 Katrina McMeans |
Freelancing I am 18, and very interested in photography as a career. I want to be a freelancer because I don't want to feel 'stuck' in any one particular branch such as wedding or portrait photography. My question is, how do I get started? I've read so many books on freelancing, but I still don't really have a solid plan of how to go about getting money for my work. Do I need a 'real' camera first? (I have a Canon PowerShot S1 IS) Where do I go, who do I talk to, what do I ask? Your advice would be SO appreciated! ~K
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BetterPhoto Member |
Kristina I have been shooting professionally since the late 70's and have experienced all the challeneges to surviving in this business. It is such a crowded profession and the market is weak. You should prepare yourself as best you can to have every advantage over your competitors. You should go to a very good photography school! There is a common myth that buying a camera, reading a book, or taking a class prepares you to be a professional photographer and it does not work that way in the long term. Many make some money in the short term and think they are well on their way, but you are only as good as your last assignment. There is always someone better out there to do the job so having the ability to continue to deliver a better product is the key to survival. Photography is a profession and should be looked at just like being a lawyer, doctor, accountant. All require schooling. Of course there are lots of ways to go about getting this education. The other thing about freelancing is it is 90% business management and 10% photography. If your goal is to make it a career there are many more things to think about. First you have to be a very good photographer. It only takes doing a poor job at one wedding for the word to spread and your business suffers. As you become a better photographer, your creative desires may drive you to want to branch into other areas of photography. This might require a studio as you have decided to shoot portraits. Then you need an office manager showing clients your work, scheduling your appointments, because your busy shooting. Your overhead has just increased dramatically. Maybe you will get married, buy a house, children, and the amount of money that you have to make increases dramtically again. By the time you retire you will need $2 million in retirement for a comfortable retirement. As a freelancer no one will provide you anything; medical coverage, retirement, etc. My point is, if you truly want to start a business as a photographer you need to deliver a very good product for your customers at the best market price and plan for the long term. Its a great business to be in!
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Katrina McMeans |
Thank you for your reply! I'll work on it! ~K
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