{"id":4295,"date":"2016-07-27T09:05:21","date_gmt":"2016-07-27T07:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.invoiceberry.com\/?p=4295"},"modified":"2023-03-15T17:17:15","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T16:17:15","slug":"become-successful-freelance-photographer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/become-successful-freelance-photographer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Successful Freelance Photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"

The freelance photography market has always been resilient in tough times<\/a>, with a growth of 2.6%<\/a> through this year and revenue of $10 billion.<\/p>\n

The business is surrounded by glamour, danger<\/a>, adventure<\/a>, passion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a business that revolves around the idea of getting the soul of a person, creature, landscape, event, the personality of a moment that can describe it wordlessly.<\/p>\n

Download our free ebook\u00a0The Freelancer’s Guide to Photography<\/u><\/a> for much more information.<\/div><\/span><\/p>\n

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a beautiful, well-crafted photograph can sometimes be worth a lifetime, capturing moments that define an entire generation. To be part of that history is a wonderful and important responsibility, and it\u2019s easy to see why so many want to start doing it as a profession.<\/p>\n

However, being a freelance photographer can be quite hard. It\u2019s not an easy business to get into, nor is it an easy one to stay in.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been estimated that there\u2019s been a 16% overall decrease<\/a> in the numbers of photographers on staff since 2001, and that more than 30% of freelance photographers have quit.<\/p>\n

Although people love photography\u00a0and following their passions, they also have to follow where the money is. If you don\u2019t have a good roadmap for your new career, you could get lost along the way.<\/div>
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Although people love the art and love following their passions, they also have to follow where the money is, and if you don\u2019t have a good roadmap for your new career in photography, you could get lost along the way.<\/p>\n

Today in our guide we\u2019ll look at: the pluses and minuses of the industry, how you can get started in photography, and how to get and keep your customers.<\/p>\n

With these useful tips, and your own passion and talent for the art, you\u2019ll be a success in no time.<\/p>\n

But first let’s check out some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the job.<\/p>\n

The Ups…<\/h2>\n

\"There<\/p>\n

There are many advantages to being a freelance photography.<\/em><\/p>\n

The first, and the most important, is that you\u2019ll be doing the thing that you love. This is so obvious, but it should not be underestimated. Not only is your satisfaction with your career important for your stress levels and emotional state, but it also has surprisingly strong health benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Besides health, you\u2019re also growing in a creative field that is by definition unlimited.<\/p>\n

You will be able to constantly switch up, change your mind at the drop of a dime, be an artiste<\/em>, and be proud of what you do. You could even make a difference, whether in an advertising campaign, helping in film shoots, or bringing family and friends together.<\/p>\n

Secondly, you\u2019ll be your own boss. Of course, this is the whole point of freelancing, but it is even more pronounced when you\u2019re contacting your own clients and deciding by yourself who to work with.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll be able to set your own schedule and fill it up as much or as little as you wish. You don\u2019t have any manager or CEO who will determine for you when to show up and when to leave.<\/p>\n

Because you don’t have any manager or CEO telling you what to do, as a freelance photographer you’ll be able to set your own schedule.<\/div>
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If you don\u2019t want to work too much during January or February after the holiday season rush, you can just leave your schedule blank or sparsely populated to catch your breath.<\/p>\n

However, if this summer you want to work as much as possible, you can go down that path as well.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all your choice.<\/p>\n

Another advantage is the unpredictability of the job. One day you may be at a wedding shoot in your home town, and the next you could be driving to the tallest building in the capital working on a marketing shoot. Or if you\u2019re lucky, accompanying your client to a beach shoot in a tropical location.<\/p>\n

OK, that last one is a dream, but when you\u2019re a freelance photographer, you never know who that next call is coming from, and that in itself is an advantage.<\/p>\n

…and Downs<\/h2>\n

\"You<\/p>\n

Now, to the bads.<\/em><\/p>\n

Being your boss means being responsible for yourself and your clients, all by yourself. There\u2019s no secretary to schedule meetings, no manager to jot down tasks that need to be done, no sales manager to find clients.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all your responsibility, and although it\u2019s immensely exhilarating, it\u2019s also immensely scary and stressful. Many freelancers straddle that fine line between ‘it\u2019s a lot but I can handle it’ and complete burnout.<\/a><\/p>\n

Another negative is the fact that your income is not guaranteed. There\u2019s no set salary coming from your boss. You need food and to pay rent and all that, but will your income be enough to cover those charges?<\/p>\n

There may be a few months where you\u2019ll have to scrape, borrow, negotiate and\/or steal just to get by, but that\u2019s the nature of the freelance beast.<\/p>\n

Although your salary can be unlimited potentially, in reality it will be quite unstable for the first few months. It’s times like these that you’ll start to miss your regular 9-to-5.<\/div>
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Even more, connected with this unstable salary, is the fact that photography equipment is expensive<\/em>. For example, if you\u2019re doing digital photography part-time, you\u2019ll buy a camera for $350, and then include the software (legally purchased), filters, add-ons, and other equipment, it could get above $1000.<\/p>\n

Or if you\u2019re more serious, you can buy something like a Canon DSLR and a few telephoto lenses for $5000, and that\u2019s on the low end<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And lastly, you\u2019re a freelancer, so your time is your money, and if you want more money\u2014guess what, you\u2019ll be sacrificing more of your time. So whereas traditional employees work 40-hour weeks, you\u2019ll probably be pulling closer to 60 or 80.<\/p>\n

Once you really get into it, there\u2019s always another job, another shoot, another edit you need to do. That\u2019s right, your working hours include editing and you may even find yourself thinking<\/em> about editing and in general overwhelming your schedule and your life.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s all for doing what you love.<\/p>\n

Getting started<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Beginning
Beginning your photography career will be a lot like running in a race–so prepare yourself beforehand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before you get out there buying your equipment and doing your shoots, you\u2019ll need to put your house in order first.<\/p>\n

Make a business plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Any good business person will tell you that you need to write down your ideas before you begin any venture.\u00a0 The same applies to your biggest current venture\u2014starting your own business.<\/p>\n

This is not just writing down what your dreams are in a random way and doodling clouds and a smiling sun.<\/p>\n

You need to figure out things like cash flow, expenses, ownership, and competition. This will serve as a road map for where your business is going and how you\u2019ll get there.\u00a0Download our free business plan templates here!<\/a><\/p>\n

While you\u2019re at it, go ahead and plan 3 different goals: short-term, medium, and long-term. You need this to keep yourself on track and to keep your motivation high when the times get tough. They don\u2019t have to be particularly specific, but you should use the SMART method to assist you in goal-setting:<\/p>\n

\"Use
Use the SMART guide to set specific goals for your photography career<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Check your funds<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll need to assess how much you have and how much you need\u2014and figure out where to get the rest.<\/p>\n

As we mentioned, starting a photography business can be quite expensive, anything from a basic $2000<\/a> to the regular $17000<\/a> just in the beginning!<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also need business licenses, professional website, marketing, insurance, and accounting software. Some software such as InvoiceBerry<\/a>\u2019s is surprisingly effective and simple for its power and flexible pricing, but others may be more expensive.<\/p>\n

And what about workplace? Will you be working at home<\/a>, or at a studio? You\u2019ll need to figure in rent and utilities as well.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know your financial situation, but it\u2019s possible you\u2019ll need to find some funding avenues, and most photographers begin with those closest to them.<\/p>\n

An NKC report showed that 63% of entrepreneurs self-financed<\/a>, but that only 31% of that self-financing came from their own money. The most (47%) was from family and friends, and the rest (22%) came from a family business.<\/p>\n

\"It<\/p>\n

Your second-best bet would be some small business loans from your own bank or another bank with better conditions. Either way, you\u2019ll need to have assurances of these finances before you start.<\/p>\n

In addition to that, you\u2019ll have to understand that you probably won\u2019t make your money until much later, so be prepared to live tightly in the first few months or year.<\/p>\n

You can use this handy calculator<\/a> to understand your costs and expenses before you begin and this one<\/a> to see when you\u2019ll finally break even.<\/p>\n

Get professional experience<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I know you like photography but\u2026is that enough? I love watching movies, but I wouldn’t be able to make my dream movie (a logical combination of Harry Potter, Braveheart and The Matrix).<\/p>\n

Similarly, you probably love it and may be very good at it, but is there anything you don\u2019t know? As the saying goes, you don\u2019t really know what you don\u2019t know, do you?<\/p>\n

So find out and try to get some professional experience.<\/p>\n

Not only will it help expand your understanding of your profession and open up amazing new avenues for you, but it will also be crucial when you\u2019re approaching potential clients.<\/p>\n

Professional photography experience will not only\u00a0expand your understanding of your profession and open up amazing new avenues for you, but it will also be crucial when you\u2019re approaching potential clients.<\/div>
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You can do it in a wide variety of ways, but one of the best is to assist a professional photographer (either for free or hopefully paid) and get hands-on training for what is needed of your new career.<\/p>\n

It probably doesn\u2019t need to be said, but you should definitely have a good knowledge of the equipment, including the software you\u2019ll be using, and the important aspects of photography (exposure, lighting, depth of field, perspective, composition, etc.<\/a>) that will determine your success.<\/p>\n

Get your site up and running<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019re a photographer\u2014you\u2019re in the visual arts, so:<\/p>\n

(1) you should have a website, mainly because you were born near this century and know that no business can truly succeed without a compelling website, and<\/p>\n

(2) you know that your career demands beauty, and so your website will not be some GeoCities atrocity<\/a> (too old for you?) with scrolling text, but instead something beautiful, smooth, intriguing\u2014just like your photography.<\/p>\n

Word of advice here\u2014I know it\u2019s cheaper to do it yourself\u2014especially once you\u2019ve written down all your expenses like I asked\u2014but this is one you\u2019ll probably want to delegate out. Check out our list of Top 10 website builders here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Not that you aren\u2019t great at website building, but you\u2019ll have other things to do, and someone whose career is photography will not be better than someone whose career is website building. You do all the images and take care of the visual representation and let him do the rest. Plus, you want to make sure your images look their best online, so make sure you customize your images<\/a> accordingly. This way, you\u2019ll have the best possible representation of your work.<\/p>\n

Your website should showcase the best<\/em> (not all) of your photos, with your gallery logically divided into categories.<\/p>\n

Make sure your website is not a burden on the visitor to try and figure out exactly what is where. Make it intuitive, simple, and easy to use. Also, you should try and answer questions even before the visitor knows he\u2019ll ask, including:<\/p>\n