There is a lot to consider and realize before being 100% sure about becoming a full-time freelance photographer. Especially considering it is not a classic 9-5 job, there can be a lot of insecurity as to when your next job will be, as well working late hours and having to control your time effectively.
You will need to have the majority of these qualities
A mind for business
Professional attitude
Likable factor - Polite, engaging
Good time management
Good communication skills
Talent
A strong voice
Patience
Strong work ethic
Passion for photography
Thick skin
Have a realistic mindset
Entrepreneurial flare
Effective means of publicity (social media)
There are a few important questions to be asked when you need to know where it is best to attempt to publicize or sell your work.
Where do I fit in?
What is my specialism?
Have I identified who I want to work with and what I need to do to achieve this?
Have I educated myself based on the industry I am going into?
Have I read the lead trade magazines, am I up to date?
A few links which are important to follow are - https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/ and https://www.creativereview.co.uk/ as well as many more which are about to follow.
WHO BUYS PHOTOGRAPHY?
Winkreative - https://www.winkreative.com/
Read their blogs
Look at the photographers websites
Corporations and businesses
Charities
Some of these are in house and others are outside
Ask who commissions photography for the companies and research into them
PR Companies
Don’t waste time on places that do not have money
Catalogues
Boohoo
Misguided
Record Companies
Magazine and Newspaper publishers
American and European companies pay more than British companies
These are just a few examples and tips on who to approach as a freelance photographer.
Whenever it is possible, get some work experience, personally I would like to get some more experience in commercial photography and how people will approach commissioners for this area of photography. Sometimes, even making tea as an intern is a great start, as it is still somewhere within the industry.
Try and get experiences in areas other than just photo taking, such as Galleries or Studios or even post production (editing).
When it comes to having an assistant job, there a few tips that are really worth listening to as these can be very tricky and exhausting jobs
Don’t wait to be asked to do something, use initiative. People can get very agitated when on a set and they don’t want to have to ask for little things.
Tell someone if you make a mistake as soon as possible, this way it can be sorted out sooner rather than later.
Be mindful of confidentiality, don’t post any pictures anywhere and make sure to read the terms and conditions thoroughly.
If photographers are a bit off or rude, don’t take it personally.
Expect an early start and a late finish, you never know how long things may go on for.
If you need help with something, make sure to ask, however it is best to wait until a good time.
It is highly advised to start by doing small jobs for people and then slowly building your way up, this way you will gain experience slowly and learn quicker, and it will look really good on your CV if you have more experience.
FINANCIAL PLAN
Start up a check list of all monthly expenses going out, so that you can keep on track and know what you need to work towards.
An example checklist would involve -
Mobile Phone
Office equipment (computer, printer..)
Photographic equipment(camera, lenses..)
Insurance.
Bootstrapping - building a company from the ground up with nothing but personal savings, and with luck, the cash coming in from the first sales. The term is also used as a noun: A bootstrap is a business an entrepreneur with little or no outside cash or other support launches. (KENTON, 2020)
A lot of photography business’s will start with this idea.
BUSINESS STRUCTURE
Sole trader - personally liable for any debt. If they cannot pay for it, they risk loosing personal property such as their car or house.
Partnership - all parties will be liable for any debt.
TAX, VAT & NATIONAL INSURANCE
There are some important facts to know about when being self employed, including remembering to pay your student loan which comes under Income tax. You must also make sure to be registered as self employed before you can take any money from anyone.
It can be very useful to get an accountant who will be able to help you with taxes and so on, this will help relieve a lot of stress of your back.
It is so so important to get insurance, which would include
Public liability
Equipment
Professional indemnity
Employers Liability
Also make sure to use a legit and trusted insurance company and also double check the policy for anything including if the insurance works abroad. https://www.williamsoncarson.co.uk/ is a good company to go for.
Always make sure to read the small print and look for -
Copyright
Usage of the images
Indemnity
Payment terms
Cancellation/ Postponement
Rejection
Liability
As you will want to know exactly what it is you are agreeing to and what your rights will be regarding the photo shoot and the results. It is also important to go over these with the client to make sure they are aware of your terms as well.
PRICING PHOTOGRAPHY
Things to consider when pricing your photography are
Mileage (average is 40p per mile)
Usage license
A great website for a usage calculator is https://www.the-aop.org/information/usage-calculator as it will help to figure out just how much you should charge for a job and it will consider all of the factors.
Once again, this lecture was extremely helpful as I now am aware of little details I wouldn’t have even considered before. It also allowed me to realize how hard it really is being a self employed photographer, but there a lot of people doing it, but I shouldn’t expect to make a lot of money from this profession.