My personal opinion why photographers shouldn't work for free!
Let me start off by saying, my opinion does not apply to the charity work I do or big sponsoring I do and this is MY personal opinion.
I started my photography career 5 years ago and back then I didn't know what, where or who- I wasn't in the know. When we start out as photographers we want to get our name out there as quickly as possible, but quick is not the way to go. For the first year of my photography career I didn't charge any of my clients or models- as I was just starting out. I guess I can call it my "Gap Year".
Why not charge?
Simple example: Before a car manufacturer sells the car, they test drive it to check the safety, compatibility on the road etc. This was exactly what I did, I took my photography for a test drive. By doing so, I built up my portfolio and I don't regret it for one day. I learned a lot about myself and my skills as a photographer, breaking a lot of rules and abiding by some.
I believe that photographers starting out should do the same, even if it does not take you a full year, take some time and develop your skills and personal style. Yes we studied photography, yes we know how a camera works, how lighting works, but we don't have our own style until we develop it.
Still not answering the question; "Why shouldn't photographers work for free?"
All that said, working hard to become a good photographer takes time, patience and a lot of deleting...
When you start charging clients for your work, it means that you believe in your work and believe that you will do a good job.
As photographers we get a lot of "free" requests and for me, as with other photographers, we believe that we will get our name out there and people will see our work. But, are we setting ourselves up for a trap? My answer is YES! After talking to a lot of my close friends, colleagues and people I meet randomly, I have learned that people will start seeing you as a photographer that gives away free shoots and the requests will grow. Unfortunately word travel fast! I always argued and said "No, it's not like that" but the sad truth is that IT IS!
To get to my point, no photographer should ever do free shoots, because life is not free. We have to pay for our equipment, gas, house, car, food...we have to pay for life! Before you say yes to a free request, look back at the hard work you have done, that has gotten you to be where you are as a photographer today and ask yourself: "What is the value of my work?"
As said in the beginning this is my personal opinion and do not apply to charity work I do and sponsors. Ultimately, you need to do what is right for you, but learn from me and other photographers- do not sell yourself short. You are a professional and you also deserve to make a living.
(Self portrait by Donovan Roets)
