Five reasons for the student to become a freelance photographer
It often happens that a student is looking for a part-time job. You need to pay rent, pay for food, and at the same time want to have a good and quality rest; in general, the costs are large compared with the scholarship.
In general, there are a lot of options for earning money, but there are some that will bring not only money but also pleasure. And if you succeed, it can be the beginning of your career.
So, a photographer is a person of art, maybe you or one of your friends likes to take pictures, and someone is already trying to earn at least for essay writing service for good grades. In our article, we will tell you how a beginning student photographer can work for himself or herself and tell you some non-obvious tips.
The first reason is the most important one
It is self-employment, reliability, and stability. There are situations when a person works for some magazine or store - he can be fired. And this is a lot of stress and nerves. It takes time to find a new job. A freelance photographer has no such situation.
There is a core group of regular customers, word of mouth from them, and a continuous search for new ones. Well, a couple of customers fall away - but there are many others. And then there are blogs, and channels, which also bring income. Therefore, leaving you without work at all is virtually impossible. Unless, of course, you do not consider extraordinary situations.
If you have been working for a long time and working well, then you won't have any major failures in income. Everything depends on you, everything is in your hands, and no boss is hanging over you. Communication skills and the ability to sell yourself all affect whether customers recommend you to their friends or not, and all this affects your income. Customers usually like communication during the photo session; they are very loyal and come back and recommend you to their friends.
The second reason
Prospects and no salary cap. You can develop yourself just infinitely. You can grow and reach the high salary point you deserve. You cannot just shoot and then go into advertising, cooperate with magazines, and organize various photo events, master classes, and workshops. There are no limits.
The third reason
Free schedule. There is no such thing that you, for example, are not allowed to go on vacation. You don't have to ask anybody to go on vacation. You just have to plan the vacation, so it doesn't affect your work too much, to close your tails. When you work for hire, due to the nature of the business, it is not realistic to go on vacation in the spring or fall. They just wouldn't let you go because during those periods; there was as much work as possible.
So you could go on vacation at any time of the year and for any length of time: even for a month, even for three days. But there's a downside to that: you have to go on vacation with your camera looking for content.
You also get to sleep in. You don't have to get up early and drive to work by 9:00 as you do in the office. You don't waste time driving to and from work every day. And you also have time to go to the fitness center or the pool in the morning before work. Yes, yes, working as a freelancer gives you a chance to take care of yourself.
The fourth reason
You can choose the people you want to work with. And you don't have to work with people you don't like. If you work for hire, it could be your clients or your employees. You can dictate the rules of your work and refuse if you don't like the order or set a bargain price. So if you have to suffer, then for more money. You can determine for yourself the people you want to work with. And if something does not suit you, then do not agree to work.
The fifth reason
Variety of work. If your work is varied, you're constantly interested, and you don't burn out. Some photographers shoot only weddings, and after five years start to just hate it all. But there are a variety of photoshoots; each shoot is a different adventure that you experience. There's no conveyor belt. It's not boring. Here's some practical advice for the aspiring photographer who has decided to become a freelancer.
Tip 1. Don't be in a hurry to buy the most advanced camera
Perhaps the most common misconception is that if you shoot with a "DSLR" of the latest model, the photos will be better.
Let's draw a parallel with a car. Buying, say, a Ferrari does not automatically make you a super-driver. So it is with the camera: the main thing is not its price, but the skill of the photographer - a great picture can be made on the phone. That is why it is better to start with an easier and cheaper model.
Tip 2. Start with the basics
There are ground rules everywhere, even in the subjective art of photography. Read a couple of books about the principles of composition, exposure rules, basic lighting, perspective, and so on. Most importantly, learn how to break them competently to get a spectacular shot.
Tip 3. Become thoroughly familiar with the functions of your camera
You can't go far on auto mode alone. Experiment with the settings; find out what you need in every button and how each mode works. This, by the way, is an advantage of a simpler camera - its settings will be understandable to beginner photographers.
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Tip 4. Take pictures more often
There's no use in reading books if you don't hone your skills. To learn how to swim, you need to swim. And to learn how to take pictures, you need to take them as often as you can.
Practice is the path to perfection. Don't even try to take the perfect picture the first time. Take dozens of shots and mercilessly remove defects. Carry your camera everywhere and shoot anything you find interesting.
Every type of shooting is a separate world with its features and tricks: portrait photography, architecture, minimalism, studio photo shoots - look for "yourself" and your style.
Tip 5. Learn from Others
Notice and analyze the techniques that famous photographers use in their works. Find techniques that interest you, and try to put them into practice. But do not copy masterpieces; just take ideas. Learn from others, but be yourself.
Tip 6. Process your photos wisely
No matter how good your camera is, it's still worth processing your pictures. The main thing is not to overdo it with filters and effects. In most cases, color correction, cropping, and horizon alignment will be enough. For portrait photos, it is also helpful to use artistic retouching, which is also worthwhile.
Tip 7. Protect your pictures before you post them on the internet
If you post good photos on your blog or Facebook, some users will save them and publish them on their pages. In most cases, this happens without attribution. Unfortunately, there is no effective way to prohibit downloading photos, but you can put a watermark with your name or website address on it. Even if your photo is published on another resource, it will contain a link to you.
These tips may seem trivial, but many people forget such simple things. Take the photos you like and respond calmly to criticism. Improve your skills and compare yourself only to your "old" self, not to other photographers.