Deciding Between Commercial And General Photography
If you've always loved photography and would do anything to be able to squeeze it into your daily schedule, then a career in it just might be in order.
This is something that people do because they love it, so if you're going to consider getting into it seriously, you'll have to have that passion to create wonderful photographs.
This passion will drive you to a rewarding career in this field, but first, you have to decide between two areas where you can focus and have a greater chance of being successful as a photographer.
The first area you may consider as your specialty is general photography.
This applies to photographers who are working from home or freelance photographers, as they are commonly called.
You'll usually be hired for various occasions such as weddings, birthdays, corporate functions and the like.
You may also do family portraits and practically every other photography need that is considered personal.
You may also be hired by an aspiring actor or model to make for him a portfolio or you can be a regular at family events.
The second area of photography you may build a career on is commercial photography.
Here, you will be hired by companies that want pictures of their products to be used for their promotional or advertising materials such as flyers, billboards, brochures and the like.
You may also be hired by architectural firms, not just to advertise their creations, but also for them to keep files of buildings or structures they've built.
Architects can also hire you to photograph their works for comparisons or improvements.
Obviously, if you choose general photography, it will be much easier for you to build a name.
You can just put up a search engine-optimized website, hand out your business card to people you know, and count on word-of-mouth advertising.
You can also advertise your services on TV, print or radio, although this can cost you some, especially if you're a newbie.
If you are just starting, just do good with every project you undertake and you will slowly build your name over time.
If you're planning to go into commercial photography, you can expect a tougher time getting clients because there will be many photographers like you and you will all be competing for the trust of companies that may need your services.
The process of getting a contract with corporate clients is also often more rigorous, and you will usually have to show them that you've had a long career in photography and cite previous corporate clients who can give them a review of your past work.
In other words, if you're just starting a career in this field, commercial photography may be something you'll have to put off till you've built your credibility.
This is something that people do because they love it, so if you're going to consider getting into it seriously, you'll have to have that passion to create wonderful photographs.
This passion will drive you to a rewarding career in this field, but first, you have to decide between two areas where you can focus and have a greater chance of being successful as a photographer.
The first area you may consider as your specialty is general photography.
This applies to photographers who are working from home or freelance photographers, as they are commonly called.
You'll usually be hired for various occasions such as weddings, birthdays, corporate functions and the like.
You may also do family portraits and practically every other photography need that is considered personal.
You may also be hired by an aspiring actor or model to make for him a portfolio or you can be a regular at family events.
The second area of photography you may build a career on is commercial photography.
Here, you will be hired by companies that want pictures of their products to be used for their promotional or advertising materials such as flyers, billboards, brochures and the like.
You may also be hired by architectural firms, not just to advertise their creations, but also for them to keep files of buildings or structures they've built.
Architects can also hire you to photograph their works for comparisons or improvements.
Obviously, if you choose general photography, it will be much easier for you to build a name.
You can just put up a search engine-optimized website, hand out your business card to people you know, and count on word-of-mouth advertising.
You can also advertise your services on TV, print or radio, although this can cost you some, especially if you're a newbie.
If you are just starting, just do good with every project you undertake and you will slowly build your name over time.
If you're planning to go into commercial photography, you can expect a tougher time getting clients because there will be many photographers like you and you will all be competing for the trust of companies that may need your services.
The process of getting a contract with corporate clients is also often more rigorous, and you will usually have to show them that you've had a long career in photography and cite previous corporate clients who can give them a review of your past work.
In other words, if you're just starting a career in this field, commercial photography may be something you'll have to put off till you've built your credibility.
