8 answers
Sarah
Student
Mansfield, Massachusetts
1
Question
Asked
1195 views
How do you find clients as a freelance photographer?
How do you find clients as a freelance photographer? How do you find new clients and keep old ones. I’m struggling to stretch beyond the circle of people I know.
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8 answers
Nicholas Delauney
Global Product Manager
3
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Nicholas’s Answer
Build a collection of your finest work in a specific area that you're passionate about. For instance, if headshots are your specialty, gather all your top-quality headshots. Set up a professional website and design a business card. Approach potential clients who you know require headshots and present your impressive portfolio. Provide an attractive introductory rate to make your services irresistible. As your skills improve, gradually increase your prices.
Taylor Fronk
Sales Support
13
Answers
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Updated
Taylor’s Answer
Hi Sarah!
I think you should start with a few things:
1. Create a diverse portfolio of your best work
2. Build and engage a social media presence and audience
3. Continue to follow up and check in with your clients you have already done work for
4. Be open and ask for feedback- this is the only way you can improve!
Hope this helps
I think you should start with a few things:
1. Create a diverse portfolio of your best work
2. Build and engage a social media presence and audience
3. Continue to follow up and check in with your clients you have already done work for
4. Be open and ask for feedback- this is the only way you can improve!
Hope this helps
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1937
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Sarah !
Photography is one of the most exciting careers and it has so many possibilities and so much opportunity. I would like to offer some advice to help you along as you expand your client/customer base.
Find work and get found in Photography Directories ! I have left some links for you below. Sign up and this will be a good starting point. Decide if you want to register in directories in other areas, too. Think about marketing your service in Boston where there may be more people and increase your business. Social media would be for listing your services and prices. It's not like having a social media account would suddenly increase your sales - people have to know about you first and know to go to your URL. Have any of your URLs to social media listed on your business cards. I would also suggest going to your local Chamber of Commerce and inquiring about any photography organizations that are local.
Become a Certified Professional Photographer. The Professional Photographers of America offer a certification for which I have left a link for you below. I also suggest that expanding the type of photography that you do may help increase your clientele. Try to explore portraits, entertainment photography, event photography, and any others that you discover. Have you looked at opportunities offered remotely ? I left a link below for you for some remote photography jobs. Also look on Linked In for projects and work remotely or in your town.
Consider having a studio. Once you have a studio you will get people remembering you for when they need your services. They'll pass by as they shop at other stores and services but they will remember where you are and may want a local photographer. It will give you visibility. And do not hesitate to do a search for small business grants to start increasing your business.
All you have to do is add and do new things to what you are already doing and things will happen differently. If you really want to stir things up for business, consider creating and organizing a local photography expo to which you invite all local photographers to a day event and show their work while other entertainment is happening, too. Also research online some Stock Photo websites and see if they are buying any specific themed photos. There are so many doors for photographers to open, but the important thing is, you must be ready to do these things to advance your sales.
I hope that this is a help and I wish you all the best in expanding your photography services !
DIRECTORY FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS IN YOUR AREA - LIST YOURSELF https://www.productionhub.com/directory/profiles/headshot-photographers/us/massachusetts/mansfield
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER INFORMATION - CERTIFICATION AND INFORMATION https://www.ppa.com/benefits/certification/cpp
REMOTE PHOTOGRAPHY WORK https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=photography&l=remote&from=searchOnDesktopSerp&vjk=77208f5e05528841
REMOTE PHOTOGRAPHY JOBS https://www.flexjobs.com/remote-jobs/photography-art
Photography is one of the most exciting careers and it has so many possibilities and so much opportunity. I would like to offer some advice to help you along as you expand your client/customer base.
Find work and get found in Photography Directories ! I have left some links for you below. Sign up and this will be a good starting point. Decide if you want to register in directories in other areas, too. Think about marketing your service in Boston where there may be more people and increase your business. Social media would be for listing your services and prices. It's not like having a social media account would suddenly increase your sales - people have to know about you first and know to go to your URL. Have any of your URLs to social media listed on your business cards. I would also suggest going to your local Chamber of Commerce and inquiring about any photography organizations that are local.
Become a Certified Professional Photographer. The Professional Photographers of America offer a certification for which I have left a link for you below. I also suggest that expanding the type of photography that you do may help increase your clientele. Try to explore portraits, entertainment photography, event photography, and any others that you discover. Have you looked at opportunities offered remotely ? I left a link below for you for some remote photography jobs. Also look on Linked In for projects and work remotely or in your town.
Consider having a studio. Once you have a studio you will get people remembering you for when they need your services. They'll pass by as they shop at other stores and services but they will remember where you are and may want a local photographer. It will give you visibility. And do not hesitate to do a search for small business grants to start increasing your business.
All you have to do is add and do new things to what you are already doing and things will happen differently. If you really want to stir things up for business, consider creating and organizing a local photography expo to which you invite all local photographers to a day event and show their work while other entertainment is happening, too. Also research online some Stock Photo websites and see if they are buying any specific themed photos. There are so many doors for photographers to open, but the important thing is, you must be ready to do these things to advance your sales.
I hope that this is a help and I wish you all the best in expanding your photography services !
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Nik Korba
Writer
18
Answers
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Updated
Nik’s Answer
Go everywhere with your camera. Take pictures of everything. Share them with as many people as you can.
This is SOOOO underrated! I have gotten so many gigs from just being out with my camera. GREAT ADVICE!
Michael Howard
David Wuerth
Freelance Photojournalist/ Sports Photographer
115
Answers
Nampa, Idaho
Updated
David’s Answer
Hey Sarah, when I lived in Rhode Island, I think I would occasionally shoot in Mansfield. I freelanced for several studios that offered photography services to regional schools.
So much for me, let's talk about you. Have you chosen a genre that you want to focus on? Such as sports, weddings etc? Do you own a camera with interchangeable lenses? Do you have a professional looking website with great images that show the kind of photographs you can produce? Do you have business cards? Is photography your passion?
Since, I know nothing about you, I will assume you can answer yes to the above questions. If your answer is no to any of the above, then that's where you need to start.
Social media, that's the current hot button for everyone. I have never found social media to be of great value. This is a shot gun approach to finding clients.
When you can answer all the questions I have posed, then you decide to whom to market your services. Who is your market? Who can use your services? Images? Expertise? I used email to reach out to prospective clients. I would ask can they use my services? I would give them my website info. Maybe ten percent, if that, will respond.
Easy peasy! You are going to hear a lot of no's, or no response. I kept a card file of everyone I contacted, their response and the date I reached out.
If you are going to make a career of photography, you are going 80% of your time marketing yourself and 20% actually shooting.
Best of luck.
So much for me, let's talk about you. Have you chosen a genre that you want to focus on? Such as sports, weddings etc? Do you own a camera with interchangeable lenses? Do you have a professional looking website with great images that show the kind of photographs you can produce? Do you have business cards? Is photography your passion?
Since, I know nothing about you, I will assume you can answer yes to the above questions. If your answer is no to any of the above, then that's where you need to start.
Social media, that's the current hot button for everyone. I have never found social media to be of great value. This is a shot gun approach to finding clients.
When you can answer all the questions I have posed, then you decide to whom to market your services. Who is your market? Who can use your services? Images? Expertise? I used email to reach out to prospective clients. I would ask can they use my services? I would give them my website info. Maybe ten percent, if that, will respond.
Easy peasy! You are going to hear a lot of no's, or no response. I kept a card file of everyone I contacted, their response and the date I reached out.
If you are going to make a career of photography, you are going 80% of your time marketing yourself and 20% actually shooting.
Best of luck.
Nikolaos Zormpas
Global Manager – Digital Services Offerings / Technology, Software & Services Offerings Marketing
88
Answers
Athens, Greece
Updated
Nikolaos’s Answer
Hi Sarah,
First of all, you can keep your existing clients by staying connected with them. For example, you can create a newsletter and get their consent to send periodic updates and special offers to maintain relationships and encourage repeat business. Julia, Nicholas, and Michelle have already provided a lot of extremely useful advice. If I had one thing to add, it would be to consider possible collaborations with other professionals such as those in event planning, fashion, makeup, real estate, etc., to broaden your network and get more referrals.
Hope that helps!
Best regards,
Nikolas
First of all, you can keep your existing clients by staying connected with them. For example, you can create a newsletter and get their consent to send periodic updates and special offers to maintain relationships and encourage repeat business. Julia, Nicholas, and Michelle have already provided a lot of extremely useful advice. If I had one thing to add, it would be to consider possible collaborations with other professionals such as those in event planning, fashion, makeup, real estate, etc., to broaden your network and get more referrals.
Hope that helps!
Best regards,
Nikolas
Julia Kim
Consulting
8
Answers
Arlington, Virginia
Updated
Julia’s Answer
Hi Sarah!
I would recommend utilizing social media to reach new clients. If you don't already, you could make a TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. account specifically showcasing your portfolio and advertising your services/prices/location etc. Social media is such a powerful these days and it only takes one viral post to reach thousands! You could also offer referral discounts for your current customers; i.e. if they refer someone they know to you they can get a discounted price on a future photoshoot.
Best of luck with your photography!
I would recommend utilizing social media to reach new clients. If you don't already, you could make a TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. account specifically showcasing your portfolio and advertising your services/prices/location etc. Social media is such a powerful these days and it only takes one viral post to reach thousands! You could also offer referral discounts for your current customers; i.e. if they refer someone they know to you they can get a discounted price on a future photoshoot.
Best of luck with your photography!
Michael Howard
Creative Director
4
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Michael’s Answer
How do you find clients as a freelance photographer?
This is one of those answers that is extremely different for every professional camera operator. Youtube has a HUGE camera community that I would utilize. Here you can listen to real world stories and how they got their paying clients.
I currently do videography and photography for professional athletes and for the city I live in. I got my start in camera work when I was working in the corporate sector as a video editor. At this time I only did video editing using content other camera people would shoot however the time came for me to learn how to shoot content which consisted of interviews and Broll of athletes here and there. I really enjoyed the camera work side of things and eventually started working with a basketball trainer as a side gig to learn all aspects of camera work and for more experience. Due to my long term collaboration in the basketball world working with one client, I was able to build a pretty robust portfolio that I can advertise to other potential clients. I also don't currently use any social media to advertise my work, its all pearly based on word of mouth, my portfolio and sometimes my resume for work experience.
Along the way here are some things I learned that helped me, and again everyone's road is very different on how they got their professional start:
1. When you're starting out, shoot everyone you know and ask for referrals (This is the warm market).
Shoot your friends events, partys or even setup a photo shoot with friends in the city near you. have fun but use these most likely unpaid gigs as ways to build a portfolio. All of this work will be experience you can use for that first paying gig when it comes and you should treat them like professional gigs. When you provide the deliverables, make sure your friends refer you to another person or business you don't know. The same goes for social media, make sure if they post your work, have the client tag you so this could lead to other potential opportunities. You never know what opportunity might pop up.
2. Portfolios
Many people have websites, social media, prints. It all works and its all helpful but many of us are on a budget. Use everythting that is free for now unless you have a budget. Use Google slides and create a slick deck with all your photography or video work. Start a social media page with your photos or videos you edited in capcut (yup I said it... CAPCUT!). Make a youtube tutorial on how you edited your work, It's all very helpful to have something on hand to show people when they want to see your work. When you save up enough, building a website is very professional but its not something you NEED to survive. I have shot NBA players and have zero website or dedicated social media. I do everything word of mouth and referrals but again thats just me and everyone's process is different.
3. Photography Walks (Networking is important)
I live in Los Angeles and there is a huge camera community here. So much so that they have something called a Photo Walk which basically is an event where a large number of camera operators from various skill levels come together and walk through designated areas and capture content. This is a GREAT place to network with other camera people who may need help on projects or have expert level knowledge. I have met some great people on these walks and found other gigs as well.
4. Go Out & Advertise Your Work (Adventure into the cold market)
This is something that can make or break people but consider taking a Saturday or any weekday you can and travel around your city to small business who may need social media help or photography work. This will take a bit of investigating and research for example, I noticed a kickboxing gym in downtown who gets a lot of clients so I went to their social media page and noticed they have zero social presence. On a Saturday afternoon I told my self "lets go to 10 businesses and get 1 client". 9 of them said "No thank you" (they were not that nice at ALL), but the kickboxing gym said "YES ABSOLUTELY!". I say all this to say, sometimes just take your camera with you and walk into a place and ask if they need photography help. You have to be a sales person, an entrepreneur if you want to do this kind of work for yourself. It's a big risk but its worth the trouble in the end.
5. Find Your Passion
You have a camera, great! Maybe you got a couple paid gigs, Awesome. Did you like shooting these gigs? Could you see yourself shooting something like that for the rest of your life? It's important to find what you like shooting and become an expert in that realm. Some people might call it a "niche" or you might be called a "insert activity here" photographer but at the end of the day we all want to shoot things we LOVE. I love basketball, I know about every NBA player from every team (just about) and im learning the WNBA now because the marketing is growing so that is why I shoot a lot of up and coming college players, highschool players and trainers. I know the market and what would look good in a college basketball mix. I know what people want to hear from a trainer in a social media reel and how it should be shot and cut. All this comes from research and experience especially since the industry changes all the time. This also means if I shoot a wedding my camera settings are drastically different. I may use 600+ shutter speed (Sony A7iii) for a basketball game compared to a wedding I may want to shoot around 100 shutter speed. These are things that you learn along the way or from others who are experts in their industry. It's cool to do it all but it may hurt you in the long run.
6. Asking or Pay
This is VERY uncomfortable for many people but you NEED to do this in order to survive. Cameras are not cheap, trust me im in the hole with my new Sony FX3 and Sony GMii 24-70mm lens, Variable ND filters and all. It hurt to drop that much on a camera but at the same time I can now capture high quality video for my social media clients. This is what justifies quotes when I talk to clients and even friends who pay for my services now. I suggest researching what photographers are getting paid and how they price specific services, like portraits and group photos, event coverage and all that. I dont really like to charge per gig, I typically like to get people in for multiple gigs like a retainer or a monthly payment.
For example: My client wants to build a social media coach page -> I will then build a social strategy for them -> We would build a schedule on how I will shoot and when -> I show what the content would look like (I research top competitor's pages for examples) -> I create a list of deliverables (after each content session, I deliver x2-x3 - 1min videos & x3-x5 photos) and then quote a monthly payment based off what we just covered and how many sessions they may need recorded. Lets say I quote $320 a month for 4 sessions, the client might say "I can't do that"... Okay well then you can modify accordingly, "let's do $240 for 3 sessions". Don't give up just work with each client based on their needs and budget. Its just business!
7. Follow up
After you have worked with a client, its a great idea to follow up with them after a few weeks. Check in on them, make small talk via email or text and let them know you are still around for buisness. Sometimes we might be the best communicators but others are the opposite. When I worked in corporate we would send out Xmas cards to our clients and give them gifts for birthdays. Im not saying you gotta be someone's best friend but following up is a great way to stay "top of mind". They might randomly have a new product they need photos for or an athlete is trying out for a team and wants to capture the training session for a social media post... You just never know. This is how you create that "right place, right time moment".. potentially!
Hope all of this helps you out, congrats on making a choice to do what you are passionate about and have fun! Yes we all gotta make money but I found just being out with my camera doing a random youtube vlog or capturing photos of myself (feeling very silly in public), people would ask for my services. I believe if you look like you love what you are doing people will gravitate toward you and want to work with you.
This is one of those answers that is extremely different for every professional camera operator. Youtube has a HUGE camera community that I would utilize. Here you can listen to real world stories and how they got their paying clients.
I currently do videography and photography for professional athletes and for the city I live in. I got my start in camera work when I was working in the corporate sector as a video editor. At this time I only did video editing using content other camera people would shoot however the time came for me to learn how to shoot content which consisted of interviews and Broll of athletes here and there. I really enjoyed the camera work side of things and eventually started working with a basketball trainer as a side gig to learn all aspects of camera work and for more experience. Due to my long term collaboration in the basketball world working with one client, I was able to build a pretty robust portfolio that I can advertise to other potential clients. I also don't currently use any social media to advertise my work, its all pearly based on word of mouth, my portfolio and sometimes my resume for work experience.
Along the way here are some things I learned that helped me, and again everyone's road is very different on how they got their professional start:
1. When you're starting out, shoot everyone you know and ask for referrals (This is the warm market).
Shoot your friends events, partys or even setup a photo shoot with friends in the city near you. have fun but use these most likely unpaid gigs as ways to build a portfolio. All of this work will be experience you can use for that first paying gig when it comes and you should treat them like professional gigs. When you provide the deliverables, make sure your friends refer you to another person or business you don't know. The same goes for social media, make sure if they post your work, have the client tag you so this could lead to other potential opportunities. You never know what opportunity might pop up.
2. Portfolios
Many people have websites, social media, prints. It all works and its all helpful but many of us are on a budget. Use everythting that is free for now unless you have a budget. Use Google slides and create a slick deck with all your photography or video work. Start a social media page with your photos or videos you edited in capcut (yup I said it... CAPCUT!). Make a youtube tutorial on how you edited your work, It's all very helpful to have something on hand to show people when they want to see your work. When you save up enough, building a website is very professional but its not something you NEED to survive. I have shot NBA players and have zero website or dedicated social media. I do everything word of mouth and referrals but again thats just me and everyone's process is different.
3. Photography Walks (Networking is important)
I live in Los Angeles and there is a huge camera community here. So much so that they have something called a Photo Walk which basically is an event where a large number of camera operators from various skill levels come together and walk through designated areas and capture content. This is a GREAT place to network with other camera people who may need help on projects or have expert level knowledge. I have met some great people on these walks and found other gigs as well.
4. Go Out & Advertise Your Work (Adventure into the cold market)
This is something that can make or break people but consider taking a Saturday or any weekday you can and travel around your city to small business who may need social media help or photography work. This will take a bit of investigating and research for example, I noticed a kickboxing gym in downtown who gets a lot of clients so I went to their social media page and noticed they have zero social presence. On a Saturday afternoon I told my self "lets go to 10 businesses and get 1 client". 9 of them said "No thank you" (they were not that nice at ALL), but the kickboxing gym said "YES ABSOLUTELY!". I say all this to say, sometimes just take your camera with you and walk into a place and ask if they need photography help. You have to be a sales person, an entrepreneur if you want to do this kind of work for yourself. It's a big risk but its worth the trouble in the end.
5. Find Your Passion
You have a camera, great! Maybe you got a couple paid gigs, Awesome. Did you like shooting these gigs? Could you see yourself shooting something like that for the rest of your life? It's important to find what you like shooting and become an expert in that realm. Some people might call it a "niche" or you might be called a "insert activity here" photographer but at the end of the day we all want to shoot things we LOVE. I love basketball, I know about every NBA player from every team (just about) and im learning the WNBA now because the marketing is growing so that is why I shoot a lot of up and coming college players, highschool players and trainers. I know the market and what would look good in a college basketball mix. I know what people want to hear from a trainer in a social media reel and how it should be shot and cut. All this comes from research and experience especially since the industry changes all the time. This also means if I shoot a wedding my camera settings are drastically different. I may use 600+ shutter speed (Sony A7iii) for a basketball game compared to a wedding I may want to shoot around 100 shutter speed. These are things that you learn along the way or from others who are experts in their industry. It's cool to do it all but it may hurt you in the long run.
6. Asking or Pay
This is VERY uncomfortable for many people but you NEED to do this in order to survive. Cameras are not cheap, trust me im in the hole with my new Sony FX3 and Sony GMii 24-70mm lens, Variable ND filters and all. It hurt to drop that much on a camera but at the same time I can now capture high quality video for my social media clients. This is what justifies quotes when I talk to clients and even friends who pay for my services now. I suggest researching what photographers are getting paid and how they price specific services, like portraits and group photos, event coverage and all that. I dont really like to charge per gig, I typically like to get people in for multiple gigs like a retainer or a monthly payment.
For example: My client wants to build a social media coach page -> I will then build a social strategy for them -> We would build a schedule on how I will shoot and when -> I show what the content would look like (I research top competitor's pages for examples) -> I create a list of deliverables (after each content session, I deliver x2-x3 - 1min videos & x3-x5 photos) and then quote a monthly payment based off what we just covered and how many sessions they may need recorded. Lets say I quote $320 a month for 4 sessions, the client might say "I can't do that"... Okay well then you can modify accordingly, "let's do $240 for 3 sessions". Don't give up just work with each client based on their needs and budget. Its just business!
7. Follow up
After you have worked with a client, its a great idea to follow up with them after a few weeks. Check in on them, make small talk via email or text and let them know you are still around for buisness. Sometimes we might be the best communicators but others are the opposite. When I worked in corporate we would send out Xmas cards to our clients and give them gifts for birthdays. Im not saying you gotta be someone's best friend but following up is a great way to stay "top of mind". They might randomly have a new product they need photos for or an athlete is trying out for a team and wants to capture the training session for a social media post... You just never know. This is how you create that "right place, right time moment".. potentially!
Hope all of this helps you out, congrats on making a choice to do what you are passionate about and have fun! Yes we all gotta make money but I found just being out with my camera doing a random youtube vlog or capturing photos of myself (feeling very silly in public), people would ask for my services. I believe if you look like you love what you are doing people will gravitate toward you and want to work with you.