How to Book Your First Freelance Photography Job
One way to get into a new industry — and potentially upsell while you’re at it
Breaking into photography can be difficult in a market that’s fairly saturated. Luckily, if you’re already equipped with an above-average camera and a little bit of know-how, you can book some paying (though not glamorous) work to start building up your portfolio and networking within your field and location. You do have to be aggressive to break in, and break away from any shyness, but it is doable to start a profitable photography career from scratch.
Common advice is to look to people you know first — and while this is good advice, if you’re anything like me, you’re a bit shy about asking favors of people who know you personally. I’m always more willing to throw free photos in the direction of anyone who asks and that’s no way to build any kind of business. You can, if you’re able, look one degree of separation out. Do you have a parent or friend that knows someone that needs headshots or portraits? Tell them to send along your portfolio.
Maybe, though, you’re in a brand new city (or you’re just antisocial) and you don’t have these connections that other people have been lucky enough to foster. That’s when we have to get a little bit creative. Depending on the kind of work you’re trying to get into, we have a few options. While there’s always the option of “getting your name out there” with unpaid gigs (which I have done, and will still do from time to time), I don’t suggest it, and you don’t have to do it. More people need photographers than you’ll initially think, you just have to think outside the box.
With photography, you have the benefit of being able to build up a portfolio of work relatively easily. Work done for fun or for free can show off certain skills just as easily as work done on contract. Assemble a portfolio resembling the work you’re trying to get (even if it’s just a few photos on a free platform like Flickr, Wordpress, or Instagram) and take your best “selling face” to prospective clients.
Look to small businesses
An anecdote with a point : There’s a tattoo shop about forty-five minutes away from me that would have been entirely unremarkable in my Instagram scanning — had it not been for the amazing photos on their feed. I don’t mean the tattoos (which are great), but the other photos. A professional photographer had come in and done a shoot for the shop, of the artists and the artwork, as well as the shop and some general aesthetic shots as well. The shop itself, in person? Average looking. Online? It looked amazing, super high-profile, and expensive. I wanted to go there (and I did — as a budding tattoo collector, I was hooked). Good photographs can do that. Businesses want that, and very few (especially in smaller cities and towns) have it. Many of them, if they’re using social media, are using their cell phones and doing their best. This is where you come in.
You have a camera. You have some knowhow of camera settings, composition, and basic editing. You know how to photograph an item or person to make the business look good. You have something that this small business wants. You also won’t get anything if you don’t ask. Preferably, this is a business that you frequent, and that knows you — at least for your first gig. If not, we’ll work around that. Take your portfolio up to them, and be direct. Tell them that you like what they do (if you do — hopefully you do!) and you were wondering if they were interested in getting some professional shots done of their food/employees/art/clothing/etc for a small fee (pricing your photography can be complicated when starting out, but try to figure out time you’ll spend shooting and editing, plus the amount of photos you intend on giving to the client, and price accordingly. While we don’t want to undersell ourselves, a first gig is always a bit shakey on pricing). Show them your portfolio. Hopefully you’ve thought ahead and taken some shots of something similar. Are you in a coffee shop? Shots of muffins and bread, latte art. A clothing store? Perhaps more model work or artsy flatlays and mannequins.
They might say no, either for financial reasons, or disinterest. Or, if you’re lucky, they’ll say yes. Now, if you’re someone who also has some background in social media marketing, you have an opportunity to upsell. A lot of businesses are lacking an Instagram presence in general. In our current moment, they’re missing out. You can help them fill that void, especially if you’re already going to have the photos on your device — if they’re willing to pay for it. This is obviously an extra step, and a lot of people will turn you down — but some businesses trying to extend their reach are more than happy to pay your fees to remove the work from themselves, especially if you show that you’re capable with social media.
Make sure that you follow through, and set your boundaries with this client so that you don’t overextend yourself, but this is a paying job. It’s not glamorous. It’s not street photography, or National Geographic, but it’s paying photo work that can go into your portfolio while you look to book more jobs. While you continue to book, look towards your niche (if you have one) and try to move more in that direction. Do you like portraits? Go towards corporate headshots for business brochures or websites. Fashion? Small boutiques. Animals? Might have to be free (though rewarding) work for animal shelters. There are so many options.
Breaking into a new industry is difficult. The first client is the hardest to book, but as long as you do a good job and leave people happy with your work, word can spread quickly and you can build your portfolio with more and more happy customers.
