Author: Zachary Sica

Images are powerful in that they can be crafted so precisely as to convey any given message, illicit certain feelings, or poke at specific emotions from the viewer. Aspects of photography that help with this are colors, brightness, exposure, saturation, vignette, and many others. As a photographer learns more and more about their equipment, software, and subjects, they can learn how to manipulate these elements in order to create the desired effect when viewed.

Colors are perhaps the biggest player in photography and photo manipulation. Colors can be worked on and altered in order to enhance certain areas of a scene, divert attention from other areas, or change the dynamic of an entire photo.

Different colors have different effects and color psychology is the study of how the presentation of certain colors can influence human emotions. Humans tend to associate colors with emotions or feelings, so a good photographer can use this to their advantage.

For example, colors closer to red on the color wheel are “warm” colors and those closer to blue are “cool” colors. These aspects of color can help when, for example, a photo is taken in the snow versus a photo taken on the beach. The snowy photo would benefit from an enhancement of blue colors so the viewer associates the cool colors with a cold setting. Check out this example, where the left side of the photograph enhances cold colors and the right uses warm colors:

This same thing applies to the beach photo. Warmer colors do well here due to the summery feeling that people feel when thinking about the beach. Take a look at this photo and try to imagine which side feels warmer.

These photos really show how much you can use color to manipulate photographs and enhance the desired feelings they can produce. Attention to these things will surely be beneficial to you as a photographer.

Aside from the color temperature aspect, color choices can go a long way. Different audiences may be attracted to certain colors or palettes. If a photographer has to do a shoot for a client that sells clothes targeted toward an audience that desires individuality and standing out, it may be best to choose colors that are less common in current fashion. Maybe have your subject wear a bright colored outfit as opposed to a drab, monochromatic one. The bright colors will attract the eyes of the desired customer. On another side, an older audience might prefer a mature-looking color scheme, with more calm, muted colors. Low vibrance can help if you’re trying to convey a message of calmness and order, for example.

Learning how to manipulate your photography is paramount. Pressing the shutter button is one thing, but really taking advantage of your knowledge, tools and artistic elements within a scene is what separates a good photographer from a great one.

Aside from working on your own as a freelance photographer, some may choose to work with an agency. A photography agency is much like a modeling agency or the like in that the agency represents you when it comes to the legal hurdles, customer acquisition, and payment. As a photographer with an agent, you wouldn’t have to register yourself as a business and search for your own clients. The agency will provide you with jobs, a schedule, payment, and if you’re lucky, they’ll even give you some equipment to use.

There are pros and cons to agencies, just there are with freelancing. Possibly the most obvious factor is the customer acquisition. With an agency, you’re given the work you need to do and when you need to do it. This structure can be nice for many people, but others may prefer to make their own schedules. Also, an agency will be the one paying you, not the actual client. The money will go through the agency before it gets to you. 

Another thing to consider when looking for agencies is the clientele that agency serves. There are specialized agencies that tend to work with artists to produce certain types of content for their customers. Some may be privy to commercial photography, some may be focused on fashion, or some may focus only on stock photos. There are tons of niches within photography business and agencies can help you find your way into one of them. If your work is highly specialized, you will likely fit well into that particular agency.

You’ll also need to think about location. An agency has a physical office, which means they’re tied to a particular location. If the agency you want to work for is based in New York and you live in Montana, that could be an issue. But if your areas are close to each other, you can definitely keep them on your radar.

Agency work definitely has its benefits. If you like having structure in your life and don’t like the idea of dedicating a lot of your time to do supplemental work that isn’t actual photography (like tax preparation, looking for clients, handling legal issues, etc.), maybe an agency is the way to go.

There are generally two different routes to take when considering photography as a profession: freelance or representation by an agency. In this post, we’ll be diving into the world of freelance photography and how you can work on your own as a professional photographer.

Freelancing is defined as providing a given service under no representation or employment from an outside company. Being a freelance service provider means you’ll be the one looking for leads, contacting potential customers, and then actually providing the service. It’s a one-man-band where the freelancer is the conductor, but also has to play all the instruments.

Freelancing in photography is the most common way for beginners to make their way into the photography industry and even more well-known photographers with large portfolios and high-profile customers choose to continue freelancing because of the freedom it comes with. You can choose your own schedule, your own clientele, your own prices, and more. That being said, to establish yourself in the freelance game, you need to be a full-fledged entrepreneur too. You’re running your own business, after all. The freelancer must legally identify themselves, register yourself as a business in your state or city, and gather all the necessary tax documents needed for business operation before your real work begins.

Once the particulars are taken care of, the photography work needs to happen. If you’re new to the game, building a portfolio is important and start developing a presence online to showcase your work. This will be how other people, and potential customers, will find you. Media platforms like Instagram, Behance, and 500px among others are all based around the sharing of images. They’ll be great for posting your work. This will also be where creators can connect with each other and grow their networks together.

As your network and resume grows, your work can start to garner more attention online or from potential customers. The more experienced you become, the more you can charge, the better equipment you can buy, and you can start to find larger clients. Some large clients may even start to find you.