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Have you ever spent five minutes looking for the perfect angle to take a picture – even when your friends are screaming at you to just take it already? What about begging your parents for a better camera so that you could fiddle with the focus on a close-up of a flower? Or looked in awe at the beautiful photos featured in National Geographic and wondered if your photographs would ever be that good?
If you answered, “Yes,” to any of these questions, you’re probably also wondering what it would take to become a photographer in this world.
Well, here are the facts you should know, the things you should do and the skills you should perfect to make your rise to photographic fame as easy as “One, two, three, Cheese!”
First, you need to make sure that being a professional photographer is the dream job for you.
IT’S MORE THAN JUST POINT AND CLICK.
The description of “professional photographer” may sound simple, but it involves a lot more than just knowing how to use a camera. You need to be great with people and learn marketing and advertising. Not only that, but you’re documenting some of the most important moments in someone’s life. Many couples view their wedding album as one of their most treasured possessions. In the case of great-grandparents, ancestors or family that live far away, photographs may be the only time you can see what they looked like or how much you look like them. Photographers are more than just people who entertain kids with rubber ducks to get them to smile; they preserve a moment in time forever in an 8-by-10 frame.
JOB DETAILS VARY.
If you had to guess, how many photography jobs exist in the U.S.? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 125,000 in 2015, ranging from scientific and technical to radio and television to newspaper and motion picture. Salaries are equally varied. The average annual wage of a photographer is $40,000, but pay can range from less than $20,000 to more than $75,000 a year. Although the average hourly wage is $20/hour, photographers work mostly from individual clients and don’t work regular nine to five hours. You determine how many shoots and how much money you make from clients, and there is no steady, guaranteed yearly income for photographers. However, the field is expected to increase its employment by 3 percent in the next ten years.
Where can you live while spending all this dough? The short answer is anywhere! California, Florida and New York have the highest photographer employment rate in the country while the top-paying areas are D.C., New York and Rhode Island. Traveling photographers do not have to worry as much about where they live as opposed to where they travel, but any other type must consider where they can attain the most success.
You’ve read between the lines, dotted your I’s and crossed your T’s – and you’re still set on being a photographer. Not sure how to break into the field and become successful? Here are ten tips to follow:
If you thought being a professional photographer was your get-out-of-college card, that isn’t entirely true. Only scientific and technical photographers must receive further education, but if you have the means, having a degree may help boost your career. Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Washington are three of the many colleges in the U.S. with undergraduate photography majors available. For graduate schools, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State in Michigan and Bard College in New York, among others, offer Master’s Programs in Arts with an emphasis in photography. You may also want to consider taking business courses so you know how to manage your own photography business.
Weddings, fashion models, families, children, nature, scientific and technical, animals, travel, etc. – there are so many different sub-fields of photography to choose from. If you’ve always wanted to photograph weddings, by all means, go ahead, but also think about alternatives. You probably won’t be able to photograph fifty different weddings over the course of a year, (due to scheduling conflicts, geographic constraints or lack of demand) so smaller projects such as family, baby and maternity photoshoots may help fill your yearly schedule. If you’re thinking of photographing nature and landscapes, think about where you want to travel. As for scientific and technical photographers, they photograph working environments and equipment for companies. This may sound boring, but there are ten times as many jobs available for them than any other sub-field in photography, according to the BLS. (If you’ve always felt like a tech nerd with an artist’s talent, this is the job for you!)
Have you ever known someone who has been sued or even experienced that for yourself? As Jim Harmer of Improve Photography explains, the main problem that professional photographers run into is lawsuits. To keep your record squeaky clean, follow Harmer’s advice. He’s an experienced and popular photographer with over one million followers on Twitter and has outlined how to get a sales tax and business license. Since you are going to be a freelancer, being able to write up your own contracts for individual clients is also crucial. Contact attorneys who can help you draw up the necessary paperwork and prevent possible lawsuits. Never do any assignment without a written contract. You also may have to earn a certificate to prove that you are a certified photographer.
Finding the perfect camera is like finding the perfect partner; you may have to kiss (or, in this case, photograph) a few frogs before finding your prince(ss). Many different brands of cameras exist, but don’t forget about lighting, tripods and camera attachments. Nikon and Canon brands are the most popular, but if you can’t afford those, look into cheaper brands for a “starter” set of equipment. If you want to be a studio photographer, you’ll also need to buy or rent a studio. As with most jobs, you need to spend money to make it!
So, you have gotten your licenses, have your equipment ready. and can already imagine your photos on the cover of The New York Times. Soon after you can start taking pictures of people, though, you need to build a portfolio. You may feel disheartened by only photographing friends and family, but you need to have work to show off before you can draw in other clients. Would you ever eat at a restaurant that didn’t provide a menu, past reviews or pictures of their dishes? Probably not. Similarly, if you want to be hired, you need to show your possible clients examples of your work. Important note: strangers will likely not be as nice and positive about your photographs as friends and family, and your pictures need to be professionally edited, which brings us to the next step.
Not every event is picture perfect…but with the right computer program, you can make it look like it is. Adobe Photoshop is the best program for editing photography. Although expensive, it will be worth it in the end. For instance, you may think your lighting was great while shooting, but the photos appeared dark and needed touch-ups. Also, editing software will give your clients different filters and looks to choose from. A happy client equals a full payment and positive reviews that spread the word about your business!
When you’re trying to find someone to do work for you – whether editing a work report or mowing your front lawn – where do you look? Most likely, your trusty friend Google. Online presence is essential to building your brand and attracting new clients. You can showcase your portfolio and maybe even post blogs with tips such as, “What to Wear to a Photoshoot” that future clients might enjoy. A website will also help you network with and receive client referrals from other photographers (in the case that they are busy or not the right fit for the prospective customer). Be smart when you choose your name and your URL. In particular, when people Google, “Los Angeles portrait photographers,” or wherever you’re located, it’s important that your website pops up. Also, don’t forget to take your love of social media – from Instagram to Twitter – into the office to help reach more future clients.
The most important part of photographing for a client is getting paid to do it. If you aren’t sure how much to charge your customers, look at other photographers’ rates. You can charge hourly or by assignment, depending on which works best for the client, the project and you.
Whether you boast a photography college degree or are a hobbyist-turned-professional, experience is the best way to improve your skills and therefore your business. For example, you could be an assistant photographer for a wedding. This would help you learn from an already-successful professional photographer and get paid to do it. For high-profile events, many photographers also like to have a second person to help during the shoot or a back-up photographer in case they have an emergency. Internships in high school and college will also add some flash to your resume.
You’ve done the research, the legal requirements, the fieldwork and the portfolio. Once you feel comfortable enough to take on clients yourself, you just have to do it. One of the best parts of working to be a professional photographer? You have plenty of photos to remind you of how far you’ve come, how much you’ve learned and how ready you are to dominate the photography world!
