For this week's Freelance Friday, we'll be talking about how to build a commercial photography portfolio without having clients. Here are a bunch of ideas to build your photography portfolio without clients for any niche you’re in! It’s very important to educate your team beforehand about your vision and what to expect from a photoshoot. Get Familiar With Your Niche And The People In It, 5. No matter what type of photography you’re interested in, the process remains the same. As you move up, you can regulate the price accordingly. The truth is you can build a strong body of portfolio work without actually ‘working’. This will bring up some of the top people online or in your area. The music space isn’t all that big, so don’t be surprised if this leads to other opportunities. The beauty of collaboration is no money changes hands. This is key as you start to build your photography portfolio and prepares you for the expectations of your space. I would really encourage you NOT TO offer free shoots but instead, be selective in whether accepting ‘free’ work to enhance your portfolio. ... Use our step-by-step guide to build a portrait photography portfolio that will totally wow clients. Without great pictures of their food, how does anyone know what to expect? If you’re just starting to build out your portfolio, chances are you’re juggling a full-time job and trying to build … (Fake it until you make it!). Team up with other creatives in the industry and let your imagination do it’s thing. This is all for this week. There are several portfolio formats which can make … Create a Printed Photography Portfolio. If you want a quick answer, it can be summarised in one concept – styled shoots. It might seem intimidating at first, but with practice, you’ll have images of the same caliber. Models, makeup artists, hair and wardrobe stylists, vendors – the more people you can get on board the more creative your photoshoot will get and the more outstanding the results will be. You can’t sell something you’re not truly in love with – people will sense it. The easiest way to create a body of work is to ask … That’s why identifying an end goal is crucial. A strong portfolio … Mention how you found the space and politely ask if they’d be interested in updating their Air BNB images. Whatever you want to photograph, make it happen by creating a mock photoshoot. I thoroughly recommend creating a more traditional portfolio by printing your images out. An eco-bag or corkboard can be useful things to open your brand. There’s a very high chance they’ll say yes, and you’ll score a bunch of great portfolio images. Best of all, once you land a gig as a second shooter, you can use some of those images to build your photography portfolio. I do! You could reach out to the owner of this penthouse and introduce yourself as a real estate photographer looking to build your photography portfolio. Purpose of Creating a Portfolio? This forces you out of your comfort zone and expands your connections within your niche. Reach out to small and local bands to ask when and where they’ll be performing. Decide on what you want to be booked for and start shooting it right away, even if it means working for free, collaborating, testing, taking images of friends and family, etc. Some of these ‘practice’ photos with your friends and family can be used to get your portfolio up and running. Reaching out and asking to help on a shoot is a great way to get on someone’s radar and get real-world experience. You may just be the perfect person, and all the images would work great to build your photography portfolio! The trouble every photographer faces in their beginnings is how do you find new clients to work with. Making professional photo … Give them a role to play and pretend you’re shooting them for those needs. Brendan Williams Creative also participates in affiliate programs with Impact, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. A portfolio is usually made to … It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle with ‘clients’ who undervalue your work after you offer your services for free. Digital or Hardcopy Before you get carried away, there are only a handful of situations you should do this. Reach out to these people and see if you could tag along for one of their adventures. Now the other side of this coin offers a lot of positives. No-one will ever question whether it was a styled photoshoot or a paying client (When you order clothes online, do you question whether or not the model was paid?). For events and wedding photographers, they will often hire a second shooter or an assistant to help out. Do you want to practice a new creative photography technique you just saw in Vogue magazine (i.e. When you first start in photography, trying to build up your portfolio can seem super overwhelming. If you have no idea who to photograph, ask your friends and family to help you out. Rather than saying ‘I wish I could get hired to do something like that’, get out there and do it… for pretend. If you’d rather shoot mountain biking, ask a friend who rides if you can tag along and take photos. Find a way to make both parties happy…in advance. Maybe you aren’t in real estate photography, but this example is interchangeable between all different niches! You might be starting to get the idea, but are still having a hard time connecting these tips to your specific niche. Photography portfolio websites are essentially virtual galleries where photographers can showcase their best work. As someone who has worked with clients before, I’m here to tell you, it can be SO FREEING to create something without input. Additionally, browse websites like Air BNB or Open Space to see where your services may be useful. Copyright © 2020 Brendan Williams Creative. Pick one niche and focus all your energy on it. On these websites, great photos are the difference between someone’s booking or not. Share who you are, your experience, and the type of thing you want to photograph. Assuming you’ve built up a solid relationship with this person, there’s a good chance they’ll bring up your name. Now just remember, you don’t need to have gotten paid for a photo to make it ‘worthy’ of your portfolio! Charge a Non-Usage Fee I know of a photographer who photographed a high-profile wedding and couldn't use the photos online. Pretend that a specific brand or person just hired you, and you are taking photos for them. You just need to be smart and focus on what matters most to your photography. There are several ways you can build a photography portfolio without clients to leverage paid work in the future. If you have any questions on how to build your photography portfolio without clients, drop them in the comment section below and I’ll be happy to answer them. Easy slide shows, lots of storage, and a media library. As with most things that are critical to a business , building photography portfolio … portraits with a slow-sync shutter, backlit portraits, portraits in the rain…)? Brendan's mission is to help others improve their photography through easy to understand tutorials, without all the technical fluff that leads to feelings of overwhelm. Be honest and tell them if it’s an experiment. Even though there’s no such thing as ‘free’, let’s talk about when it’s appropriate to ‘work’ without being paid. Here are a few actionable strategies you can do to help build your photography portfolio. If you know someone who already has a beautiful home, ask if you could photograph it. This will help to focus your images and naturally refine and build your portfolio over time. But let’s expand on that a little. A lot of games are free, and schedules get posted online. Primarily Shoot Images Related Your End Goal, Simple Ideas To Build Your Photography Portfolio In Any Niche, 10 Common Beginner Photography Mistakes And How To Avoid Them, What Is Exposure Compensation And How To Use It, What Is A “Stop” In Photography – Stops And Exposure Explained, The Best Camera Settings For Hiking Photography. Also make sure what you shoot is what you want to get booked for, because you sell what you show. What’s the point of focusing your work? How can you build a photography portfolio without clients to work with? The more darts you have to throw at the target, the higher your chances are of getting a bullseye. Do you believe in magic? 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