The first thing you want to look at when considering freelance photography is your portfolio. Your portfolio should be a reflection of the area of photography that you particularly want to specialize in. It should contain a number of different pieces which give a good reflection of the type of work you are able to produce. If you want to do more general work then try to prepare a portfolio for each category of photographs that you are going to be taking.
How to find freelance photography work
Once you have prepared a good portfolio you will need to start looking for freelance positions. One of the easiest ways to do this is to go onto freelance jobs boards such as freelanceworkexchange.com, elance.com and guru.com and search for positions that are being offered on these boards.
If you are still looking for freelance work why not create a website advertising your services? If you are unable to do this yourself then ask for help from someone who knows what they are doing in this area. Once again, freelance jobs boards are a great place to find people to help you with your website.
You can also find freelance photography positions by contacting newspapers and magazines to find out whether they accept photography from freelancers and whether they have any freelance positions available. You can also advertise your services in local magazines and newspapers to get work from the community.
Writing your freelance photography contract
Once you have found freelance photography work the next thing you will need to do is form a contract with the people who have commissioned work from you. This contract should include the exact nature of the pictures to be taken as well as how many pictures they are wanting, when you plan to have these photographs done by as well as your costs and payment terms for these photographs.
If you are planning on going into freelance photography you should start by putting together a good portfolio of work, preferably specializing in a particular area. Once you have created a portfolio which is a good reflection of you work you will want to search on freelance jobs boards for freelance positions as well as advertising your services in and to magazines and newspapers and creating your own website. Once you have received a freelance position you will need to draw up a contract with your client which includes the details of the work that needs to be done as well as delivery dates and cost and payment terms. If you love shooting things with your camera then freelance photography can be a great job that will allow you to follow your passions.
