When you pick up a camera for the first time, one of the last things you’re probably thinking about is making money. Photography is an artistic passion that comes from within and is driven by beauty and attraction, not what kind of income you may be able to make.
Having said that, if your passion takes over your life and consumes you, then it may be wise to see how you can earn professionally from it so you can still get by, doing exactly what you love.
Do photo shoots for clients
When going in this direction, ideally you have your own studio as that adds to the profession of the job, because clients would expect to be shot there. Although a lot of the time, shoots can take place outdoors, but it’s always good to have the option. This does cost a bit of money for the necessary equipment as well as the space, so you may want to consider looking at some quick personal loans online so you can afford this, unless of course you already have some savings to tap into.
People will always be looking for a top photographer to capture special moments, whether that be a special time in someone’s life, or an event that needs remembering – so there is always work. All you need to do is build up a decent portfolio to show how capable you are, and then spread the word.
Start your own blog or vlog
If you think you have something to offer the world in terms of the kind of content you like to speak about, or show in the photos you take – you may want to start your own blog lead by skilled writing or even just your images that create a story in themselves. But if that’s not your thing, then try vlogging instead. Essentially this is the same thing, but in video form, so rather than writing, you can just talk on camera. YouTube is a great platform for this, and you may just find that your content is drawing in a lot of attention and you can start to build up a good following. This can open many doors for being sponsored to review products, as well as being taken on adventures to explore new things in the industry that you are now in.
Sell your prints
It could even be as simple as blowing up your images and trying to sell them. You can do this by making your own websites and advertising them on there, as well as social media like Instagram. Or you can even go into your local shops and ask if they’d be interested in selling some of your work there. If you have a lot of small prints, you could try and sell them to a shop for a set price, and then they can sell them individually – being a win-win for the both of you.
So there are many different options that you have, it just depends on the direction you’d like to go in. Get creative. At the end of the day it’s your passion, so take it wherever you want to.