10 Steps to Becoming a Commercial Photographer

Commercial photography offers photographers an enticing avenue to boost their income, but embarking on this journey can be daunting, requiring more than just mastering the technical elements.

What is commercial photography?

Commercial photography involves creating images for commercial use, typically for businesses, brands, or advertising purposes. It encompasses various genres such as product photography, fashion photography, corporate portraits, and more. The aim is to showcase products, services, or concepts in a visually appealing and persuasive manner to attract customers and fulfill marketing objectives.

I have a lot of classes that showcase lighting setups that are great for commercial work but I’ll often be asked “what about the business side of things?”. That’s where this class comes in!

In this class we’ll focus on business strategies and provide a roadmap for building your career as a commercial photographer. From exploring industry trends and cultivating professional contacts to crafting a compelling portfolio and devising effective marketing strategies, I’ll equip you with the multifaceted approaches essential for thriving in this competitive field.

I’ll break down the process of getting started in the commercial photography arena by providing 10 easy to follow steps that help mitigate the overwhelming feeling often associated with beginning this journey. Whether you dream of shooting for top brands or starting with small niche markets, this class will provide you with the knowledge to turn your passion for photography into a lucrative career.

My goal with this class is to prepare you to take the next steps with your passion without making it overwhelming. Hopefully by the end of this class you’ll feel empowered to take the new steps in your photography career!

Topics covered in this class:

• Finding your niche and playing to your strengths
• The role of production companies and photographers agents/reps
• Researching industry trends and opportunities
• Curating a target portfolio
• Building your dream client list (and gathering contacts)
• Industry research resources
• Developing a marketing strategy
• Email marketing basics
• Essentials of bidding and estimates
• And more!
  

Who is this class for?

• Beginner photographers who want to jump into commercial photography but unsure of where to begin or are overwhelmed
• Seasoned pros who want to pivot from personal/client work to working with business and brands
• Photographers tasked with commercial projects but haven’t done one before
• Photographers who want to graduate to higher pay days afforded by commercial work

FAQ

Will I learn about bidding and estimating for commercial clients?

YES, and no. We will touch briefly on the process of asking questions and determining production vs. licensing costs. If you want a much more in-depth look at bidding/estimating you’ll want to check out my class “The Anatomy of a Commercial Shoot”.

Does this class teaching lighting or other technical elements of commercial photography? 

This class focuses much more on the path of entering the world of commercial photography with an emphasis on business/marketing elements. Check out “Money Making Lighting Setups” if you’d like to learn my go-to commercial lighting techniques.