Erin Brown has spent ten years traveling the country capturing images of production agriculture and the people who live and work in it, and now she runs Real Ag Stock, amplifying the work of more than 150 rural photographers.
She recently sat down with the Get Freelancing Community to share her perspective on starting and managing a photography business, as well as growing and diversifying into something that supports her peers.
Here’s a quick recap of what she shared with the Get Freelancing members:
The initial “why”
Erin started photographing people after being inspired by her senior photo experience. When she took on gigs throughout college to support herself on the side, she didn’t realize that it would turn into her full-time job and lead to her creating a space where other photographers could share their work.
Erin took a leap of faith to start her own communications business after college, creating content for businesses like Elanco and Cactus Feeders. However, Erin decided to scale back to only photography when she became a mom.
Over the years, she developed her photography skills and built her portfolio. Eventually, she realized that there was a serious need for realistic agricultural stock photos. That’s when she founded Real Ag Stock. She wanted to create a place for other rural photographers like herself to sell their photography for a fair price while simultaneously providing quality agricultural stock photography for anyone who needed it.
Equipment isn’t Everything
Sometimes, we get so caught up in picking out the perfect camera that we forget other skill sets. Erin’s biggest advice on this subject was to learn skills like shooting in manual mode, working with lighting, and editing. She suggests using assets like editing presets and YouTube to teach yourself these skills. If there’s one lens to invest in, Erin says it’s a 50mm 1.8.
Building a Client Base
Sometimes a great way to get started in the photography industry is building your portfolio by doing free photoshoots for friends and family. However, you can still be strategic with free sessions. Erin suggests doing photoshoots for people who have connections and will share your photography. This will give you free exposure to help you build your client base while offering your services for free.
Tips to Transition to Paid Photography
Most beginner photographers start photographing for free, but how do you transition to getting paid for photography? Erin found a unique way to make money off what she loved doing. She told the Get Freelancing community to consider a pricing reduction if the client agrees to let their photos be used as stock photography. Erin suggested showing the price comparison to clients so that they understand the difference.
Transparency is Key
One of Erin’s biggest pieces of advice was to be upfront and honest with the expectations for a stock photo shoot. She suggested that photographers send their clients information packets and contracts to communicate clearly about their sessions. This will help avoid frustration on both sides and provide clear expectations before the day of the photo shoot.
Balance is Imperative
As Real Ag Stock grew, Erin found herself dedicating more and more time to the exploding business. She realized that she needed to outsource some of the duties so that she could spend time with her family. Erin told the Get Freelancing community to determine what was most important and give yourself to those things. She also says to avoid unrealistic deadlines and give yourself plenty of time to edit and deliver photos. Her standard turnaround time is two weeks or more.
Learn more about Real Ag Stock and becoming a contributor here, and join the Get Freelancing community to be part of the conversation with industry experts like Erin Brown.
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