Q:

I recently started doing interior photography. I’m doing free shoots. Since you’ve been in the game for a while, I’d like to ask how did you transition from free shoots to paid shoots?

A:

I LOVE this question! There’s just so much to touch on in this topic, so let’s dive in.

First, I want to address the idea of doing free shoots. When starting out, I completely understand the feeling that you need to offer free shoots in order to gain experience or contacts with potential clients. There are, however, a few really strong reasons for NOT doing free work at all.

• It presents you as someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. If you approach a potential client and offer to do a free shoot, no string attached, then there’s a good chance that they’ll see you as someone who doesn’t really know what they’re doing. After all, if you knew what you were doing then why the need to offer it for free? This all goes back to the idea of perceived value, and why the rates you charge set the groundwork for the perceived value that you bring to your clients.
• People get suspicious. Yep. We live in a world where most folks are quick to think that if something is totally free, it’s because there’s a catch. And with information overload, nobody wants the hassle of a surprise catch. Especially when going out on a limb working with someone new! Doing cold calls and offering free sessions ends up raising red flags for many folks.
• It just never works. Trust me, I’ve tried the free approach. But the truth is that it very rarely ever gives you the benefit you’re hoping for, and you end up giving away all your time for very little upside. If you do it in hopes of keeping those folks as future clients, it almost never works (once they get you for free, why pay for your services?!).

So if you’re in a place of needing portfolio images and experience so you can hone your skills, what’s a good solution? There are a few options:

• To gain experience in the technical aspects, just photograph ANY space. Your kitchen, your friend’s living room, your mom’s master bedroom. Practicing with any space at all will just get you more comfortable and experienced with the settings, gear, editing, and process. Forget for a moment about whether the space is portfolio-worthy and just get practice. Also, photographing spaces that are less impressive will give you good practice for any potential real estate work (not all properties on the market are show-stoppers!).
• Look for the easiest way in to gaining experience and connections so that you can build up to dream clients. If you want to photograph large hotels, you’re probably not going to get too far contacting Hilton offices when you have zero experience. Personally, I think starting out with real estate photography is a natural way in to interiors. Why?
• Most markets have a constant need for photos.
• Agents are typically money-driven, so they’re looking for who can do the job for the lowest price.
• Budgets are way lower, so expectations are lower and the buy-in for an agent to go with an unknown is less risky. More on who to reach out to for this in a bit.
• Reach out to your network with specific asks. What I mean by this (in this case) is to consider certain types of properties that you would want to photograph and reach out to your current network - personal and business - to see if anyone has a property like this and would be open to you going in and doing a practice session in exchange for free images. NOTE: notice that I phrased it so that you’re not doing a free session for them. Rather, you’re asking if they’ll let you onto their property for some practice, and as a thank you for that, you’ll give them free images from that shoot. It’s a fine line between working for free and gifting images as a thank you for their open doors.
• While this isn’t the most ideal recommendation, taking on some work for larger companies that need local photographers (like AirBnB, for example) can give you great practice. These days, AirBnB is not as easy to get into because it’s become so saturated. There are other companies who similarly have photographer networks to send out on assignments. Keep in mind that these jobs typically pay very little, but if you’re currently doing work for free then this will be a small step up! The upside is that these companies send job requests to your inbox, so you do no searching for clients. The downside is that you have no control over how much work gets sent your way, so you could end up doing very little work for them. There are more and more companies like these popping up and a Google search will yield some results for your area, but Meero is another one that comes to mind and is worth considering.

Since I’m all about giving action items, here are a few specific recommendations on what to do next.

• Reach out to property management companies. Rather than going to individual owners, property management companies work with a long list of properties and often handle the photos for the homeowners. These companies will have local photographers they work with, and are often open to trying out new folks in order to save some cash. Once you have some sample photos from photographing friends’ homes, reach out to see if they’re open to hiring you for a sample shoot. If you’re tempted to offer free services, try offering a low price point instead. So if the typical rates are around $200, maybe offer to do a sample session at your current standard rate of $150.
• Seek out real estate agents. Agents are another group of folks who are always on the lookout for who can perform services for less money. Since most agents pay for marketing costs out of their commission, they are also money-driven. Use the same approach as above with agents to get in the door with a few. Also, it seems like these days most people know someone who’s a real estate agent, so ask around your network! With real estate folks, in-person events can also be very beneficial to making connections. Look for local networking events and try out a few to see which ones work for you.
• Review your website. Make sure that you have sample images to show that relate to what you want to photograph. Be clear on where you are based, and what areas you typically serve (this is especially important if you’re starting out with real estate - it’s all about location!). Check any areas where you can put in metadata or SEO phrases. This type of information is usually in the settings and can help Google know where you’re based so you appear on local results more often.

• Get educated! It’s so important to keep educating yourself so you can grow professionally. This includes techniques for editing and shooting, but also on the business end. The Grove is, of course, a fantastic source for resources specific to interior photography, but there are some others worth also checking out regularly! Here are a few recommendations:

• CreativeLive has some courses on photographing architecture and interiors, but also loads of courses on business. Most are pretty inexpensive and you can catch the live classes for free.
• I’ve been a commissioned writer for several photography sites over the years and have a large library of articles that have been written on a wide range of topics within photography. You can view that article library here: https://www.nataliarobert.com/writings
• Local photography groups. You can find fellow photographers through Facebook, Meetup, Instagram, and other in-person events. Try out a few different groups until you find one that feels like a good fit. Not only will you learn more about photography as a craft and business, but you’ll make connections that can lead to referrals!
• Google and YouTube. If you have any question, it’s going to be answered on Google or YouTube. Don’t be shy about asking your questions to the vast internet and then experimenting on your own to hone your skills. We happen to have a brand new YouTube channel for The Grove (it’s a tiny baby, so videos will keep getting added!), and you can find that here: The Grove YouTube channel.

So there you go!

I hope this helps. My hope is that you realize that free sessions is not the way to go, but there are other approaches to take as you start out that will give you experience and a bit of income for your efforts.

Trust me, I HAVE BEEN THERE. I’ve done the AirBnB shoots. I’ve work with real estate agents of all kinds. I’ve been the go-to photographer for a local vacation rental property management company. I’ve attended the networking breakfasts that make me hate business cards. It really is all part of a process, and just builds to give you more experience and a local reputation. However, giving away free shoots is not the way to build up to paid work, my friend. So I hope to hear from you soon with news of your PAID shoots filling your calendar!

xo
Natalia