Youth Sports Photography Business – How to Make It Click

Did you know that you can easily earn a substantial income by understanding in-demand youth sports photography? If you are still not aware of it, some professional youth sports photographers can easily earn thousands of dollars in a single game day. Does this pique your interest? I bet it does!

So, how do you start your very own profitable youth sports photography business and what do you need to make it click? Here are some tips and ideas that you definitely need to know:

Have the Right Equipment
Making money in this kind of photography can be downright difficult if you don’t have the right equipment. As we all know, most parents have their own cameras so why do they have to hire you to take photographs of their kids? Well, give them a good reason why they should!

To do this, you need to invest in a good quality DSLR camera that can take about 7FPS (frames per second) to make sure you capture all the best moments on film. You should also make sure that it has a good ISO performance so that you can take crisp, clear images even in low-lighting conditions.

While you’re at it, consider buying a monopod so that you can have ample support in stabilizing your shots while giving you the freedom to move quickly along the field and a water cover to keep your camera protected when you are shooting outdoor events. Don’t forget to buy a good telephoto lens (70mm to 200mm F/2.8) and several high capacity memory cards to complete your gear!

Find the Right Sports Photography Events
To launch your sports photography business into action, you need to find the right events. You can try searching online for sporting events in your area and other nearby localities. When you find an event that interests you, look for the phone number of the person in charge of the organization and ask if they already have an official photographer to cover the event.

If you are lucky enough to find that the position is still available, ask about their requirements and set up an appointment so that you can show them your portfolio. Send a follow-up email with one or two of your best related images, a thank you note and your contact information immediately after hanging up.

However, if they already have someone to cover the event, ask if it would be okay to send a brochure featuring some of your best works and contact information for their future reference.

Tips in Booking Your Events

If you want to increase your chances of booking an event, here are some things you may want to consider:

Approach at the right time. In booking a youth sporting event, proper timing is everything. As a rule, you should approach your contact before the practices for that season start or about three months before the first game. You should also be courteous enough to meet with the sponsor or the coach at a time when they are not preoccupied with their duties. Make sure to accommodate their schedule and you’ll be able to score some points in your favor.

Bring your best related sample shots during the meeting. Show them what you can bring to the table by presenting samples of your best work using your iPad or laptop. Don’t forget to bring some physical samples, too.
Adapt your manner of dressing and your presentation to match different situations. If you are meeting with the league or school officials, then you should dress a little more formally than you would if you were to approach the team’s coach right before practice starts.

Arm yourself with professionally designed business cards. Remember that you need to make a good first impression. So, aside from dressing appropriately to fit the occasion, you should also make sure that your business cards look professional. Homemade business cards printed on card stock just won’t do.

Don’t make negative comments about your competition. Doing this will only make you look unprofessional. Emphasize why they should choose you over your competition without throwing negative remarks along the way.

Without a doubt, there is money to be made in youth sports photography so you may want to consider adding it to your specialties. If you like sports photography you wouldn’t regret it!

I always include my course at the bottom of these articles via this link so you can get underway with your own photography customers when you’re ready.

Here’s to another successful endeavour,
Ray Baker