Being a photographer can be a dream job for some people. Though some will find a company to work under and live out their dreams with, others will thrive working for themselves as a freelancer. As a freelance photographer, you’ll have no one to answer to but yourself and your client, leaving you free to do what you’d like with your photography aesthetically, stylistically, and so on.
That being said, the life of a freelancer isn’t an easy one. You’ll have to work long hours for little pay, work around an unstable paycheck, and have a boatload of dedication to get yourself through each week in your career choice. The difficulties, however, will be worth it in the end when you’re a successful freelancer. Here are some ways you can improve yourself and push yourself toward a bright career.
Create a website and blog
Your website is the keystone of your entire business, so make it a good one. This is where your potential clients will go to decide if they want to hire you, so investing effort and/or money into it, no matter how tedious or impossible it seems at first, will be worth it in the long run. Make your website easy to navigate and simple (don’t use flash!), and be particular with what photos you put up to showcase your work. You don’t need to put up every photo you’ve ever taken—just your best ones.
Additionally, you should set up a daily blog and update it with one of your photos daily. It can be easy to forget to shoot for yourself when you’re worried about gaining clients and earning money, so having a daily blog will give you an excuse to take a few minutes out of your day and remember why you love photography in the first place.
The scary jobs are the important jobs
When you’re first starting out, it’s natural to feel scared about completing certain job offers. You’re going to be paid for your work, after all—that’s an enormous amount of pressure to be under. When these moods strike, take a moment to remember that the scary jobs will be the important jobs, and when you’re asked to shoot your second wedding, you won’t be nearly as scared as you were the first time.
Even seasoned photographers were scared novices like yourself, after all.
Respond to emails and phone calls ASAP
If someone is contacting you, chances are your work has impressed them enough to want to hire you. They likely spent a bit of time looking through your work, so it’s ideal to return their correspondence while you’re still fresh on their mind; every second you wait is a second that you slip from their mind. Contacting them quickly will get a dialogue going and discourage them from looking elsewhere.