We’re living in the gig economy. Almost every service and skill provides an opportunity to make a few bucks if you’re willing to get your name out there and find people that’ll pay. There are tons of apps and marketplaces where you could promote your skills. There are plenty of opportunities to build a portfolio and skip the “middleman”, taking more of the profits for yourself.
Photography is one of those in-demand skills and it’s only getting bigger as more and more people, businesses, and companies want & need visual media for their projects. This includes everything from stock photography to an in-house photo session. If you’re good with a camera, you’ve got a money-maker.
But hold up — there’s a lot of competition especially if you’re only in the hobby space of photography.
This article shares some of the photography skills you’ll want to refine. Do these and you’ll have an edge to get more leads and land more clients. Sound good? Let’s begin…
Skills to Take Your Photography to the Next (Business) Level
Some 134K+ people are expected to fill photography careers by 2026, creating a ton of competition. Mix in the amateur pool and it seems like getting noticed for your photography would be seemingly impossible. This is why you need to practice and hone your skills — but also build skills supporting your work.
What can you refine to gain a competitive edge? What are those complementary skills you could build?
1. Learn what pays
A great photo doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll land a paying gig or featured on a magazine cover. Sometimes you need to understand the market for photography to truly dive into the business side of things.
Of course, invest in photography education whether it’s the Shutter Speed 101 course or learning to use Lightroom editing tools. Ask fellow photographer friends and professionals to hear what gets them paid.
Reach out and contact businesses — or do online job searches — to identify the key skills you could refine that already pay versus trying to be a “jack of all trades”.
2. Communication
You may understand the nuances of photography but many clients won’t and this creates communication problems. It leads to gig work client’s aren’t satisfied with, making it less likely they’ll pay and refer business even if your photos came out amazing.
Learn communication and listening skills to better understand what the client wants, not what you think is best. Learning these skills also improves your ability to pitch good clients while avoiding troublesome ones.
3. Marketing
Do you ever get a twinge of jealousy seeing published or well-liked/shared photos you know you could do better? Do you get jealous knowing they got paid even though their work is not that great in your eyes?
A lot of times this comes down to one’s ability to market and sell themselves.
- Sales — Helps you identify leads (people who will pay) while aligning your skills/expertise with the photo content they’ll likely want. This gives you leverage when pitching clients and closing the sales.
- Marketing — Helps you get outside your comfort zone and go after the potential clients and audiences. This is the groundwork you put in to get your name known.
Get into the habit of attending business meetups and passing out cards. Try landing referrals through non-profit work. Or, go hard on the promotional side of your social media use.
4. Editing Tools
We’d all like to think we’re photography experts; that we have a keen eye for subjects and capturing the perfect shot. But post-processing does play a vital role in shifting your photography hobby into a viable business.
Learn your editing tools inside and out because you may need to:
- Offer photo touch-ups with portraits and product shots
- Edit collections into physical photo packages
- Manage a team of graphic designers and editors
Some of these gigs aren’t glamorous but they pay well. You’ve got to put in the grind — you might as well do it proficiently!
5. Web Dev
It doesn’t have to be extensive but just enough to build and run a portfolio site. You can learn the basics with YouTube tutorials or follow documentation on popular site building platforms.
Do this:
- Set up a portfolio site using Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress
- Optimize it using keywords and terms people find you when searching
- Promote the work through your social channels (especially an FB page)
- Build traffic to the site by guest posting on industry blogs and mags
- Get people to review your stuff, leave testimonials, and do referrals
With effort, people will stumble on your site and inquire about services.
What other skills do you think you’ll need to turn a photography hobby into a full-fledged business opportunity?
