Working for ourselves is one of the greatest dreams many of us have. It gives us satisfaction and freedom and makes us our own boss. But, you need to do something you love to achieve the satisfaction and happiness you yearn. Freelance photography is one such field.
Are you also planning to become a freelance photographer but not sure where to start?
Here are some tips that will not only help you get started but also establish yourself as a freelance photographer, and who knows, you might take it as a full-time business sooner than you think.
Photo by Bruce Mars
Invest in Good Equipment
You need a camera to take photographs. The quality of your shots depends a lot on the camera you are using, in addition to your skills of course. However, it is not necessary to buy the latest equipment in the market right from the beginning. You are just starting out and you are not ready to make such a big investment (photography equipment is not cheap). Talk to some experts to guide you on what equipment will work best for you and buy it. I shoot with a Nikon D810. It is a full frame camera and it is great for any job no matter how big or small the job is.
Build Your Portfolio
A portfolio is the most important thing a freelance photographer needs to have. If you have just started out, you can do some collaborations with like-minded people to build your portfolio. There are many local models who are looking for a photographer for building their own portfolio, come up with a great theme and work as a team to create beautiful images. You can work with them. Make sure you have a portfolio worth looking at. Do not just add everything you click on your portfolio. Your clients will give you jobs based on the photographs you have in your portfolio, therefore make sure you have your best work in there. You can find awesome WordPress photography themes here.
Build a Stellar Online Presence
The most important thing you need (other than your camera, of course) when you are starting out on freelance photography is having a good website. This is what people will be looking at when they consider you for any job. You should not build your website in a hurry and invest as much time in it as you think is necessary. Also, make sure you don’t throw every single photograph you click on to the website. Pick your best work to showcase on your website. You can see mine here.
Build Your Social Media Presence
Nobody will think of you as a great photographer or consider you for a job unless you have a happening social media presence. Create social media accounts, especially one on Instagram and Facebook. Upload pictures there regularly, but only your best work. You will be amazed to know how quickly you will grow your list of followers (only if you have pictures worth looking at). You never know someone from your followers may pick you for your first job.
Master Your Editing
The photographs you click need some work before you put them in your portfolio aka your website. Add your own signature look to the images and you can make your photographs the talk of the internet. To be a successful freelance photographer, you need to learn how to edit. I recommend using Lightroom. Learn the software, and explore all the options you have. You will be amazed to see how little editing can make your photographs look amazing and stand out.
With these simple beginner tips for becoming a freelance photographer, you can start your freelance photography business the right way. While these tips can come in handy, the biggest of them all is to enjoy photography and respect what you are doing. Do what you love and never forget why you started. Just keep shooting.
Check out our post on photography tips for beginners.
