Reader

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I hear it all the time:

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“My boss asked me to take photos at an event he’s hosting”.

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“My neighbour asked me to take photos of her for her website”.

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“A friend of one of my friend’s friends is getting married, and they’re looking for a (cheap) photographer”.

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As soon as people begin acknowledging you as a photographer, they’ll be contacting you, wanting you to take photos of them.

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Feel flattered.

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People are acknowledging you as a photographer. You obviously seem able to get your camera to do what you want it to, and they are enjoying what you’re putting out there on social media.

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BUUUT... unfortunately, many of the people who approach you wanting you to take their photos see you as a way to get their photo taken cheaply (or for free).

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When I first started becoming interested in “real” photography in 2009, Facebook was the place to be, and so I posted random photos that I was especially proud of, in my feed (this still works by the way). These were photos of things like my breakfast, landscapes, our garden, holiday shots etc. And yet, it didn’t take long for my Facebook friends to contact me asking if I also take photos of people.

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Yes, I too felt flattered.

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And overwhelmed.

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I was asked to take photos for weddings, products and business shots.

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And I didn’t know what I was doing 😱

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But because other people believed I should be perfectly capable of portrait photography, (because otherwise what’s the point in having a “big” camera? And the knowledge comes with the camera, doesn’t it?). I kind of felt I should take on the jobs.

Sometimes the results were good; other times, they weren’t. And it never felt good, because I didn't really know what I was doing and I spent the entire time hoping for the best - and that is stressful.

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Fast forward to a year later, and I can safely say that through practice, I became incredibly good at capturing people.

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I now know exactly what I’m doing.

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I know how to set up my camera.

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I know how each of my photos will turn out long before pressing the shutter button.

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I’m not bragging, I’m motivating you. Because if I can master portrait photography, so can you.

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So let’s go back to the initial question.

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WHEN DO YOU START TAKING ON COMMISSIONED WORK AS A PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER?

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==>> As soon as you feel confident that you and your model will be happy with the results <<==

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That means you have ideas AND the knowledge to get your camera to execute your ideas.

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BEFORE TAKING ON ANY TYPE OF COMMISSIONED WORK:

Decide which type of portraiture you’d like to master. There are many different types of conventional and unconventional portrait photography. Be open-minded. Portraits DO NOT have to be taken in a studio or with artificial lighting.

Always have this type of photography in mind when you learn the skills.

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PRACTICE UNTIL YOU’RE HAPPY AND CONFIDENT.

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YOU decide who to practice with. Select easy-going models. Get in touch with them and ask if they would like to be your model. Be honest and tell them you may have to meet up a few times before you produce anything worth printing.

Your models DO NOT have to be young, fresh and perfect-looking. They have to be open-minded and happy to spend time with you.

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When you feel confident enough to take on commissioned work, have a long think about how much you want to charge - yes, YOU decide how much you want to charge. A good place to start is $100 an hour - you charge your time for phone calls and messaging = planning the session, getting to the location, the actual session, sorting through the images, post editing and follow-up messaging.

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Make sure that anyone who books you is in love with your style and isn’t booking you because you’re cheaper than the other photographers in your area. The expectations will be the same. People who book you expect the best, and you often don't get a second chance to put things right if they're disappointed ie: weddings, events.

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You didn’t purchase your camera or become interested in photography to make your boss’, neighbour, or your friend’s friend’s friends life easier. They either pay for your services and get the photos they were hoping for, or they get them for free, knowing in advance that you're only practicing.

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If you want to master portrait photography, consider joining the Creativity Group. “Portraits, People and Selfies” is this month’s theme. After signing up, you’ll receive a downloadable guide where you’ll learn how to master portraiture, daily prompts to help you practice, and weekly feedback videos where I discuss photos taken by the group members. You’ll also receive access to an amazing community of inspiring photographers from around the globe.

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Each month has its own theme. In June you can look forward to "Nature & Landscapes", in July to "Street" and in August to "Light" etc. Click on the link below to find out more and see the list of upcoming themes for next year:

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Each month you'll receive:

• a downloadable pdf guide with content that will help you master that month's theme
• a daily prompt or exercise to help you practice what you've learned
• a weekly feedback video where I give helpful advice on how to avoid mistakes and what to do instead

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You can become a member for only $39 per year 🤩

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Best wishes

Dawn xx

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Thank you so much for loving photography and taking the time to read my words! If you have photography friends who might enjoy the content, feel free to pass this email on to them!

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