Should I work for free?

Marcus’s answer is… it depends!

The pros of working for free

If you are starting out as a photographer Marcus thinks there are some advantages to working for free.

One is getting experience. Marcus thinks that if you are working for free it allows you to try the client photographer relationship but without the client handing over any money.
Portfolio building is another reason to work for free. When you are starting out you need portfolio photographs for your website, social and to show people.
Experimentation. Marcus thinks this is another reason to work for free. You can be a bit more creative and experimental.
The cons of working for free
If you have worked for someone for free it can be hard to charge them if they come back and want further work.

People who get your work for free don’t value what you produce and don’t value your time. Sam and Marcus us the analogy of the supermarket, we value more the food we get from Waitrose than the food we get from Liddle.

Remember your time is valuable and does have a cost.

If you do work for free it is very important that you set clear expectations from the start of a free photo shoot what is the outcome. What will you deliver and how much input to they get in this.

Working for charities
Should you charge working for charities? Marcus initially never charged for working with charities. But now he has realised that the charities are full of people getting paid so why shouldn’t the photographer get paid to? Sam and Marcus discuss this could be variable depending on the charity, small local ones compared to large national ones. But do remember the accountant, marketing agency etc are all charging charities for their work.
Editorial photography
This means photography for magazines. This is not an area with much money in it. But it is a chance for your photographs to be seen by many people who would not normally see it. Marcus has never been paid for photos in a magazine, and it costs him time and money for the shoot. But Marcus feels the benefits of getting his photographs in the magazine out way the costs.
Personal projects
Marcus thinks all photographers should be doing personal projects. This portfolio can be shown to potential clients. Marcus says that this got him quickly to have a good job in photography.