Catalog Description

Advisory: Completion of a minimum of three photography courses
Hours: 54 lecture
Description: Successful business practices for commercial, portrait, and fine art photographers. Elements of starting and running a photography business, including overhead, taxes, insurance, copyright law, contracts, pricing, marketing and advertising. Overview of business resources provided by professional photography organizations. Creation of a business plan related to the students' career goals. (CSU)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Develop a business plan for a commercial, fine art, portrait or other photography business.
  • CSLO #2: Assess the various legal and practical aspects of running a photography business.
  • CSLO #3: Investigate trade organizations and develop a network of professional consultants based on the needs of the individual photography business.

Effective Term

Fall 2018

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

54

Outside of Class Hours

108

Total Student Learning Hours

162

Course Objectives

1. Compare the various forms of business ownership most commonly used by photographers and determine which one should be included in their business plan;
2. Assess the licenses they would need to obtain to start a photography business in the community in which they wish to operate their business;
3. Distinguish between sales within the photography industry that are subject to sales tax and those that are not;
4. Summarize sales tax regulations and their impact on photographic sales;
5. Identify the various tax liabilities as a business owner and the forms that need to be submitted to satisfy legal requirements;
6. Analyze the cost effectiveness of preparing business tax forms themselves or contracting with a payroll service, bookkeeper or accountant to fulfill their legal responsibilities;
7. Compare general accounting software and integrated photography business software to determine which would be best for their business;
8. Create an estimate for a job based upon research of pricing, photography usage granted and terms of payment within their specific photographic market;
9. Create a final invoice based upon completion of a fictitious job;
10. Define current copyright laws;
11. Explain how usage and reuse fees are handled within different markets (e.g., wedding/portrait, commercial, photojournalism);
12. Develop an effective photography marketing plan;
13. Devise an advertising and self-promotion plan based upon their marketing plan;
14. Write a complete business plan for the first year of a photography business with long-range plans for their first three years; and
15. Evaluate the various professional photography organizations and how their services apply to the business plan.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
      • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
        • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)

          Articulation Information

          • CSU Transferable

          Methods of Evaluation

          • Classroom Discussions
            • Example: The instructor will lead the students in a discussion of current copyright law and photography. To instigate a discussion and topic, a series of images will be shown that have been involved in some type of copyright infringement. To culminate the discussion, a new series of images will be shown that have also had copyright infringement lawsuits. The instructor will ask the students to debate the issues for each image and decide if they would side with the plaintiff or defendant. This is a non-graded assessment, yet it does give feedback to the instructor as to the student retention of copyright law issues
          • Projects
            • Example: The students will create marketing plan and an advertising and self-promotion plan for their first year of business. The plan would be submitted in the form of a written report and would be assessed based upon a grading rubric provided to the students. Major components of the rubric would include correlation between the marketing plan and the advertising plan, feasibility, budgeting, and creativity.

          Repeatable

          No

          Methods of Instruction

          • Lecture/Discussion
          • Distance Learning

          Lecture:

          1. For the course objective, "define current copyright laws" the instructor would lecture on the laws and ethics of copyright law and then lead a group discussion of how to educate clients and aid in the enforcement of these laws.
          2. For the course objective, "create an estimate for a job based upon research of pricing, usage granted and terms of payment within their specific market" a combination of lecture, directed study and activity would all take place. The instructor would lecture on the different types of forms and usages relevant to the photographic industry. Instructor would then assign students to do research on pricing within their target market. Finally, instructor would lead an in class role playing activity that would involve students playing the part of client and business owner and negotiating a final contract.

          Distance Learning

          1. Instructor will create a video or PowerPoint presentation with audio on marketing photographic services. Instructor will also provide the appropriate chapter in the textbook or a link to OER on the subject for students to read. Student will seek any necessary clarifications through discussion boards or office hours. Student will then apply this knowledge to the creation of a marketing plan for their proposed business.

          Typical Out of Class Assignments

          Reading Assignments

          1. Read assigned chapter on marketing in preparation for writing your own marketing plan. 2. After reading the chapter on copyright law, come prepared for a class simulation where you will be acting as either a photographer or a client and must negotiate a job based upon current copyright law and related reuse fees.

          Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

          1. Based upon your research into the local photography market, assigned readings on marketing and class discussions, write a three to five page marketing plan that details the specific market(s) you will pursue, your branding, who your potential clients are and how you will penetrate this market. 2. After attending one of the local professional photography organizations monthly meetings and gathering information from two other photography organizations, write a two to three page paper comparing how involvement with each organization might benefit your proposed photography business.

          Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

          For your final project, you will be developing a complete business plan. Your plan should include your marketing and self-promotion plans devised earlier in the semester, as well as startup costs and complete financial projections for the first three years of business.

          Required Materials

          • MORE Best Business Practices for Photographers
            • Author: Harrington
            • Publisher: Cengage Learning
            • Publication Date: 2014
            • Text Edition: 1st
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:
          • ASMP Guide to New Markets in Photography
            • Author: Carr
            • Publisher: Allworth Press
            • Publication Date: 2012
            • Text Edition: 1st
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:
          • The Fast Track Photographer Business Plan: Build a Successful Photography Venture from the Ground Up
            • Author: Sanders
            • Publisher: Amphoto
            • Publication Date: 2010
            • Text Edition: 1st
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:
          • The Small Business Start-Up Kit for California
            • Author: Pakroo
            • Publisher: Nolo
            • Publication Date: 2016
            • Text Edition: 11th
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:

          Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.