This is probably one of the most sought after topics, is there a secret to becoming a photographer who is going to be paid for his work.

These days, I don't use terms like professional photographer. To me, the pro suffix does not help you in the work space. As a budding photographer hoping to make money, there is no other way to establish yourself unless you granted all your clients sexual favors.

Of course there are.... but you have to learn the tricks of the trade, but before we go into that, let's understand one thing. Digital photography has levelled the playing field. You are now competing with both wannabes and amateur photographers who shoot in their spare time. What makes you stand out these days is not how you capture a photo but rather on how you maintain a business relationship with future and existing clients. So if you talk sweet, are charming, or hugely entertaining to have around for company, that is a BIG plus. Being kind also helps but being generous is not.

#1 Barter Trade than give a Free Service

Many times, people will ask you to shoot for peanuts, or for free. Your charming disposition will allow you to twist that into a paid assignment if you are willing to barter. So instead of having to give your services away for free, think of ways to get back something.

Receiving vouchers for free meals at restaurants, free car wash services, or a year's worth of baby diapers isn't as bad as it sounds. These vouchers can then be used creatively to market your services to others. Take the diapers, present it as a gift for the first couple to sign up for a paid wedding photographer session. Some might take it in jest but others will see the practical use for them.

#2 Ante up on your Photoshop Skills

Photoshop is a much abused word. Affinity Photo is the next killer app that cost next to nothing compared to the huge fees you have to pay but regardless of what app you use. Make sure you learn how to use them. By showing off the digital artist in you, clients will be so damn impressed that they would give you more work.

No one hires a photographer because he's a photographer. Digital imaging has changed the way things are being done and clients are not stupid. To pay you for something that they feel any one with Photoshop can do more cheaply is silly.

The case in point was at one stage, I realize that people were not thinking out of the box. There was a advertising agency who wanted to shoot a 4WD splashing its way through a jungle scene. In my mind, I knew this can already be done using photoshop and a green screen of a car with model actors. The composite technique used in SFX can be applied here and suddenly, everything is possible. You don't even need a real car in a studio to shoot.

Which is the fake picture and which is the shopped picture?

Photoshop can be use to change colors, add effects and event blend in logos and pictures if required and your skills to do this is what sets you apart from the rest of the photographers. No digital photographer can ever claim to be just another photographer in this day and age and if you do, you're out of your league. A good desktop computer is also crucial for Photoshop work and if you don't have money to buy one, then you've lucked out. Any average photographer with great photoshop skills will make a killing in the market. 

So what's there to stop you from making a Ferrari poster with a wedding couple in front of it? Composite a toy Ferrari in the background. It all boils down to your digital skills. Still image photography is never about going on location to shoot. It's about knowing how to shoot a composite photo cheaply.

#3 Use Social Media for Promotion

When you have time, and I am sure photographers these days don't have a torrent of clients booking them up, use social media to keep people informed of what you have been up to...in photography.

Instagram, Pinterest or G+ is a good place to start as you post regularly from your smartphone. The reason for this is simple. A post a day will tell clients you are actively engaging an audience, it shows dedication and passion, just like a regular blog post. You earn respect even though you are posting these photos while you play poker shark at a local game just to make ends meet. Self promotion, however narcissistic, is the way forward. Never assume that your talents speak louder than words.

Even setting up a website for an event is not going to take you much time as the templates are all there for you to use to get one up quickly. That said, why can't you offer that as a service as well? Both Webydo.com and Strikingly.com offer limited free hosting and you only need one scrollable an and responsive page to start the site. No brainer to learn too. For that you can charge and yes, tell them your social savvy.

Whatever you do, please do not use Facebook. It's a money pit you fall into that gives you very little in return.

#4 Engage your Clients

So you are now on social media, but do your clients know that? Blogging is not for everyone. Many photographers can't write and I don't expect you to but having a photo feed on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or G+ is something your can tell your clients about. Look them up and add them to your network. It helps to build a following, however small at first, will be worth your day and time. Feature the work you had with them in the stream, and promote that with a hashtag or twitter follow.

Blogging on subjects that are not of interest to clients is a complete waste of time. Remember clients do not want to read your blog on camera performance or to hear how hard it is to do digital manipulation on images. They want to see your work flow from day to day. They want to see a portfolio of work and that doesn't have to mean actual photos you took but rather what you can do with them.

Don't try to educate them to on how much you are worth. These days, clients pay you if they like you...a lot, or next to nothing if they think you're a one off photographer. It is always a mistake to tell clients you're worth more than what they think you are worth. That is like telling them they are stupid in the face. If they want you to take on an assignment for far too low a renumeration, then tell them you can only perform to such a level and compromise or barter for the rest of the fees. Your personal charisma will have to do most of the leg work as running a photographic service is like running any other business, you need business acumen and talent. It's far less to do with your abilities as a photographer but more as a business person. 

#5 Leverage on Awards

Shooting pictures and submit them for competition with the intention to compete and win. When you win an award, that's what makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd. Milk that award for everything that it is worth including putting it on your website, calling card and stickers.

I wish I won one of these....

Awards are technically meaningless if you do not exploit it to your benefit. Clients prefer to have an award winning photographer at their kids birthday party than to have a nobody with a camera at that same party. Remember, your competitor can beat you in terms of price but for that award you carry, you can beat him at their game.

This is the only way to protect your turf from other wannabes who can undermine your worth. So remember to steal, beg, and buy over an award if possible. It will save you from a heap of problems. 


Conclusion

The digital age has depreciated the value of photography to the point that it's not your time but their time that matters. If you can't accept the brief, then you should refuse. You can also accept the brief but fulfil them creatively through digital manipulation.

Models can be digitally manipulated from royalty free stock photos to suit a scene of your client's choice. What they pay for is not the actual model hire and photo shoot. Wedding photography can be faked the same way by shooting the couple with a blue screen and dumping a location background. Composite photography techniques are all the rage in SFX movies so why not do that at home?

Digital is the way out of the mess you will get into by promising too much. Commercial Photography isn't about your photography skills these days but on your ability to fulfill a brief in the best possible way within a budget.

When the client has a much lower budget, then it is time to be candid with them without offending them.

Many professional photographers would like to be hired as photographers than digital artist. I am afraid that is not possible in this day and age. Those two go hand in hand as one. If you can do it, then better skip being a pro. 

I have in the past worked with an award winning food photographer and from what I know, they are in a class of their own but as technology would have it, a slew of foodie pictures found regularly on Instagram has made life a little more difficult. 

Foodies blog about where to eat and what to eat, and in the process take photos for their Instagram feed as part of their promotional efforts. Some of the pictures showcase capture the unique atmosphere of the eatery or restaurant while others are styled in such a way that reflect their creativity and lighting. 

There are still people who shoot food but budgets for a stylist would depend on the client. Today, almost anyone who wants to get creative can look through the numerous instagram photos that are tagged with #foodphotography to get an idea on what is possible. This comes at the expense of professional stylist who once commanded decent paychecks just to style food. 

Today, the digital photographer is nothing more than a journeyman, who goes out of his way to make a budget shoot possible. Food styling was once an art. If it looks good on picture, then it's good to eat...except that it wasn't the case. Industrial glazes and chemicals were added to bring out the color and making it look exceptional during the age of analogue film was an art in itself. you needed quality studio lighting and exposure readings had to be made at every step to avoid unexpected results. Photographers would burn through boxes of Polaroid prints just to check the color and lighting. It was, ultimately a time consuming process. 

With Photoshop, changing the colors isn't a big deal anymore. You want the lobster to look more crimson, it can be done with the right tint. Selective tinting is a boon to food photography and for that, you can ask any digital artist. 

How Instagram made Food Photography Fashionable 

The advent of social media changed the food photography landscape. First, people posted to Facebook and Flickr, and when Instagram came along, that became a food fashion statement on where you have been eating. 

It also helped to promote the eateries themselves, forcing chefs to style the food in a platter that is welcoming to the eyes and photography aficionados. The choice of plates, cutlery and table setting had to be tempting enough for people to drop by and take pictures for their friends to see.

This sort of thinking started to influence how food photography was conducted. It was not about shooting the images at at studio anymore like what you find at Dominoes Pizza or McDonalds. 

Today Food Photography is a mass market exercise that is not dominated by professionals but amateurs. 

Pros help to style the photos in the menu but they don't sell the restaurant. It is the mass market posting on social media that ultimately decides your success. 

This has led people to believe that food styling and photography is but the tip of the ice berg. An image with the right food proportions is what gives the idea on what your guest are getting but ultimately, it is the posting on social media that builds your reputation. 

We no longer have to wait for a jaded food reviewer to tell you that the food doesn't taste as good as it looks, you can already get that if you mates are foodies who eat in many places and post what they have tasted on Facebook. 

Social media campaigns have to tied with socially shared pictures and that's what builds branding and interest in the long term. The short term is always about putting up a print ad or two to get the ball rolling. Promotions at this point is just to tell people you're open for business. And as long as your food comes out of the kitchen that is great to look at and inspires the appetite, those pictures will go viral. 

Food Photography as a Business

The prospect of an Instagram foodie styling and shooting your menu is a reality. Restaurants don't need to hire professional photographers these days as budgets for them will run into thousands of dollars just for the menu pictures alone. 

Pros would like to take that business but with the onslaught of Instagram foodies, that makes it a very difficult proposition. 

What's more, being a pro food photographer would also mean starting up in a location where there is a food culture and with competition coming from amateurs, it gets more difficult to include a professional food stylist as a part of the package. 

So not only would you have to be the photographer and stylist, you also needed to be a good digital artist to know how to enhance those shots you made. 

The good part of this is the simplicity of it all. No DSLRs are necessary. You can shoot with a portable strobe (like the Foldio 2) and an iPhone if you knew how and as long as your services are priced accordingly (and not by the thousands of dollars) you probably can have your cake and eat it.

UPDATE: Instagram photos now in portrait and landscape


So what better way to sell your restaurant than with a full size picture instead of a square one? Get your customers cracking, dress the tables and dining area and color coordinate your table wares. The food is going to be complemented with more than just a square close up of the food but everything else about the restaurant can now be experienced. 

Michael Freeman @ work. Copyright Benard Quek.

People often ask what it takes to go professional as a photographer. Is there some skill or technique required for something which you need to have to be a Pro? The low down on the matter is there is a little bit of both but you'd be surprised how little technical skill goes into it. 

When I was engaged as a DSLR consultant to Sony Asia Pacific, I knew very little about digital technology. I had of course been shooting with a Nikon 5700, 5 megapixel camera at that point of time but I didn't really care about what made it tick. What I could do was to take a good picture and that was what counted. Everything else was picked up over the years and my understanding of the technology that went into it grew by leaps and bounds. 

Having had the chance to work with so many professionals, you will become jaded. They seem to have all the luck in the world in getting paid for what they love doing. But the fact of the matter is that they have to sell themselves more than that lemonade stand on a hot summer's day. They pay more attention to creating opportunities for themselves than just sitting in the office waiting for people to call them up for a gig. That's what sets them apart from others. 

So if you want to set up a business being a photographer for hire. Here are some talents you must ante up on. 

#1 Run like an Entrepreneur

Its about the business stoopid! Never for one buy into the hogwash that you have to be this or that but business acumen is a very important part of the equation. You cannot succeed in a business without being business minded. Professional Photography is not about the art but your ability to run a business, taking into account things like cost control, marketing, and business sustainability. The business process is 90 percent of being Pro. The remaining 10 percent is really about the photography.

#2 Learn to be a People Person

In a service type industry, you need to be a people person to gain their trust. It makes no sense if you are hated even by your dog and are argumentative on photo briefs. It's a bit like politicians, who need to win people over for the vote. The things you say, your demeanor, actions and slick presentation will earn you enough likes to enjoy a long term business relationship. Remember that there is always a cheaper photographer out there who can steal your business so it does not matter how much is your running cost versus charges but how you lock your customer into your service portfolio. 

#3 Be a capable photographer

Watch the words I use, be capable....not excellent, that's because it doesn't take a lot to know what angle is best or how to frame a subject. Everything these days is automatic, from ISO setting and White Balance. If you fuck up and have a spiffy full frame camera, you can correct those mistakes on Adobe Lightroom and even claw back up to 2 stops of lost dynamic range using RAW files. To be capable is knowing where to place your subjects in a frame and how best to enhance that subject in a scene. Some photographers even use Photoshop to blend in a blurred background when their own cameras are incapable of performing that sort of 'bokeh'. For me that's what counts as creative as you make use of what you have and achieve a similar effect without spending a bomb on a kidney busting Leica lens. 

Digital Photography is Ultimately a Simple Process

Here is another thing the Pros don't tell you. In the digital age, all you need to do is press the shutter button. This means you have more time to concentrate and focus your mind on how to compose a picture and do it well. Everything is taken care of when you set your camera on auto. It can even calculate backlight issue and use an enhanced exposure just for that one scene. If you don't like what you get on the LCD screen, you can always take a step back and take another one to correct the first shot you made. Your mistakes are easily correctable. 

Creativity is just another means to express yourself and that can be staged for better effect. Don't like it? Take a moment to change it. Everything you want to do better in the next frame can be achieved. In any business, your success depends on you as an entrepreneur, that same rule applies to a photography business. How you lead, communicate and engage your clients determines your success. 

Why Digital is Easy

Digital photographers these days don't even need to shoot on location as they can shoot different objects & backgrounds separately and combine them into a finished picture using Photoshop. So all you need to do is compose the best possible picture to get it right and that's a hell of a lot easier than say in the analogue age. 

In film photography. There are so many things to worry about. 

White Balance was a huge concern when you get it wrong. In capture, the film has to be corrected by using a lens filter. ISO/ASA is fixed too. You do not go postal and select any ISO you want as the film ASA speed is fixed. You can push the film but a few stops by shooting it at a higher or lower ASA but not all films can handle it that way. Some will show more grain while others hold up to the development process better. Then you have the film stocks that don't handle dynamic range as well you might like. This is something you have to learn about and the idiosyncrasies of each film type has to be remembered. 

Today, anyone with an iPhone can shoot a good picture. In daylight, it looks fabulous to the point people can't tell the difference if it was shot on a full frame camera. That's why Apple can flaunt its iPhone camera capabilities to billboard size.

But this is not to say you should go pro with an iPhone in tow but that's not to say you should always start with a full frame camera. 

Studio gear is cheap. Studio lighting is even cheaper now than ever. I use to lament the cost of having studio strobes but these days, you can kit yourself out for less than US$1K. That's how cheap it has gotten over the years. 

 

You don't need a full frame DSLR to shoot something like this

Cheap strobes that are not color accurate can still be corrected in post production in Adobe Lightroom. It really does not matter! 

No money for strobes? No problem. Borrow those Tungsten lights for outdoor use and you're on your way to shooting studio work. 

There are many niches in Photography, but you have to learn to become a jack of all trades before you can call yourself capable. In the old days, there were master photographers who shot on those huge Linhof and Sinar cameras. Today, a master photographer is routinely used and abused term to mean you just shoot photos for a living. 

So don't get caught up with the jargon and be a good photographer. Ante up on those business skills and you can count yourself to be among those who shoot pictures for a living. 

A bad day for photography as it was cloudy, learn to enhance and edit your image to save the day!