Nine tips for a successful photography business, with Martina Wärenfeldt

With a career of more than 27 years in the photography industry, fine art portrait photographer and Canon Ambassador Martina Wärenfeldt has learned a lot about both the art of photography and also the practical side of running a photography business.

"I love the creative part of being a photographer, but that has to go together with paying the bills," she declares. Whether you are just starting out, looking for the next step, or anxiously facing uncertain times, here are Martina's tips for sustaining and growing your photography business. She also reveals how printing has elevated her business, so that she doesn't just take photos but delivers something tangible and lasting that her clients value.

"Competition is fierce, so find what makes you unique," Martina advises. "Look into what you're good at. It took many years before I found my niche but it comes from within me. My speciality is posing people and then the colours and the harmony – I see the painting in front of me.

"So I think you need to tap into yourself. Do you love cats? It could be dogs or babies, or motorcycles or cars. Whatever it is, that could be your market. But it's got to come from within, or you won't be really really good at it. You've just got to find it and work really hard on your craftsmanship."

Ask yourself "how much do I need to charge to make a living? If I have to drop my kids off at 9 in the morning and pick them up at 2, then those are the hours I have to spend on my client. Do I have a husband who can take them on Saturdays? All those things are so individual, but you need to sit down and do the numbers.

Martina admits that, with overheads such as studio rent, she can't compete on price. So instead, she says, ask yourself why a client would choose you. Can you provide a particular expertise, or the best service? "Whatever it is that makes me stand out, I need to bring that to the table." Martina likens it to going to a restaurant: your favourite is not necessarily the cheapest or even the one with the best food, but the one that consistently delivers great service and a memorable experience. It's the same in your photography business: "How can you make the experience special for your client?"

In her case, delivering outstanding prints is a crucial part of the complete service she offers, Martina says. "Especially for me, being a fine art photographer, when I produce a print on fine art paper or canvas, receiving a physical print gives clients a completely different experience to viewing an image on a screen."

Martina emphasises the importance of having your own printer. "It gives you control over what you deliver. At one time, I used to use a lab, but my prints came back too magenta or too green or had a spot... The cost of reprints rapidly added up, and I became so frustrated, because naturally the lab did not care as much as I did. So I invested in my first Canon imagePROGRAF printer and I haven't looked back.

"If you really care about your professionalism and your service to your client, having your own printer saves you time and money – and, in addition, you can push yourself, try new papers, experiment and come up with a unique offering."

That said, Martina adds that she demands ease of use in a printer. "I don't want to have to go to school for six months to learn how to print." That's one reason she particularly values her Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000: it's user-friendly, completely dependable, and "obviously good quality, because I am always about delivering high quality to my clients. I'm absolutely in love with it!"

Putting the three previous tips together, Martina adds, don't be afraid to charge premium prices for a premium service. "If you don't value yourself, why would the client value you?" She acknowledges this may mean you're going to have fewer clients than if you went "super dollar-store budget" but suggests that both you and your clients will be happier. "Position yourself as more of an experience rather than just providing images." But make a point of delivering the best quality prints.

In the same vein, she advises being completely up-front about what you provide and what it will cost. "Talk money right from the beginning so it's no surprise at the end and people end up unhappy."

That said, give your clients options. If they baulk at her pricing, Martina says, "I have another package to offer them – it's not the same full experience, but I'm not going to let them walk away without offering them an alternative." If they're not for you, that's OK, someone else will be. But you need to stay flexible, particularly because "times change, business is up and down, and the same things don't work anymore.

"Of course learn your craft. It's wonderful if you can stick to your niche," Martina adds, but with a saturated market, AI posing an unpredictable threat to photographers, and an insecure world situation, you sometimes have no choice but to shift gears and prioritise making a living.

For Martina this has meant taking on corporate and family portraits as well as fine art photography. But this too, she says, plays to her strengths. "I don't mind corporate work because my people skills mean I am good with insecure personnel who are forced to go to the photographer. Anybody can push that button or learn that technique but not everybody can meet uncomfortable people and make them look damn good in front of a camera."

Martina acknowledges that the photography industry is more competitive than ever, and the business environment is tougher. "Everything is moving so fast and we are bombarded with images and music and TikToks. Before, I could post on Facebook and reach people with offers, for example, but they don't see it anymore." As a result, she herself is "working on networking – calling people to have coffee, putting myself out there, marketing myself. It was not as necessary before. For me, the jobs are still coming in, but it doesn't come for free."

Get on the phone, be passionate about it, and sell your services, she advises.

Martina also recommends galleries, exhibitions and competitions – "whatever gets you seen." She takes part in "happenings" in a local shopping mall, or you could exhibit your photos in a café or on your favourite social platform – "whatever you can do. How can people find you with all the noise going on?"

Just as important is being contactable. If you want to get work, people must be able to reach you. Martina says she is often surprised by how many photographers don't have information such as a phone number clearly displayed on their websites. "Sometimes, I don't even know what country they're in." By the same token, she recommends including practical details such as your starting prices, although not necessarily your whole price list.

Every career and every business will suffer some setbacks. "I have just lost a huge project, and it definitely put a dent in my motivation," Martina admits. "You might take a hit and you might lose confidence, but there's always a solution. It's OK to cry for a few days, but as soon as your mind is OK, brush yourself off and get back up. It's just a matter of finding the way, whatever you need to do."

In the past, Martina reveals, she gave away free shoots or organised raffles "just to get people in the door. Serve them with love, and you feel better about yourself. Keep your head above water and it will be OK.

"And if it's not OK and money gets really tight and you can't survive, get another job. At one time I cleaned offices half-time just to breathe, because when it gets so tough on you that you can't breathe, you can't think.

"So get your mind straight and claw your way out of that hole."

Ultimately, Martina advises, "stay flexible and stay curious." Try new things, but focus on quality and service to your clients. "Make sure there is a value you're providing, not just images."

Including quality printing in your offering as a photographer can enhance that value and expand your business – and you don't need to be a print expert to consider it. All it takes is the control you gain by using your own Canon photo printer, and the willingness to bring your personal vision to physical life.

"The most popular product in my studio is an image box," Martina concludes. "It's not an album and not wall art but a beautiful premium box loaded with fine art prints. It is stunning. It elevates my business game and elevates me as an artist."