Photography and video business ideas
Photography, video and media services sold as defined packages.
How to choose a starting point
Choose one client type and deliverable, such as listings, headshots or weddings. Gear needs and turnaround times differ a lot.
Editing time often exceeds shooting time. Use written contracts for usage rights, deadlines, backups and model releases.
| Business | First offer | Example setup |
|---|---|---|
| How to start a wedding photography business | An eight-hour coverage package with a planning call, timeline help, ceremony and reception coverage, edited online gallery and print release, delivered within six weeks. Second shooter available as an add-on. Excluded: albums, travel beyond 50 miles, engagement sessions and same-day edits. | $4,900 |
| How to start a real estate photography business | A standard listing package of 25 edited interior and exterior photos, captured in one visit, with next-day delivery and MLS-ready sizes. Drone photos added only if you hold FAA Part 107 certification. Excluded: virtual staging, floor plans, twilight shoots and video tours. | $2,395 |
| How to start a drone photography business | A listing aerial set: an airspace and weather check, one flight of up to 20 minutes at a single address, 15 edited stills including a top-down lot view and a neighborhood context shot, delivered by download link within 48 hours. Excluded: video, interior photos, night flights, roof condition comments, and any site where authorization cannot be obtained in time. | $2,635 |
| How to start a headshot photography business | An on-site team headshot day: setup in one room at the client office, up to 20 people in ten-minute slots, a private gallery for each person, one retouched image each on the same gray or white background, delivered within five business days. Excluded: group photos, full-body shots, extra retouched images, and travel beyond 30 miles. | $1,750 |
| How to start a family mini session photography business | A fall mini session: 20 minutes at one location on a published date, up to six family members, ten edited images in an online gallery delivered within 14 days, and print-ready files. Excluded: outfit changes, extra locations, extended family groups, additional images unless bought, and printed products. | $1,190 |
| How to start a pet photography business | A park pet session: 45 minutes outdoors with one dog at a location you choose, a gallery review a week later, ten edited digital images, and one 16x20 print from a professional lab. Excluded: indoor or studio sessions, cats, multiple pets without an add-on fee, leash removal beyond the selected images, and framing. | $1,665 |
| How to start a video production business for small businesses | A promo video package: a 45-minute script call, a written script and shot list for approval, a four-hour shoot at one location, a 60-to-90-second edit with licensed music and captions, plus two rounds of revisions and vertical and horizontal exports. Excluded: actors, drone footage, multiple locations, ad buying, and extra revision rounds. | $1,775 |
| How to start a wedding videography business | A two-part wedding film package: up to eight hours of coverage by one shooter with two cameras, lavalier recorders on the officiant and one partner, a recorder at the toast microphone, a four-to-six-minute highlight film, and a full ceremony edit with synced audio, delivered within 12 weeks. Excluded: a second shooter, drone footage, raw footage, and same-day edits. | $2,350 |
| How to start a photo scanning and digitization business | A loose print box: up to 500 prints up to 8x10, scanned at 600 dpi as JPEG files, grouped into folders matching how they arrived, delivered on a USB drive and a 60-day download link, originals returned in the same order. Excluded: albums with stuck photos, slides, negatives, video tapes, restoration and individual retouching. | $1,500 |
| How to start a restaurant food photography business | A delivery menu shoot: one three-hour session before service, up to 25 dishes plated by the restaurant's kitchen, two background surfaces, color-corrected files cropped to the restaurant's delivery and website sizes, delivered within four business days. Excluded: food styling by a separate stylist, video, cocktails and drinks, social media management, and food or ingredient costs. | $1,360 |
| How to start a youth sports photography business | A league picture day: one scheduled half-day at the league's field, individual and team photos for each rostered player, a private online ordering gallery with access codes for each team, two package options and a la carte prints, and delivery in team bags to coaches within three weeks. Excluded: action photos during games, banners, yearbooks, and retakes beyond one makeup date. | $1,590 |
| How to start a 360 virtual tour business | A hosted property tour: one visit to a property up to 2,500 square feet, up to 30 scan points, labeled rooms, an embed link for the listing or website, and 12 months of hosting. Excluded: floor plans, dollhouse measurements for construction, staging and cleaning, photos and video, and hosting beyond the first year unless renewed. | $1,440 |
| How to start a photo editing and retouching business | A wedding cull and color edit: the photographer's raw files and preset, a cull down to an agreed number of images, color and exposure correction across the selected set, and the edited catalog returned within seven days. Excluded: skin retouching beyond quick blemish removal, compositing, album design, client communication and export to the final gallery. | $945 |
| How to start a drone inspection business for contractors | A roof capture: an airspace and obstacle check, one flight at a single building up to 4,000 square feet of roof area, overview shots of every slope, close-ups of penetrations, flashing and gutters, and a labeled photo set with compass orientation delivered within 24 hours. Excluded: measurements, thermal imaging, damage diagnosis, cause of loss statements and any written opinion on roof condition. | $2,845 |
| How to start a livestream production business | A memorial service stream: arrival 90 minutes early, two cameras with one operator, audio from the venue sound system or a dedicated microphone, a private streaming link shared with the family, a local backup recording, and a trimmed recording delivered within 24 hours. Excluded: multi-site events, graphics packages, edited tribute videos and long-term hosting. | $2,440 |
| How to start a photo restoration business | A single photo restoration: a scan of the original or a customer upload, repair of tears, creases, spots and fading, tonal correction, one revision round, a print-ready digital file and one 8x10 print mailed in a protective sleeve. Excluded: colorization, rebuilding missing faces, adding or removing people, and framing. | $845 |
How to start a wedding photography business
Build a wedding photography business by second shooting, then sell clear coverage packages with backup gear, a timeline plan and fast delivery.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a real estate photography business
Sell listing photo packages to real estate agents with a standard shot list, next-day delivery and optional drone add-ons once you hold FAA certification.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a drone photography business
A Part 107 pilot sells one fixed aerial still package to listing agents: an airspace check, a short flight and 15 edited exterior photos delivered in 48 hours.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a headshot photography business
Set up a portable studio in a client's office and photograph up to 20 employees in one team day, each choosing one retouched headshot on a matching background.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a family mini session photography business
Book back-to-back 20-minute family portrait slots at one scenic location on a single fall weekend, each delivering ten edited images by gallery link.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a pet photography business
Photograph dogs outdoors in a 45-minute park session and sell a fixed collection of ten digital images plus one large print chosen in a gallery review.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a video production business for small businesses
Produce one 60-to-90-second promo video for a local business with a script call, a half-day shoot on site and two rounds of edits.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a wedding videography business
Film weddings with planned audio capture and deliver a four-to-six-minute highlight film plus a complete ceremony edit within 12 weeks.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a photo scanning and digitization business
Scan a family's box of up to 500 loose prints at 600 dpi under a signed intake log, then return the originals in order with files on USB and cloud.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a restaurant food photography business
Shoot up to 25 dishes on location before service for a restaurant's delivery-app menu, cropped to platform specs and delivered in four days.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a youth sports photography business
Run a league picture day with individual and team photos for every rostered player, then let parents order prints online with private access codes.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a 360 virtual tour business
Create one hosted 360 walk-through of a short-term rental or event venue up to 2,500 square feet, with up to 30 scan points and a year of hosting.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a photo editing and retouching business
Cull and color-edit wedding galleries remotely for busy photographers, matching each photographer's own preset and returning the catalog within seven days.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a drone inspection business for contractors
A Part 107 pilot captures every roof slope and close-up detail for roofers and adjusters, delivering a labeled photo set without condition judgments.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a livestream production business
Stream funeral and memorial services for families who cannot attend, using two cameras, a backup recording and a private link, with the file delivered next day.
Costs, customers & launch steps →How to start a photo restoration business
Repair one torn, creased or faded family photo digitally, then deliver a print-ready file and an 8x10 print after one round of revisions.
Costs, customers & launch steps →Use the comparison to choose an experiment.
Pick the model whose customer you can reach and whose first delivery you can perform competently. Get actual costs, test one small offer, and compare the result with your available time.
Build your private plan →