How to find jobs?

Uselessdreamer1 · Jan 19, 2005

i am pretty sure this has been asked, im just too lazy to use the search button. how do you have get photo jobs? i dont know where to stop!

ksmattfish · Jan 19, 2005

Uselessdreamer1 said:
i am pretty sure this has been asked, im just too lazy to use the search button. how do you have get photo jobs? i dont know where to stop!

A good website with a lot of examples of your work is a good place to start. These days many people turn to the internet first when searching for what they want/need.

danalec99 · Jan 19, 2005

I would also recommend this book.

Uselessdreamer1 · Jan 19, 2005

what about local? do i put up flyers? i would like to try a job or two to see how it works

ksmattfish · Jan 19, 2005

Uselessdreamer1 said:
what about local? do i put up flyers? i would like to try a job or two to see how it works

All of my commercial clients have been from companies far away, but they need photographs of people where I live. All of my weddings, and most of the portrait business, has been from people within 30 miles so far.

Once you have a webpage (which is just a virtual flyer) you get on the search engines and start typing in the sort of keywords you think your potential customers might key in. For instance I operate out of Lawrence, KS so I type in as many combinations of these words as I can come up with: photography, photographer, Lawrence, Kansas, portraits, wedding, BW, film, etc...

Some of the sites that come up will cost money to get linked to. But many will give you a free link if you link to them from your site. I linked to as many of these sites as I could find. Most (over 99%) of the folks that come to my site don't hire me, but enough do

. When you get customers always remember to ask them how they found you. After a dozen wedding clients told me they found me through the same website, I upgraded my free listing to a paid listing. With the free listing my site popped up whenever folks specifically asked for photographers in my town. With the paid listing I got listed in every city in Kansas. Within a week I got a job through that upgrade that paid 10 times what the upgrade cost me.

Mumfandc · Jan 19, 2005

Well, if you live in or near a major city, locals should ALL know about http://www.craigslist.org...it's like the best kept secret (sort of).

The NYC art/media/design jobs listing usually has MANY job openings for photographers/assistants. I've also been hunting for a job, because I have to do an internship eventually for college credit.

I know some folks who got an internship w/the Inez Van Lamsweerde studio (photographer for Bjork's Vespertine album, also music video), and Elle Magazine. You really need your portfolio put together. Maybe create a webpage.

There is also http://www.photoserve.com/photoserve/index.jsp, where pro-photographers display their portfolios for industry, VERY interesting stuff.

I believe it's affiliated with PDN magazine (http://www.pdnonline.com). If you're a student you might want to look at http://www.pdnedu.com for students. Lots of good info...esp. under "Resources" regarding internships etc.

Ad don't miss the Message Board...LOTS of info.