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Introduction

Do you ever look at the pictures you see published in books, magazines and calendars and think, ‘I could do better than that’? Or stop outside a wedding and portrait studio and say to yourself, ‘my pictures are every bit as good’? Or check out the images on an online library and know yours are equally saleable?

Of course you do. It happens to us all. But for many photographers it’s just a passing thought. Only a small proportion ever take the next step and start shooting for profit. Sometimes that’s because they don’t have a clue where to begin – and how to go about making cash with their camera. Or, sometimes they do submit pictures for possible publication, and their dream takes a knock when they get a rejection slip – and they never try again.

But there may have been nothing wrong with their work. Maybe they just sent it to the wrong market – or the right market at the wrong time. The truth is, you don’t need to be a world-class photographer to become a successful freelancer, you just need to know what pictures are required, who requires them, and when they’re required.

What this book covers

And that’s where this book comes in. Not only have I been a successful freelance photographer and magazine editor for the last 20 years, I’ve also interviewed scores of professional and semi-professional photographers. From them I’ve learned the secrets of:

 selling direct to magazines, calendar publishers, greetings card manufacturers and newspapers

 making it in commercial, industrial and advertising photography

 shooting stock that sells time and again

 moving from amateur to freelance to professional

 succeeding as a wedding and portrait photographer

And I’ve distilled them down to a number of clear, simple principles that anyone can follow – and which I’ve detailed in the pages to come. So, yes, you could become a freelance or professional photographer. Why not? You’ve got your equipment, you can take a decent picture, and all that remains to be sorted out is what are you going to photograph and who is going to buy the pictures.

Understanding the different terms

In this book, I’ll be using a variety of terms to describe people who take pictures. I will cetainly try my best to be consistent in their use throughout.

Amateurs take pictures purely for pleasure, with no profit in mind. Often the aim is to capture a moment or record an experience. ‘Amateur’ is not a judgement of the quality of the work. Amateur does not mean amateurish. I’ve seen many pictures taken by amateurs that are every bit as good, and as potentially saleable, as those taken by professionals.

Semi-professional photographers earn some of their income from photography and some from the other work they do. Initially, photography may be a small percentage, maybe as little as 1 per cent, but over time that will often grow, and can become a substantial amount each year.

Many photographers stay semi-professional, not wanting – or often not having the courage to go full-time. Some do, though, reach the stage where all their income comes from photography, and they become Professional. While some professionals studied photography at college, and moved straight into full-time work, a large proportion of professionals started as amateurs.

Initially, most photographers are freelance, working for themselves, rather than employed by someone else. When photography is all they do, or they start to have other people work for them, we say a photographer is self-employed or running their own business.

By standard definition, employed photographers work for other people. If you don’t feel you have an entrepreneurial talent, or the idea of running your own business really doesn’t appeal, then you might consider working for someone else – perhaps in a High Street studio or on the staff of a manufacturing or service company.

Making the transition

Maybe you woke up one morning and decided you wanted to be a photographer. Or perhaps the desire crept up on you over a period of time. What are your options? How do you get started?

Well, simply quitting your job and setting up as a professional photographer is certainly one possibility. And that’s what some people do. But think carefully before you hand in your notice.It can take some time to build up a business and you need to be able to pay the bills and feed yourself through that time. If you have family responsibilities, or are cautious by nature, then take it one step at a time.

One option is to start earning money from photography while having another job. Then, when you’ve built a solid platform and have sufficient business, contacts and potential, quit the 9 to 5. This ‘softly softly’ approach works in many areas of photography. You can shoot weddings at the weekends, portraits in the evening, and stock and magazine/calendar submissions anytime. However, you’re not likely to get commercial, advertising or fashion work as a part-timer.

If you’re single, and don’t mind taking a few risks, then you might consider ‘going for it’ – just handing in your notice and devoting yourself full-time to photography.

Speculative shooting or commissioned work

Getting commissions in the early days can be difficult. No-one will commission you until you’ve got a portfolio of published work to show them, and the only way you’ll ever be able to produce the required tear sheets is if you get commissioned.

So the best way to take the first tentative steps towards building a career as a professional is by shooting speculatively with a view to possible sales in the future. This is the way many freelance photographers work, the great advantage of operating this way is that you can take pictures of what you want, when you want.

This is particularly convenient when you’re trying to fit your photography in around other commitments such as a full-time job. Whenever you get some free time you can spend it shooting saleable images. Weekdays, for most employed people, offer little opportunity for picture-taking. By the time you’ve gone to work and then got home and recovered, it’s dark – except for a few weeks in the summer when you might fit in a few frames before dusk. Of course dedicated souls will get up early or make use of their lunch hour – but there are often other demands on that time. Weekends offer a better prospect, though even then there may be family commitments, such as the weekly shopping trip or providing a taxi service for your children, which sabotages any shooting expeditions.

Do you need qualifications?

In most parts of the world, including the UK and America, you don’t need any qualifications to become a professional photographer. It’s not like being a dentist, solicitor or accountant, where you have to undergo rigorous training, often over a number of years, and belong to a recognized body in order to work in that field. Photography is completely unregulated as a business. You can call yourself professional whatever your level or experience, or indeed ability. There are no barriers to entry whatsoever.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no value in studying photography or gaining qualifications. Quite the opposite. The more knowledgeable you are on the subject, and the more training you’ve undertaken, the better your pictures are likely to be.

Becoming a registered member of a professional organization, such as the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) or British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP), has a many advantages. One is that the level of membership is determined by an assessment of submitted work – so if you’re accepted you know you’re up to professional standard. Another is that being a member means you can use letters after your name, which reassures clients of your abilities and gives them confidence in choosing you.

What skills are required?

Professional photographers come in all shapes and sizes, types and temperaments. There’s no one set of character traits or skills that suit all areas of the business. It’s true that many social photographers are outgoing and bubbly and some commercial photographers are more serious and reserved, but there are plenty of exceptions that ‘prove the rule’. I know some wedding and portrait photographers who are quiet to the point of shyness, while some industrial and advertising photographers of my acquaintance have larger than life personalities. So whatever kind of person you are you have the potential to make it as a professional.

The most important thing is that you are passionate about photography, since you’ll spend lots of time doing it. That may seem blindingly obvious, but I’m constantly astonished at how many people go into occupations they really don’t enjoy.

Given that you are reading this book it’s unlikely to be an issue – in fact there’s probably nothing you’d enjoy doing more than waking up every morning and taking pictures.

You’ll also need to be self-motivated if you plan to go freelance or run your own business. When you work for a company you normally have a boss who keeps an eye on you and makes sure things get done. When you work for yourself you need to provide that impetus yourself – setting yourself goals and seeing you achieve them. As someone who has worked for myself for more than twelve years, I’m often asked how I stay motivated. How come I don’t just laze around watching TV all day? It’s pretty simple really: If I don’t work, I don’t eat. That’s sufficiently motivating for me.

You need to be creative as well, being able to express yourself visually. This is particularly true in the world of commercial and advertising photography, where you might be given a widget and asked to ‘make this look interesting’.

You’ll find that you also need to be personable, and able to get on with people, both as clients and subjects. Persistence is essential, because you’ll suffer rejection on a regular basis. And you won’t get far without self-motivation.

Now you may be wondering why I haven’t mentioned photographic ability. That’s because it’s not the most important thing when it comes to success as a professional. Yes, really. A competent photographer with skills in marketing and promotion will earn more than an awesome photographer who’s lousy at publicising and selling their own work.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that your pictures can be absolute rubbish. If they are no one is going to buy them – and you’ll be endlessly banging your head against a brick wall. That will get you nowhere fast.

What I am saying is that when it comes to making money from photography you only need to be producing professional quality work. You don’t need to be a star who’s pushing back the boundaries and constantly winning awards – although the more accomplished you are the easier you will be able to negotiate.

The life of a pro

To the outsider, photography often sounds like a glamorous profession, because its public perception is shaped by the exploits of high profile snappers like David Bailey, who always seems to be jetting off to the Bahamas with a bevy of beauties on his arm and a million dollar budget to spend.

The life of the average pro is mundane in comparison. You’re more likely to be found in a tatty old studio in the back of beyond, taking shots of a spotty kid or the inner workings of a stopcock.

Yet, even at its most routine, photography is a great way to earn a living – and I count myself privileged to have done so for more than 25 years. It has to be said, there are few jobs which allow you to get paid for something you really enjoy doing – and which also give you the opportunity to express yourself creatively.

Whatever path you decide to take, I wish you every success in making money from photography, both now and in the future.