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.