How to Earn Money Through Photography?
People are not often blessed with the chance to turn their hobbies into money making ventures. Most of the hobbies even end up creating a hole in your wallet. This was the case with old school
film photography, but a lot has changed thanks to digital photography which is far more cost effective. Photography as a hobby if pursued diligently can help you earn money while you are
experimenting with your hobby.
There are a few steps that you have to check if you want to turn this passion into a profession. The first and the main step is to analyse if you are good enough to compete with other photographers and if you are following the guidelines that would help you get noticed. It is always good to attend at least one workshop and analyse your good and weak spots. Get in touch with other freelance photographers and figure out how to better your art.
It would also help a great deal if you were to enter photography contests, the ones you find online, in your newspaper or even the magazines. If you win one of these, you can add it to your resume and it would be a chance to get yourself noticed. Like music, painting or cookery, every hobby starts of with the need to imitate someone`s style, dabble around with different genres and finally pick one that you are comfortable with followed by what you add which is unique in the product. You will have to choose what kind of photography you are enjoy the most – landscape, wedding/event shoots or whatever you can think of.
Never settle for cheap, fake equipments. Always invest on good camera and lenses, remember this is an investment that will pay up soon based on the effort you put into the process. This also includes finding a cheap place for rent where you can set up a studio which can double up as your office where you can meet potential clients too. Once the base is set, it is time to tell the world that you have arrived. Since, money is an issue, you might have to look at social media to promote yourself. Create pages for yourself on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and the like and give the world a sneak peek of your work.
Now that you are ready for business, it is always wise to start small before you get noticed. Moreover you need to assemble an impressive portfolio which will help you get noticed better. Check around your immediate premises, local NGOs and pick up offers at very low cost. Remember, never to miss an opportunity to strike a deal till you become big. You might also want to check with friends and family and find out if there are any events within the family or the community. Remember to maintain a nominal charge, but once you have established your prowess, you should be comfortable charging clients the amount you think you deserve. Y
This is a step by step process, a hard one but not an impossible one. This is not a complete list, there are more pointers, but these are the basic ones. Set your targets and work towards it diligently since this is your project and you are the sole driving force behind it too. Good luck with your ventures.