The FASTEST way to start a freelance photography business in 2024

Рет қаралды 46,451

Күн бұрын

This is the fastest way to start a freelance photography business with 2024, without all the BS.
📚 Watch my Free Travel Photography Workshop: bit.ly/3DFi5Nd
📧 Get my Pitching Bundle Email Templates: bit.ly/42fRrpI
⚒️ Download my Free Travel Photographers Toolkit: bit.ly/3OjymNP
Instagram: / seandalt
---------------------------------------------------
My Gear:
Fuji X100V: amzn.to/3xojvd9
Black Pro-Mist Filter for Fuji: amzn.to/35Kvqq1
Fuji Lens Hood: amzn.to/37kwxgy
Sony A7IV: amzn.to/2PHXm1h
Sony A7SIII: amzn.to/3fv71ae
Camera Backpack: bit.ly/3qi4c01 (Use code DALTON10 for 10% off)
Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM: amzn.to/3cNZ4uX
Sony 35mm f/1.4: amzn.to/3yDATst
Sony 55mm f/1.8: amzn.to/3wEHP6N
Sony 85mm f/1.4: amzn.to/3utQN5o
Sigma 24-70 f/2.8: amzn.to/3hYr4iJ
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM: amzn.to/3gNwXgq
Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM: amzn.to/3iSFCAU
Macbook Pro M1 Pro: amzn.to/3sW4Tyo
Sandisk 2TB SSD: amzn.to/3gGTL1C
DJI Mini 3 Pro: amzn.to/3xFozcb
DJI Mavic 2 Pro: amzn.to/3qcLua2
Shure Rode Mv7 Mic: amzn.to/39WAPMs
Rode PSA 1 Mic stand: amzn.to/38n3UjI
Main light: amzn.to/39ZAJ6X
---------------------------------------------------
Essential Software:
BACKUP YOUR PHOTOS: bit.ly/3leQOsR
Adobe Creative Cloud Free Trial: bit.ly/2K4ONK4
Canva for Thumbnails: bit.ly/3yhNH71
00:00 This unique approach WORKS.
01:42 The first (and most important) step
02:49 How you should approach gear
04:16 Building your most crucial business asset
06:29 How to score clients ASAP
09:48 The right way to approach pricing
11:13: How to get your clients to recommend you
12:35 This is how you will build a successful photography business

Пікірлер: 120

@thepanel2935 4 ай бұрын

If you're pitching to tourism boards, don't just show them landscape shots... make sure you get photos of the *_activities_* that are available in their location/destination. I see absolutely _no point at all_ in shooting empty landscape photographs with _no people_ in them *unless* your images are intended for use in _calendars._

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

100%, landscapes are only a small part of a tourism board job

@gabe_irl 4 ай бұрын

I would love a video on pricing!

@ridderus 4 ай бұрын

me too :)

@isaias9516 4 ай бұрын

Great idea!

@ant-duo 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for being one of the few content creators to give free, meaningful advice without any traps or hurdles!

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

Absolutely man, this industry can be a bit confusing. Happy to shed some insight on it!

@melvinesmith 3 ай бұрын

Amen!

@maragathamani8157 4 ай бұрын

It’s a sleepless 3 am here with thoughts running in my mind about how I am going to build my career,portfolio and make my living from this field. Left my full time job with financial back up for 6 months and here I am in the 5th month of it.. and then this video comes to my feed and making me confident again now.. Thanks Sean.. Hope I’ll be sharing my story to some beginners in few years about how I overcame these crucial part of my journey!

@DamonDiaries81 Ай бұрын

this was nice. thank u for sharing.

@coopers_clickz 4 ай бұрын

loving these tips, please please I beg for you to make a more in depth video on pricing, its honestly a headache at this point for me

@HarryGillen 4 ай бұрын

I've applied a lot of your tips to my photography business and I have improved my services a great deal. Thank you for putting out such quality content! Please don't ever stop. You're providing a great deal of value to people who are genuinely interested in turning their photography skills into paying clients.

@darylswalker 3 ай бұрын

Always providing the value dude ❤

@SteffersG 2 ай бұрын

It is so great hearing tips about being versatile as a photographer - often I hear that new photographers much choose a niche and it is so confusing, because it is difficult to know what you enjoy before you actually start doing it. I am still in the early days of my photography business, but I have been taking photographs for many years, but I am now at a point in my life where I can take it more seriously and build a business with it, so these tips were well received, thanks so much.

@djtoman6875 Ай бұрын

As a working professional for over a dozen years my take on this is to be versatile as a photographer, but hone down the marketing as necessary. So it you do landscapes, portraits and product photography, you need to target your portfolio and communications to each segment, as people looking for portrait photography will only be confused by pictures of shampoo and perfume bottles.

@lukemerrill1272 4 ай бұрын

Such helpful information! Thank you Sean!

@Pixieset 4 ай бұрын

So much great advice and insights packed into this video, thanks for sharing your experience Sean! 👏

@therootedprogress 3 ай бұрын

This is so helpful and encouraging. Thanks Sean!

@aks24769 2 ай бұрын

Thanks man. I really want to start off a photography business, kind of bored about doing a corporate job. Your video was absolutely helpful and got a lots of insight. Again thank you so much.

@tmoneyeuro 4 күн бұрын

Dope video man! Defo learned alot of tips to help build a successful business! 🔥

@original_gruzza_media 4 ай бұрын

Really enjoyed this video. Helpful, practical and simple advice. Thanks so much.

@EzTac 26 күн бұрын

Solid principles and mindset in this video, great conversation dude!

@ronbeaubien 5 күн бұрын

This was fantastic.

@leafphotopro 8 күн бұрын

Have been taking photos for fun as a hobby. Toyed with the idea of starting a photography business but felt like my photos aren't good enough and there are already a bunch of good photographers out there. Photography isn't as niche as it was last time. Everyone can take photos now. So thank you so much Sean for this motivating and insightful video!

@melvinesmith 3 ай бұрын

Great video mate! Thank you!

@user-dp2rq5wu6e 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for giving a unique advice which i was looking for from the past 5 years.

@dangilmore9724 4 ай бұрын

I use a simple strategy for pricing when working with commercial shoot. 1.) Find out and understand what the client wants; 2.) Ask them what their budget is; 3.) Then them what you can do in that budget limit.

@PompsJourney 4 ай бұрын

Amazing video! Thanks a million!

@quangvuong5219 4 ай бұрын

Love your tips, very on point, thanks alot for sharing them!

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

Absolutely, thank you for watching!

@rileyjones650 4 ай бұрын

Excellent work, Sir!

@m2create_co 4 ай бұрын

Awesome video! Thank you so much

@CROSS_21 Ай бұрын

Yesh this is really helpful. thanks sean!

@seandalt Ай бұрын

Absolutely my man!

@Pirate_AJ 3 күн бұрын

I am happy to do photography for free with experienced people.

@TheSamoura88 3 ай бұрын

Yes, please make a more detailed video on pricing. Love your content

@TALK-TELL 4 ай бұрын

Thank you very much Sean for sharing! I will learn from you then! Cheer from Cambodia.

@shawndillon5827 4 ай бұрын

You rock! Thanks for the info!

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

100%! Thanks for watching Shawn

@jenniferkichinko9125 4 ай бұрын

This is one of the most helpful videos I’ve watched in a long time, thank you! Also would def be interested in a pricing video 😄

@grantrobertdavies 4 ай бұрын

Great Video Mate - I started my photography business back in 2017 with a Panasonic G7 and Two kit lenses :) and I have to agree, the early days of doing shoots and learning on the job were SUPER fun :) Miss them a lot :) Great Video again - Thank You 🙏

@Hilhub 2 ай бұрын

Thanks!!

@mehmetunay 4 ай бұрын

Congrats 🎉

@josefmadrid 4 ай бұрын

thank you @Sean

@garyverstick1620 4 ай бұрын

Good, sound advice. Re: niches - some might already have a personal style or interest they love - it is advantageous to recognize this as it easier to do targeted and more effective marketing.

@AlikVolkov 3 ай бұрын

Awesome video, thank you for the tips! And I'd love a video about pricing.

@gbobagba2958 3 ай бұрын

Thanku for this great video, really helpful, now i know how to start a photography business cause i had no idea where to start and now i do, thanku.

@ft.rishikant 4 ай бұрын

Honestly, this one video really opened my mind and gave me the direction of how I can pitch myself to clients. I'm beginner and really want to pursue photography as my career. This is going to be tough one but easy things doesn’t excites more. A great thanku Sean for informative videos like this. I had been watching you since last 2 years. Y're true master🙏🏻

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

Love to hear it man, thanks for the comment and glad you found the video helpful! Glad you're here and thanks for the support!

@ft.rishikant 4 ай бұрын

@@seandalt yo man! Just bring these information-packed videos. I appreciate your efforts in content. My support is with you🤞🏻

@lovethevideos 3 ай бұрын

Yes please Sean I would love a discussion on pricing?

@pratyushpal9 3 ай бұрын

Instantly subscribed 😅

@Bankonjovan 4 ай бұрын

Good video,new subscriber!

@EthanMcAlpin 4 ай бұрын

loved this video, but would also love a pricing video! thanks!

@adventuresofjandk 4 ай бұрын

Good stuff

@ricksquires4052 26 күн бұрын

Love The Thailand part I have 17 years in and out of Thailand, Cambodia. Great places. R.

@jessboutthere 4 ай бұрын

Imposter syndrome… right on! Thank you so much for this video ✌🏼

@Alex-vl6nm 4 ай бұрын

How many photos should you aim for in a portfolio before outreaching to customers?

@andrewchav 4 ай бұрын

Thank you

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching my man!

@mindofazerina 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for the video, really! It's what I needed. The imposter syndrome is not easy to deal with

@samuelhasell7507 4 ай бұрын

Great video, appreciate the advice! One thing you didn’t mention that I am curious about is do you think people prefer to work with photographers that have the proper qualifications??

@ShirenaGonzalez 4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for the info in this video! I would definitely be interested in a video about base rate. I've alway sshad issues with my rates for shoots. I personally each price based on the shoot, and really only have the base rate for myself, but of course, people always want to know my rates, and it's hard to answer because I need details about the shoot before I can offer a proper quote...

@joseuribe430 Ай бұрын

great advice, thanks! I'm definitely going to follow you. I've been shooting weddings for the past 14 years. However, this will be my last year with weddings and moving on to more freelance stuff.

@seandalt Ай бұрын

Appreciate the comment Joe, thank you. Weddings are great but exhausting hey? Hope you can find your footing shooting other stuff!

@joseuribe430 Ай бұрын

@@seandalt thank you!

@andreamcduffie8908 2 ай бұрын

I would like a video on pricing too!

@designedupstate5598 2 ай бұрын

Great video, I would like to know what focal length and aperture did you shoot this video on?

@Nicole.Sisson Ай бұрын

Just found your channel! Thanks for sharing so much valuable info. ❤ The link for the workshop in the description does not work? 🤔

@seandalt Ай бұрын

Thank you Nicole! Appreciate the love :) the workshop is not currently available but you can join the waitlist for when I release it again :)

@MLR_Leigh 4 ай бұрын

Great video Sean, thank you. I am curious to know how you would (as a beginner) deliver work to the clients without the paid subscription gallery tools. Did you start out with cloud based storage websites? Looking forward to checking out your other videos and links.

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching Leigh! Dropbox and google drive are great for that :)

@focusonbusinesspodcast 10 күн бұрын

I really love this video - such useful tips on starting a photography business. I really love the imposter syndrome part (I still struggle a little with it!). I’m secretly (but now not so secret) hoping you would come on my podcast. I would absolutely love it!

@iamomiix3272 2 ай бұрын

THANK YOU SIR I LIKE YOUR TIPS I WILL APPLIED YOUR TIPS IN MY PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS 🙏👁

@seandalt 2 ай бұрын

100%, I got you!

@CarlosRojas-ed8ji 2 ай бұрын

Sean, I dont have my camera yet, but what are your thoughts on using pictures ive taken on my iPhone Pro Max to start building

@Ten16Media 4 ай бұрын

I wish I saw this before I started, I AGREE WITH EVERY TIP! LOL but, I was aggressive and fell in love with photography and its been history ever since!

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

It's such an addicting hobby, ride that wave!

@Ten16Media 4 ай бұрын

Been a photographer and content creator for Harley since 2019! =) You can make a career out of a hobby! @@seandalt

@WeiK0 2 ай бұрын

Nice video😊

@seandalt 2 ай бұрын

Thank you brother!

@hebagowiely2665 Ай бұрын

Pricing advice pleaseee 🙏

@thepanel2935 4 ай бұрын

... but so many *travel* shooters are _photo-journalists_ and their style of marketing (client base) is totally different, and editorial fees for shoots and images are _low,_ especially if you agree to sell your photos as "stock" on a _royalty-free_ basis.

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

This is a more difficult approach to take and there isn't a huge market for it. Client work is much more in demand and accessible to us as photographers, and it also pays much better. Photo journalism is rewarding and exciting, but I wouldn't expect to get paid much from it. The same goes for stock photography, unless you've been consistently uploading to stock sites for years you are much better off putting your energy towards scoring clients or creating content for social media.

@63MacGuy 4 ай бұрын

Are those base rates per hour or total job?

@cheekymunky80 2 күн бұрын

As a freelancer, please make sure you can deliver something decent. Pictures are probably the last 10% of what you do, the other is relationships, understanding the client and what they want. I always work on the rule that I’m only as good as my last job. So don’t look at the banger you took 5 years ago, one bad job and word gets around. Pricing is all about you, workout what you need to earn to live the life you want and break the hours of available time to ‘work’ into a monetary value to achieve that, that’s the price…. If you love it, it doesn’t feel like hard work, so it’s easy to under value. And in the sea of instagram, you aren’t competing with smart phones and the average joe, so don’t be put off by everyone having in g a camera and taking snaps… in a see of poop the good stuff stand a out and if someone does manage a better pic than you, so what, you can’t be everywhere at every angle.

@sloop24 Ай бұрын

Where do you find models for your shoots? Also thank you for this video!

@seandalt Ай бұрын

Depends! I have built up quite a few connections with models I can always shoot with. Met through friends and IG. IG is always a good place to start.

@jasonkujawa8595 4 ай бұрын

pricing video would be lovely

@RyanYu1998 Ай бұрын

This is so helpful!!! Thank you so much Sean

@seandalt Ай бұрын

Absolutely Ryan! Thanks for watching man

@fammilogga 22 күн бұрын

What happened to the free 1h workshop? not done yet or gone?

@youngerbrotherpictures 4 ай бұрын

Always curious about the barrier to entry when it comes to paid landscape photography. In other words, since we're not starting with REI or on assignment with Nat Geo, in what way does landscape photography apply to let's say smaller, more local businesses? How can we market, use it to target, and ultimately utilize it (landscape photography) as a business tool? Thanks Sean!

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

Great question! It's more difficult to monetize landscape photography in particular, but it's possible. One way is by working with tourism boards/travel companies (the latter being easier to score) but landscapes only comprise one part of these jobs (the other being several styles of photography highlighting various activities/experiences in said location). The content creator approach works well for landscape as well, and while it can take more time build up, it allows you the ultimate freedom to shoot whatever you want. Ideally, you just strike a middle ground. When you go out to shoot your landscapes, bring a product or a model to include in your scene. More often than not a photo with a subject is more marketable for your portfolio than just a pure landscape photo. And you can still shoot the landscape while you're there in between shots with the model/product :) Few photographers put in the time to venture out to epic locations to shoot products/models, so that background in landscape photography and location scouting lends incredibly well to the industry.

@youngerbrotherpictures 4 ай бұрын

@@seandalt Great points, and thank you for taking the time to give that insight! I've been fortunate lately to have done 2 trips shooting photos and videos for my friend's culinary travel company - he is an award winning chef and his company operates primarily in Northern Italy...so the landscapes (both photo and video) aren't necessarily a huge focus of theirs. We do get some landscape shots and drone footage though from time to time. But it's more the people, food, other chefs, wine, etc that they want their content focused around. Which makes total sense. That said, I'm also heading back to Switzerland (I found your channel through the Switzerland challenge actually - great video series!) next month for my 3rd time back there and thinking about pitching local apparel companies on kind of rugged/hiking/lifestyle type photos. Or thereabouts haha. Thanks again for your detailed response Sean! Sincerely appreciate it!

@noonereally586 3 ай бұрын

I have been thinking about trying going pro in photography, full time. I am quite scared to try as I feel like the market is too saturated, also as phone cameras get better i am worried its a job that might drastically slow down

@danielnanahiniedogi2668 2 ай бұрын

Pricing

@RangelENT Ай бұрын

Which Watt brother is this?

@seandalt Ай бұрын

😂😂 massive compliment. Fun fact I actually played OL in college as well

@andrew_aden 4 ай бұрын

do you have working visa in thailand and bali doing photography there? asking for a friend who got deported shooting content right there by learning from these kind of videos.

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

I have a business in Indonesia which allows me to act as a creator director on my shoots, but I no longer take large jobs in Thailand for this reason. Generally speaking, a small shoot here or there is okay (especially if it's for a business that's not located in the country you're in). Just don't overstep your boundaries without the proper visa. If you want to operate a full-time photography business abroad, you need to put in the time to get the proper visa.

@PrototypeSourri 4 ай бұрын

I'm really into street and don't know how to apply this :D

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

Street is more difficult unfortunately. But there are ways! I know there are some other videos by street photographers who have chatted about this. That said, it’s not as lucrative and a lot of street photographers work freelance for $$ and the street stuff is personal.

@jesusgjchuza6491 4 ай бұрын

🤝🤝

@joseuribe430 Ай бұрын

pricing video, please

@seandalt Ай бұрын

I will make it eventually! I promise :) I do offer a pretty detailed pricing guide which you can get alongside my pitching bundle

@eyekon_media Ай бұрын

I'm at the slowest i've been for my business.

@seandalt Ай бұрын

I hope things pick up for you 🙏🏼 maybe it’s time to pivot?

@elpee2416 4 ай бұрын

first here..?!😎

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

Legend 🔥

@moritzzoellner 4 ай бұрын

„You don’t need to register your business“? Well, the German taxman would like to have a word..

@kaskoPhoto 4 ай бұрын

I think all tax locals will have issue with that.

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

The majority of those who watch my channel are American citizens. You can operate legally as a sole proprietor without registering an official business with the tax authority. You are the business in this case, and your earnings will be included in your personal tax return. Of course every country is different so it’s difficult to discuss this from catch all perspective, so I apologize to all the Germans out there!

@AskMOTT 4 ай бұрын

Please please don't follow the advice to use mock shoots to mislead potential clients that you've shot for clients that you haven't actually worked for. It's terrible advice, let's put aside the part about how unethical that is for various reasons and how insulting that is for the photographers who actually have earned spots working for those companies. You're straight-up begging to make a bad reputation for yourself in the industry you're trying to be part of. So let's say you do a "pretend shoot" for Pepsi and try to make that look like you did a shoot for Pepsi with the product highlighted prominently. Then down the road, you actually get a shoot for Pepsi or a marketing person that used to work for Pepsi and they say "oh who was that shoot for, where did it run, who did you work with? " Good companies sniff out BS well and bad reputations stain. I'm not trying to be a jerk or hater here, go out and practice but avoid shortcuts like misleading and exaggerating your resume. Try mock shoots yes, but don't present them or rather misrepresent them as paid shoots for those clients.

@seandalt 4 ай бұрын

I understand where you’re coming from, and I agree that we shouldn’t mislead clients. I hope I didn’t come across that way in the video, never have I vouched for that. You definitely shouldn’t list those brands under “brands I’ve worked with” or anything like that, but including photos that you shot of products can most certainly be included in your portfolio. If someone asks if you worked with that brand, you let them know that it wasn’t a paid job and instead a spec shoot. This is pretty common practice in the photography community. Going off of that, say you complete a spec shoot for Pepsi without prior contact with them. Reaching out to them with those images after the fact is a great way to build rapport, and possibly even license those images. I understand where you are coming from for sure, but capturing cool photos of products shouldn’t be gatekeeped by commercial photographers that are active in the industry. We are not trying to mislead anyone, and should never make the claim we worked with a brand when we actually didn’t. Rather, the point is to build a portfolio that attracts clients we’d like to work with.

@AskMOTT 4 ай бұрын

@@seandalt I'm all for going and shooting spec and shooting the portfolio you want to get paid to shoot. I just feel it's a slippery slope for some on how they use or represent those images. I see numerous photographers and content teams embellish their resumes for short term gains and long term they ruin their reputation. For example, I know photographers and even small agencies here in Vietnam that would go to a hotel and pretend to shoot for some low end magazine to get access then that photographer/agency puts the logo of that prestigious hotel brand on their images in private pitches and put those images on their website to make it look like they did the work for the hotel. They even eventually just started calling them a client, long term they were a joke and everyone knew it. I'm all about being industrious and going out to practice but the temptation to mislead and misrepresent will always be there and as an educator still working in this industry I feel it's a responsibility to mention these things to new people starting out.