There are three pieces of really bad “pro advice” that have cropped up more than once on YouTube channels. We need to talk about this to help you avoid wasting time and losing money unnecessarily if you’re thinking about making a living from your camera.
Often, this kind of advice comes from those who make videos titled “What Pros Know” and “Top 7 Pro Tips.” You get the idea—you’ve seen them. I’ve yet to discover a piece of this “pro advice” that I’m familiar with. I have to wonder, what pros are they actually asking?
Bad Advice 1: DM Potential Clients and Save Time—You Don’t Need to Meet Them in Person
Wait while I pick myself up off the floor—this one knocks me over each time I hear a version of it. It’s unbelievably bad advice and is a case of “just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.”
Technology has allowed us to connect with more people in far-off locations, and quite often, we can get work from them. A few DMs or emails, and we’ve got a client. Great. But most of these long-distance situations rarely last. One or two projects, and they fizzle out. I’ve had many people contact me over the years and give me work, but because they were so far away and we never met to really connect and get to know each other, the relationships never lasted. Why? Because these people have the same DM-based connection with dozens of others just like you, and you’re usually looked at as a mere creative commodity.
The connections that do last are those where you meet someone in person and develop a real relationship with them. You create an emotional connection and bond.
All of my work comes from relationships I’ve developed over many years with people I’ve met face-to-face and gotten to know, and from them recommending me to others. Creative business advisor and author Andy Strote calls them “business friends.”
Andy recommends that if clients are local and you can meet with them, do so. Your goal is to make them your “business friends.” You should avoid being an “anonymous supplier.” Be the photographer or videographer they call whenever they have an appropriate job.
What’s a “business friend”? Someone you’d have coffee or lunch with. Someone with whom you could talk about a broader range of subjects than just the current project. Someone for whom you’d do a favor when they need one.
A business friend will recommend you to other potential clients. They’ll give you a testimonial for your website.
With business friends, you enjoy working with each other. Both of you look forward to the next project.
Some photographers think that this relationship-building is inefficient. But then they wonder why so many of their projects are “one and done” and why they never hear from clients again.
Andy says, “If you keep your distance, if you only want to communicate by text and try to avoid face-to-face meetings, you become anonymous and easily forgettable.”
It’s even better when you make business friends with “professional clients.”
Bad Advice 2: Small Cool Clients Are The Way to Go!
How many YouTubers have you watched filming coffee-making in slow motion in their local coffee shop, creating cool cinematic B-roll to a nice piece of music? Or photographing moodily lit product shots and flat lays for that coffee shop? Maybe doing both! Who doesn’t want to get paid to do that?
Well, the reality is this isn’t the way to make a sustainable living from your camera. That local coffee shop—or any kind of local business—might hire you to make one little video or set of photos for their website and social media, but it’s likely to be a one-off. Small local businesses are not “professional clients.” You’re taking money directly out of their pocket, and they rarely have much for marketing.
The YouTubers who film themselves making these little videos or photo sets aren’t always saying, “Go out and find clients like this,” but that’s the impression being given. It’s important to understand that this content is being made for a YouTube channel, often showcasing a piece of gear that is sponsored. That’s where the income is being generated—not from the small business being featured. The YouTubers who make these videos don’t make their living working for the small businesses they feature, yet they are happy to give the impression they do and share advice about working for them. This is incredibly disingenuous and misleading.
Working for a small local business is a great way to dip your toes into the world of client work and build up a portfolio, but it’s NOT the way to make a sustainable living as a content creator.
To make a sustainable living with your camera, you need a few clients who provide regular work. You need “professional clients.”
What’s a ‘Professional Client’?
Professional clients work for large or medium-sized businesses or organizations. Usually, their jobs are related to marketing or advertising. They have annual budgets dedicated to the work they do. It’s not their money; it’s company money. Their job is to spend those budgets as effectively as possible.
Andy explains, “I see too many photographers chasing after ‘amateur clients.’ Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t bad people. It’s just that they’re likely business owners who wear all the hats required to run their companies. They’re not professional marketers.”
“That means they haven’t set aside budgets for the work that you would do for them. So, their first question is, ‘How much is this going to cost?’ sometimes before the job is adequately defined. They ask this because the money is personal—theirs versus company money.
That often means you’re fighting an uphill battle regarding budgets and project scope. By the time you’re finished, you’re working for less than minimum wage. It’s a challenging way to build a photography business.”
I’ve always looked for professional clients. They have appropriate budgets, they write briefs that make sense, and they understand processes and timelines. Most importantly, they have lots of jobs. Many times, when I finished one job, I’d get briefed for the next one. It’s a much easier way to work.
How do you get professional clients? You work your way up. You might start with shoots you’ve done for coffee shops, small fashion labels, or local businesses. You’ll use your portfolio to approach bigger clients in your chosen sector. Your goal is always to find better clients with the potential for steady work.
You have to be conscious of the types of clients you’re looking for when prospecting for new work. With a strong portfolio, you can approach professional clients and, with a bit of effort, turn them into business friends. It’s a much more enjoyable way to work.
Bad Advice 3: You Need Big Pro Cameras and Impressive Gear
I was listening to a podcast once, and the wedding photographer on it stated that you need to have big pro-spec cameras to stand out and look the part of a professional. His argument was that many of the guests with an interest in photography would have something half-decent, and he was concerned he would look the same as them.
I’ve heard this from videographers too, who feel the need to build big, impressive rigs to look like professionals.
If you need to impress people with fancy gear, you’re doing it wrong. If you place your professionalism around gear, you lack self-confidence.
Clients aren’t paying for your gear—they’re paying for you. They’re paying for your skill, your way of seeing things, your creativity, your ability to solve visual communication problems. Most of all, they’re paying for the way you conduct your business.
A professional is someone who communicates clearly, defines expectations, turns up when they say they will, and delivers what they promised when they promised it.
All that matters is that you have the gear that allows you to deliver what you are being paid to deliver. I’ve never had a client look at my gear. They are looking at me—for an understanding of what is required, for a sense of trust. Certainly not at how big my lens is.
This idea—again from YouTubers—that you need the latest and greatest gear is about them trying to pander to camera manufacturers and sell you stuff. It’s not reality. Professionals try to spend as little as possible on gear because the more they spend, the less they earn.
Good Advice For Making a Living From Your Camera.
If you have a desire to make a living from your camera, or even do a bit of freelance work on the side, then one of the best books you can buy is How To Become a Successful Creative Freelancer. Author Andy Strote has a lifetime of experience, starting out as a freelancer, and then going on to found a few very successful creative agencies. And I know this because I started one of the agencies with him.
The pages of his book are packed with excellent advice based on over 45 years of experience and knowledge. It’s an invaluable tool that will help put you on track for monetizing your creative journey.
If, like Andy, you build your creative freelance business, and want to scale things up and start a creative agency, then he has you covered in that regard too. How To Start a Successful Creative Agency is a must-read.
