thing - planning the interior of a photo studio. The main character who determines the interior of the studio is the entrepreneur himself. Here he can realize all his creative ideas, give free rein to your imagination and get creative.

It should be noted that, no matter how sophisticated the designers, the most popular are the following location themes:

    romantic - they are designed for customers who buy family photos sessions or love-story. Such a location should be of medium size to accommodate a family. Typically, romantic locations are made in light colors, with floral motifs;

    stylish locations that are popular among younger audiences. The design style is close to loft or modern and is most often decorated in dark colors;

    the third room is usually called the "chameleon" because its interior changes for seasonal filming. Here you will have to change the environment frequently, which will allow you to re-attract clients and invite new clients on the eve of various events. Typically, locations are based on the theme of the seasons.

For inspiration, we have collected several interesting interior concepts for decorating a photo studio.


Ready ideas for your business

You can support the romantic style with a chic hanging bed decorated with a canopy and flowers. It looks very beautiful and gentle. Miniature swings will also look interesting, which will help create lively shots in motion. But a romantic interior does not have to be in light colors. A country style location - a hayloft, a romantic inscription on a wooden wall and a mini-picnic - will look stylish and unconventional. Why not romance?


Within the walls of a photo studio you can imitate the space of the street. For example, equip a cozy courtyard with a beautiful door, a veranda or a fence covered with grapes, a bench and a bicycle left near it.


To maintain a stylish loft, you can make a brick wall or a gradient background that imitates plaster. A chalk board will be an interesting addition - inscriptions and drawings on it can set the mood of the photo; designs made from light bulbs that look good in the frame; stylish armchairs and step-ladder racks.


You can provide creative details that make the interior special. Attach a bicycle to a brick wall, decorate a window in an unusual way and turn it, for example, into a porthole, “grow” a magic tree in the studio, cover one wall with different wallpapers, creating several backgrounds for photographs. It is also important that the interior contains many interesting details that customers can interact with (books, pillows, musical instruments, three-dimensional letters, etc.).

How to equip a photo studio

There will be a minimum here lyrical digressions– only dry numbers.

Renovation of the photo studio premises - 150 thousand rubles.

Equipment - 150 thousand rubles, approximate list of equipment: light sources (from 4 pieces), umbrellas for transmission and reflection, curtains, attachments for reflectors, synchronizers, mounting installations, stands, herons, tripods. If you are scared by unclear names, you can contact companies that provide ready-made sets of equipment for photo studios. To choose the right equipment, you can consult a professional photographer.

Decorations – 250 thousand rubles.

Business registration – 20 thousand rubles.

Rent of premises – 50 thousand rubles.

Total: 650 thousand rubles.

How to legalize a photo studio

While our studio is being renovated and decorated, you can do organizational issues. First, you should register your business. For a photo studio, the LLC or individual entrepreneur format is suitable - it all depends on your personal plans. It is safer to register an LLC, but registering an individual entrepreneur is much easier. As an individual entrepreneur, you will be able to conduct basic accounting and choose a simplified tax regime. As for the registration of activities according to OKVED, code 74.2 (Activities in the field of photography) is suitable for a photo studio - it includes several subsections.

To operate a photo studio you do not need to obtain any licenses, a standard package is enough registration documents. But it is required to obtain permission from the fire inspectorate to open a photo studio in the selected premises.

Ready ideas for your business

It is also worth mentioning inspections, which sometimes frighten entrepreneurs. Photo studios do not belong to the category of the consumer market that inspectors are closely interested in. Therefore, there should be no difficulties with the control authorities. The main thing is to keep the premises clean and tidy and provide high-quality services.

Another important issue is the search for personnel. A photo studio requires at least 2 people for the position of administrator who will work in shifts. If you want to save money, you can become one of the administrators, reducing labor costs. The average salary of one administrator is 25 thousand rubles. You will also need to hire a cleaner who will monitor the cleanliness of the premises. It does not have to be included in the staff.


How to advertise a photo studio

Promotion of a photo studio is usually carried out via the Internet. Beginning entrepreneurs place special hopes on social networks. And for good reason. Practice shows that Instagram gives the greatest return when managing your account correctly. After all, the photo studio business is based on high-quality photographs, so this resource is best suited for promotion.

First, you need to photograph the studio locations yourself, and in the future you can ask photographers to use their work to demonstrate the locations. Contacts, examples of work, decoration options, information about promotions, and reviews should be posted on social networks.

You can promote your studio through collaboration with photographers. And the now fashionable word “collaboration” would be appropriate here. What is their logic? You independently invite photographers to shoot in your studio, in exchange for providing the location, he undertakes to post information about you in his account. Essentially, this is an association for the purpose of mutual benefit: the photographer gets to shoot in beautiful interior, and you receive advertising for your photo studio.

You can also attract customers with profitable promotions and offers. Organize a drawing for a certificate for a photo shoot in your studio; provide a discount in certain days; Organize a promotion to support family photo sessions at a discount. All these actions will have a positive impact on the promotion of your studio.

When planning a business, most entrepreneurs focus on two parameters: required investments and profit. It's time to ask the question - how much can a photo studio earn?

To give a specific answer, you need to determine the cost of services. To do this, we look at the prices that competitors set. Each city has a different price level. But on average, 1 hour of renting a photo studio will cost 1,300 rubles. You can count on 120 hours of rented filming per month (that is, approximately 4 hours of filming per day). In this case, the revenue will be 156 thousand rubles. Then the net profit will vary in the amount of 70-80 thousand rubles. During weddings and New Year's holidays this amount may increase significantly due to increased demand. With an average monthly profit level of 100 thousand rubles, you can recoup the investment after 10-12 months of work.


How to assess the risks of a photo studio

Any business involves risk. You should take into account all possible difficulties that may arise when opening and operating a photo studio. This will allow you to quickly respond to threats or avoid them altogether.

The first risk is outdated props. The specifics of the work of a photo studio require constant updating of locations and props. Irrelevant, out-of-fashion props are unlikely to decorate the photo and interest the client. Therefore, the owner of a photo studio should always be on trend - monitor trends and change the content of the studio in a timely manner.

Ready ideas for your business

The next type of risk is increased competition in the market. To reduce the impact of this risk, it is necessary to regularly invest money in marketing, improve the level of service, conduct competent work with clients, and create unique offers on the market.

Another risk is the seasonality of business. In the summer months there is a decrease in demand, but the most active months for photo studios are November, December, February and March. To minimize the risk, during low sales, organize competitions for free photo sessions and distribute gift certificates. You can also expand the list of services. For example, rent out a room for holding any events (birthdays, master classes, etc.).

Thus, you can determine the main advantages and disadvantages of opening your own photography studio. After weighing all the pros and cons, you can make a final decision about opening this business.


Table 1. Pros and cons of opening a photo studio


It is quite possible to organize a photo studio by spending no more than 700 thousand rubles. To consolidate the material, we offer a checklist for opening a photo studio from scratch.

Checklist for opening a photo studio:

    Demand analysis

    Competitor analysis

    Studio concept development

    Search for rental options

    Premises assessment

    Conclusion of a lease agreement

    Measuring a room for a design project

    Creation of a design project for each location

    Business registration

    Cost planning (list of materials, necessary furniture and decor, equipment)

Profitable business or realization of creativity? One and the other at the same time. You have the abilities of a photographer, and you are confident in your abilities, then without a doubt open your own photo studio.

At the same time, you can always combine your favorite thing with work. But desire alone is not enough to get started.

Start-up cash investments in a business idea are required, as well as a developed business plan..

We evaluate the photo studio's competitors

After talking with consultants from the field of photography or owners of existing studios or salons, you will see that there is a lot of competition in the photography market.

The popularity of a photo studio depends, first of all, on a well-chosen location.

It is necessary to take into account all the tips for choosing a place to open a studio.

The best option is in the city center or near the center, and of course, so that there are no competitors nearby engaged in the same type of activity.

Where to start opening your own photography studio

For a permanent income, the ability to take good photographs is not enough.

You need to decide on the type of studio to choose: a regular photo workshop or a creative salon.

Having decided on what genre of photographs your activity will be based, you will understand what requirements are put forward for the location of the studio, what equipment and technology you need and at what price.

You can provide services to both legal entities and individuals:

  • family photographs, photos of various celebrations, photographs for various types of documents - this is the main demand of individuals;
  • Legal entities mainly place orders for filming of various types of corporate events, commercial filming for the purpose of advertising their products.


Additional sources of income for a photographer:

  1. Many people use photo services to create advertising, magazine illustrations printed publications, but it is not easy for beginner photographers to get into this field, since companies give preference to more experienced and advanced photographers;
  2. It is no exception that from time to time, aspiring models, as well as ordinary citizens who are interested in beautiful photography, will place orders with you to create a portfolio;
  3. To receive frequent orders, it is recommended to include photo retouching and artistic processing in the list of services. These services are very popular among consumers;
  4. Providing services for the production of instant photos, photographs for documents and portraits, then printing photographs will be one of the types of your income;
  5. During the absence of clients, the photo studio can be used by freelance photographers, respectively, for a fee, which depends on the available equipment;
  6. Having a stylist and makeup artist on staff will significantly increase your income.

How to open your own photo studio

Four things are needed to open a photography studio:

  • equipment,
  • a good place,
  • state,
  • money.

You definitely need to acquire (a loan is being considered) a certain amount, which, according to preliminary calculations, would be enough for at least six months, taking into account even zero income.

The proposed work plan for the photo studio does not include before a year its payback.

Having resolved all financial issues, it’s time to start arranging the studio.


Place to open a photo studio

If you find a location for your premises where there are no potential competitors, then you are guaranteed to get more customers.

When choosing a room, you should pay attention to the space occupied. It must be at least 60 square meters, 40 of which must occupy space for filming.

Square or rectangular rooms with an open plan are most suitable.

The length of the room is required to be at least ten meters, since the distance from the model to the photographer is at least 8 meters, and to the background - 3-4 meters, and the height of the ceilings is three meters or more.

That is why a standard ordinary apartment, by definition, is not suitable. At the same time, it is necessary to provide for positions for an office manager, a stylist, a makeup artist, as well as the presence of a bathroom with a shower and at least a small kitchen.

If you have a creative nature, then you will not have any problems with arranging your studio, but you must take into account that the walls white significantly affect the quality of shooting, black color is too depressing.

Any soft pastel color will work best.

How to solve the issue of opening a studio without having professional equipment for filming? A camera, even if it is a professional one, is only one of the conditions for obtaining high-quality photographs.

Peripheral equipment plays a huge role:

  • tripods,
  • backgrounds,
  • light and more.


At the very beginning, you need to decide on the purpose of the camera.: if you are planning a lot of trips, photo sessions, reportage shooting, then a camera equipped with peripheral equipment will be ideal, and, conversely, if you work primarily in a studio, the camera must be equipped with equipment selected separately, no matter how much it costs.

What equipment is needed for a photo studio?

Now let’s look at what equipment you will need to open your own photo studio:

  • a monoblock with a flash of 150 J and higher for “key” light;
  • to soften the key light, you need a soft box (can be replaced with a reflective double-sided umbrella, but it is inconvenient to use);
  • monoblock for room-filling light;
  • 2 racks, 2.5 meters high;
  • to limit the flow of light - curtains;
  • optional, but a conical nozzle is acceptable to limit the flow of light;
  • reflector from 0.5 to 1.0 meters in diameter with a stand and rod;
  • if there is no external flash, then a light synchronizer is needed;

When opening a photo studio, purchase professional equipment from the following brands: Marko-PRO, Multiblitz, Vizatek, Hensel, Prolinka, Rekam, Broncolor, Elinchrom, Prograph, GuangBao, Falcon, RayLab, Profoto, Bowens.

Photo studio staff

Before opening a photo studio, you need to select personnel. Even if you are a professional photographer, if there are a lot of orders, you can’t handle it alone.

At first, you can invite specialists to individual projects, paying them for the hours they work.


To achieve high-quality, and at the same time pleasant customer service, a photo studio needs to help the photographer:

  1. An administrator whose responsibilities include: providing the studio with housekeeping, planning working hours and filming schedules, communicating with clients, as well as maintaining communication with clients on social networks and constantly updating the corporate website.
  2. Retoucher. If there are many orders, the photographer will not physically have time to process the photographs himself; he will not have enough time.
  3. When doing staged photography, you will need special makeup that is beyond the capabilities of a photographer - for this you need a makeup artist.
  4. A stylist whose job is to select various accessories and outfits to highlight the model’s image.
  5. Hairdresser to create beautiful, chic hairstyles for participants, and especially participants in photo shoots.

Advertising campaign for a new photo studio

A certain time before the opening of the photo studio, you will need to notify as much as possible. more people about the opening of your new photo studio, while offering discounts, bonuses and special offers to the first visitors.

What is the best way to notify clients about the opening of a photo studio:

  • distributing flyers to mailboxes and doorways;
  • promoters distributing flyers to passers-by on the street;
  • Post your advertisements on bulletin boards;
  • to reach a larger audience, you can place advertising on billboards, although it is quite expensive, the result is good;
  • a noticeable bright sign on the studio doors perfectly attracts attention;
  • Place banners on stands next to the photo studio.

How to notify clients about your business?

Even if you continue to use all the business promotion tips listed above, this is not enough. Mostly, an increase in clients can be expected from the recommendations provided.

The most reliable and effective source of attracting more new customers to increase orders is a well-done job of high quality.

And still, this is not enough to achieve the desired success and money to not only cover previous costs, but also to further develop your business.


The best results for finding clients should be found online.

It’s worth creating a website for your photography studio, where you can make a portfolio and post your best work, share various information and attract clients.

The created website must be promoted regularly. It will be a very good helper for this contextual advertising and search engine promotion.

How much can you earn in a photo studio?

You can realistically earn about $30 an hour from photography.

When opening a photo studio from scratch, the payback period is up to one year, and the monthly profit should be 5.5-8.0 thousand conventional units.

Having opened a photo studio, you should expect a workload of two to three hours a day, which should presumably last up to twelve hours by the end of the year.

How much money do you need to open a photo studio?

One-time costs for a photo studio:

  • Camera - not cheaper than 2.0 thousand conventional units.
  • Equipment for lighting and other things - minimum 2500 conventional units.
  • Backgrounds - professional, no less than $500
  • For photo processing, personal computer - 1.0 thousand conventional units. and more
  • Chairs and dressing room dressing room - $400
  • Renovation of premises - from 2.0 thousand dollars
  • Website development - from $300 minimum

Monthly costs of a photo studio

  • Salary fund - from 400 to 4.0 thousand conventional units.
  • Rent of premises - 0.8-1.0 thousand conventional units.
  • Promotion on the site network - no less than 500 conventional units.
  • Other unforeseen expenses - up to 300 conventional units.

It turns out that opening a photo studio is not so easy, but if you approach it correctly, it is a very profitable business.


In this type of business, the main thing is to work “for the future”, which means providing high quality services, constantly expanding the type of services, and of course paying Special attention regular customers, because thanks to them and their advice, more and more new clients are expected to visit your photo studio.

Which OKVED code to indicate when registering a business?

Code 74.20 is suitable for activity, which is directly related to the business in the field of photography. Also recommended: 47.91.2, responsible for retail trade via the Internet, 74.10 - business activity specialized in the field of design and other things that are not directly related to photography, but may become necessary to expand the business in the future.

What documents are needed to open a business?

To register a type economic activity Individual entrepreneurship is suitable. To register, you will need: a civil passport, an application for registration, a document confirming payment of the state duty, a scanned copy of the TIN certificate.

Which taxation system to choose for a photo studio?

The simplified taxation system (simplified) is the most acceptable for running a photography business. The simplified tax system (USNO) tax will be 6% if it is levied on profit, or 15% on revenue.

Do I need permission to open?

No licensing is required to operate a photo studio. But compliance with sanitary and fire safety standards will be necessary.

Technology of making money in a photo studio

Bright, stylish, noticeable advertising should be before the opening of a photo salon, and in the future during the work of the studio. These can be business cards and booklets, which are distributed in children's institutions, registry offices and maternity hospitals, in offices and shopping centers, you will attract a client. On various Internet sites you can inform about the service and publish your photographic works, advertising the studio completely free of charge. When starting a business, do not make the price of the service high. Build a reputation as an excellent photographer and a client base, then charge more flexible and competitive prices.

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