If you have your own photography business, you a lot of freedom and fulfilment, but you might not be sure exactly where to start.
Here are some tips that will help you stand out as a freelance photographer and get your photography business off the ground.
Invest in good equipment.
Investing in good equipment can help you be confident in your ability to perform your job. An up-to-date camera, lenses, and a flash are the main pieces of equipment you’ll need to start your freelance photography business. You may also need reflectors, diffusers and lights. And among all pieces of equipment, good lenses are the most important. So once you start making some money, spend some of that money for purchasing new lenses.
Set up your website.
As a freelance photographer, you’ll need a professional photography website that will show off your work and help you spread the word about your business. You can also use your website to communicate with clients, schedule sessions, manage orders, and even deliver your completed work.
Build your portfolio.
You need a strong portfolio in order to attract clients. When you’re starting out, you should do some work for free to build your portfolio. You can also find local models who need portraits for their modelling portfolio and, that way, you’ll both benefit. Once you’ve done some free work, you’ll need to show it on your website.
Get and keep in touch with your first clients.
Many online platforms are available for photographers to get traction and clients, including Pinterest, imgur.com, and blogging.
To attract new clients, you need to create a blog and write regularly. A blog can also turn your website visitors into clients by educating them about your work and leading them to trust you as a professional.
To keep in touch with existing clients on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to keep them updated via an email newsletter. If you have a strong network, you can get repeat clients and additional work through referrals.
Create a schedule.
Once you start getting a steady flow of clients, you’ll have a lot of tasks to complete each day, so it’s important to have a detailed schedule.
You can use the BirchPress Scheduler WordPress plugin on your website to take appointments and show your availability to clients, as well as manage your clients, services, calendar and more from inside your WordPress dashboard.
Edit before delivery.
If you want to become a successful freelance photographer, you should produce such amazing work for your clients that they can’t help but commend you. To do that, you should always edit and enhance your photos before delivering them to your clients. Editing may include adjusting backgrounds, balancing colours, fixing insufficient light and enhancing skin tones.
Manage your finances well.
Keep your personal/household expenses separate from your business expenses and pay yourself a certain salary. That way, you’ll know exactly how much money you have left over to invest in your business and you won’t be tempted to make out-of-pocket purchases.
Master your craft.
Continuous learning is important because it will help you raise the bar for yourself and renew your passion for your work. To do that, you can study an online course, attend a local photography workshop or sign up for a community college course. You’ll not only learn new skills but also have the opportunity to grow your network and get support from fellow freelance photographers.
Be confident.
If you want to be successful as a freelancer, you need to show potential clients that you can confidently deliver the work they need. Experience can help you boost your confidence. Do multiple shoots, taking note of what worked and what didn’t work in different situations. The more experience you get, the more you’ll hone in on your skills.