How did I get my first paying client?
If you’ve ever considered making the leap to become a professional photographer, and wondered how to land that very first paying client, then this article is definitely for you. I found myself feeling completely burnt out after a decade-long career in sales, and with no passion left for that line of work, I began seriously thinking about how to get paid as a photographer and pursue photography as a full-time career - because it was my true passion. I already had years of experience taking photos, owned a modest collection of camera gear, and loved the idea of spending my days shooting behind the lens. What I needed most was paying clients to turn this dream into reality!
I started reaching out to anyone and everyone who would listen. Mostly, I relied on a mix of social media and emails to try and convince people that I was the world’s best photographer, eagerly ready to provide my services. But there was a big problem with this approach: I was nowhere near as good as I thought. My portfolio was limited to a handful of family snapshots, some surf photos, and pictures of my pets - hardly the kind of professional-grade work to impress potential clients.
Many people might give up at this point, making excuses about lacking connections, not having a strong portfolio, or not owning the right equipment to succeed. I had none of these advantages either. But there were only two things that kept me going: a desperate need to earn money and a deep love for photography. That combination turned out to be incredibly powerful. As the late Steve Jobs once said, building a company is hard, and if you don’t love what you do, you’ll quit at the first obstacle. His words couldn’t be more true!
So, my first piece of advice is to create the best possible portfolio using whatever limited time, money, and equipment you currently have available. While I’m generally not a fan of doing work for free, it’s important to adopt the mindset of doing whatever it takes to get started, which sometimes means taking on projects without immediate payment. If you can produce just a dozen decent images to showcase on a website - ideally featuring a variety of different subjects - this represents the absolute minimum foundation required to begin your journey as a professional photographer. Remember, no matter how many years you’ve been shooting, you will always be judged primarily on the quality and diversity of your portfolio.
When I started, I built my own website using Squarespace, which is very user-friendly and efficient, and I simply uploaded the best dozen images I had available at the time. I did this with the understanding that I could always refresh and add stronger work as my skills improved. One key lesson you’ll quickly discover is that your photographic ability will dramatically improve only once you start taking paid assignments. Why is that?
You’ll be pushed beyond your comfort zone and forced to learn quickly in real-world scenarios.
You’ll have the chance to review your past shoots critically and make continual improvements.
You’ll learn how to maximize the potential of the gear you already own, encouraging greater creativity and resourcefulness.
In essence, the process of securing paid work significantly accelerates your growth far more than solely practicing on your own. Practical experience gained through real assignments helps you develop skills under pressure, understand client needs, and adapt to various shooting environments. Once you have compiled a portfolio that is strong and impressive enough to showcase your work, you can confidently begin the process of seeking paid opportunities.
There are numerous strategies to find work: Start by asking your immediate circle - friends and family - for photography jobs. They may either provide you with direct opportunities or introduce you to contacts who require professional photography services. Next, expand your efforts to your broader network, particularly social media communities, and ask your followers if they know anyone in need of photography.
Then there’s the cold approach - directly reaching out to people you don’t personally know. This can include event marketing managers who often need photographers for promotional events. Additionally, you can connect with other photographers who occasionally require extra help or assistants. Another good avenue involves reaching out to potential partners who frequently refer work, such as wedding planners.
The social media approach involves regularly posting your best content to build a following, which can lead to organic inquiries and client interest over time. Lastly, consider the paid approach, which includes investing in targeted Google or social media ads, or subscribing to paid lead generation services that connect photographers with potential clients actively seeking their services. Each of these methods, when combined effectively, can significantly increase your chances of securing consistent paid work and advancing your career.
I wouldn’t recommend spending money on paid marketing efforts when you’re just starting out. It’s better not to waste your limited budget on advertisements or promotions before you have a strong foundation in place. Instead, focus your time and energy on building genuine relationships and networking with people in the industry. These valuable connections can often lead to opportunities that money can’t buy. Once you’ve established some steady income, then you can allocate a budget towards marketing and experiment with different strategies to see what works best for your business.
Personally, the way I landed my first paying gig was by reaching out directly to other photographers. One of them happened to respond, explaining that they had already booked a shoot but were suddenly unable to attend. I eagerly accepted the opportunity they offered me. My only condition was to use some of the photos from that shoot to help build my own portfolio, and they happily agreed.
The event I covered was a medium-sized business gathering, with roughly 200 attendees. My job was to capture a variety of shots - speakers presenting, the audience engaging, and the event branding - pretty much all the standard elements you’d expect at an event. The photos came out pretty well, especially considering I had very little prior experience at that stage. As a result, the organizers also offered me further work on future events. And all of this happened simply because I reached out and sent one email to another photographer.
I must point out that you’ll likely be paid at a significantly lower rate for these types of jobs compared to what you would earn if you were able to secure the work independently. Looking back now, I was paid about one-third of what I would normally receive for similar assignments. Sometimes, you might get even less than that, and other times slightly more - it really depends on the specific client and the third party who is supplying the work. The key thing to keep in mind is that in the early stages of your career, you are primarily focused on building your portfolio and sharpening your skills as a photographer, so it’s important not to get too fixated on the financial aspect. For instance, I previously did two-hour shoots that required me to travel an hour each way, and I was paid less than $100 for those gigs. Reflecting on those experiences now, I can say it was the best decision I made to kickstart my journey as a professional photographer.
Once your journey has begun, the search for work doesn’t simply stop. From my experience, it takes about 12 months to gain any substantial traction, assuming you are consistently delivering good quality work. Over time, clients will start to give you repeat business and even refer you to new clients, which helps expand your opportunities. However, in order to create a sustainable and decent income, you’ll still need to continuously network, make new connections, and consistently generate new work. It’s a long-term process that requires patience, persistence, and ongoing effort to build a thriving photography career.
The maths depends on many factors, but let’s break it down with a simple example: suppose you want to earn $100,000 per year as a professional photographer. If your average client spends around $1,000 per shoot and typically books about 2 shoots per year, you would need to secure approximately 50 clients annually. Now, this calculation assumes every client remains loyal and consistently books you, which is rarely the case in reality. More realistically, you should aim for around 60 to 70 clients to account for turnover and variability.
If you continue producing high-quality work and keep your clients happy, realistically, building such a client base and income could take anywhere from 3 to 5 years. There’s a well-known saying that people often overestimate what they can achieve in one year but underestimate what’s possible in ten years, and this rings particularly true in creative professions like photography. The first year can be the toughest financially, but this is a common challenge across virtually any business venture. Around the 3 to 5-year mark, you’ll likely start seeing the fruits of your efforts, and by 10 years, you may have built a valuable and sustainable asset.
If this timeline feels daunting and you are content with your current day job, there’s absolutely no shame in keeping photography as a passionate hobby. Many talented photographers happily balance both. For me personally, dissatisfaction with my day job made the decision to pursue photography full-time much easier. So, what’s holding you back from making the leap into professional photography?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.