If you’re a budding photographer who can’t wait to get started on a successful career, then you should know about the importance of having a portfolio. A good portfolio can open doors and help you scale up, soon becoming a sought-after professional in the industry. This way, you’ll find it easy to start networking for success and learn a number of other crucial details that can help you progress. Here are a few ways in which you can build your photography portfolio and take networking for success to the next level.
Warehouse
The first item to add to your list of beneficial partnerships to form in order to begin networking for success is warehouses. Warehouses typically hold products and items in general that are meant to be resold either at wholesale or in retail. They may also hold parts that go on to be used as replacements for appliances, machinery, auto vehicles, and more. This means that there’s a large variety of things to photograph in warehouses. These may be photographed either individually or in groups depending on the item in question and the buyer to whom it’s being marketed.
You may have to photograph items stored in wooden moving crates and make them look appealing enough to win over a buyer, and fast. You may also need to photograph a massive item against a plain or busy background but capture all the important details of the item in question. Whichever the case, if you’re a reliable photographer for a warehouse or two, you might be able to begin networking for success. That’s because other warehouses may call you to offer your services and help them capture your stock in the best light.
Construction Firm
Another business you should approach if you want to start networking for success is a construction firm in your area. Home builders typically work on a number of projects, with some choosing to specialize in a certain area while others choose to stay general. Based on this, it’s easy to see that both kinds of home builders would need the services of a good photographer. That’s because a photographer will capture various projects that they work on in the best light, helping them document their careers.
Since a home builder is going to have a number of projects that they need to work on at any given time, you can be sure that they’ll have a lot to capture. As they build their project portfolio, so will you build yours. The better the images of various projects you can capture, the more in demand your services are bound to be. As a result, you can make your way to the top of the photography industry by working for either one construction firm or another.
Plumbing Company
You may also want to approach a local plumber or two while networking for success. With their help, you can perfect your ability to take photos of various plumbing fixtures and fittings. You may also need to capture various plumbing scenarios, either by themselves or before-and-after situations. The latter is great for showcasing the professionalism of the plumbers with whom you work, as well as their abilities. With your help, these experts can land more and better jobs since they’ll have evidence to show their skills in the industry.
University
You should also approach a university in your area to make the most of your efforts towards networking for success. Universities have many things and scenarios for which they may need the help of a professional photographer. From capturing images to market their school and attract students to sharing photos to raise awareness of a certain cause that they’re backing, there are many situations in which they’d need to have a photographer on call. Even sharing brochures about student loans could warrant a photography session or two.
Since there are many activities that take place on campus on a day-to-day basis, there’s bound to be something to capture regularly. As a professional photographer, you can help a university or two prepare amazing magazines, posters, brochures, and even populate their websites. This is the reason why it’s a great idea for you to approach a few universities to see if they need the services of a photographer.
Church
While networking for success, you can’t leave behind your local church. These institutions typically have a number of events throughout the year. To share these with their congregants or even the general public, they typically need to have good images captured at various points. These may be printed out or used online, but they need to be good-quality images that won’t paint a diocese that uses them in a bad light. With this in mind, approach a few churches in your area to see if they can hire you.
The congregants themselves may be in need of the services of a photographer. This is in the case they have an event of their own, including weddings. For these, the congregants typically ask the heads of their respective churches to officiate them. While doing this, a good number of them may also find out if there are any vendors that the church can recommend, including photographers. Clearly, you can find a number of great opportunities as a result of this.
Electrician
You may also want to talk to your local electrical contractor while networking for success. Electricity is one of the most sensitive elements of any home or other space. This calls for it to be maintained in the best shape at all times. At the same time, it also bears a lot of risk and is therefore one of the parts of home maintenance that no one is advised to DIY. Based on this, electricians will generally want to advertise their services and share them with the public, and one of the most effective ways they can do this is by using photographs.
These will be photographs of various electrical elements, parts, and even appliances. There are also going to be pictures showing the electricians working on various electrical fixes and more. Whether these go into a magazine or in the electrician’s website, they can help you land more than a few jobs in the industry. Remember to exercise caution in this case so that you safely capture amazing images that will earn both you and the electricians in question some important recognition.
Music Festival
You can’t leave out a music festival from your list of whom to approach while networking for success. That’s because these events normally cause a massive ripple, reaching people from all walks of life. To do this, they also need to be documented adequately, and the best way for them to do so is by sharing photographs far and wide. At a music festival, you may be tasked with taking flashy photos of the party-goers to showcase their outfits. You could also be asked to take photographs of the amenities, so you’re most likely going to have to capture a porta potty at some point.
If you do a good job, you may be able to land a number of others in a very short time. That’s because you could either be approached by attendees to take their pictures, or by other event organizers who may be at the music festival. There may also be vendors who would like to have their pictures taken to document their presence at the music festival or to simply use them to market their services to other music festivals or similar events. There’s clearly no end to the possibilities that you could come across at various music festivals, so make sure to attend the next one that you hear about.
Wedding Venue
It needs no repeating that weddings are typically events that everyone would like to capture and showcase for a long time to come. Given the amount of planning that goes into weddings, it’s hard to imagine that either the newlyweds or the guests would not be keen on keeping these memories frozen in time. That said, there are also bound to be many opportunities to take photos and get started with networking for success. From limousine services to flower and decor vendors and even caterers, you’re sure to find many businesses in attendance at a typical wedding. Whether they’re established or just setting out, they may be in need of professional photos to use.
This means that you should trade contacts with the various vendors that you may find at any wedding that you attend. Ask them to refer you to clients they serve who need the services of a professional photographer and do the same for them in return. This way, you can be sure that you’ll have a great chance of growing since there will be a vendor or two who send people your way. If you have evidence that you can capture weddings in an amazing light, you can be sure that it won’t be long before your services end up in high demand.
Body Shops
Auto mechanics and body shops are another worthwhile stop for you while you’re networking for success. That’s because these professionals deal with both functional and cosmetic details surrounding vehicles. You can be sure that most people will head online or ask the auto mechanic that they want to work with for a portfolio of other projects that they’ve done in the past. Whether it’s an engine overhaul or a paint job, there are many things that a client may want confirmation of before they hire a given auto mechanic.
You’ll therefore be networking for success when you talk to local auto shops in your area. These may either be new or well-established, and they may have a website or a magazine. Whichever the case, there’s bound to be a lot to capture in order to document the various projects that take place in the average auto shop. As you progress in your career, you can share some of these images if you have the permission of the owners to do so and therefore end up securing more projects over time.
Moving Business
Last but not least, remember to talk to a local moving company while networking for success. There are a number of photography tasks that long distance movers would need to be done so that they can grow their businesses better. The same case applies to short-distance movers, so make sure to approach both. Some of these are taking photographs of the moving vehicles that they use to show that they’re in good shape and there’s a sizable fleet available. The packing materials as well as the team may also be featured in various areas where the movers advertise their services.
A moving business may need images of their team hard at work to be captured for documentation. They might also want to share images of each individual in their team at various points in time. Finally, they may be keen to show images of their team offering services in various weather conditions. There are a number of details that they may like, and they might even ask you to make some recommendations to them. With the right attitude and a bit of creativity, you can deliver exactly what they need and secure a long-lasting client while expanding your portfolio.
These are a few of the details that you need to work on so that you can grow your photography portfolio and give your career a solid chance to take off. Take your time to approach various businesses and organizations that you feel you could work with over time. Once you find the right people and stay consistent, you have the chance to become a renowned photographer in your area. As a result, you may end up being able to choose a path in which you want to specialize. When you do this, you can be sure that work for you is going to be pleasurable because you’re going to be able to do something that gives you real joy every single time.