It must be a great feeling to love photography and to be skilled at it. Most passionate photographers are very skilled, more skilled than you could possibly realize. Remember that photography comes to people first mostly as a hobby. If you are the type of person who is always yearning for five o’clock in the morning or evening to take perfectly lit photos, maybe you should consider turning your hobby into a business. Photography does not offer the most stable form of employment, but disciplined, skilled and smart photographers come across plenty of opportunities. In fact, those who know how to navigate the digital space to enjoy prosperous careers out of the hobby get the most opportunities. However, before you decide to take the plunge and risk it all, you need to know a few things:
1. You Do Not Have to Risk It All
Freelance careers are always more rewarding than permanent employment. While the permanently employed people are always limited by glass ceilings from their employers, freelancers have all the freedom to rise and soar high. Unfortunately, great rewards come with great risks. A freelance career is not protected by government minimum wage policies where employees have some form of financial security. Leaving your job for a freelance career means you will lose that security. However, if you can be shrewd and strategic enough, you could easily retain that security and still shatter your employer’s glass ceiling. The easiest way to launch your freelance photography career would be to start it on a part-time basis.
2. You Should Learn Before Launching
Never launch your photography career when you are still taking rookie pictures. There is a lot to learn about photography; anyone who holds a degree in journalism, mass media, mass communication, music technology or creative arts can tell you all about it. For example, what’s an F-stop? Did you know that the F-stop and the aperture mean the same thing? You should know that before the era of automatic digital cameras, the F-stop, aperture and shutter speed were must-know concepts in photography. Nowadays, most people do not know how liberating it is to understand that camera lenses require different lighting to capture the same scopes with very different details, nuances and color tones. Relying on the automatic function of the camera lens in aperture and F-stop regulation may be convenient for rookies in capturing moments, but controlling the same functions manually allows room for a lot of creativity in photography and coverage.
3. Choose Your Niche
There is something common about most successful photographers; they always specialize in certain photography niches. Of course, before you go fully professional, you must have explored and experimented in the different genres of photography that exist. Some of the common career paths that professional photographers follow include:
- Fine art photography
- Travel photography
- Portrait and lifestyle photography
- Commercial, fashion, industrial and landscape photography
- Scientific and research photography
- Photojournalists and event photography
4. Establish an Online Presence
Photographs are part of the reason why the big data economy burgeoned into the mega big data economy. A photographer must always seek to put their best work out there for everyone to see. No one ever complains from having really big audiences for their work. Establish friendly, social and professional portfolios on all social media platforms, and always try to lure in your target clientele into relating with your products. Establish a blog that is curated for your photography niche, and seek to grow it with intelligently placed keywords and SEO content. The internet is the best way to achieve that.
5. Go Full-time When Your Pockets Are Loaded
First of all, you need a really good camera that comes with all the necessary accessories. You must have very good quality lenses, and they should vary in focus and range. Your camera should have a long and empowering battery life, and always have ample storage space. If you lack any necessary equipment, like tripods for set photography, you might not have a very successful career. Photography equipment can be expensive, and you should be prepared. Furthermore, your career can fund itself if you take it one step at a time. Save the money you make when you are still doing your photography part-time. Make sure you pick up as many clients as you can. When you go full-time, you should be sure the hobby will always keep you busy.
