Freelance Photography

[rickp1]

Hey guys and gals,
This might seem like a silly question for some but how does one become a freelance photographer?

Currently, I'm someone who enjoys photography and I've never been paid for it. With that said though I wouldn't mind getting a part time job as a freelance photographer or something that I can get paid a little and at the same time grow within the field.

I've been trying to do my part in terms of educating myself so I've taken some photography course as well as photoshop courses.

So how do you guys recommend breaking into the business?

R.

[danbaileyphoto]

First of all, you need to know that the photography business has changed drastically during the past decade. It's never been an easy business to be in, but now, more than ever, with continually shrinking editorial and advertising budgets, we see an alarming trend of the devaluation of photography. I have a friend who used to work for a local paper- they recently laid off their photographers and started giving the reporters digital cameras and expecting that they take all the photos for their stories.

I'm sure that many photographers would say this to you: if you are satisfied in your day job, keep it. That said, there are many photographers who are still making money and prospering from their efforts.

In order to get started, you'll need to identify your niche and figure out what you have to offer the marketplace, and decide who your customers are going to be. Then you need to do a serious evaluation of your photography and decide if it's professional quality work. If it's not, you'll need to get it there before you even consider turning pro.

If you feel that you have strong work, then you should build up a portfolio and start marketing yourself to your potential client base and realize that it will be a long difficult road. You have to love it, because, honestly, none of us knows where the industry is going, we just believe in ourselves enough to keep plugging away at it.

Of course, if your work is more consumer oriented, such as weddings and portraits, then the outlook may not be so dire, in fact, a good studio and/or portrait photographer can do quite well with a solid customer base.

What kind of photography do you do?

[DanSir]

hey,

I'm in a similiar boat as you. what I am doing though, is working on my portfolio.

the first thing that i reccommend doing is finding what areas of photography you like best - your speciality. (Me, I am Portrait/Pets photographer).

Once you have your "speciality" work on your portfolio. call up friends, go out to places, (ex. Conventions, dog parks - in my case, anywhere really...). make sure you alway ask though to take someone's picture and to use it in your portfolio...

once you have a good 10 - 20 images, start a (free - if you have no money like me) website so people will see your name and who you are.

i find the more times you go out to different places and "market" yourself, the more people will "take interest and remember your name..."

hope that helps

Danny

[prince]

Originally Posted by danbaileyphoto

First of all, you need to know that the photography business has changed drastically during the past decade. It's never been an easy business to be in, but now, more than ever, with continually shrinking editorial and advertising budgets, we see an alarming trend of the devaluation of photography.

Is there a business that is easy and profitable? I'd love to hear about it.

Only one advice. Don't dive in any field no matter how much you love till you have tested the waters. People who are enjoying the icing have gone through the pain of baking .. at least the majority.. Evaluate your current skills, your current market, see what's coming and working in near future (within next 1-3 years generally speaking), take up some assignments may be as an assistant or some portfolio building sessions and see if you like the whole process.

Don't think too much that you'd kill the excitement though..

[rickp1]

Hey Dan,
Interesting what you had to say. It seems that budget cuts are taking place in just about any profession.
The type of photography I like the most is landscape. To be honest I don't know enough about the business to know what I can and can't do in the business. At this point I'm not looking to change careers, all I would like to do is maybe do something part time, something I can do on the weekends mainly. Something I can get experience with as well. What is the best way to go about that?

I'm not the kind to look at a gift horse in the mouth so I would take any type of photography at this point. I don't have the experience to be picky.

I know I'm being a bit general. That's why I'm hoping some useful information can come out of these conversations to be honest.

R.

[rickp1]

Thanks guys,
Good feedback from both of you. Becoming an assistant would be a great way to learn I would think.

How does freelance photography work? Do people go out and take pictures of events then try and less them to news agencies and papers?

R.

[Jim Bryant]

I hate to be a bearer of bad news but with everyone with a digital camera and having high hope of freelancing for newspapers..the freelance market sucks! Editorial freelance budgets for most papers ranging from weekly to daily metros have been slashed. Papers that don't have photographers are arming their reporters with the Digital Rebel kits and having them just get a shot of anything that'll do and because of this most newspapers are laying off staff photographers. It's not about quality anymore...it's all about saving budget and making money for the owners and corporations.

Becoming a freelancer takes time and getting to know picture editors and editors. It doesn't happen overnight, but takes time to make contacts and constantly pester them until they actually give you an assignment. If you do happen to run across a news photo they might give you at least $25.00 for it. As for the News wire services, AP, UPI, EPA, AFP......their budgets have been either cut are they are requesting their subscribing member papers to provide them photos that "us" stringers and freelancers used to cover.

Just educating yourself and taking some photography course as well as photoshop courses, doesn't hack it anymore. You need to hustle, be prepared anytime 24 hours a day, constantly read the local and national newspapers to find a "local" angle to a national story to pitch to the local newspaper editor.

Nowadays, most folks armed with digital cameras are so eager about providing photos to whatever market are trying to get their foot in the door by either shooting for free or for credit line only, which is killing and devaluating the photography market.

danbaileyphoto has some good advice. It's every hard to break into the editorial freelance market, with all the layoffs of staff photographers, the papers will hire their former ex-staffers to shoot the assignment for $25.00 a photo, and know that they will be guaranteed a story telling photo.

What has been the freelancers greatest challenge? The photography business has been getting tougher and tougher, ever since the explosion in the number of traditional schools and online course offering programs in photography which began about 30 years ago. Now, in this age of digital cameras and PhotoShop, professionals must compete in the freelance arena with their next door neighbor, their doctor, their children's teacher,
you name it. Seems like with the digital age and photoshop, it's made photograprahy easier for those un-experienced to suddenly turn pro, work cheap and undercut prices. I understand a new photographer must do this, but at least, join the ASMP, or use the editorial photographer's or NPPA's cost of doing business calculators.

There was a time,, not too long ago when I was making over $70,000 a year, but it's dropped to around the middle $55's. Now I only take the jobs where I get paid $400 1/2 day rates to over $1200 at day. Most of my clients are not so more of the editorial magazine/newspapaer clients I was used to dealing with. Now I work more closely with advertising agencies, Public Relation Firms and a few Corporations such as Microsoft, Boeing and Dupont.

So, you want to a photojournalist? Consider it carefully, and reckon the realities. You have to know more and work harder to earn less than in many other professions you might consider. Often you work under pressure to deliver despite personal privation: minimal sleep, fifteen hours between meals, and two days between beds. You need the strength of a packhorse to carry around the camera and computer equipment and must have the resourcefulness, ingenuity, and adaptability to solve assignment logistics; and inventiveness and the ability to improvise to capture the pictures that tell the story.

You have to enjoy being by yourself if you are to cope with the long hours surrounded by strangers in remote places. You also have to believe in the importance of what you do and how it affects your community and the world.

What do you expect from being a photojournalist? Money, fame, glamour, globetrotting, ego satisfaction? It it’s money you want, photojournalism is not where you’ll find it. It’s not a lucrative business. But commercial, advertising, corporate and fashion photography are much more high paying.

There are moments of glamour and periods of fame for many photojournalists. But most of the time, fame and glamour are just lights at the end of the tunnel. The day-to-day work is physically tough, psychologically stressful and intellectually demanding.

Are you as interested in Journalism as you are in photography? There are two parts to the word photojournalism. The second part (journalism) is probably more important that the first. We are photojournalists are required to be more than image makers, we must take pictures that sum up the essence of a situation while also being informative and revealing.

Are you an educated person? Education is where you find it in books. No institute of higher education has a monopoly on books.

Are you a perceptive photographer? To be one, the mind, the spirit, the heart and the emotions have to be engaged at all times.

Are you well informed? Photojournalism is dependent on ideas primarily related to news and the background of news. Read, read, read newspapers and magazines. It’s important to be well informed to be exposed to many points of view, to bring to every assignment a sense of history and a deeper knowledge of the subject you are photographing.

Are you willing to be bookkeeper, secretary, business manager, publicists and salesperson? If one’s ambition is to freelance, one must be willing to arrange assignments, scout potential clients, and open doors to generate future work. Today I keyed in a client data base of Seattle’s major PR firms and Ad agencies and then sent out emails of cover letters with resumes and my website. Took about six hours working on the computer. Sure, I’d rather shoot pictures, but who would do all that work it not me.

Are you willing to give up your personal life? The demands of photojournalism are so great that it’s often incompatible with those of sustainable relationships. Many photojournalist are often on the road in pursuit of the latest war, conflict, natural disaster wherever it takes place.

Do you believe in yourself? You must strongly believe In yourself and your ability to handle an assignment, any assignment. Confidence means being able to arrive at a scene, define what’s happening, select what’s happening, select the elements to be photographed and gets the best mage that reflects that event.

Do you love your work? It may be unfair to ask that question at a junction of your life when you’re still making up your mind abut the future. You will probably have to invest some time in the business to respond honestly.

My answer, why I’ve remained a photojournalist for over three decades?

“I am convinced that in the long run, it (love of the work) is probably the most necessary ingredient in a formula what will eventually produce a successful photojournalist.

Only love of photography can provide the drive to keep you shooting effectively toward the end of an exhausting 16 hour-long day. It is love that forces you to wade a muddy ditch with cameras held high overhead, hoping the angle will be better from the other side. And when the thrill of being published subsides, and the realization sets in that the big bucks are in advertising, it is only love that can cushion the letdown. And the knowledge that somehow some way, you are taking pictures that matter.”

Hopefully I didn’t discourage you.

Get the Associated Press “Guide to Photojournaism” by Brian Horton. You can order it from most book stores.

[manwez]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

I hate to be a bearer of bad news

No you don't. LOL.

[rickp1]

Jim,
No worries, you didn't discourage me. It takes more than an internet post to do that, LOL. This is exactly the non sugar coated information I was looking for.

You're right, there's a lot to consider. I'm not looking to change careers or anything. What I'm trying to inquire on is doing something within the photography industry that I can do part time/weekends. I do enjoy photography so why not do a little of it an maybe make a little money. If I can make enough to pay for my gear or even a vacation a year that would be great.

Some people mentioned looking into what niche I would like to fill and go from there.
For example I love landscape photography, and I would love nothing more than to travel and take pictures, but then I wake up and reality sets in . Other areas I would enjoy is is food photography, or pet photography. These are areas that I think I can do on a part time basis as well. I just need to network and get exposure, to put it simply.

I know I seem a bit all over the place in regards to what I'm looking for. The reason, because I don't know enough about the industry. At this point I'm just trying to get basic info and a feel for the industry and from guys like you that are out there doing it.

Again thanks for the info, its educational.

R.

[rickp1]

Jim,
No worries, you didn't discourage me. It takes more than an internet post to do that, LOL. This is exactly the non sugar coated information I was looking for.

You're right, there's a lot to consider. I'm not looking to change careers or anything. What I'm trying to inquire on is doing something within the photography industry that I can do part time/weekends. I do enjoy photography so why not do a little of it an maybe make a little money. If I can make enough to pay for my gear or even a vacation a year that would be great.

Some people mentioned looking into what niche I would like to fill and go from there.
For example I love landscape photography, and I would love nothing more than to travel and take pictures, but then I wake up and reality sets in . Other areas I would enjoy is is food photography, or pet photography. These are areas that I think I can do on a part time basis as well. I just need to network and get exposure, to put it simply.

I know I seem a bit all over the place in regards to what I'm looking for. The reason, because I don't know enough about the industry. At this point I'm just trying to get basic info and a feel for the industry and from guys like you that are out there doing it.

Again thanks for the info, its educational.

R.