How To Make Money As A Freelance Photographer - Part 2

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How To Make Money
As A Freelance Photographer - Part 2

My article, How To Make Money As A Freelance Photographer, is currently ranked #1 by Google and has been getting thousands of hits during the last year. So because of its popularity I decided to do this follow up blog. In this article I will concentrate more on the skills and knowledge you need to have to make money as a successful freelance photographer and be self employed.

UNDERSTAND PHOTOGRAPHIC FUNDAMENTALS

With many cameras allowing an entirely automatic operation, a number of experienced photographers who can take quite good photographs have not learned photographic basics. This is a bit like doing algebra without knowing how to multiply and divide. If you want to consider yourself a professional, you need to be totally familiar with the way photography works.

For example, with zoom lenses becoming the lens of choice, many photographers do not understand what happens when focal length, i.e. the zoom setting, changes. The effect can be quite dramatic as a marked change will affect depth of field, perspective, focus and also shutter speed which in turn has a marked effect on sharpness. See, for example, my blog about how focal length affects shutter speed choice.

And this is just the tip of the ice berg.

While digital technology has radically changed photography equipment, the science of optics and photography remains the same.

Here are some, and only some, of the timeless aspects of photography that a professional should know thoroughly:

• shutter speed, camera movement, subject movement, stabilization, sharpness
• aperture, f/stop, depth of field, hyperfocal distance, focus, circles of confusion, focal length
• exposure, reciprocity, reciprocity failure, ISO
• white balance, inverse square law for light falloff, tonal range

Professional photographers should know these backwards and forwards. But they should also understand how each of these aspects interacts and affects one another. And to take it one more step, to really understand these you will need to put your camera on manual and work with each one.

All of this photographic stuff needs to be mastered in addition to standard picture considerations such as composition, color harmonies, texture, shading, etc.

Yet above all and most important is an understanding of light, an understanding which can take a lifetime to develop. With all the wonderful picture taking ability of photography, it is easy to forget that at its core, photography is about the action of light on light sensitive material. And the best photographs glow with a sense of light.

When you do grasp all of these things, there will be a depth and subtlety to your work that did not exist before.

BE THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT

You should know your equipment upside down and inside out and in the dark. You should never have to fumble to change batteries or to insert a memory card or to attach a flash. You should have a camera bag that is organized in an orderly fashion. Cables, for example, need to be clearly marked so that you know which cable goes with which device.

When you use a tripod you should be able to set it up in a matter of seconds smoothly and effortlessly -- and also be able to collapse it and put it away just as easily. And of course, you should never have to hesitate when you change settings on your camera.

USE SOFTWARE SPARINGLY -- LEARN TO GET A SHOT RIGHT 'IN CAMERA'

With software that can fix just about anything, it is easy to think that a marginal photograph can be made into a very good photo with software. While this might be true to a point, it takes a lot of time and a software fix will often make the photograph look a bit artificial.

Instead, you should try, as much as possible, to get the shot right, at the moment. Aim to get the shot 'in camera' and do only minor tweaks with the software.

The best photographers get it right at the moment of shooting, the 'decisive moment', as Cartier-Bresson said -- and that moment has an intensity and an aliveness that can never be captured with software.

REALIZE THAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS A PEOPLE BUSINESS

While many photographers are most comfortable with the technical aspects of photography, the 'people' part of the business is essential. In fact, you cannot succeed as a freelance photographer if you cannot handle this side of the job. You will need to be comfortable working with and communicating with a variety of people.

Here are some of the people you will work with: your client(s), the people you photograph, bystanders or people you need to deal with in order to get the shot, and sometimes even the police.

In addition, as a photographer you will often have to be in charge as you have a job to do. Let people know you are in command but do it in a way that is not annoying or bossy.

NOTE: See a list of my other articles here at PIXIQ. www.pixiq.com/contributors/rick-doble

For more about my approach to photography see my book: Experimental Digital Photography.

Join me on Facebook. Become a 'fan' of my Facebook page on Experimental Digital Photography. Click on the 'like' button at the top of the Facebook page.

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