How to Become a Photographer

Foundational Tip No. 2 - Don't Mystify It; It's Not Rocket Science

Continuing the approach of tip no. 1, tip no. 2 again seems obvious, don't mystify the process, making money as a professional photographer is not rocket science, no more than any other profession.
Now this may seem more attitudinal than practical, but it is well known that attitude, having the right attitude, is foundational for any success.

Like with tip no. 1, despite seeming to be obvious, I see plenty of people coming to forums asking for advice on how to make money like it is some mystical, hidden process guarded by some secret club of "in" photographers for whom money and assignments flow by and they jealousy want to keep others away from their easy, free flowing streams. Or they come, sounding like deer in the headlights, as if marketing photography is somehow more complex and full of esoteric buzzwords to grasp more than any other profession.

And you can just sense the neediness and the feeling the seeker is overwhelmed imagining that making a living as a photographer is more magical and taxing than methodical and disciplined.

Well it's not.

Presuming you already are a skilled photographer, marketing yourself, making a living, is no different than anyone in any other field, a contractor, a lawyer, a tax preparer, a wedding planner, etc. Like any other field, you can't get any business unless people know you exist.

And the steps to doing that are the same as any other field, such as:

• Store front/office front with a sign that people can see from the street
• Advertising, whether phone book, newspaper, direct mail, etc.
• Networking, whether talking to and passing out cards among friends and associates to attending meetings or conferences, such as wedding shows, if you are a wedding photographer.
• Direct solicitation/cold calling or mailing, such as calling up schools and asking for opportunity to pitch to shoot yearbook photos, sports events, etc.
• Word of Mouth

In fact, it's somewhat easier than other fields, especially if your photography is above the norm, as unlike other fields, your work can truly "speak for itself," practically selling the client before they ever talk to you.

In fact, it's a perfect field if you are a non-people person, hating direct solicitation and networking as you can still build an effective business simply by getting your work seen and allowing that work to have an already pre-sold client contact you.

That does not mean there are not a myriad other "academic" parts to building a successful business as a photographer, such as knowing contracts, handling customer questions and objections and knowing competition prices and advantages and setting yours.

But again, most people asking about how to become a photographer, how to make a living, are those mystified as to how they can get people to want to pay them. Thus, my first two tips have been on building that foundation in attitude and conduct that will bring in demand; handling that demand is another thing. Look for further articles on that as well as more on generating that demand.

Again, tip. no. 2 presumes you are a great photographer. If you are a mediocre photographer, then you need to become great at a particularly niche or either look for a field you can be great in or you will have to compete mainly on price, which is the least sustainable and least enjoyable position to be in.

I will further follow up with figuring out what one's "angle" is as though it is not necessary to figure that out before you start marketing yourself [and my previous tip already gave you immediate tactics that in effect result in marketing yourself]; figuring out what one's "angle" / competitive advantage is is essential for long term sustainability and for maximizing your success. I will also be posting resources for improving one's photography. Keep coming back.

 

Foundational Tip No. 1 - Avoid Undermining Yourself

There are a bunch of different articles on the net on how to become a photographer. However, I will give you the number one tip on how to become a photographer, how to start making money now with your digital camera. Out of all the tips, tutorials, answers, secrets, lessons, etc., here's the number one tip: If you want to become a working, paid photographer, then act like a  paid, working photographer!

Obvious. Not so, as one could get rich making a dollar for every time an enthusiastic would be photographer sabotages his or her opportunity to be viewed as a professional commercial photographer, who warrants being paid like a commercial professional.

People undermine their opportunity to start being paid like a commercial photographer by the following behavior:

• Giving away their work for free
• Not having a professional looking business card and/or rate card or brochure
• Not carrying themselves like someone doing professional work

Working for Free

The most common scenario I see, especially in music photography and wedding photography, is a photographer that has already dug a hole for their career by having already positioned themselves in people's mind as someone that shoots photographs for free. They go around volunteering to shoot this or that event or this or that person for free, and then they wonder why they can't make money doing photography.

Is that you? If you've been doing it, stop it and start telling people what your rates are. Don't know your rates. We'll talk about that later but start asking around and finding out what other photogs charge for various assignments in your town.

When you do start advising people of your rates expect some backlash, if you already made your current likely prospects, likely market, come to expect that you are suppose to shoot for free cause you've been such a "nice person" doing it for others. You may need to call your current "marketing / social circle" a loss and have to start anew in targeting and getting your message out to new prospects,

For those that feel they don't have a portfolio yet, the common protest is how can I can I develop a portfolio and gain experience. Well, you're right. It's hard to do, especially with wedding and concert photography, but opportunities do exist to photograph without needing to obligate yourself or seek permission and there are alternative "compensation" arrangements one can propose instead of accepting getting nothing. [Editor: look for follow up articles or ebook on this and more]

Photographer Business Card or Photography Rate Card Pricing Photography

Another common undermining scenario is a non-income producing photographer being asked for a business card or for their rates  and the conversation ending with the photographer saying he or she doesn't have a card and will have to either get back to the person or the person with them.

First, this often results in a lost opportunity. Either the prospective client loses the phone number or email, or whatever they've scribbled down, or otherwise never follows up with you or you lose the information or delay in following up and when you do, the opportunity is gone.

Second, you have missed a chance to establish yourself as a commercial professional in the eyes of the prospective client. Go around and ask photographers for their business card and see how few of them have business cards. Just by having a business card you will stand out from all the other photographers.

Because what type of people have business cards . . . business people. A business card means you do business. And if you have a rate card, bonus points to you in further conveying your seriousness and increasing your chances of short circuiting a negotiation as the customer may view having a pre-printed rate card as a sign that you are serious that the rates are the rates.

Regardless, just by getting a business card, the person on the receiving end will likely perceive you and lump you in as other commercial photographers ... even without seeing any of your work!

Professional Photographer Behavior-Presentation

This lumping in with other professionals is basic human behavior. If you look the part and act the part, people think you are the part, in this case, the part is being a professional photographer who successfully earns a living doing photography. You might be surprised how many times people will inquire of your services or of purchasing photos simply because you look and act like a professional commercial photographer at an event.

I will quite often have someone at a concert or other event come up and ask me for a card and how much I charge, presuming I am a professional because I am looking and acting like someone there doing professional work and not just part of the crowd or a fan. Usually, the person breaks the ice  by asking what paper I'm I shooting for or otherwise who I am shooting for and then asking how to contact me.

This dynamic is not rare. Weddings, sporting events, parades and other community events are opportunities for a photographer to be approached by prospective clients asking  where they can see the photographer's photos from the event and how to contact the photographer. Even if you actually are at the event as a parent, relative or friend, people will think you are there shooting some engagement for someone, if you come across as a media professional and not just part of the casual crowd.

Summary

In short, many people by their behavior and lack of presentation and preparedness sabotage their opportunity to make money as an income earning, full time professional photographer. If you want to get a head start over the many photographers who are sabotaging themselves, don't work for free and act and look like a professional, being ready to immediately present a business card and/or rate card. By doing these things, you will have people thinking of you as someone who does pay worthy work even before they see a single photo ... though you better be ready with an online or hard copy portfolio when they do seek to verify your work.

Look for follow up articles on this as well as articles going into more details on how to get your start without having to work for free and how to present and market yourself and promote and defend your price.