How to Get Clients as a New Photographer
The factors to photographers success.
Photography is an interesting thing, it’s a super saturated market (everyone is a photographer) but at the same time there is a vast difference between the people at the top of the market and the people at the bottom. There are a lot of factors that separate them; style, knowledge, desire, jobs and talent. Everyone’s journey through that market, and where people stop has so many factors you can’t point to one. I have friends that loved photography and just lost interest, or got burnt out, or didn’t like the “business” side of things. A successful photographer often doesn’t just have one factor (such as a desire to take photos) but has multiple factors that contribute to their success, such as a forward thinking mindset, great personality, good eye, and desire to learn. I can talk about how I got where I am, but I can’t tell you it will work for you. I just know it worked for me, and it is continuing to work.
“For me, the desire to take a great photo came first. I wasn’t out to find clients, I just wanted to take amazing photos as I lived life.”
Create images because you love it.
So how, when i first started doing photography how did I get clients? After all, it’s hard live by taking photos if you don’t have anyone paying you to take photos. I didn’t really think about that. For me, the desire to take a great photo came first. I wasn’t out to find clients, i just wanted to take amazing photos as i lived life. This caused me to do a lot of research, ask a lot of questions, and figure out what was most important. Because I love taking pictures, while I was learning i was also doing. I was taking pictures of myself, my friends, and my family wherever I was. Were we playing video games? Maybe I could get a great photo of the controller? Maybe I could do something with the TV? Was I on a walk? Let’s take a great photo of a leaf, or whatever. It didn’t really matter to me. Ultimately, my desire to take photos led me to actually take some good ones (for me at the time, anyway), and those i posted on Facebook (Instagram wasn’t much of a thing then).
Each of these photos was taken for fun. Because I loved it. Because creating something awesome is genuinely fun for me.
How do you get photography clients? Take Pictures.
So what’s my point? In short, I took photos - and I let people see them. Photos of my surroundings, of my friends. So when my friends got married, or were together, they asked me to take pictures of them. I talk a lot about mindshare. If your friends aren’t thinking about you, then they aren’t going to ask you to take photos. If your last post was 6 months ago, of course you aren’t getting bookings! People need to know you’re out there, know you’re taking photos, so when they actually need photos they think “oh hey, i just saw a photo today from so and so, let’s ask them!” You need to be on their mind if you want to be hired. So how do you get bookings? The biggest thing, post pictures on a regular basis. That’s easily one of the biggest factors on how to get clients as a new photographer.
Back when I took these in 2012 I was asking my friends to take them. I just wanted to make content. I didn’t know how to get clients as a new photographer. I also was absolutely horrible at editing color - it just didn’t look right. So I tended to post a lot of black and white. I wasn’t gutsy enough to post any of my old color photos here - they are that bad.
“I asked them if they wanted some free photos. I gave one condition - never tell anyone that it was free.”
People want a photographer others want.
This brings me to my second point. There were several times while I was starting that I had nothing scheduled, nothing “on the books”. So i had several options, relax and wait, or go find something to shoot. I always chose the later. I was in college at the time so i would often find a friend that fit the market I was aiming for (a couple for engagement photos, a senior, a family, etc) and I asked them if they wanted some free photos. I gave one condition - never tell anyone that it was free. If they asked how much it cost, I asked them to say “he gave us a deal, but I think regular price is ____”. This allows the expectation of the next person to pay money, but it also gave me another person to give referrals. It also brings me to another point - perception of business. Very often people want what others have. “Brent did an amazing job with my friends engagement photos! Let’s ask him” (that’s mind share) but then “he just gave us his prices, and I know so and so used him, and they loved it, so it seems like it’s worth it”. People are hesitant to pay when no one else is.
So to sum up the second point, if you don’t have someone to shoot, go find them, take pictures and do the first point (post them).
Don’t Work for Free.
Finally I have one more piece of advice. Don’t work for free. I realize this is almost opposite of what I just said so hear me out. If anyone ever asked me to do photos for them, I would always charge (in point 2, I was asking them). This set’s up a client/business relationship. They feel like they aren’t just hiring a friend, but a professional. They are paying for a product. My first engagement shoot I did for $50. Just enough to make a separation, but nothing so expensive that if i screwed it up huge they would hate me. I did this for my first year. I upped my prices when i felt like what I was doing “wasn’t worth the work” anymore. You need to feel appreciated, you need to feel like your friends aren’t taking advantage of you, or it really causes you to stop doing point number 1 (take photos). So charging a little is a big deal.
I hope these help new photographers start to build up a client base and see that getting into photography isn’t so bad. There are still a lot of other factors that will contribute (or take away from) your success. Simple things like, do you know what you are doing? Do you have a consistent look? Are you fun to be around or awkward? Do you take forever to deliver photos? Are you slow at communicating (can they trust they can get a hold of you)? Are you easy to find? Etc. But if you’re doing all those things right, but aren’t taking any pictures, you still won’t be getting clients. This is how to get clients as a new photographer.