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How do you break into the commercial photography industry with no previous professional experience?
I have a bachelor of fine arts with a major in photography. I previously have only photographed people, for example, weddings, and portraiture. I have five years experience as a photo retoucher at a major jewelry corporation. I am currently working on a portfolio of product images.
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8 answers
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ALAN’s Answer
Get work as an assistant for an existing commercial photographer. Watch carefully, take notes, show up on time, and only offer advice if you're asked for it. Build up your equipment inventory, and if you don't already have one, save up for a medium format camera/lens combination and at least four strobes with boxes and modifiers. I'd recommend battery/AC powered Godox or ProFoto monolights so you can work both in studio and on location, the latter without worrying about electrical cords. I know that sounds expensive, but chances are the existing shooters you'll be competing with most likely have a similar kit. You didn't mention what tools you already own, so I'm just stating what should be obvious. If you can, get a credit card that you ONLY use for business. In the beginning use it, if you have to, to rent what equipment you don't already have or a studio rental for a paying shoot. Keep really good financial records so that when the nonsensical IRS smoke settles and they re-decide what is, and what is not, deductible you won't find yourself scrambling every 90 days to do your quarterly taxes, much less your end-of-years. Understand that, above all, commercial photography is a business. It can be a wonderful business, but there will also be days where you want to stop at Home Depot on the way home so you can buy a rubber mallet to hit yourself over the head with.
Updated
Zafreen’s Answer
Get really good at lighting, composition, and editing your photos.
Try taking different kinds of commercial photos, like products, food, fashion, and real estate.
Play around with both natural and studio lights.
Begin with your own projects that look like real commercial work.
Offer free or cheap photo sessions to local businesses to build your portfolio.
Focus on quality, not quantity—only show your best, polished photos.
Learn about pricing, contracts, and licensing fees.
Understand what clients want, copyright rules, and how to deliver files the right way.
Think about taking business classes or learning from online sources.
Reach out to local businesses, startups, and agencies to offer your services.
Join photography groups, go to industry events, and meet other photographers.
Use Instagram, LinkedIn, and Behance to show your work and connect with potential clients.
Try taking different kinds of commercial photos, like products, food, fashion, and real estate.
Play around with both natural and studio lights.
Begin with your own projects that look like real commercial work.
Offer free or cheap photo sessions to local businesses to build your portfolio.
Focus on quality, not quantity—only show your best, polished photos.
Learn about pricing, contracts, and licensing fees.
Understand what clients want, copyright rules, and how to deliver files the right way.
Think about taking business classes or learning from online sources.
Reach out to local businesses, startups, and agencies to offer your services.
Join photography groups, go to industry events, and meet other photographers.
Use Instagram, LinkedIn, and Behance to show your work and connect with potential clients.
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
Please, starting is difficult but you need to srart something and put what you have learned into practice. Please start something small in your community's, family member friends and use social media to advertise your product. Don't charge too much , let ur charges be moderate.
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Dj Bi na’s Answer
By being yourself find yourway,know your self be your self never be another one,stay true to your self
Updated
Eric Scott’s Answer
Breaking into the commercial photography industry in Boston requires a strategic plan. Here’s how you can use your skills and grow:
1. Use Your Skills and Experience:
* Retouching Expertise:
* Highlight your five years of retouching experience at a major jewelry company in your portfolio. This shows your technical skill and ability to enhance product images.
* Your experience helps you make products look their best, a key skill in commercial photography.
* Photography Basics:
* Your BFA in photography gives you a strong base in composition, lighting, and storytelling.
* Wedding and portrait experience shows you can work with clients and manage shoots.
* Product Photography Portfolio:
* Keep building your product photography portfolio. Focus on a variety of products and show you can capture them well.
* Pay attention to lighting, styling, and composition.
* Include your retouching skills in your product portfolio.
* Develop a unique style that makes your images stand out.
2. Portfolio and Online Presence:
* Specialized Portfolio:
* Create a separate portfolio for commercial work. Tailor it to the types of photography you want to do, like product or advertising.
* Show your skill with different lighting and compositions.
* Online Presence:
* Build a professional website with your portfolio.
* Use Instagram and LinkedIn to show your work and connect with clients.
* Optimize your website and social media for search engines to increase visibility.
* High-Quality Images:
* Ensure your portfolio has high-quality, technically perfect images, as commercial clients are very selective.
3. Networking and Connections:
* Local Networking:
* Attend industry events and meetups in Boston.
* Connect with advertising agencies, design firms, and marketing professionals.
* Reach out to local businesses that might need your services.
* Online Networking:
* Connect with photographers and industry professionals on LinkedIn.
* Join online photography communities.
* Assistant/Intern:
* Consider assisting established photographers in Boston to gain experience and build your network. Contact photographers you admire for opportunities.
4. Outreach and Marketing:
* Identify Your Niche:
* Decide on the specific type of commercial photography you want to specialize in. This will help focus your marketing efforts.
* Create a Marketing Plan:
* Plan how to reach potential clients. This could include personalized emails, brochures, or targeted ads.
* Cold Outreach:
* Research local businesses you want to work with. Create personalized emails showing how your photography can benefit them.
* Offer test shoots or samples of your work.
* Build Relationships:
* Focus on long-term relationships with clients. Provide excellent service and quality work.
5. Considerations for Boston:
* Cost of Living:
* Boston is expensive. Factor this into your pricing and budget.
* Competition:
* The market is competitive. Work hard to stand out.
* Local Resources:
* Explore local resources like rental studios and equipment suppliers.
* Transportation:
* Plan for travel time due to Boston traffic.
Key Points:
* Your retouching skills are a big advantage.
* A strong, specialized portfolio is crucial.
* Networking and relationships are key.
* Be persistent and patient. Success takes time.
* Don’t hesitate to work for free or low cost initially to build your portfolio and network.
By using your skills and focusing on marketing and networking, you can break into Boston’s commercial photography industry.
1. Use Your Skills and Experience:
* Retouching Expertise:
* Highlight your five years of retouching experience at a major jewelry company in your portfolio. This shows your technical skill and ability to enhance product images.
* Your experience helps you make products look their best, a key skill in commercial photography.
* Photography Basics:
* Your BFA in photography gives you a strong base in composition, lighting, and storytelling.
* Wedding and portrait experience shows you can work with clients and manage shoots.
* Product Photography Portfolio:
* Keep building your product photography portfolio. Focus on a variety of products and show you can capture them well.
* Pay attention to lighting, styling, and composition.
* Include your retouching skills in your product portfolio.
* Develop a unique style that makes your images stand out.
2. Portfolio and Online Presence:
* Specialized Portfolio:
* Create a separate portfolio for commercial work. Tailor it to the types of photography you want to do, like product or advertising.
* Show your skill with different lighting and compositions.
* Online Presence:
* Build a professional website with your portfolio.
* Use Instagram and LinkedIn to show your work and connect with clients.
* Optimize your website and social media for search engines to increase visibility.
* High-Quality Images:
* Ensure your portfolio has high-quality, technically perfect images, as commercial clients are very selective.
3. Networking and Connections:
* Local Networking:
* Attend industry events and meetups in Boston.
* Connect with advertising agencies, design firms, and marketing professionals.
* Reach out to local businesses that might need your services.
* Online Networking:
* Connect with photographers and industry professionals on LinkedIn.
* Join online photography communities.
* Assistant/Intern:
* Consider assisting established photographers in Boston to gain experience and build your network. Contact photographers you admire for opportunities.
4. Outreach and Marketing:
* Identify Your Niche:
* Decide on the specific type of commercial photography you want to specialize in. This will help focus your marketing efforts.
* Create a Marketing Plan:
* Plan how to reach potential clients. This could include personalized emails, brochures, or targeted ads.
* Cold Outreach:
* Research local businesses you want to work with. Create personalized emails showing how your photography can benefit them.
* Offer test shoots or samples of your work.
* Build Relationships:
* Focus on long-term relationships with clients. Provide excellent service and quality work.
5. Considerations for Boston:
* Cost of Living:
* Boston is expensive. Factor this into your pricing and budget.
* Competition:
* The market is competitive. Work hard to stand out.
* Local Resources:
* Explore local resources like rental studios and equipment suppliers.
* Transportation:
* Plan for travel time due to Boston traffic.
Key Points:
* Your retouching skills are a big advantage.
* A strong, specialized portfolio is crucial.
* Networking and relationships are key.
* Be persistent and patient. Success takes time.
* Don’t hesitate to work for free or low cost initially to build your portfolio and network.
By using your skills and focusing on marketing and networking, you can break into Boston’s commercial photography industry.
Updated
David’s Answer
Hey Brian,
If you want to shoot commercial, I assume you mean advertising, photography then you website needs to be images that match that genre of work. Look at the advertising photographers websites in the Boston area and see what the quality of their work looks like. Your images have to be as good, or better. ONLY show your very best images.
Advertising assignments come mainly from advertising agencies. Find the agencies in Boston and query them to look at your website. That is going to be your primary source of work. Major corporations may have some work. You will have to figure out who to query.
Do you have studio space? Do you have studio lighting? Operating a commercial studio is expensive. Maybe you can share space with another photographer. Or, rent a studio when you need one.
Maybe you can find a photographers representative to show your work and hustle for you. A direct mail piece might be helpful.
Don't waste your time and money on professional organizations. Don't push retouching except as a side benefit for your clients.
You might see if you can buy a working pro lunch and pick his brain.
Your are only as valuable to a client if you can produce the images they require. Your degree is not a plus. Best of luck.
If you want to shoot commercial, I assume you mean advertising, photography then you website needs to be images that match that genre of work. Look at the advertising photographers websites in the Boston area and see what the quality of their work looks like. Your images have to be as good, or better. ONLY show your very best images.
Advertising assignments come mainly from advertising agencies. Find the agencies in Boston and query them to look at your website. That is going to be your primary source of work. Major corporations may have some work. You will have to figure out who to query.
Do you have studio space? Do you have studio lighting? Operating a commercial studio is expensive. Maybe you can share space with another photographer. Or, rent a studio when you need one.
Maybe you can find a photographers representative to show your work and hustle for you. A direct mail piece might be helpful.
Don't waste your time and money on professional organizations. Don't push retouching except as a side benefit for your clients.
You might see if you can buy a working pro lunch and pick his brain.
Your are only as valuable to a client if you can produce the images they require. Your degree is not a plus. Best of luck.
Updated
Rob’s Answer
The step up to working commercial photographer is not an easy one, and there is no obvious, clear career path anymore. Your college degree and your current background gives you a place to start, though. The big challenge is expanding your network of professionals who can teach/guide you and point you to opportunities. I would highly recommend starting with the photographer(s) who shoot the images you are retouching. Express your interest in learning how to do what they do (the creative end, the technical end the business end). And don't be afraid to ask them for further connections. Assisting/entry level positions are considerably more rare than they were a generation ago, but finding someone to learn from is way easier than trying to figure everything out for yourself.
From there, the next step generally involves patience and putting yourself to be in the right place at the right time. You do need to develop a reputation as a hard-working, capable, easy-to-work with creative. You have to be a little bit lucky, but if you have a good reputation and a solid network of connections, you will be positioned to seize opportunity when it finally does arrive.
From there, the next step generally involves patience and putting yourself to be in the right place at the right time. You do need to develop a reputation as a hard-working, capable, easy-to-work with creative. You have to be a little bit lucky, but if you have a good reputation and a solid network of connections, you will be positioned to seize opportunity when it finally does arrive.
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Bryan !
You have wonderful qualifications and a great work experience history as a professional photographer. Living in Boston, you will need to make stronger connections if you want more work or to expand the variety of your work.
One thing you can do is to register your photography services with online directories for people to find you and hire you. Register at Yelp, Bark and Upwork. Connect with the (Boston) Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts, and the Boston Camera Club (a professional organization). It just may be that you're not networking enough to get an idea of what is out there. In the fine arts, creative professions and the performing arts, it takes an enormous amount of networking for opportunities to open up.
Do you have a home studio ? If so you can expand your services to include head shots, promo shots and demo reels for Actors. These can be done outdoors or in a studio.
As an established professional photographer you should have examples of your work from the time you started college. The more versatile you can be and show, the more opportunities you will have, so gather some of your older projects to include with newer examples in your portfolio.
Most importantly, do not underestimate yourself. If you have been a working photographer for the amount of time you've mentioned, you have already stepped into the professional realm. It just may be that you want to expand, but you are still professional and qualified.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best. Ask more questions stating specifically what you are aiming for.
You have wonderful qualifications and a great work experience history as a professional photographer. Living in Boston, you will need to make stronger connections if you want more work or to expand the variety of your work.
One thing you can do is to register your photography services with online directories for people to find you and hire you. Register at Yelp, Bark and Upwork. Connect with the (Boston) Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts, and the Boston Camera Club (a professional organization). It just may be that you're not networking enough to get an idea of what is out there. In the fine arts, creative professions and the performing arts, it takes an enormous amount of networking for opportunities to open up.
Do you have a home studio ? If so you can expand your services to include head shots, promo shots and demo reels for Actors. These can be done outdoors or in a studio.
As an established professional photographer you should have examples of your work from the time you started college. The more versatile you can be and show, the more opportunities you will have, so gather some of your older projects to include with newer examples in your portfolio.
Most importantly, do not underestimate yourself. If you have been a working photographer for the amount of time you've mentioned, you have already stepped into the professional realm. It just may be that you want to expand, but you are still professional and qualified.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best. Ask more questions stating specifically what you are aiming for.