Getting Started With Commercial Photography

Submitted by: Autumn Lockwood

Commercial photography is the art of taking pictures that are marketable, and finding places to sell them. This can be done on a freelance basis, where the photographer shoots tons of images and then tries to sell them, or it can be done on assignment if an editor contacts the photographer and wishes to have certain types of work done. If you re looking to get started in either arena, you re going to need a solid commercial photography portfolio.

Think About the Market

When building your portfolio it’s critical to understand what your potential customer wants. If you’re not sure what niche you want to focus on, you should consider taking a wide variety of photographs that will show off your photographic flexibility. This will also increase the chances of a buyer seeing something they like. Don’t forget that any pictures with people in them will need to have signed releases letting you sell the images so it may be easier to focus on non-people pictures when you first start out.

Get Online

The internet can be one of your most powerful tools in building a commercial photo portfolio. The first is that it allows you to search through the portfolios of thousands of working commercial photographers and see what sorts of images sell the best. The second is that it provides you with a low-cost way to get your portfolio to as many people as possible. Simply get a website domain name and upload your photos, then send the link with any correspondence to potential buyers.

Fake it Till You Make It

You re not going to have assignments right out of the gate, but a good way to get them is to shoot in the vein you re interested in to demonstrate your abilities. For instance, if you re looking to be involved with advertising photographs, come up with a couple of fake ad campaigns and shoot the photographs that would go with them. Then post them on your portfolio with explanations about how they interact with the campaign and why you thought they were the strongest images to use. Art directors generally love working with photographers who can think within a theme.

Choose a Niche

A great way to become a successful photographer is to become the master of your niche. There are photographers who focus just one subject matter like food, celebrities, food, animals, bikinis and many others. Find a niche that you like, and buy a couple of publications that you’d like to shoot for and build your portfolio to fit that potential client.

Go Local

Beginning photographers may find it difficult to lock down work with a major publication, but there are thousands of local ones that often get overlooked. Find out if there are any local magazines, newspapers or websites that need images and offer to volunteer your services. You may not be rolling in the dough right at the start, but you will be building a powerful list of former clients and a healthy bit of experience, both of which will enhance your chances of landing a bigger and better assignment in the future.

Commercial photography can be tricky market to get into but with a positive mindset and a eye for spotting local needs it may be easier than you first thought. Challenge yourself to expand on your skills with every shoot and to reach out to businesses and colleagues and you ll have a powerful portfolio in no time.

About the Author: Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of

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