1:08 - #1 Contracts 2:20 - #2 Not Charging Enough 4:20 - #3 Checklists 5:29 - #4 Meeting in Person 6:31 - #5 Putting Yourself Out There

Peter, I don't know what creative juices you've been on (other than coffee) lately but you're killing it!

This “pro bono” explanation is gorgeous😂😂😂

You forgot TIP #6: Always carry business cards

This is my favorite one in the series. I went from being completely uncomfortable with possibly making a business of this to feeling ready to give things a shot

Imagine being an introvert photographer looking for work

So my youtube is set on night mode and I love how the vignette in Peters videos blends in with the rest of my screen

1. Contracts: always get one 2. Not charging enough: consider lots of things such as your time, gear, gas, editing etc.. 3. Checklists: client and yourself can always refer back to checklist. 4. Meeting in person. 5. Putting yourself out there.

Peter this is one of your best videos you have made. As a fellow creator I feel like this info you gave is KEY to anyone looking to build their photo / video business. Please do more business related videos as they are few and far between. Most people want tips and tricks or short cuts but none of that is worth anything if you don't have business skills. Please post more real world worth videos such as this. 😀

After 33 years in the creative industry, everything you just said is exactly right. Great advice

I liked this. I like them all the most.

Contracts are so important. So many issues have popped up with clients because expectations are different. Thanks for making that point so important!

That sweater looks so damned cozy.

Dear Peter, Altough i am a doctor, not a film maker, i am learning how to make videos for my patient from you. you are great.

Ok so tip five is so true!! I take my camera with me everywhere. I was at a wedding shower and the grooms mom was taking pics on her phone so I was like “hey I’ve got my camera would you like me to take pics for you?” And I ended up doing pics for the shower and on the wedding day as the bride and her girls got ready!! First time taking pics for an event and it was awesome!!!

"Show them that charming personality"... where the hell am I supposed to get one of those?

Wow Peter, I can’t get over how good these edits are! Such an inspiration to put the time in while editing

I remember when you taped that gopro to your foot; I miss when you put the camera in really unique places.. could you do more of that?

“Meeting in person” Coronavirus: *No*

You look like Jon Snow if he wasn’t always depressed.

So many solid points Peter! I've been stood up NUMEROUS times by my own family and friends for graphic design jobs that I've done, that they've gone back and forth with me about, and never got that payment, and can't ask for it. No contract, no payment! It happens too easy, and sometimes I've found those I ask to sign a contract will back out (maybe it's intent not to pay for the finished product?).. sh*t happens! I've learned the hard way, as many others have also. It's ok to work for free, but don't keep doing it! With the amount I've been paid, I could barely afford gas or lunches on freelance jobs. I'm a solid designer, and I know it now, and a decent photographer - know your worth, and keep to your guns everyone!

Hey Peter! I’ve got two questions for you. 1. How would you deal with the work you don’t want to do? I mean how do you refuse your clients without making them feel bad? 2.What about the work that you really want to do but your client couldn’t afford the cost? How much discount do you allow? Or even free jobs? Maybe you could make a video about this. Thanks!

3:24 "software that you're paying for" me: _hehe_

So helpful!! I actually reached out to coffee shops and have a product shoot at the end of the month and he's booking with me for his new menu items when they launch. I'm making this my year and working my way up to better gear and making it a living! Love all the videos you put out! Thanks!

Hey man. I stared making videos around the same time as you. Pretty much the same stuff, film and photography ... but I started a full time photo gig about a year and a half ago and thus stopped making them. I watch your videos all the time and it kind of makes me jealous, but damn if they aren’t great. Every video you make and who you are... is just so damn cool. You’ve inspired me to hop back on the horse and start making videos again. So thank you and cheers buddy. You’re awesome.

Ugh... yep, I have made every single one of these mistakes. What is even more sad, is that I've made a couple of them more than once. I'm a big advocate of doing free work to build your portfolio, build your business contacts / network and experience... Nobody will pay you to do something you've never done before. Although, being Australian, I've never had a problem Aunts from Australia... well not professionally anyway 😂

Tip number 3. Checklist. It has never ever cross my mind and i always have clients complaining about the photos and shots that ive missed. Thank u so much for sharing

Peter, thanks for these tips. They inspire me and let me know that creating my own business with photography and cinematography is very possible.

Hey peter, just want to thank you for helping me... Watching your content has inspired me to make better videos(I even bought my 1st DSLR)... As a knife maker, i never even thought about photography, but once I started watching your channel, i realized how important it really is... Thanks for all the inspiration...take it easy...

Something I've discovered and could be a helpful tip for some people, if you are looking for a lot of portrait practice, and this may sound weird but, see if there are any local anime or comic conventions in your area. Again, may sound weird to a lot of people but if you're just starting our with photography and need some practice and would like to work with a broad range of different kinds of portraiture find a convention and post in their fb page that you're willing to do free shoots for cosplayers at the con. This could also be a great way to earn some money on the side if you feel you'd like to charge because there are tons of people who really want photos of their costumes and they are all in one place so you don't have to worry about scheduling seperate shoots for different days and vastly different locations. I've been getting into photography lately and I already attend conventions and cosplay so I decided to post that I was providing free shoots to build my portfolio and I had tons of people message me about booking shoots. You aren't going to be working with professional models and there may be times when you aren't shooting at the best time of day but those are all great challenges to push yourself through. Some people may not want this kind of work in their portfolio and that's totally understandable but it can still be really great throw away practice.

This one had a lot of passion! Loved the energy!

His videos are one of those that I don't skip any part(s). Good job Mister!!

4:01 can't stop laughing 😂😂😂

This is one of my FAVORITE videos from you! Thanks so much man for this. I've been in business for about a year now and always second guess pricing. Another piece of advice is do NOT agree to price breaks without having a longterm agreement in effect. Words are words but signed written words are another thing. Many times people will say they have a ton of future work for you, get your discounted rate and then back out on how often they want to do work. Just tricked you into a discount basically!

Doing stuff for free at first is great, but I found it hard to tell those people (generally friends and family) that I had to charge them the second (or third time). Putting my foot down was difficult, but eventually, they agreed. They saw it was a passion, and that I wanted to make money doing it (or at least pay off my camera). It all works out in the end, and I think what Peter said about putting yourself out there and seeking out the work is what it ALL boils down to. If I'm the only guy in my town who is out seeking all the jobs and getting the gigs, then all the photographers who sit at home, waiting for people to call them, won't get anything. I'm taking their work. Having skill and technical know how doesn't really mean anything if you don't put in the work on the business end. Work ethic matters.

Huh! This video was made 5 years ago & it still shines,looks fresh!

Can we just appreciate the energy that Peter has - he’s so helpful and his personality is amazing - yes!! ☺️👍🏻

I'm shooting my first wedding on Saturday so this video really relieved some stress! Thanks Pete!

4:01 he just seems the squirrel from the ice age 😁😁😁

I'm a graphic designer but I'm just starting to get into photography and cinematography. I feel like a lot of these tips are applicable to all of these!

dude...mic in view...mic not in view...don't really care. what you bring in your vlogs/videos/films/tutorials is what i care about. and you bring it my friend...100%. thanks

Ive been scared to start with photography and putting myself out there. Hopefully I have enough motivation now to go out there and get it done. Thank you for your last few posts! The advice has been GREAT!

Excellent advice! And so applicable to so many industries even beyond photography 👍🏽

Mistakes you want to avoid when shooting video: Clap before you record, so you can synch audio and video well.

That last tip was 😍 I truly hadn’t ever thought about just walking up to someone in a business and saying that but I think I’m now going to do it everywhere I go. Truly the worst that can happen is a “no” 🙌🏽👏🏽

Hey Pete! Thanks for making this series. I've been shooting for about 6 years now and recently started doing it full time. A lot of these tips I've been implementing and I can definitely say that they pay off! Would love to see more videos on the business side of being a full time photographer soon!

"The worst she can say is no" She: Ewwww, no

I have been watching all your episodes for the last 48 hours straight.. minus sleep, you are such a great teacher. A good teacher is everything! I have had my Canon for 10 years and has collected dust, I have turned to high end androids for my photography because I couldn't understand the buttons and words, no matter what I sourced. I can absolutely say that after 48 hours of listening to you, I get it. Thank you. Your teaching qualifications are as good as the Khan Academy. So well explained, so well broken down. Thank God for you and your help, you just stepped up my entire game.

Peter mckinnon makes me inspire me to go out and shoot again. Thank you!

I'm just disturbed by how Peter just opened the red bull and let out all the gas...

I can't express the level of motivation and inspiration I find from watching your videos. You, my man, are very much appreciated!

Thanks Pete for this video! I've been just recently moving into photography and videography. And I love learning as much as I possibly can. Anyway, Much appreciated, as always! Keep on dropping them knowledge nuggets on us! 😁

WHOOOO Pete is back with a new viddy!

I'm subscribed to some channels that make tips, tutorials, behind the scenes. The business aspect of what we are doing is so underated and not enough talked about by those channels. You, good sir, with this single video about business have outclassed all the other channels, combined! From my point of view, you've outclassed *Film Riot* in this topic. Good Day!

Your enthusiasm and passion in photography makes me motivated to continue! Thank you for sharing those essentials, I always made contracts, even for family and friends to sign that they are ok with posting their photos on my website etc. Thankyou!

I’m 14 and wanted to get into photography. Lucky enough my parents decided to let me use their Nikon D3100!

This video was really timely. Thanks for the tips! Liked this series!

Peter, when will you introduce your editor? :) I can feel your stuff is edited a bit differently and these motion graphics in your latest videos are something you could not find time for I suppose :) Just curious ;)

I've very recently found your channel. Also very recently got into photography.. like very recently. Started in design and realized I enjoy editing other's photo's way more then doing commercial design (saying the words commercial design sucks my soul just by saying those words...) but you've quickly joined the ranks of the others I watch religiously whether it's for inspiration, techniques, or business advice like this. Thank you for sharing all that you do!

You geniunely inspired me !!! Thank you. I'm struggling to keep with my photography job and I have many financial problems and your story really opened my eyes to help me see things and make them different. Thank you really thank you

The biggest piece of advice in this world I know is to be confident in your ability and the price that you put forward! 💵💵 Back yourself, at least infront of the client. You can freak out when your walking away not believing you were able to pull it off!

Very helpful tips!

Hey Peter, loved this video! I want to dive a bit deeper with #4: Meeting in person. When you do set up that meeting, what are some typical things you would prepare for your client (besides showcasing your previous work)? Would you include a mood board, examples of photog styles, ideal shots (tying into checklist point), etc..?

Bro you freaking BROUGHT it in this vid!! SO GOOD

Thank you for tutorials!

SO much great advice and info here. I think we all learn soooo much through the process of building our businesses so sometimes when looking back it is a little painful like... man... why didn't I know that sooner?? haha

I absolutely loved this series. I've been freelancing for 8+ years and still learned some awesome things from all of these videos. I would love to see more!

100% Agree with all of these tips. I've seen others reference this in their comments, but understanding your worth as a creative is SO vital in becoming successful. Learning to be a decent business person is also VERY important, maybe even more so. There's a reason why certain creatives that are as talented as others get projects worth significantly more, and most of the time it's based on having good business acumen and understanding how to sell the perceived value you can provide to that client. It took me getting my first project, which paid me right under $4,000 (Definitely not a flex, it was a lot of hard work but invaluable experience) that showed me that we as creatives need to fight off the "imposter" syndrome as much as possible. To understand we are worth what we want (and probably more so), but we have to first believe that ourselves before we can expect others to. Keep killin' it everyone & good luck! 🤙🏼

I would hire you because of your enthusiasm alone... Geez. just started watching your channel. It's no wonder you have 2million subscribers... I run a small car youtube channel.. I really think your advice could come in handy... The more I learn the more I realize how little I know. Thank you so much!

God I love you Pete, your intro bits are the best thing

You're not saying anything that crazy, but the energy and the way it sounds so simple said that way just gives me the energy to go for it. Thanks for that mate

Energy, graphics, lighting, editing, information... geezus man, you're frackin awesome! Seriously PM, thank you so much.

Do you think everyone is over doing the blue or teal and orange tone?

I charged $150 for a 45 second promo, (my first one) it took around 4-5 hours. Shot with a $1500 rig, is that about right or should I have charged more

PM, I find myself constantly trying to watch your videos but cannot finish them. I get inspired to go out and try and get shot of my local scene ( High Desert). Try and take tips from you and mimic things. I'm hooked. Photography was thing i picked up to take better pictures of my family, now I find myself pulling over to a ranch and taking pictures of horses or light rays coming through the joshua trees that i used ignore on my drive to work. i regret not taking better photos in the Sea to Sky Gondola in BC. Its a hobby for me but its becoming an obsession. The drive for a better shot. Thanks for taking the time making videos that inspire us. -J. Ibarra

Sir,Inspired by your speech I am 16 yrs old and I also want to go ahead in this PROFESION 😍CAUSE this is what I love LOVE FROM INDIA😊🇮🇳🇮🇳

Another awesome video peter! I am currently moving into offering video services to clients so this is helpful

Great video Peter! I really appreciate you sharing your years of knowledge with us and assisting in teaching the next generation of photographers/videographers

You are my inspiration! I have followed you from Italy already 1 year and I think you are a perfect example that if you be someone you could be! I see all of your videos and every time I can say to me that I will be like you, that I can improve my work and my competence, doing my work better! Thank you so much Peter!! A big greeting from Treviso, near Venezia in Italy!!!

Peter is the inspiration and motivation I need! Love that enthusiasm and spirit mate!

4:02 that could be a minion, I wa laughing soo hard on taht one XD

In 1990s, I was asked to do the wedding photography on the cheap as a 'favour'. No contract, no fees negotiated, no check list. I brought the Kodak disposable cameras, and they were incredulous to see me using them. I explained that they only wanted to pay me peanuts so peanut-level equipment. The wedding was delayed while they made a mad rush to locate another photographer at the last minute. While their search for another photographer was fruitness, I pointed out that I brought the professional-grade camera and equipment. That brought them to the collective knees, begging me. I told them: first, the contract that they hired me as their wedding photographer on this and that date and location (I brought the pre-printed contracts with me), that I was using the professional-grade camera and equipment; second, the non-negotiable fee for last minute booking (I made them write a cheque for x-amount upfront); third, a list of what they wanted me to take; fourth, any additional prints would cost separately. Of course, being arsehole has advantages sometimes.

Im not a photographer. I own a business and things have been pretty rough lately but tip number 5 really encouraged me. It’s something I really needed to hear. Thanks peter! Oh and i do my own product photography too and your tips really helped me a lot!

Quick and informative as usual, love it!

This episode really resonates with me. After walking away from a 10 year business partnership, I thought customers would beat down my door for my expertise with Google Adwords. The lesson I learned was when you start over, you are really starting all over. Good stuff Peter.

Was literally just looking for a video like this! Thank you!!!

This helped so much! I am still a young photographer and trying to put myself out there. You’re videos has always helped and you always inspire me to do so much more. Thank you Peter! 😊

I'm 72. Your comments took me back to my younger days. I remember each of the instances where these issues arose and how their 'truth' was demonstrated by either avoiding problems or gaining opportunities. I was a shy person so some of these were hard to pull off, but they all were very rewarding to have accomplished. Great advise. Great video. I wish I still had all the energy you exhibit...

Sometimes you do these things that are just super adorable and I’m like omg I wanna hug you cuz you’re so cute. Lots of burly man-men lose that quality and I find it so extra endearing.

Totally agree!!! It’s been a year since I got my camera, I did so much work for free and then 2 months in a got my first wedding gig from a person I didn’t even know. Then this last month I just made 2K from doing senior portraits, a wedding video, and selling prints! I definitely need to work on the contract thing more, thanks Peter

These little edits Peter make all the difference. Good job mate

Straight up killed it ...great video. Would have loved a link to the other two previous videos of this series

At :25 It sounded like you said “Its Peter McCanon” 😂 which would be a fitting name haha.

PETER I LOVE THESE VIDEOS ON BEGINNER MISTAKES AND THESE TUTORIALS!!! 😂 sorry for all caps I just had to make my point!

I know I’m super late on this but I just find your videos super helpful! I’m planning on making this into a full time career. All 5 steps are definitely going to be used and remembered. Thank you! 🙏🏽

Thank you so much Peter! You are amazing my friend. The energy and inspiration you bring is astounding. Time to get to work!

Please people, take all that Peter is saying and tattooed it on your arm if necessary. Can't remark this enough. Those are things that you learn over time and by the hard way. It's all fun and games til you break a 1000/3000 $ gear on a gig that barely pays you for the gas, or that you spend hours and hours working on something that doesnt represent the ultimate good that you trade, which is your time (aka your life).

am here watching this 2020 i have watched my 5th time now i need all this to sink deep in my vains thankss Mr P

Boom! This is it! Pete, you nailed it. All of these points are mistakes every new pro photographer has made, is making, keeps making. Thanks for reminding me of these! Keep up the great work

Peter, I know this is a old video, but I wanted to say you videos are always informative and this one especially. I think it's a good reminder of things as we are getting started with our businesses.