Getting started in photography with a limited portfolio is not easy. Here’s how to start a photography career

No portfolio, no experience. No experience, no portfolio. It’s a vicious cycle that can’t be broken when you take your first steps into the photography industry.

Once you decide to pursue a career in photography, you will soon realize that you need sample images to attract your first clients. However, many of these potential early clients will want to see a proven track record of your work before ordering anything significant from you. So how can you break the cycle and create a path for yourself that leads to a career in professional image making?

Working for free is one method that attracts many during those formative months. The reason is that clients will take advantage of the opportunity to get images they didn’t pay for, while you will receive images to add to your portfolio. This is certainly a viable option, but it is important to understand that you may not always be greeted with the enthusiasm you expect. You also need to make sure you’re targeting brands that will truly add value to the portfolio you’re hoping to build.

Decide what professional work you would like to focus on and try to take a stylistic approach to all the images you shoot. Define your creative style, from story to post-production workflow to preferred color tones. They can then be used to coordinate any images you create, personal or professional, in terms of their appearance and the character they convey. This is useful because you can effectively track your professional experience when you meet face-to-face with potential clients. Even if you haven’t shot exactly what they might hire you for, you can show them more general images from your personal portfolio that can reflect your approach to their brand. A landscape or family portrait that you took for yourself five years ago can serve as proof of your skill today.

If you can’t attract clients right away, be proactive and figure out how to take multiple images to grab the attention of potential clients. If you want to shoot product or commercial images, collect a few products that you can shoot at home, in your own style, while trying to capture the branding of your target manufacturer or retailer. Select four or five related brands. You can then send these unsolicited images to relevant companies to demonstrate how creative you have been with their products and that you understand their brand identity. By filming what’s important to your clients, you solve the problem of not having an extensive list of past clients because you show that you can work with them.

We all have to shoot for free at some point, and there’s nothing wrong with that if it benefits you in the long run. However, you can turn off potential clients if you sell yourself short from the start, as this may indicate that you are not confident in your abilities. Clients are not interested in training you as a photographer, they just want great content. That’s why it’s best to offer any free or discounted work as an introductory offer. Be honest about your intentions, explaining that creating a specific image portfolio is currently more valuable to you than a full commission, and that this is a one-time deal that can benefit both parties.

Cold calling or approaching a potential client can be a daunting prospect and often results in limited success. The best way to create professional networking opportunities is to ask for a favor: ask to use a location for a shoot, ask to borrow some products for photography, or inquire about using products as props. This is a less direct approach that won’t make you feel like you’re pitching a business. This allows the client to feel in control of your relationship and helps them understand your intent to create a professional portfolio. Not only can it provide you with images and opportunities for future work, but it also illustrates your style and personality.