On getting your first commissions
In this issue, I share notes on some of my first commissions and how I got them.
The artist Tilly Mint photographed for whynow world, March 2020
The other week, I made a recorded video for the wonderful Work-Show-Grow platform run by the also wonderful Natasha Caruana. I spoke about freelancing - the three things I wish I did before I went freelance, and three things I did do that helped enormously. You can see it here. I got a few incredibly sweet messages after and was asked about getting my first commissions, and I thought that this week I would share my answer and expand a little.
Getting your first commissions is such a brilliant feeling and I’m not sure that it will ever go away, the realisation that people are actually willing to give us money to do this thing that we love to do. Thinking back, the first time I was legit paid for my photography I must have been around fifteen or sixteen, and I was photographing live bands regularly at a local rock night. It was only one time (after some drama between the two owners who had split and were each running a local rock night, both of which I photographed at) and it was only a tenner, but it was hella exciting.
It’s a double-edged sword, but social media has been essential for me. I don’t mean having a huge number of followers, which I don’t, but being present, consistent, and building a community - making friends and genuine relationships instead of simply networking - has been paramount. It’s tough to not let it control your life, especially as a professional creative, so work on finding a balance that’s good for you. I spoke about this a bit in ‘Reasons To Be Unproductive’, and for me it’s a combination of scheduling, app timers, and liberal usage of mute and block.
Alongside social media are the creative platforms like Behance, Ello, thedots, Linkedin (not so creative, but still incredibly useful) etc. The above applies here also: being present, and consistently so. It was through thedots that my work was found by a picture editor, which then led to a portrait commission for The Telegraph Magazine - my first print commission.
One way to keep consistently present is by working on personal projects, or making your own “commissions”. This is especially good if you’re early on in your career and don’t have much work or if it’s been a while. As an example, when I went freelance last summer I wanted to work on getting portrait commissions but I didn’t really have much portrait work I could show. I put out an open call and invited anyone and everyone to come and sit for me in the month of July, and now the majority of my portrait portfolio is made up of these collaborations. Be mindful of creating just to share, though; don’t let social media become your main drive.
While online presence is important, your offline world is too. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and many of my freelance peers gain work just from this. Always talk to people about your work and what you do, what you’re looking to work on, without shyness and with confidence - a lot of the time, someone you know will know someone else that may be able to give you work. And that’s exactly how I landed this portrait commission for whynow, a sick arts and culture platform.
Finally, pitching. Pitching is an incredibly useful tool, a way for you to get in with the clients, companies, organisations... whoever it is you want to work with. Don’t wait for commissions to come to you, for your dream clients to come to you. This happens so rarely in the beginning. Take the first step and get in touch, and don’t worry if you don’t hear back (people are hella busy out here, and I more often get a reply after following up). If you do hear back and it’s a no, it’s still not the end of the world; try again after a while, when you’ve got some new work and new ideas.
As with any process that involves you putting yourself out there, it can be scary and challenging but it’s absolutely worth it. Remember to be open-minded aswell; I had an idea which I pitched to an existing event client, someone I wouldn’t have expected to commission me for anything - I got a long-term portrait commission out of it (though sadly lockdown has put a pause on that!).
So, to wrap up:
Consistency and being present is key. Big up yourself and show up regularly. Be confident in yourself. Realise the difference between feeling ready and when you’re just putting something off. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Don’t be put off by rejection, you can always try again. Think outside of the box. Get out of your comfort zone, and often.
And perhaps most importantly; persevere.
Today’s Soundtrack
Reads
That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief
“Our primitive mind knows something bad is happening, but you can’t see it. This breaks our sense of safety. We’re feeling that loss of safety.”
Why The Outdoors Has A Race Problem And How It Can Be Fixed
“Most of us were born here, and know nothing else. We are born in the city where our parents, or grandparents, decided to move to. When they arrived their thoughts were not about walks in the Lake District, or trips to the Cornish coast, they instead revolved around paying for rent, food, and finding somewhere to educate their children.”
Sanctuary for Yorkshire's rural homeless during the pandemic
“Photographer Joanne Coates looks at the hidden crisis of rural homelessness. She provides an unexpected story of hope during the global crisis and a focus on the problems of those who could easily have been forgotten in the pandemic. In log cabins nestled in the heart of tranquility five men recount how they got there”
Opportunities
A word from our mascot, Sirius…
“If someone’s getting all up in your space, it’s okay to make that known.”
Hey! I’m a freelance portraiture, documentary, and adventure photographer working in London. Community and culture are the cornerstones of my work, and I also run of the land & us, an online journal for photographers exploring our relationship with the natural world.
‘Notes on Freelancing’ is my attempt to make becoming a freelance creative a bit less scary.
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