Thinking about turning your hobby into a job? What are the key points you need to consider when using your hard-earned savings and convincing your partner that this is the next, new chapter in your life? With over 15 years as a professional photographer and over 25 years as a freelancer, here’s what you need to know to make your dreams come true.
1. Accept You will have to do certain jobs for free.
First, do this for local businesses to show your worth and possibly help them get their monthly retention, for people or businesses with great social media who influence to get them to share what you do and to your photography community, associations, local groups, and organizations to get people to trust you and help you solve problems you are sure of. will surely encounter. However, know your worth and create boundaries, as there are people out there who will take advantage (whether they do it subconsciously or not is irrelevant).
2. Don’t change the camera brand every 5 minutes.
Find one you like and stick with it. Learn everything about the camera, its brand, and its limitations. Brands don’t make great photographers; practice, learn, read and watch and help other professionals is how you become great. If you really think that a single camera will make a lasting, lasting difference, you’re getting it wrong. The camera is just the last part of the photo (sorry for the pun).
3. Get a great business software to manage your footage and expenses.
There’s a lot out there. 17 Hats, Studio Ninja. I use Light Blue, because it’s so cool. It manages my footage, expenses, and bills, and saves me a lot of time that I could otherwise spend marketing my business. This must be considered when starting a business if you want to really make a lot of money.
4. Know Your Conduct.
If you don’t know that term, it just means you have to know the skills needed to do your job. Learn Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, Affinity, or whatever editing app you decide to use. Watch YouTube, follow your favorite photographers and get advice from many experts who have been in the industry for a while.
5. Join Associations.
They have a lot. The Association of Photographers, SWPP, AOC and BIPP are the main organizations, and there are many smaller, more niche organisations. This will help you stand shoulder to shoulder with the people you should be friends with. These are the people who may ask you to shoot your first wedding a second time with them or assist with filming an ad. Associations will also help you reach your level of expertise, which is a good way to force you out of your comfort zone and further down the path you want to go down, plus it’s for any Potential clients see that you’ve researched your skills and gained expertise. understanding of it.
6. Be friendly to the people at your local Camera Store.
Mine is Camera Carmarthen in Wales in the UK, and they’re amazing. They let me know if there were any new kits to try or if I was looking for an old device for myself or one of my students and they would pick it up. They also offer training and experience days, which I’ve attended, and I get to talk to them from time to time. Having a great supplier online is great for essential kits you don’t necessarily need advice on, but if you’re looking for something that can do the job and you need to talk Talk to someone about it, find somewhere you can drop in, have a coffee, and get some advice.
7. Learn from the best.
Okay, I understand that there are a lot of professional photographers who earn a second income from teaching. I made the mistake from the very beginning when I started a photography business by paying a lot of people to be great photography teachers but not making a living as a photographer. They know a lot about theory, but don’t necessarily have practical skills. I was so sick of feeling like I had just finished another training course without learning anything that I could remember, I literally googled: “Who is a wedding photographer now? The best in the world?” I had never heard of any of them at the time, but I looked at all their work and websites and found one that taught and resembled the style that I liked best and thought i can achieve. Then I booked a plane ticket, went from Wales to Frankfurt, and met Roberto Valenzuelaand then, in London, Peter Hurley. I can honestly say that the money I spent training with them (I can tell you it wasn’t a small amount when I started out) were the best investments I have ever made. perform. I actually made four times more money from the skills I learned. Photographers who truly know their craft aren’t afraid to share what got them there. It’s a great feeling to know someone you’ve taught is succeeding with the skills you’ve learned.
8. Get the Right Computer Equipment.
Don’t buy the first thing on the shelf. Being a photographer means that you will need specialized computers rather than the basic pre-existing equipment that the general public will most likely use to read emails and write an odd letter or two. Both Photoshop and Lightroom require a lot of RAM and free hard drive space to work at their best. Backup solution is required. As soon as you turn pro, you will be asked to save your images safely and securely for long periods of time. Don’t belittle that your five-year-old MacBook will cut it.
9. Accept that you may want to try different genres of photography.
When I first started, I thought I would learn to be a great maternity photographer. I have three kids, so why not, right? Then I took a class from a well-known expert, Claire Elliot. Armed with the knowledge, I can tell you that I did two baby scenes, and that was the end of that career. The first session, the client didn’t want to hand her baby over to me, because she cried non-stop, and after four hours of trying to get any usable shots I gave up, with a bout of pain. Alaska-sized headache. The second session didn’t go very well either, as the adorable baby in question continued to take down my beloved Canon 5D Mark II. Thank goodness it’s weather resistant. What I’m saying is don’t beat yourself up if you don’t succeed in the genre you think you’ll be good at. Try something else. Learn to pivot, adapt and overcome.
10. Enjoy the ride.
There will be days when you wish you had a safe job. There will be days when you have to get up early and feel uncomfortable. Believe me when I say it’s all worth your passion in the end. We are passion. Humans are at their best when we’re successful, and bad times just remind us that there will be good times to come. I love the feeling I get when I completely capture a client’s brief or capture a beautiful wedding photo. It’s indescribable, and I really feel like that’s what I was born on this planet to do. I know you feel the same way, because our passion for what we do drives us forward. We strive to be better, and it doesn’t matter if every day is a small step, as long as we keep moving forward.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading this. I have added and removed tips, and there are many more that I could add. Please feel free to message me with your thoughts and tips. I read everything and there is much more I can help you with. It’s great to see so many people pursuing their passions, and I’m happy to be able to help them in some way.
