Tips on going from amateur to professional (advertising)

malinku · 10-03-2016, 03:41 PM - **1 Like**

So about a year or so ago I started shooting local wrestling and getting free entry. That has let me to a few paid gigs as if late. So I'm now looking to take a more aggressive approach to classifying my photography as a professional/paid service.
I have all the basics ready business cards, social media pages and a digital and physical portfolio of my work. I already have the mind set to not work for free. Unless I'm doing a portfolio trade. Now I'm just ready to take the next step.

I just at a bit of a loss in how to get away from amateur photography and enter my name in the professional realm.
This would be mainly for portrait and event shooting.

Last edited by malinku; 10-03-2016 at 04:10 PM.

Winder · 10-03-2016, 06:40 PM - **2 Likes**

Get to shooting. Find models that are starting out and offer to shoot them for free for 30 days. Go to an acting school and offer to do head shots for free for 30 days. Always tell people there is a time limit on the free work. Every model you shoot gets put on social media with tags for the location, person, equipment... everything. You need to be busy and people need to know you are busy. You need content. All of those models and actors need to keep updated portfolios so starting a relationship with them when they are starting out helps you in the long run. Most of them will get married and need a wedding photographer. Models, actors, & musicians are all people who need good images.

Stay busy shooting and generating content. Post content and tag anyone and every thing. That will generate a traffic and followers and that generates opportunities for paying work. A friend of mine was at a local restaurant and sitting at a big window. Decided to see what he could do with his little Olympus PEN m4/3 and quickly staged his meal for a photo. Blasted it on social media and tagged the restaurant. He landed an advertising gig for the restaurant and later shot the wedding for the owners daughter.

malinku · 10-03-2016, 07:39 PM

@winder thanks for the input.
Yeah keeping busy on social media will help a lot. It has been a weak point for me.
As for people to shoot to keep busy. I've been having a bit of a hard time in Minnesota. But I don't think I was looking in the right places.

Winder · 10-03-2016, 08:15 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by malinku

@winder thanks for the input.
Yeah keeping busy on social media will help a lot. It has been a weak point for me.
As for people to shoot to keep busy. I've been having a bit of a hard time in Minnesota. But I don't think I was looking in the right places.

Go to the local animal shelter. Volunteer for a day to shoot the animals that need adoption just ask that they give you photo credit. Blast it on you social stream and tag the shelter. People who love animals (are willing to pay you to take pictures of their pets), are probably following the local shelter on social media. When you are just starting out you need to shoot everything. It's about understanding the light, not the subject matter.

I know people who spend a lot of money that they don't have on advertising. Don't. Save the money and do free work that will get you free content for your free social media. When you are just starting out, you have have time. You don't have money.... or at least I didn't. That free work leads to contact with people who have a need for photographs. I know people who have worked for gas money when they were starting out. Don't listen to the people who say "Don't work for free". Work for free if it gives you good content that you can use and tag to generate traffic to your page.

Do personal projects. blog about it. Post the pictures. Every event or festival that goes on in your town you need to be there taking pictures. Post them. Tag them. If the mayor is at a local festival, get his picture and tag him. There are probably a lot of people following the mayor's social media account and your image will appear in the feed. What is the most followed person, organization, company in your town? Use their social media to get exposure.

10-03-2016, 03:41 PM - 1 Like	#1
malinku Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 402	Tips on going from amateur to professional (advertising) So about a year or so ago I started shooting local wrestling and getting free entry. That has let me to a few paid gigs as if late. So I'm now looking to take a more aggressive approach to classifying my photography as a professional/paid service. I have all the basics ready business cards, social media pages and a digital and physical portfolio of my work. I already have the mind set to not work for free. Unless I'm doing a portfolio trade. Now I'm just ready to take the next step. I just at a bit of a loss in how to get away from amateur photography and enter my name in the professional realm. This would be mainly for portrait and event shooting. Last edited by malinku; 10-03-2016 at 04:10 PM.

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10-03-2016, 06:40 PM - 2 Likes	#2
Winder Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 6,617	Get to shooting. Find models that are starting out and offer to shoot them for free for 30 days. Go to an acting school and offer to do head shots for free for 30 days. Always tell people there is a time limit on the free work. Every model you shoot gets put on social media with tags for the location, person, equipment... everything. You need to be busy and people need to know you are busy. You need content. All of those models and actors need to keep updated portfolios so starting a relationship with them when they are starting out helps you in the long run. Most of them will get married and need a wedding photographer. Models, actors, & musicians are all people who need good images. Stay busy shooting and generating content. Post content and tag anyone and every thing. That will generate a traffic and followers and that generates opportunities for paying work. A friend of mine was at a local restaurant and sitting at a big window. Decided to see what he could do with his little Olympus PEN m4/3 and quickly staged his meal for a photo. Blasted it on social media and tagged the restaurant. He landed an advertising gig for the restaurant and later shot the wedding for the owners daughter.

10-03-2016, 07:39 PM	#3
malinku Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 402 Original Poster	@winder thanks for the input. Yeah keeping busy on social media will help a lot. It has been a weak point for me. As for people to shoot to keep busy. I've been having a bit of a hard time in Minnesota. But I don't think I was looking in the right places.

10-03-2016, 08:15 PM - 2 Likes	#4
Winder Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 6,617	Originally posted by malinku @winder thanks for the input. Yeah keeping busy on social media will help a lot. It has been a weak point for me. As for people to shoot to keep busy. I've been having a bit of a hard time in Minnesota. But I don't think I was looking in the right places. Go to the local animal shelter. Volunteer for a day to shoot the animals that need adoption just ask that they give you photo credit. Blast it on you social stream and tag the shelter. People who love animals (are willing to pay you to take pictures of their pets), are probably following the local shelter on social media. When you are just starting out you need to shoot everything. It's about understanding the light, not the subject matter. I know people who spend a lot of money that they don't have on advertising. Don't. Save the money and do free work that will get you free content for your free social media. When you are just starting out, you have have time. You don't have money.... or at least I didn't. That free work leads to contact with people who have a need for photographs. I know people who have worked for gas money when they were starting out. Don't listen to the people who say "Don't work for free". Work for free if it gives you good content that you can use and tag to generate traffic to your page. Do personal projects. blog about it. Post the pictures. Every event or festival that goes on in your town you need to be there taking pictures. Post them. Tag them. If the mayor is at a local festival, get his picture and tag him. There are probably a lot of people following the mayor's social media account and your image will appear in the feed. What is the most followed person, organization, company in your town? Use their social media to get exposure.