Hello there,
A commercial photographer of twenty-odd years who got curious about the business behind the picture — pricing, contracts, the economics of a studio — and never quite stopped. This page is just a little about me.
I picked up a camera in the theatre, fell for the moment you can't repeat, and turned it into a twenty-year career in industrial and advertising photography.
Somewhere along the way I noticed something odd: photographers are taught how to make a beautiful image, but almost never how to run the business around it. The pricing, the contracts, the negotiation, the economics of keeping a studio alive — all of it left to guesswork. That bothered me enough to make it my subject.
So I went back to study marketing, wrote my master's thesis on pricing photography services, and spent years researching how photographers can actually make a living. That turned into a book on pricing, a second one on the way, a couple of educational films, and a lot of talks and workshops. These days I live in Dubai — still happiest with a camera in my hands, still nerding out about the business behind it.
“What I really care about is passing what I've learned on to other photographers.”
My first professional photographs were of the stage — more than twenty productions over the years. It taught me to catch the one moment that won't come again.
I moved into photographing products, factories, spaces and campaigns for companies and brands. Showing things honestly, and making them look like something worth wanting.
I started researching pricing, branding, negotiation and business models for photographers — the things nobody teaches you in a photography class.
Seminars, two educational films, courses, and a book on pricing — sharing what I'd found with anyone who'd listen.
I founded my own company in Dubai — Interstellar Photography Services Co LLC — working with people across the region and beyond, and writing my second book along the way.
If you've got something in mind — or just want to say hi — I'd love to hear from you.
alireza@akrami.me →