Building a Commercial Photography Portfolio
Posted: Thursday, November 04, 2010
by Autumn Lockwood
YourPictureFrames.com
If you would like to become a commercial photographer, the key is being able to take the pictures that the customer wants to purchase. If you do this on assignment, the customer is the one directing what the photos are about. If you are freelancing, then you need to take enough pictures of a variety of subjects in hopes to have an image that someone wants to buy. Either way, you will need to have a good commercial photography portfolio to show off your abilities.
When building your portfolio it's critical to understand what your potential customer wants. You might want to include a wide variety of photographs that will show off your skills, especially if you are not sure what niche you want to work in. This will also help increase your odds of a buyer seeing an image they like. If you take photos that include people in them you are required to have a signed release from each one, so you might want to make things easier on yourself by leaving people out of your pictures.
Get Online
The internet can be one of your most powerful tools in building a commercial photo portfolio. One way is that you can have at your disposal the portfolios of thousands of people getting paid to take photographs, and you can see what images are making them money. The second is that it provides you with a low-cost way to get your portfolio to as many people as possible. Register a personal domain name and upload your portfolio, then send a link to it with any correspondence you have with publications or buyers.
Fake it Till You Make It
When you first start, you're not going to have assignments right away, so practice with "fake" assignments to demonstrate your skills. For example if you want to do advertising images, create a couple of made up ad campaigns and take some photos that would go with them. Then post them on your portfolio with explanations about how they interact with the campaign and why you thought they were the strongest images to use. Art directors love a photographer that can think "in theme."
Choose a Niche
A great way to become a successful photographer is to become the master of your niche. Some photographers have enjoyed monetary success in finding one type of image that they enjoy and get really good at shooting, such as pets, food, cars, etc. If you have something that you really enjoy shooting, then find some publications that address that subject and build a portfolio of photos that you could sell to that particular client.
Start Local
When you're first getting started it can be difficult to get on with a major publication so start off focusing locally. If you are willing to work without pay, you can volunteer to "shoot" for local publications or websites. You may not be rolling in the dough right at the start, but you will be building a powerful list of former clients and a healthy bit of experience, both of which will enhance your chances of landing a bigger and better assignment in the future.
Commercial photography can be tricky market to get into but with a positive mindset and a eye for spotting local needs it may be easier than you first thought. Try to challenge yourself with every shoot and network with other businesses and colleagues and before long you'll have a great portfolio in no time.
Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of panoramic picture frames in a variety of materials, sizes and colors. Visit our website to see our traditional panoramic picture frames now or call 1-800-780-0699.
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