Samuel Malarik has been coaching photographers since 2005. For him, a profitable photography business isn't only about charging more: watch your margin, diversify your offers and learn to delegate, without ever giving up your signature work.

In short:

For Samuel Malarik, a profitable photographer thinks like an entrepreneur:

• Start from the market, not from your skills: build an offer that meets real demand, at the right price (what's known as "product market fit")

• Look at margin rather than revenue, and above all your margin per hour worked

• Add affordable offers alongside your high-end work: ID photos, mini sessions, small framed products

• Low cost doesn't mean discount: you strip away the extras to focus on the essentials, not to sell yourself short

• Make your sets and your space pay, all the way to a self-service studio

• Delegate to become scalable: the photographer becomes an art director and a conductor

“Raise your prices, shoot fewer sessions and sell more to each client.” Most photographers have heard this advice. Samuel Malarik doesn't dispute it, but he points out that there are other roads to a profitable photography business: simple, affordable offers that complement your high-end work, constant attention to your margin, and an organization that doesn't rest on the photographer's shoulders alone.

The grandson and son of photographers, he worked in IT before founding PlancheContact in 2005, and he watched the profession shift from film printing to digital. Talking with Anthony Heukmes, founder of Fotostudio, he shares the models that inspired him, from American studios to the restaurants of a three-Michelin-star chef, and the questions to ask yourself before choosing your own.

Who is Samuel Malarik?

Samuel Malarik is a trainer and consultant for professional photographers, and the founder of PlancheContact. A photographer by training, he was meant to be the fourth generation in a family of photographers. His background:

  • A family of photographers: his great-grandfather, then his grandfather, then his parents ran the family studio, which closed in 2003, just before digital became mainstream.
  • Two photography schools and four years of study, where he met his partner, Nathalie.
  • Seven years in IT from 1998: Minitel servers (France's pre-internet online network), then websites.
  • 2005, PlancheContact is born, to help photographers make the switch from film to digital, then rethink the way they sell.
  • 2006, PhotoCoach comes to France: with Quebec trainer André Amiau, he organizes the first PhotoCoach training in Paris, devoted to the business side of the job. The training has since been taken over by Marie.

“Being a photographer isn't just about thriving as an artist, it's also about being able to earn a decent income, or even more.”

Samuel Malarik

Today, according to his website planchecontact.fr, Samuel has coached more than 1,300 photographers. PlancheContact is both a training center and a web agency for craftspeople and small businesses: marketing courses for photographers, fine art portraiture, local SEO, online booking and website design.

1. How did digital change the photography profession?

When Samuel launched PlancheContact, his first idea was to help studios go digital: choosing a computer, getting equipped, learning the software. He soon discovered a deeper problem. In the past, he recalls, when people needed a photo, they had no choice but to go to a photographer. With digital compacts, they no longer needed one for everyday pictures, and above all they stopped ordering prints. Yet the minilab accounted for roughly 60 to 80% of the revenue of traditional photographers.

At the same time, a new generation of "lifestyle" photographers emerged. The change wasn't just about the medium: it was a paradigm shift. Selling photos the way you used to was no longer enough. The profession had to be rebuilt, starting with a notion it looked down on at the time: marketing.

“You shoot, we do the rest”

While looking for a tool to get to know his clients, analyze their profiles and automate follow-up, Samuel met the team behind Pictage in California, a platform created by Gary Fong (known for his flash diffusers). The idea: the photographer uploads the images, and the platform handles online viewing, orders, albums, the lab and client follow-up through its CRM. American photographer David Jay, a key figure in that world, passed on a powerful idea: sell the value of your brand and your personality, your personal branding, before you sell your photos.

Key takeaway: digital wiped out a large share of the photographer's historical income (prints). To stay profitable, you need to rethink what you sell, to whom and how, not just upgrade your gear.

2. Why should a photographer think like an entrepreneur?

In 2006, the first PhotoCoach training in Paris, held in Apple's showroom facing the Trocadéro, got a cold reception. Representatives of the profession replied that a beautiful image sells itself and that marketing was unnecessary; some even called it a "cult", because the training talked about goals and where you see yourself in three or five years. Yet, Samuel insists, a project is built the same way everywhere: a plan, goals, deadlines for each step and a business model. How do I make money? What resources do I commit? What does it cost me? And above all: is there a market for what I want to sell?

The craftsman's trap

Samuel recommends Michael Gerber's book The E-Myth. Its core idea: most craftspeople start their business from their skills, then try to figure out how to sell them. The entrepreneur does the opposite: first listen to what the market needs, then build the offer and the price that meet that need.

“The photographer starts out thinking: I have a skill, now how am I going to sell it? Whereas the entrepreneur thinks: I'm going to listen to the market.”

Samuel Malarik

This is what's called product market fit: an offer that matches a market. Samuel applies it to his own story. The studio management software he was developing with his partners from 2005 came too early: it targeted established photographers with well-oiled methods who saw no reason to change. Looking back, he should have aimed at the new generation, the one reinventing the profession. And product market fit is never permanent: clients, couples getting married and new parents change, and so do their expectations and the style of images they look for.

Key takeaway: before setting a price, define your market. Who are your clients, what do they want, how much are they willing to pay? To set yourself measurable goals, the episode with Audrey RD on photography marketing and goal setting is a great companion to this one.

3. Revenue or margin: what makes a profitable photography business?

According to Samuel, the new generation of photographers arrives better prepared: many had a first career and have already dealt with balancing selling price, expenses and pay. But he takes the thinking further: revenue is a misleading indicator.

“I'm less interested in revenue than in margin, and above all margin relative to the time spent.”

Samuel Malarik

We all know companies with impressive revenue that are on the brink of collapse because they make no profit. The product that brings in the most revenue isn't necessarily the one that makes you the most profitable. To find your real hourly cost and check that each service covers your expenses and your pay, a tool like the photography price calculator gives you a solid numerical baseline.

The example of ID photos

Samuel picks an example few photographers take seriously: ID photos (passport and identity card photos). In France, they sell for 10 to 15 euros, take about five minutes, and people still have to go either to a photo booth or to a photographer. And photo booth pictures are often rejected for exposure or framing issues (Anthony experienced this himself with a passport). With around one euro in costs per photo, the gross margin is huge, and according to Samuel, some well-located studios in France make more than 100,000 euros a year from this activity alone.

Key takeaway: calculate the margin of each service relative to the time it takes you. A small, quick, low-cost service with strong demand can be more profitable than a big sale that ties up days of work.

4. Should you offer low prices alongside your high-end work?

Anthony admits it: hearing Samuel, many photographers will think he's crazy, when they keep being told to raise their prices. Samuel isn't suggesting you replace your high-end work, but that you complement it. Positioning yourself only at the top end means ignoring the lower end of the market, which is bigger and easier to renew.

Low cost isn't discount

“Low cost doesn't mean discount. To me, it means you strip away everything superfluous and go straight to the essentials.”

Samuel Malarik

He cites several models he has observed on his travels:

  • An Irish photographer couple: a high-end brand, but also mid-range offers and an offer under 50 euros with a framed product, just as profitable per hour as the high-end work. Above all, it educates the market: by trying the small service, clients understand why the premium service costs what it does.
  • A German studio chain, Picture People: short 15 to 20 minute sessions, a 19 euro entry offer on Groupon and, according to Samuel, an average order of 250 to 300 euros. Clients come in for the low price, then want their images. Since the chain mostly sells digital files, with no product cost, the gross margin is very high. An online gallery lets you sell files with no production costs at all.

The Anne-Sophie Pic model

His favorite example comes from the restaurant world. In Valence, in the south of France, three-Michelin-star chef Anne-Sophie Pic offers, in the same place, a fine dining restaurant in the evening (from about 280 euros), a brasserie at lunchtime (about 50 euros) and, a little further away, a takeaway concept, Daily Pic, with a starter, main course and dessert for under 16 euros, served in jars by just two people. The result, according to Samuel: 30 covers in the evening at the fine dining restaurant, around a hundred at the brasserie, and 150 to 350 a day at Daily Pic. He would never have gone to the three-star restaurant himself, yet that's how he discovered the chef's creativity.

“One isn't against the other, they complement each other.”

Samuel Malarik

Applied to photography, this gives two families of offers: "ready-to-wear", standardized and affordable (ID photos, mini sessions), and signature photography, made to measure, with a real artistic approach. Anthony also sees it as a safety net: when one activity stops, like fine dining during Covid, the other keeps bringing in income.

Key takeaway: a well-designed entry-level offer doesn't devalue your signature work, it feeds it. It attracts new clients, introduces them to your world and makes your premium service easier to understand.

5. How do you add mini sessions without cannibalizing your premium sessions?

For Samuel, the mini session can become a photographer's core offer, as long as it has clear limits, both in length and in your calendar:

  • Protect your premium slots: no mini sessions on Wednesday afternoons (when French children are off school) or Saturdays, when the whole family is available; those times stay reserved for custom sessions.
  • Create "happy hours": quiet time slots dedicated to mini sessions, at gentle prices.
  • Streamline the process: a fixed length, a ready-made set, standardized delivery. Offering these slots through online booking saves you dozens of back-and-forth messages.

Anthony connects this with the many Fotostudio clients who specialize in maternity and newborn photography and organize themed Christmas mini sessions every year, with increasingly elaborate sets, sometimes built by professional decorators.

Key takeaway: mini sessions are profitable when they're standardized and confined to specific time slots. They shouldn't eat into the time you devote to your premium clients.

6. Is a self-service studio a way to make your sets pay?

Samuel has noticed a trend coming from Asia: in South Korea, "Instagram" studios offer sets and lighting that are already in place; clients just set up their smartphone and strike a pose. In Europe, "Instagram museums" have popped up, as in Brussels before Covid or in Düsseldorf: you pay for admission and take your own photos, with no photographer. A very profitable model, in his view, because it meets an expectation of younger generations: doing things themselves.

The photographer as director

He mentions photographer Jesh de Rox, whose work focuses on the emotion in an image. His example: a couple face to face, she closes her eyes, he tells her everything he loves about her, and the photographer presses the shutter when she opens them again. For Samuel, now that everyone has a smartphone, a photographer's value is no longer technical.

“The photographer's added value is no longer the technical ability to make images, but rather their ability to direct and stage things artistically.”

Samuel Malarik

Two practical ideas

  • Extend the life of a set (Anthony's idea): after a series of Christmas mini sessions, keep the set open on a self-service basis for a few days. Someone welcomes the families, who take their own photos with their smartphones: no shooting, no editing, and a set that keeps earning money instead of being taken down.
  • The subscription studio (a Canadian example cited by Samuel): booths with sets and motorized backdrops, a wireless shutter release and a subscription to access them at any time, like a tennis club. The most popular add-on? The photographer, because children listen to a stranger far better than to their dad when it comes to the family photo.

Key takeaway: your space and your sets are assets. Thinking about how to make them work longer, even without you, is an often overlooked source of profit.

7. How do you delegate to become scalable?

Being "scalable" means serving ten or a hundred clients with one hour of effort, rather than just one. For Samuel, this scalability has a limit: as long as the photographer wants to do everything themselves, it's impossible. He gives the example of Karl Lagerfeld, who took photographs without ever holding the camera: he knew what he wanted, and his assistants carried out his vision. Some American wedding photographers likewise offered a cheaper package, shot by an associate trained in their style and art direction.

“One piece of advice I was given: Samuel, if you want to make money, you have to get other people working.”

Samuel Malarik, on the support he received from Réseau Entreprendre

He got this advice from Réseau Entreprendre, a French nonprofit network of business leaders that granted him an interest-free loan, and which he recommends to photographers starting or growing their business in France. After fifteen years in the industry, he also observes that there are "leader" photographers and photographers who are more "executors", very comfortable reproducing a style learned in a workshop. The former can multiply their studios while remaining the control tower; the latter can become valuable associates.

The extreme example of Bradford Rowley

Samuel mentions American photographer Bradford Rowley, who applied the principles of Tim Ferriss's The 4-Hour Workweek to photography: four studios, a single working day per week, and teams carrying out his art direction. He shows the client only one image, presents himself as a painter rather than a photographer, and made a name for himself through partnerships with luxury brands that give his sessions away as gifts. An American saying sums up his strategy: “your network is your net worth.”

Anthony adds a caveat: delegating means you need the means to do it. A photographer just starting out can't pay someone from the first month. But some tasks can be delegated without hiring anyone: admin, follow-ups and reminders can be handed over to automated workflows, so you can save your energy for creative work.

Key takeaway: to delegate, you first need to know what you expect: clear rules and defined results. Start by filling your calendar with what matters to you, then hand off the rest, to a person or to a tool.

8. Which model should you choose for your photography business?

For Anthony, the takeaway from the episode is simple: it all starts with knowing yourself. Doing ten sessions a month with a decent income and time for your family can make you perfectly happy. Others have an entrepreneurial streak and want to grow their business: these ideas were shared for them.

“For anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone and has that drive to go further, there are tons of solutions.”

Anthony Heukmes

Samuel encourages photographers to take off their blinkers: ten photographers working side by side can be doing ten different jobs, one betting on affordable, optimized offers, another on delegation to free up their week, yet another on a very high-end signature style.

Key takeaway: there's no single right model. The right one is the one that fits your life goals, your market and your margin, and it will evolve with you.

Mistakes to avoid if you want a profitable photography business

Based on Samuel Malarik's experience:

✗ Building your offer from your skills alone, without checking that there's a market at the price you have in mind.

✗ Steering your business by revenue rather than by margin per hour worked.

✗ Looking down on small services like ID photos or mini sessions, which are often highly profitable.

✗ Confusing low cost with discount: cutting your prices without simplifying your service means losing money.

✗ Letting mini sessions take over the slots reserved for premium clients.

✗ Trying to do everything yourself, at the risk of hitting a ceiling and burning out.

✗ Believing the market doesn't change: client expectations evolve, and your offer has to keep up.

FAQ: building a profitable photography business

How do I make my photography business more profitable?

For Samuel Malarik, start from the market: identify what your clients are asking for and at what price, then build offers that fit. Then track the margin of each service relative to the time spent, rather than your revenue, and automate or delegate the tasks that don't need your photographer's eye.

Do I need to raise my prices to be a profitable photographer?

Not necessarily. Raising your prices is one option, but not the only one. Samuel Malarik suggests keeping a high-end offer, your signature photography, and adding more affordable offers that are simple and quick to produce, which attract a wider audience while staying profitable.

Are mini sessions profitable for photographers?

Yes, if they're standardized: a fixed length, a set prepared in advance, standardized delivery and time slots reserved for them. They become an entry offer that introduces people to your work. Avoid scheduling them in your most requested slots, such as Saturdays, so they don't take the place of your custom sessions.

Is passport photography profitable for a photographer?

It can be very profitable. Sold for 10 to 15 euros in France, done in a few minutes and with around one euro in costs, ID photos deliver a very high gross margin. According to Samuel Malarik, some well-located studios in France make more than 100,000 euros a year from this activity alone.

What is the difference between low cost and discount in photography?

Discounting means cutting your prices. Low cost, as Samuel Malarik describes it, means removing everything superfluous to focus on the essentials: a short session, a single set, digital files rather than products. The price is more affordable because the service costs less to produce, not because the photographer is working at a loss.

How can a photographer delegate without losing their style?

By becoming an art director: set clear rules, a direction and the expected results, then hand the shooting over to an associate or assistant trained in your style. Administrative tasks, meanwhile, can be automated. Delegating does require enough income to pay someone.

How can photographers diversify their income?

Combine several offers built on the same skills: a high-end signature service, mini sessions or small affordable formats, digital file sales, and even renting out your sets on a self-service basis. Like a restaurant offering a tasting menu, a brasserie and takeaway, each offer reaches a different audience and makes your income more secure.

Discover Samuel Malarik's work

Marketing courses for photographers, fine art portraiture, local SEO and websites for craftspeople: find out more about the support Samuel offers on the PlancheContact website, planchecontact.fr.

This article is based on episode #029 of the Fotostudio podcast (in French), hosted by Anthony Heukmes and recorded in spring 2021. Quotes from Samuel Malarik and Anthony Heukmes have been translated from French. Samuel's advice is still relevant today.

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