Best 5 Reasons why you should refrain from Free of Cost Photography for Friends
So, now you are a professional photographer and almost all of your friends and friends’ friends would invite you to their events with an expectation that you will bring in your gear and of course there would be photography sessions, but for free. It’s time to refrain from free of cost photography. Don’t worry, if you say No politely, your friends won’t feel bad.
I had this problem in the start of my career and also after my photography career got well established. So, I am jotting down the best 5 reasons for why you should refrain from Free of Cost Photography for Friends?
Best 5 Reasons why you should refrain from Free of Cost Photography for Friends
1. Your camera is your livelihood and hence you need to keep it safe
It is not recommended to carry your camera or gear everywhere. If you are a photographer, you should carry the camera and all the other accessories at the events which you are working on. Since it is your livelihood you will have to keep it safe. So, carrying it everywhere is not the right idea. If you are doing that, you are automatically refraining from free of cost photography.
2. Your time is valuable
You should start understanding that your time is valuable and your work time and leisure times are different. If your friend is asking you for a friendly gesture as in to bring in the gear at the informal party then you can just politely tell him about your rates and the discounts that you can offer.
3. You have already finished building a portfolio
Doing free of cost photography would be a great idea only when you are still making your photography portfolio. If you have finished making one, you should immediately stop doing free work. This is because, now it’s time to fulfil your goals. You will not be able to stay motivated if you don’t earn money through photography.
4. You will get some or the other work within the circle, initially
You just can’t afford free of cost photography initially in your career and even later on because the work that you will be getting will be from your own circle. If you work for free for almost all of your friends and acquaintances then you will not be able to earn ever. So, be practical and start working for money.
5. Photography is not just your hobby, it is your profession
Whenever a friend calls up for a free photography request, just be adamant in your mind that you have chosen photography as a profession and not just as a hobby. Thus, you will have to charge all of your clients including your friends. At the most you can offer some discounts for your friends.
You may like: Best 5 Ways to Make Money with Photography
Conclusion
If you keep these five reasons in mind, I am sure you will not say yes for free of cost photography.
Do you agree with the blog, Best 5 Reasons why you should refrain from Free of Cost Photography for Friends? If yes, do share you views here via comments.
P.S. Don’t think that I am a person who runs after money. This is a practical advice for all the budding photographers because if you don’t get monetary returns, soon you will lose interest in what you are doing.
