How to Find and Generate Freelance Photography Opportunities by Kelly Gammon

If you ask most freelance photographers how they get work, you will likely hear some variation on the same three answers: word of mouth, referrals, and networking. Most freelancers in any field will tell you that they typically spend as much time marketing their services as they do providing service. But what other options are there? This article will look at 5 ways to find and generate more freelance photography opportunities. Let's begin.

1. Get a copy of the current year's Photographer's Market.
Photographer's Market is an outstanding resource. It is published every year and lists approximately 1500 active buyers in a number of different categories. In addition to providing full contact information and valuable details about various markets, it will definitely expose you to possibilities that you never knew existed. Get Photographer's Market, gather a list of a few dozen potential clients and start sending queries.

2. Set up a portfolio website, keep it up-to-date and market it well. Include your website address in all of your correspondence, both print and electronic. If you participate in online forums that allow for signature files, put your portfolio website address in your signature. If you follow other photographers' blogs, there is usually an option, if you leave a comment on the blog, to include a web address that can be associated with your name. When you leave an insightful comment on posts you find especially interesting or informative, an active link to your website will remain with your comment, allowing others to find their way to you. They key is to create an online portfolio and then spread the word to get people there. Think of it as your business card for the twenty-first century.

3. Write articles. Pick topics about which you are comfortable writing and offer advice and guidance. How-to articles are an excellent starting point for articles. They are simple to organize and easy to compose from experience. Starting out you can submit your articles to online article directories and hopefully get some feedback. As you grow more confident in your writing abilities, branch out to your local newspaper, regional magazines and other online avenues. Once you have built up a portfolio of articles, query national magazines with article ideas. The key here is to establish yourself as an expert and get a byline.

4. Do interviews. Once you have established yourself as an expert in a certain area of photography, look for opportunities to do interviews. Look for opportunities both online and offline. Also, as you check out various job boards for photography work, be sure to keep an eye out for individuals looking for industry experts to interview. Once again, you are looking for ways to establish yourself as an authority and get our name and contact information in front of more people.

5. Teach an adult education class in photography. These are usually non-credit classes and workshops offered through community groups or colleges and universities. Depending on the interest level of the participants you might even expand this is into a series of classes covering different topics. Teaching adult education is another way to establish some credentials for yourself while making contacts in the community and getting your name better known. The great thing about adult education is that the people who participate in the classes have a strong desire to learn and are very receptive and appreciative.

Bonus Tip: If you have a local public radio station in your town, offer to do a 5-minute segment once a week geared toward amateur photographers. Most public radio stations welcome programming ideas and are often looking for new and interesting spots to attract local listeners.

For more tips on how to build or grow a successful freelance career, check out http://www.gofreelancenow.com