The Part-time Professional Photographer

Martha Retallick |
Freelancing Essentials
| November 11th 2009

camera

Like many people on this blog, I’ve dreamed of becoming a professional photographer. Then I looked at the realities of the photo business. Here are a couple of sobering facts for those trying to break into the market:

Data Point #1 — Of Pizzas and Photographers

There’s a joke that’s been making the rounds for years: What’s the difference between a large pizza and a photographer? The punchline is that the large pizza can feed a family of four.

Not the sort of adventure you’d like to subject your spouse and two kids to, is it?

And, if you’re getting the impression that making the transition from being an amateur/hobbyist to being a full time professional photographer isn’t easy, you’re right. In my opinion, this transition is made all the more difficult by:

Photography’s supply problem. There is both an abundance of images and people creating them. And they’re generating more supply all the time. Recall your your economics class that high supply tends to drive down prices. (Think microstock photography here, folks.)
The “love” problem. There’s quite an abundance of people who love taking pictures. In fact, they love photography so much that they’d gladly do it for free. Which presents quite a challenge to those who wish to get paid for their work.

Data Point #2 — Full-timers vs. Part-timers

Last summer, I attended a seminar hosted by the Tucson chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). The topic was stock photography. This topic was of great interest to many in the audience, because the economic recession has reduced the assignment work that many photographers have long depended on.

I don’t think the audience was gladdened by the presenter’s slide which stated that, in the United States, the number of full-time photographers is declining while the number of part-time photographers is increasing. Interestingly enough, one of the requirements for full ASMP membership is that you must derive the majority of your income from photography.

So, if it looks like that shutterbug won’t stop biting, what should you do? I suggest doing photography on a part-time basis. Yes, you may get some flack from some of the full-timers who won’t consider you to be a real professional, but you’re not in business to earn their approval. You’re in business to earn the approval of your clients.

Since this is a blog for creative professionals, I’m going to venture out on a limb and say that you already have a significant advantage. If you’re a graphic designer, you already know quite a bit about composition and the use of color. Now you’re adding a camera to your toolkit. Which means that you can sell Web or print design projects that include your photos. Speaking from my own experience, I can say that honing your photographic skills will make you a better designer.

Or, let’s say that you’re a writer. If you’re selling articles to publications, you can offer them “one stop shopping” by including your photos in the package. Michael Sedge’s book, The Photojournalist’s Guide to Making Money, will provide you with lots of good how-to information. You’ll find that photography will broaden you as a writer – you’ll break out of the “wordsmith” trap and grow into a larger role as a verbal and visual storyteller.

Okay, I hear the programmers jumping up and down and hollering, “What about us?”

Well, good question. Because when it comes to understanding the technical side of photography, you guys and gals have a real edge. And have you ever heard of Phillip Greenspun? He’s a computer scientist’s computer scientist – and a crackerjack photographer. You’ll also enjoy his article on scripting Photoshop to produce JPEGs for the Web.

Regardless of whether you’re a full-time or part-time photographer, you’re going to need a Web presence. There are people who will still ask to see a portfolio book that they can pick up and read, but more often, you’re going to be asked for a URL. So, set up a website, preferably with a blog, and keep them up to date.

It’s also a good idea to offer e-commerce, which includes instant downloads and print ordering. I set this up via PhotoShelter, and I’d be interested in learning about what you’re using. Feel free to post a link in the comments below.

Now, how do you promote your part-time photographic self? I’ve found that few things work better than being out there with a camera, and using it. A lot.

Doesn’t matter if you’re out there building your portfolio – and I’ve been doing a lot of that in the past couple of years – or shooting a paid assignment. Just be out there with your camera. It’s the best way to let people know that you’re a photographer. (Be sure to have your business cards!)

In addition to being out there, tell people about your work. And keep telling them. You have to be persistent. Here’s a politically-themed example of persistence:

This past summer, I shot photos of a community project that was hosted by a Tucson City Council member. She was there, and I photographed her. After I wrote my photoblog post about this project, I e-mailed her office’s chief of staff with the link.

A few hours after I did that, I saw the politician at a house party. I told her about the blog post, and she was quite interested. I’m also on the e-mailing list for her re-election campaign, so I sent the campaign a link to that blog post.

My goal has been to get hired as the photographer for her campaign events. Alas, it doesn’t look like I’ll get there during this campaign. But I did hear back from the campaign manager, whose e-mail said that the campaign staff would keep me in mind.

Now, let me translate that e-mail for you: What the manager is saying is, “Be persistent, Martha. It’s your job to make sure that you’re top of mind. So, stay in touch – even if you don’t get hired during this election.”

And why might that be? Well, the reason is that this council member is rumored to be a mayoral candidate in Tucson’s 2011 election. And what’s to say that her 2009 campaign manager won’t be her 2011 campaign manager? After all, southern Arizona political circles aren’t that big.

In addition to seeking assignments from local politicians, I’m on several “calls for stock” lists. Calls for stock photography are periodically issued by book and magazine photographers in search of artwork for upcoming issues. You get on the call lists by phoning or e-mailing the photo editors. If they decide that your work meets their standards, they’ll put you on the list.

Then, whenever the call goes out, you’d better have a good system for rounding up your best work so you can respond quickly. I dealt with this challenge by setting up a PhotoShelter-powered stock photography site that gives me the ability to search for the most appropriate images, and then post them in an online lightbox for the photo editor to review.

I haven’t made any stock sales to the publications sending me the calls, but, again, persistence counts. There will come a time when I’ll have the images that they need. In the meantime, I’ll just keep making those lightboxes and posting them for those photo editors.

The stock site is part of my plan to become less dependent on selling my time for money. Reason: When you’re selling your time and expertise, as I do when I’m wearing my graphic designer or photographer hats, you’re only making money when you’re on assignment. Your income goes to zero while you’re looking work – or managing your business.

However, I’m finding that it takes quite a bit of promotion just to make people aware of a stock photography site. Making sales is yet another challenge. But this is true of any sort of “passive income” scheme. You have to work pretty hard to get things so that you can make money while you sleep.

As always, I’ll keep you posted on how things go.

Tags: Photography