Many people start their careers as freelance photographers before they go on to develop a photography business. Freelance photography can be a great stepping stone for success, especially for photographers who want to build an enduring career. You get to be your own boss, develop your skills, find your own clients, and learn all the aspects of building a great photography business from scratch.

A freelance photographer is a person who is self-reliant, runs their own business, and has flexible work hours. The main difference between life as a freelance photographer and a salaried one is that you don’t have a fixed 9 to 5 job. Your pay is entirely dependent on the work you get.

When you’re starting out, you can find freelance photography a little challenging. You need expensive equipment, clients, a great schedule, and a way to earn regular money while also growing your photography business. The good news is that freelance photography can be a very lucrative career path of you stagger your success, build your equipment, and grow your business over time.

1) Getting the Right Equipment

All photographers need good equipment. But if you’re just starting off as a freelancer, you may not have the budget to invest in an expensive camera or lens right off the bat. Consider picking a less expensive camera that still boasts all the benefits you need from a higher-end version.

If you want to specialize in portrait photography, get a camera with a good portrait sensor. It’s possible to find reliable cameras that provide fast frame rates, have a great MP count, and so on, without buying expensive equipment. You’ll also need to invest in decent softbox lighting, camera lenses,  tripod, and flash.

Then, as you start to generate your cash flow, you can start purchasing more expensive equipment. At this point, look for better equipment that’ll help you take better pictures. Telefocus lenses, reflectors, and Quality backdrops will make great additions to your arsenal, and increase your range as a photographer. A good professional printer is also a great investment down the line. Finally, you’ll also need a decent PC and editing software.

If you want your clients to rave about your work, then a little post-production using either Photoshop or Lightroom can be great life-savers.

2) Portfolio and Website

Once you have your equipment in place, it’s time to develop your portfolio and build your website. A good portfolio is essential is you want to find success as a freelance photographer. If you don’t have a portfolio, then you can build one by doing photo-shoots with your family and friends.

For urban photography or nature photography, you’ll need to visit different destinations and test out your skills. When you have your portfolio in place, you’ll need to add it to your website.

WordPress is a great option for freelance photographers. You can both build a website, and add your portfolio to it. Your website is a top resource people will use to give you work, so remember to make it look polished and showcase your best work.

3) Set Your Rates and Find Your Niche

You can be flexible with your rates when you’re a freelance photographer but never undersell your services. It’s possible you’ll come across clients who want free work in exchange for future money or exposure but avoid these as much as possible. You’ll need to generate a steady source of income, and the only way to do that as a freelance photographer is by charging for your photos.

Look through what other photographers in your niche are doing. How much do they charge for portraits? Group photos? Weddings? As a freelance photographer, you don’t have to define yourself within a niche. But as you grow your business, it’s very likely that you’ll become known for certain kinds of photography over others. This is how you develop your niche and establish your unique selling point.

4) Finding Clients and Advertising Your Business

The easiest way for you to get clients early on is by asking for referrals from friends and family. When you’ve got a few clients who are happy with your work, ask them to leave behind a testimonial. You can add the testimonial to either to your website or to your social media pages to attract more clients who want to hire you for your services.

Social media will be an important way for you to boost your business. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and even LinkedIn can help you connect with potential clients from all over the world.

Start a blog on WordPress or a video channel on YouTube where you talk about different photography tips. This will help you establish yourself as an expert within your niche, and the more people trust your content, the more likely they are to trust you as a photographer.

Your social media platforms, especially Instagram, can act as a good way to showcase your photography skills outside your portfolio. Consider developing a content bucket each month, where you list out everything you intend to post that month. This will help you stay on top of your marketing and help you develop your content.

5) Set a Schedule

Freelancers have flexible work schedules. You can work any time and anywhere you like, but that also means that you need to develop your own work schedule.

One of the most challenging and rewarding parts of life as a freelance photographer is being your own boss. This means that even if you don’t want to work at night, but need to edit a picture, you’ll need to make yourself do the work.

As a freelancer, you’ll also be in charge of all aspects of running your business. From finding clients to getting your work done on time, your career is entirely your responsibility. Freelance photographers don’t always get regular work as they’re starting out. You’ll need to establish a good routine so that you’re either looking for work or working.

You can also expect to work on weekends, if that happens to be the only time your client is free. Finding the right work-life balance can really set you apart as a freelance photographer.

Another aspect of running your own business responsibly is investing in a good insurance policy. Consider getting insurance for photographers, as a way to stay safe in case there are legal hassles down the road. You should also consider insuring expensive camera equipment.

Finally, ensure that you’re managing your cash flow. Freelance photographers earn with every job they complete, so it’s entirely possible for you to get staggered payments throughout the month. Saving most of what you earn, unless you need in to improve your business, is another great way to grow as a freelance photographer. If you need to network or take a photography class to brush your skills, then invest your hard-earned money. But avoid spending the same on new gadgets, cameras or lenses that you don’t immediately need.

With these tips, you’ll not only be able to thrive as a freelance photographer, but you can also eventually turn your freelance career into an official photography business. Also read more interesting news and stories from the right news network.