Being a semi-pro, pro or freelance photographer is, in our opinion, one of the best jobs a person could have. You are your own boss, you aren’t working a 9-5 (even though the hours can be demanding), you can travel the world, meet interesting people and be creative. But making a living as a photographer isn’t always easy.  As with any awesome profession, there are a lot of people making amazing work and thus a lot of competition. To thrive in this saturated market, you need to stand out from the pack. To help you do this and to help you continue to be successful at what you love, we have created a list of seven easy ways to grow your photography business, get more work and wow your clients.

1. Take Amazing Pictures, Deliver Great Work: Let’s be honest, the number one way to wow your clients is to shoot beautiful photography for them. As basketball star Alan Iverson said, “when you are not practicing, someone else is getting better.” Practice does make perfect. So get out there and practice, practice, practice; shoot, improve, make mistakes, learn and perfect your craft. Word of mouth is your best source of lead generation. Wow, every client = more and more jobs.

2. Edit like a Pro: Editing your photos can take them to the next level or can make them look overly saturated and amateur. Editing your photos properly is as important as the act of taking them. Become a master at editing, understand your editing software and formulate a time efficient workflow. Be careful not to over edit your work. Editing should be used as a tool to enhance your pictures without the viewer thinking it was enhanced post production. Subtle edits go a long way, so learn to use the tools.

3. Create a MyPublisher Photo Book For Your Client: Self-publish the best photos you shot for a client in a beautiful MyPublisher photo book or album. Give one book as part of your package offering to your client. Delivering your photography in a tangible book form will add more value than you can imagine. For your clients, having  a book that can sit on their coffee table is much more valuable than a digital folder full of images that no one will ever see. Give your clients the option to buy more photos books and albums from you. You can make money when they do so by marking them up. Trust us, this will WOW your clients!

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4. Understand Your Client’s Tastes: Often overlooked, this is an important aspect of being a photographer. Everyone has different tastes, especially when it comes to art and creativity. Just because you love the look or style of something doesn’t mean your client will. Understand what styles and general creative vision they have. Show them some of your archives of different styles of shots, lighting, editing, etc. Learn what they are attracted to and deliver just that. This will guarantee they are happy with you (your listening skills), your work and your deliverables.

5. Be on Time, on Budget and on Deadline: As with anything in life you should be true to your word. Be on time for your meetings, phone calls, shoots and delivery of your final shots/books. Build yourself a little extra time in your timeline so you never get into a pinch with unforeseen circumstances. By delivering on time (or even a little early) you will build trust with your clients and be one step closer to getting repeat business.

6. Define Simple and Clear Contracts:  It is important that you and your client clearly understand how much they are paying you and what they will get in return for that payment. Create a simple contract document that outlines what you will deliver, when and for how much money. The more specific and detailed you are in this document, the less room there will be for any disputes down the road. You will be amazed at the amount of free quality legal templates there are by just doing a quick Google search. Hopefully, your contract with your client will be just a formality and won’t need to be revisited, but it’s important to have everything written out clearly so either of you can reference it if anything is in question. If a dispute arises it is also important to document how it would be resolved. Being organized in this way will show your client that you are a professional and give them more confidence working with you.

7. Offer Your Client Physical Deliverable Options: Offering your client the ability to easily obtain physical keepsakes of your photos is an often overlooked service by a photographer. Give your clients the ability  to create prints, cards, stationery, photo books, albums, gifts, calendars and other offerings with their favorite photos of their shoot. Create your own price list for your client and use a self-publish service such as MyPublisher. You can make some extra cash by marking up this service and add a lot of value to your clients. It will be the difference between a bunch of photos that live on the computer, online and Facebook and seeing them every day in their homes and offices. They will love it!