You are passionate about photography and have decided to work in this field. Researching on the Internet, he became a freelance photographer and is very interested in working in this market.
After all, it’s easy to get started, you have a lot of facilities at your fingertips and you’ll always be your own boss, eliminating most of the difficulties when starting your own business or looking for work.
But do you know how this race works, its benefits and challenges?
See in this article how to lead a successful career and what awaits us on this path, follow the benefits of being an independent photographer and the challenges you will have to overcome to survive in this area.
The freelancer is an independent professional who works alone, that is, without any working relationship with a company, this photographer is responsible for both getting his clients and doing the work for which he was hired.
Unlike a formal photography company, the freelancer generally acts as an individual, i. e. he enters into a direct contract with the client as a professional and not as a corporation, most of the time.
However, due to the relaxation of tax legislation in Brazil, it is now possible to formalize your business as self-employed.
It is common to work in this format people who have photography as a hobby, young graduates, people who need to gain experience in the market, but also professionals with experience and life. In short, it is a very versatile market full of opportunities.
Now let’s look at the main benefits of becoming a freelance photographer and starting your career in this market.
Most companies struggle to cut costs on a day-to-day basis. One of the biggest burdens on a business is payroll, which has many costs associated with hiring employees.
Self-employment, however, is an excellent opportunity for sporadic and unemployed recruitment, so the employer has an excellent professional in the field, but does not need to pay labor rights.
For this reason, many companies have valued this hiring regime because it helps reduce the company’s expenses.
A freelance photographer can work full-time on this occupation, or devote some of his time to clients. It is even common for freelancers to work more than one profession and even work in formal work, while making freelas in their free time.
Having more free time to enjoy as a family, study, improve or just rest is one of the great advantages of being a freelance photographer, you don’t stay eight hours a day in an agency or newspaper, for example.
It’s up to you to set your work schedules and stick to them as soon as possible, however, you should be very careful not to get confused in time and end up delaying clients’ projects.
Another interesting advantage of working as a freelance photographer is to set your own price, that is, decide how much you want to charge for each project or photo shoot.
In the current hiring model, most of the time, you have a limited salary and you can do little or nothing to increase it, the financial power is in the hands of the employer, which rarely grants increases.
In the case of the freelancer, you decide how much you want to receive for each job and how much you need to keep, after that, simply set the correct price for your photographic services.
A last advantage of freelancers, but not least, is being able to work for different clients at the same time, in this way you can create multiple sources of income and increase your claims at the end of the month, which is not always possible in a common work .
Just make sure you don’t undertake more projects than you can manage to damage your professional image.
Flowers are not the only life of an independent photographer, in fact, you have to overcome many obstacles to succeed in this market.
See the most common challenges below
The main difficulty of an independent photographer is the purchase of equipment, we know that photographic products are not cheap and that when you are independent you have to buy work equipment.
So get ready to spend around R $10,000 reais to assemble your work kit. What can make it difficult to start your career if you don’t have that amount?
The portfolio is a showcase through which people see your work and decide to hire you, but at first it is difficult to assemble this photo catalog because you don’t have customers yet.
One tip is to take pictures for your friends and family and ask permission to divulge images from your portfolio, so your knowledge has access to quality photos, as you start building your professional portfolio to attract clients.
Another common challenge for an independent photographer is getting their first clients. With little experience and no name in the market, it’s hard to earn people’s trust and find a job.
The trick is to publish your photos on the Internet, work on your personal marketing and invest in your improvement. Together, these elements will help you attract your first customers and grow your business as a freelancer.
Take the opportunity to participate in specific independent sites that connect entrepreneurs and professionals, making it easy to attract your first photographer clients.
As you have seen, the profession of freelance photographer has its challenges and its advantages. Get ready and know where to go to succeed in this race. So get ready, stay tuned and get your hands dirty now!
Did you like to know more about the freelance photographer?Are you ready to work in this market and enjoy the benefits of this occupation?Share your expectations and opinions below!