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Advertising photography is a field that many photographers want to get in to. It has the allure of working with big name companies who can provide regular work and good pay. You may also find yourself working with well-known people on both sides of the camera, and potentially working in a variety of exotic locations.

Getting to this stage isn’t an easy task at all though, as marketing is a complex and demanding business that will only consider the very best of workers at its top levels. If you really are determined to do it, you’re going to need a lot of drive and hard work. With that said, let’s look at some tips that could help you on your way to achieving this dream position.

1. Build a Strong Portfolio

Decide what type of area you want to get into and start by building a large, high quality portfolio of work centered around that area. It can be tempting to go wide in your early days and try to cover all types of subjects. This isn’t a bad idea for gaining experience and of course to keep work coming in.

Keep in mind though, it’s a lot harder to become a general advertising photographer than it is to become a specialized one. This is why you should build a portfolio based around one type of work and try to get into that first. From there it’s easier to expand to other areas if the opportunity arises.

2. Put in the Extra Work

You also need to make your work stand out from that of other photographers, so put in the extra time and effort that’s required to make your work better than that of the competition. This can involve getting to locations early to scout the best spots and decide how to integrate the location best into your shots, or putting in extra work on your own time to experiment with different settings, equipment and styles, finding those that work best for your chosen product or location.

3. Study the Best

Study those who are already highly successful in the fields you want to enter and see what they do well and how they add their own individuality to their work. This can act as a framework for you to learn from, and trying to emulate their work can give you a better understanding of how they achieve the quality they do.

Don’t just look at their work either, try to find interviews and articles explaining their methods and thought process so you can emulate it when you create your own. Sometimes these people may even be willing to give you some tips personally if you reach out to them, so don’t be afraid to try!

4. Research Your Products & Target Audiences

All products are different and they target different markets. This information can be useful to you when you understand what makes a product unique and also what people are looking for in it, as well as why they buy it. Knowing these facts can help you understand what you need to highlight when you’re shooting and adjust your style accordingly.

An example would be using edgier angles and filters for items marketed to teenagers, especially those into alternative culture, while perhaps trying more minimalist styles for those items aimed at an older, more sophisticated crowd.

5. Expand Your Marketing Knowledge

Marketing is a very large industry where photography is only one small area. Increasing your knowledge of this industry as a whole can help you to land work and become a more integral part of marketing efforts.

There’s a big difference between a photographer who can understand an overall marketing vision and add to it, and a photographer who simply supplies pictures they think are good.

Understanding the angles and techniques that will be used in all areas and being able to show this to a company can land you more work and make you more sought after by marketing teams.

6. Increase Your Professional Profile

It isn’t always the best photographer that gets the job; instead it’s often the one that sells themselves best or who is considered ‘hot’. Apply what you learn about marketing to yourself, treat yourself as a company/product that needs to be ‘sold’ to your clients. Market yourself well to clients and be highly professional at all times.

Being easy to work with, friendly and going the extra mile can make a huge difference and could lead to big referrals down the line. Often a company will take the chance with a less experienced and proven photographer if they’ve heard a lot of good feedback and been told how easy you are to work with. Use this to your advantage and you can leapfrog more experienced workers.

Many people love to photograph everyday life, capturing beautiful moments or scenery in a variety of ways, from a number of angles. Earning money from photography is a whole other level though, and takes more than just snapping a pretty picture when the chance arises. Fortunately, there are some basic steps you can follow in order to make yourself more marketable and bring more work your way.

Today we’ll be taking a look at the most important of these steps, so you can get started right away and ensure you’re on the right track!

1. Shoot Whenever Possible

This is a key to improving your performance as a photographer, and your confidence in yourself and your work. It’s a way to gain experience easily and without needing to rely on jobs, and is both a great way to improve your work in the field you want to work in professionally, and to try new styles or techniques of photography without any risk of upsetting clients. Friends and family make great resources here if you are interested in photographing people rather than items or scenes.

2. Create a Portfolio

Whatever work you do, whether paid or free, be sure to keep a copy. This way you can go through your collection of work and pick out the best parts, using them to create your very own portfolio. This can be sent to potential clients and also placed online, showcasing your ability and helping you to land more work. After all, nobody wants to hire somebody without seeing what they can do, right?

3. Get Good Equipment

At first it’s easy enough to start off with just a camera, and not a particularly great one at that. As you progress though it should always be a priority to upgrade and add to your equipment whenever possible. More equipment means you can cover more situations and do cover many different types of shots, adding to your repertoire. Better equipment also means better quality photographs, a must if you are serious about succeeding in this business.

4. Get a Mentor

The quickest way to get good at photography, and to start earning money, is to get a good mentor. A mentor is somebody who has already achieved what you are aiming for, and you don’t need to restrict yourself to just one either.

Your mentor can speed up the learning process for you as they show you what has and hasn’t worked for them, as well as passing on their experience in dealing with clients, knowing how much to charge, and marketing yourself. This information is incredibly valuable, as your mentor will have spent a long time accumulating experience and knowledge, something they can pass on to you in much less time than it takes for you to learn it yourself.

5. Take Whatever Work is Available

In the early days it’s always a good idea to take whatever work you are offered. Even small gigs can lead to repeat business and bigger jobs, and working in areas you don’t entirely want to at the start can get your foot in the door for more lucrative work later on. Also keep in mind that any paid work reflects well on you, as long as you do a good job. These jobs can provide good feedback, portfolio pieces, and marketing by word-of-mouth between potential clients.

6. Actively Look For Work

One of the most common mistakes made by newer photographers is to wait for work to come to them. Those who only post a portfolio and/or their details in various places, then wait for job offers, don’t usually get much work. Until you have a big base of clients and a well-known reputation it’s best to put as much time and effort as you can in to actively finding work.

Look for anybody that might need a photographer and try to offer your services, the more you get yourself out there the more likely you are to find work – and it’s a great way to build confidence dealing with new clients too!

7. Build a Client Base

Treat every client and job you get as a possible repeat customer and try to build up a number of clients that will come back to you for work when they need it. This gives you a steady flow of regular work and allows you to be more selective with the work you take on to fill any remaining free time.

With that said, clients who have been with you from the early days should expect to pay a little more as your ability and reputation grow, though it’s always a good idea to cut them a little extra slack when possible in return for their loyalty and to keep them referring others to you.

Follow these seven steps and you’ll notice it won’t be long before you gain the confidence you need to start making money as a professional photographer. It will take time, but it will be worth it!

Tag: money

6 Tips to Become an Advertising Photographer