Best Way to Build Portfolio?

[Joey-Austin]

Hello Alpha Family,

These days I hear a lot of Photographers advise new Photographers to not work for free, but how will they build their portfolio?

When I first started, I did a bunch of TFP and did some second shooters on events and weddings to build a portfolio, because people will want to see your work before hiring you

[CarolineJensen]

I think that working for free really depends on how much it benefits you. A portfolio is a must, so getting that is necessary, one way or another. I don't think shooting for free is terrible. You just have to make  sure that your free offerings don't trickle into the rest of your career! I still get people who want free shoots because I gave them free shoots ten years ago. 🙂 

[Joey-Austin]

I think that working for free really depends on how much it benefits you. A portfolio is a must, so getting that is necessary, one way or another. I don't think shooting for free is terrible. You just have to make  sure that your free offerings don't trickle into the rest of your career! I still get people who want free shoots because I gave them free shoots ten years ago. 🙂 

I agree that the ones you will do the free photoshoot to will ask for free ones in the future, but it’s a good way to start and practice, no matter how much videos you watch about photography nothing like go out and shoot, and agree once you build a portfolio, you need to charge enough to cover your equipment and shooting time and editing time

[IraBlock]

You need to do work on your own and personal work to create a body of photos that represent your style and look. You can do this on your own and keep it separate from your 'business' side. It is a bad precedent to work for free.

[Joey-Austin]

You need to do work on your own and personal work to create a body of photos that represent your style and look. You can do this on your own and keep it separate from your 'business' side. It is a bad precedent to work for free.

I’m not saying put on your website that you work for free, but to work with friends and family members and some TFP on the side, the issue I faced with wedding they always ask to see your work, if you never shot a wedding you have nothing to show, and if you have nothing to show you will not get hired to do a wedding, so doing some second shooter and build some portfolio help getting more jobs