Monopolistic competition is the best fit. Market share is small, pricing is unique to the differentiation, there is competition substitutes, but again separated by price due to differentiation.

First, go digital. While the initial investment is expensive, it’s way cheaper in the end because you don’t need to buy and process film. At around $10 a roll for film and developing, you only need to take a few thousand pictures (not a lot really) to pay for itself.

Second, hot lights (lights that are always on) are way cheaper than strobe lights. If you use digital, then you can use pretty much any kind of light and then adjust the white balance to get the color you want. You can get two or three sets of halogen work lights (like they have at construction sites) for about $20 each, giving you 1500+ watts of light. The primary consideration here is that you keep the room cool so your subjects don’t get hot. Hot lights also reduce the need for an expensive light meter.

Third, backgrounds can be quite cheap. If you use proper lighting, you can take a $20-30 roll of white background paper and make it look white, black or any color and hue. In a pinch, paint a wall white or gray and use lighting to change the color and texture.

Fourth, you can use cheap materials for light reflectors, such as white foam boards from Staples or anything that will reflect and shape the light the way you want it to.

Fifth, use natural light, such as a window softened by some sheer curtains.

Sixth, go outside! Cloudy days make nice photo lights.

The final consideration is what will you do once you have the studio? If you really want to make money at it, your clients will assume you’re more credible if you appear to have spent a lot of money on your studio, and therefore more likely to hire you. Unless your work is so outstanding that it speaks for itself.

Good luck!

Are their anyone that could help me get answers for this ?

There are many hazards in a studio. A strobe pack can have several lights hook up to it. This strobe pack can cause a electrical issue if someone were to spill a drink on it. Cords leading to and from it can cause tripping hazards knocking down the lights.

A model or someone can get too close to the backdrop and step on it bringing down the entire setup. Booms if not counter weighted correctly can tip over. Light stands that is overloaded can present issues. There are different types of light stands and one has to use the right ones for the job.

Thanks!

There are many, many ways to accomplish this. Here’s just one idea. You can get black muslin at the fabric store. Get it as wide as you can and about 20 feet long if you will be doing full length shots, 8 feet if you won’t. Get a wood stair rail from the hardware store and hang it from the ceiling then hang the muslin over it. For lights you can put it all next to a large picture window or sliding glass door and use white muslin on the other side to reflect light onto the dark side. I’ve used this setup before with very good results except that I had a backdrop stand and a black velvet backdrop. I also hung a white bed sheet over the sliding glass door to diffuse the bright sunlight which would cause harsh shadows. If it’s overcast you can omit this.

I’d reccomend getting a cloth background as it can fold up and put away into storage easily. Allowing you to turn your walls into another backdrop of some type. Photographing a green-screen can be quite tricky as you have to be sure to remove shadows and make sure no one is wearing a similar color. I’ve found using two lights instead of one background light works great for removing shadows (along with my normal portrait lighting).

If you have the money, Photoshop is the best there is. However, there are other software out there that will allow you to select a color and knock it out, such as Corel Paint and JASC Paintshop Pro.

I live outside LA, but I’m willing to drive. And also, price may be a factor.

Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

Hi! Here are some links to exactly what you are looking for—classic Hollywood glamour:

http://www.bluemoonphotography.com/default.htm

http://www.beststuff.com/photography/portrait-photography-a-masters-perspective.html

This forum consists of photographers experimenting with Hollywood shots. It may behoove you to contact one or more of them to find out where they are located, etc:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30993

If price becomes an objection, perhaps you could find a photographer who would be willing to work with you as a learning experience for both of you. Here is an excellent book, as well as a list of California photographers by area, that may help both of you. Often times photographers will do these kinds of things to expand their portfolio and expertise, and in doing so will make the price work for both parties:

http://www.amazon.ca/Hollywood-Portraits-Classic-Shots-Take/dp/0817440208

http://www.photolinks.com/ResultsPage18.html?COUNTRY=United%20States&STATE=California&CITY=Hollywood

Hope this helps you. Best wishes!

What I do is ask the bride and groom if they want to do some of the formal shots early. If they have no problem seeing each other before the ceremony, then we can get those out of the way, and it makes my and their lives less stressful. I’m not rushing around, they are not as frantic, the guests are not waiting a long time at the reception.

I would charge the same price as a two person portrait session. Again, you’ll have to ask the photographer you go with what they propose.

Right now i just take pictures of things i come across and not anything specific like portraits or anything

So say i wanted to do a portrait what exactly would i need and how do i set it up?

If you have myspace here are samples of my Photography

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=279484385&albumId=1120148

tripod, backdrop, umbrella lights, a good DSLR, flash(s) with diffuser, remote, etc etc etc.

Acquire from Vistaprint.com a colorful business card
by selecting from their many templates a suitable one
that meets your needs. Make sure to list the URL of
your website along with a telephone answering device.
Do not place your home address or anything personal
such as a cellphone on this businesscard. Then when
you receive the finished business card, pass it around
to various churches, temples and the like to solicit
business.

When you receive a major photography assignment, visit
your local professional camera store and "rent" the
necessary camera equipment to fulfill this assignment.
When starting out, you don’t want to tie your money up
with a piece of camera equipment which because of ever
changing technology "becomes obsolete." Remember, that
90% of professional photographer are not "buying"
camera equipment continually which can easily become
outdated; instead, they merely "rent or lease" the
camera equipment for set period of time; thereby
keeping their money for other expenses. Even though
you may have your heart set on an SLR and film, you
may have to give up that concept for the moment, since
digital photography offers the most economic method of
photo reproduction. Digital imagery is easy to edit on
a computer and the print quality is often far superior
to regular film-generated prints.

You want to buy an "essential/basic" DSLR system which
has an all-around affordable accessory lenses, then
consider the award winning Pentax KD series beginning
with the Pentax K100D 6.1 mp DSLR with "image
stabilization" built into the camera body. "Image
stabilization" is essential for allowing you to take
telephoto pictures at weddings, parties, while on the
go and you don’t have to drag along a tripod to steady
your camera. Unfortunately, Canon and Nikon have
chosen to install their "vibration reduction" devices
into very expensive auxiliary lenses. But getting back
to the Pentax K100D which comes in a starter kit
consisting of two Pentax lenses: a 18-55 mm. normal
lens and a 50-200 mm. telephoto which sells for $650
at samys.com. Again, the Pentax K100D starter kit runs
circles around the D40 Nikon!

For digital print processing, find a private
professional film processing lab who can handle all
your client’s print orders. And with a resale license,
you will be qualified for considerable "professional"
discounts on lab fees. A search on the Google and
Yahoo for wholesale photo albums will connect you with
various distributors who, again, you can sign on as a
photography studio and get a dealer’s pricing for any
number of albums, guest books, etc.

Instead of renting a studio, take people pictures at
local parks and beaches and for indoor shots, go to
the client’s residence or office to set up a photo
shooting environment which consists of a set of
lights, reflective screens, background drapery, etc.

Good luck!