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Being a freelance photographer is a dream job for many students and graduates. The idea of getting paid to attend events, travel around the world and meet different people sounds almost too good to be true. Becoming a freelance photographer is easier said than done. It requires a lot of energy, rejections and hard work. Here are some tips to get you started on a career as a freelance photographer.

Can you afford to?

Great photos come from people with exceptional photography skills. However, most of those great photos are also shot with the help of professional cameras and equipment; a compact point-and-shoot camera isn’t going to cut it if you want to make a career out of photography. You need at least a professional DSLR, few lenses, flash, memory cards and spare battery pack. Just to get started, you’re looking at a sunk cost of anywhere between £1,000 and £2,000.

Becoming a freelance photographer is definitely not cheap, but you can save some money by purchasing second-hand equipment. Most professional camera equipment has been kept in tip-top shape.

Shoot what you enjoy

There are different types of photography and it’s important to find out what you enjoy shooting and what you dislike. Some people love to shoot nature sceneries, while others prefer the dirt and grime of the city streets. By knowing what you like, you can begin carving a specialty such as travel photography, paparazzi, photojournalist, fashion photography and so on.

Digital manipulation

Nowadays, it’s not just about shooting exceptional photos, but also what you can do with them in Photoshop. You can easily self-teach yourself Photoshop, but keep in mind that it can be a very big learning curve, even if you’re great with computers and technology. The best way is to sign yourself up for a short Photoshop course. There are even online courses that offer comprehensive step-by-step tutorials.

Have a portfolio ready

Your CV as a freelance photographer would be in the form of a portfolio. Having an online portfolio not only allows people to check out your work, but also enables prospective clients to find you. Photo hosting sites like Flickr and Devianart are the easiest way to display your work, but they’re not the most professional. Many blog sites like Tumblr and WordPress offer templates that are more portfolio-friendly. Then, there are also creative communities that offer free portfolios like Carbonmade, Behance Network and Cargo Collective.

Be very selective on what photos you choose to display. If you’re not in love with the photo, then it probably won’t ‘wow’ other people either. Allow a friend to take a look at your portfolio and ask him/her to be brutally honest. Learn to handle criticism and improve, rather than get yourself down.

Start small and work for free

Everyone has to start somewhere. Whether it’s taking photos at a friend’s birthday, or volunteering your time for a local community event. Offer to work for free as an assistant photographer or intern at a company or publishing house. You’ll gain a lot from working for free – it offers practical experience and builds up your portfolio.

Shameless promotion

Unless you’re super famous, people aren’t going to approach you with jobs. Constantly promoting yourself online and offline is key to scoring paid gigs. The first and easiest thing to do is to call yourself a Freelance Photographer and get yourself a set of business cards. Successfully landing paid photography jobs is all about networking and getting the word out to family and friends. Some small art galleries will even display a few of your photos in exhibits at an affordable price, which is a great way to get your name out into the public – and adds credibility to your CV.

Utilise social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and blogs. The more presence you have online, the more chances of you getting scouted.

Practice, practice, practice

Photography is a never-ending learning curve, so try to take photos at every possible chance you have. Read up on blogs, take short courses and join relevant forums to ensure that you’re constantly learning new things and keeping up-to-date with news and techniques.

Get into photography for the love of it, not the money. If you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re going to produce more exceptional photos that will get you noticed.

Visit out job board for fantastic student jobs or continue browsing our candid student careers advice blog!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 at 8:46 am and is filed under Freelance Beginnings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.