Making Side Money as Freelance Photographer

Trying to transition from a full time “normal” 9-5 job into a full time photographer or videographer is tough. Luckily there are a lot of resources you can use in the 21st century to make it easier.

When I first moved to Austin Texas, I had a job lined up at GoDaddy. I quickly learned I couldn’t be in a room, locked up for 7-9 hours a day, slaving away for someone else. Even though I love GoDaddy products and their service, this Job wasn’t for me. I wanted to be my own boss and get back to freelance photography and take back my free time. Remember time is money? If you feel the same way, then maybe these suggestions will work for you.

You might think these next suggestions are obvious, but to some they aren’t.

The first three suggestions i’m going to recommend if you live near a bigger city or urban area……. Delivery Services!

I have been driving for Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Postmates now for just about a month. I have actually tested each platform out for a week at a time to see which one I make the most money from. My findings have concluded that here in Texas, I make the most with Uber Eats, followed by Postmates, then Door Dash.

Here is a screen shot of one week worth of part time pay:

Take the $574 and divide that by the 24 hours i’ve worked this week and you are looking at just about $24 dollars an hour (less gas and any other expenses). But the great thing about this, is that you can do it at your own leisure and I usually tend to do this in the evenings. I have been vlogging about this on my youtube Channel as well so make sure to give that a look and subscribe if you’re into making money 😉

Now below are links to sign up for a bonus after completing a certain number of drives. You do no have to use my code but if you enjoy this blog and are curious, please support by using this code. I will be here to help you along the way, so email me, DM me on Instagram @rawfoto or comment here on WordPress!

Uber Eats Sign Up Code: https://www.uber.com/signup/drive/deliver/?invite_code=ajrdxq181

Door Dash Sign Up Code: https://drd.sh/GNPP87/

Post Mates Sign Up Code: https://pmfleet.app.link/XMlvMtHRIV

Now these are just the quickest and fastest ways I could think of to start generating income. If you read my other featured blog post, you will see some past sites I have suggested. Well, I have a new one I just found and is perfect for freelance photographers. This is a legit website and it is called UpWork.com. This website is similar to fiver but has actual jobs where you bid on them based on your experience level. I just signed up and have written two proposals. I am waiting to hear back from the companies so I will have to update you with that in a week or so. Here is the link to check the website out. Click Here

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5 Tips to Make Side Money as a Photographer

Are you struggling to make it as a freelance photographer?  The market is very tough with the rapid advance of technology.  It feels that almost any one can edit photos or take great pictures. So in order to survive, here are 5 quick tips on how you can make side money while growing your name as photographer.

Fiverr Gigs – Click here to get started Today!

I love Fiverr!  If you are a creative person with a talent, you can make some decent side money from this site.  Fiverr takes 20% commission which is very small.  If you do a Photoshop gig that takes you 2 hours to complete for $100 dollars, you will get $80.  That is $40 dollars an hour!  This can turn into a full time job that will allow you to travel or work from your laptop any where at any time.  Some of the most common Fiverr gigs I’ve seen are: Logo Creators, Intro Videos, Website Design, Journal & Blog Entries, Social Media Marketing, Ecommerce Set up & Marketing, and so many more.  Start earning today by clicking the link above or here!

Website Blogger – Find your Niche Today!

If you enjoy reading or writing, this is a great way to keep your mind working.   If you enjoy this blog and think you can do it, then you can sign up with websites like WordPress today!  They even have a free version that will allow you to start building an audience today.  Keep in mind your blog will look very basic and you will be limited in your theme creation but WordPress is one of the best formats on the Internet.  That’s right, all of the Internet!  Because remember, CONTENT IS KEY!  This can lead into featured guest post and other creative writing jobs.  Once you have an established site, you can start earning income through advertisement on WordPress.  Add Amazon Affiliate program to the formula and you can earn between $500-$20,000 per month.

Amazon Affiliate Program & Marketing – Check out my Storefront Here!

People say that the Amazon Affiliate program is dead!  It really is not.  Specially if you are blogging or run your own website.  One thing I love to do with the affiliate program is share my code with my family members and have them purchase their items through my account.  It doesn’t save them much money but if they have prime, they usually get the item fast and they help a family member out by sharing my code with their friends and family.  Because this a photography blog, you can visit my store here!  The link shows you what is in my camera bag along with some props that I use when I am on photo shoots.  Start making friends and share your experiences with them on social media today!

Sell your artwork! – Example of my Wix Site Here

Selling your work in person is tough as it is.  You have to have money to make prints, then you have to spend even more on the framing.  Even framing the photo is an art of its own.  I am not saying you shouldn’t have your physical work ready to go for a gallery or art walk, but save yourself some money by having a website make your prints and directly ship them to customers around the world.  I love using my WIX site for my personal website because they offer throw pillows, posters, cell phone cases, coffee mugs, tote bags and more.  With my art work on them.  Visit my gallery today  HERE

Stock Photography – Start Your Stock Photo Journey Here!!!

Stock photography is easy!  If you are always shooting you should always be posting.  Post here instead of Instagram if you can.  They have apps now that make stock photography easier than ever.  As long as you have decent quality, which most iPhone’s and androids do, you can start earning money today!  There are many stock photography site and you get paid for the amount of downloads your photos receive.  You can check out my gallery with Shutter Stock here.  You will not make tons of money right away and quality is key.  Each download ranges from 10 cents to hundreds of dollars depending on the license that gets downloaded for your image.  Again, this takes a while to build but you can achieve 6 figures with this alone if you are on your game.  Create passive income today so you can focus on shooting full time. I would suggest Shutterstock, Getty Images, and Istock Photo.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.  I hope it helps with your photography journey.  Each of our stories are unique and I hope to hear your experiences by commenting below or on our Instagram account.  Please make sure to like, follow, and share with your friends.

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Why I moved to Austin Texas in 2019

Lets just start by saying, when I first heard the word Texas, I was turned off immediately. I hear Texas, I think cowboys and hot humid weather. Wouldn’t you agree?

Follow me on Instagramhttp://www.instagram.com/rawfoto

Well, aside from most of Texas vast deserts, lies four large and growing cities. These cities are: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. I was fortunate enough to be offered a job in downtown Austin, and I really had nothing else to lose.

After floating around exploring the mid west and working at a Camera store, I thought it was time to find a city I could call home. I accepted that job, and moved down to Austin Texas in February of 2019. I was still not sold on Austin Texas. Just two weeks into being a Texas resident, I meet a close new friend who is also a photographer. His name is Aaron.

Aaron and I clicked right off the bat. He has an excellent eye and has great motivation to succeed at his passion. Photography. Immediately we began coming up with new ideas to bring to Austin Texas and we decided on something that would not only benefit us, but benefit the community. Austin has a few camera clubs and meet ups you can find online, but we wanted to bring a network of content creators and influencers together.

We decided to start @ATXCollective.

The idea behind ATX Collective is to bring photographers and videographers together with models, actors, musicians, comedians and anyone interested in working to build their image or brand. It’s intended to be used as a tool for networking and trading time for prints. Although jobs can come out of it, many of us are hobbyist, but a large portion do this for a living and makes for a great way to get noticed more. Our first official event will be toward the end of April 2019 and we hope to see lots of fun people and smiling faces. (see next weeks full article on @ATXCollective)

Aside from that, in just two weeks of working for that company, I decided it wasn’t for me. Not that I couldn’t do the job, but I’m not the type of person that can sit indoors for 7-8 hours a day on the phone with strangers. I rather drive for Uber Eats than sit in an office all day. (see my success videos with Uber/Post Mates here). I’m a person to person connector so I decided to focus making my money solely on photography and freelance work again. And what other city to do it in other than the quickly growing Austin Texas?

Exploring Austin’s clean downtown city, I fell in love with the night scene and landscapes. East 6th street is loaded with culture and all sorts of fun bars and West 6th is nice if you’re feeling fancy. South Austin is a little weird and I guess that’s where they coined the term “keep Austin weird”, but I like it. And I like the people and the environment. Austin will be the next Silicon Valley with out a doubt. They already have Google, Facebook, Indeed, Apple, Oracle, and other huge tech companies here. Right now is the time to invest in Texas. So I think that’s what I’m going to do. Make the best of it and make ever lasting bonds. I look forward to writing more about you Austin, Texas.

See Aarons work below and make sure to follow him on Instagram. Click photo below to be redirected.

@Aaron.shootshttp://www.instagram.com/aaron.shoots

Behind the Photo #1 – Sun Down Chicago HDR

I would like to start this series with one of my favorite photos I’ve taken to date. It was a warm pre-fall summer in Chicago Illinois. The freeway drive from South Western Michigan was about a 2 hour drive. The road was clear and from what my watch said, it was a Tuesday afternoon. I arrived in town around 1 P.M. with the mind set of recording a vlog entry for my Youtube channel. As I was walking around Millennium Park near “the bean”, I remember that I saw a place I wanted to shoot at during the trip before. It was a “further than expected”, kind of walk. It took me about 40 minutes to make it to the bridge. Once there, I stood around for about 30 minutes trying to find the perfect spot, but it wasn’t going so well. The sun was starting to go down and I felt I wasn’t getting the shot I wanted. I put my camera bag back on, packed up most my equipment and started walking back toward my parked car. As I walked back, I realized that there was another bridge that had two levels to it down the river. This was an underground bridge where cars went one way on the top, and then cars would go the opposite direction on the bottom.

Notice the person in the kayak on the bottom left of the photo? Well that was what most people noticed while this was displayed at the Photographers Guild Photography Exhibition. Even though this photo does not use the standard rule of thirds, I believe the HDR composition drew people to that area. If this were one single image with long exposure, both the kayaker and the boat would appear to be in motion and we would never know there was a person there. But, because this was three images layered, it gave the appearance the kayaker was in still motion but the boat was in motion. That mixed with the soft, warm color tone, make this photo feel peaceful.

This was the first photo I have won an award for and I was so honored to be given that award by the main Photographer at the University of Notre Dame. Barbara Johnston.

Notes: This photo was taken with a Canon 5d Mark III and a Canon 50mm 1.8. ISO 100 F/16 30 Sec Exposure.

Barton Creek Trail in Austin TX Drone Footage

Hello everyone and thank you for coming to my new blog page. I know I have been away for a few months but a lot has been going on. However, I just moved to Austin Texas and I was able to capture some beautiful scenery near the Barton Creek Trail. From what I can tell so far, Austin is very relaxed when it comes to Drone Laws. With that being said, I plan to shoot more drone footage with my DJI Phantom by DJI Global.

Enjoy this short video and please feel free to share with your friends and family. As always, don’t forget to subscribe 🙂

Barton Creek Trail Austin Texas Drone Footage

This video was made using the DJI Phantom. You can purchase a new Phantom 4 with 4K quality here along with the DJI Mavic Pro 2:

DJI Phantom 4

DJI Mavic Pro 2

Lens Review Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD w/ Picture Proof

Working for Gene’s Camera Store in South Bend Indiana has taught me so much more in 4 months than shooting for 5 years.  One thing I learned was how much Tamron and Sigma stepped up their quality.

My whole life growing up I was taught the Kia and Hyundai were bad cars.  And once upon a time they were.  But like Kia and Hyundai, Tamron and Sigma had the same stipulation.  It was until I started selling Tamron Lens, that I realized how their new G2 and entry level lens were much better than people claimed.  Below is a photo I took with my Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II with Vibration Control.  I paired this with a Canon 7D Mark I.  

Goose was happy to pose for me in front of Mackinaw Bridge

I was about 30 feet away from the bird and lied on the ground to capture this image.  I lined the goose up with the bridge in a vertical orientation and shot this at 5.6 aperture.  It still produced more than enough bokeh and separation from the foreground that I like.   Here is another shot at more of a wide angle with the same camera/lens combo.

The bridge from the other side shot at 18mm with crop sensor camera

In short, this lens has a great value to your collection.  In particular, if you are currently using kit lens for either Nikon or Canon, this would make all of those inferior.  You can sell your kit lens on eBay, purchase one of these from Tamron, (with an included 6 year warranty), and make your camera bag weight and size a lot more condensed.  Keep your eye out for upcoming specials on this lens around $599.  Purchase only from authorized retailers and make sure you do not purchase a grey market lens or camera.

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5 Cyber Monday Camera Package Deals

Black Friday was just a day ago, now the real time to save some money is on Cyber Monday! Here are 5 Camera Kits that will save you money this Holiday Season.  (To see more specs, just click the item image to see more).

Nikon D3500 2 Lens Kit

This kit is great for a student or someone learning photography as a new hobby.  It is on special this weekend until Monday with a saving of over $100 dollars.  Not only do you get the 2 lens kit, which covers 18mm wide all the way to 250mm, but you get a travel case, a memory card and much more.  Our number one choice this Holiday for the best bang for buck package deal. $449.99

Sony A6000 Bundle

We’ve discussed this camera in previous articles on DSLR Warehouse.  If you have read those reviews we are very critical of the A6000 series.  For the consumer looking to learn and have a small light weight travel camera, we suggest these all day!  Great bang for your buck and awesome for bloggers and vloggers.  Save over $100 these Holidays by clicking the link below.   $529.00

Canon 5D Mark IV

This camera is for the person who is serious about photography.  It is a pro-level full frame sensor and the latest series to the 5D collection by Canon.  Great color spectrum, great for any kind of photography including portraits, sports, real estate and more.  Now has built in wifi, touch screen, and more megapixels.  Originally $3199 for the body only, marked down $400 this weekend.  Get yours while you can!  $2799

Tamron 18-400mm Telephoto Lens

This lens is designed only for crop sensor cameras although it can be used on FX Nikon. Nikon allows you to change the ratio in camera unlike Canon or Sony.  You will however still experience some vignetting on a Full Frame Camera.  This Lens is a great deal because it allows you to get a better quality build while throwing away your standard kit lens.  If you take into consideration the crop factor, this is really a 27-600mm Lens.  Suggest you gets yours on sale now before the sell out!!! $50 dollars off!!! Only $599

Nikon D500 Specials!

We had to throw this in the specials because its a great deal for a sports or nature camera.  This shoots over 10 frames per second, is crop sensor, and has a great feel.  I love shooting with the high resolution pro level camera for all birding trips or local sport events.  Over $400 in savings this week!  Only $1799 on Amazon.

Share this with your friends looking for great deals this Holiday! Make sure to follow us on Social media and follow this blog for more information and finds.

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Personal Prints for Purchase 

Last Weeks Article CLICK HERE

Happy Thanksgiving from DSLR Warehouse

Seasons Greetings,

We are so thankful today for the opportunity to be here and to be able to offer you compelling articles and experiences with our photography and more.  We hope you have enjoyed our articles so far and we hope we have helped you in one fashion or another.  We have a lot of good upcoming articles for the Holiday Season along with some tips and tricks.  Our blogs are on Pinterest so be sure to Pin them for your friends and to follow us on all major Social Media Platforms.

Here is a sneak peek of our choice for best “bang for buck” Holiday Camera Bundle:

Click here!!!

Sincerely,

John K IV @DSLRWAREHOUSE

Instagram @DSLRWAREHOUSE

FACEBOOK HERE

Last weeks Article —— HERE

 

Photo by Math on Pexels.com

 

Portrait Photoshoot with Sony A6000 Review

I really wanted to down size my equipment to be more suitable for traveling and I wanted something that would be good enough for both landscape and portrait photography.  I thought by getting a 24 megapixel Sony with an e mount lens, I would be able to get decent high resolution photos.  I was wrong.

My normal set up is a Canon 5d Mark III with an 85mm lens.  Yes I understand I am comparing apples to oranges but my biggest complaint about the Canon gear is that it’s so large and bulky.  When I go hiking or travel for a shoot, I usually take about 30-40 pounds of equipment.  Its ridiculous.  With this Sony A6000, I had 4 e mount lens, the camera, and 3 memory cards and I was still under 5 pounds.

Now, one complaint I had when using the Sony A6000 when taking portraits was how small it was.  With out a battery grip, my pinky finger would hang off the side of the body, and when shooting vertically, it felt like it was going to fly away in the wind.

Shooting with a professional model doesn’t make you feel confident either when shooting with an entry level camera.  Good thing she was awesome and we were shooting for fun because I let her know I was testing the camera for this purpose.

Below are three images.  Each with an excerpt of my opinions of the photo quality when I shot with Joelle.  Below those three will be photos I did for a clothing brand up in Grand Rapids with my 5D Mark III.

The photo above (@joelle.raquel) is straight out of Camera Raw.  She did a great job in cold weather and we did get some great photos together.  The nice thing about the Sony was that it does have facial detect and would lock the AF on her face.  But the thing is, the was a 1.8 Lens I was shooting with.  I figured I could have the ISO slightly up to compensate for the shutter speed being set a 1/500th.  I typically do this to make sure there is no blur in the image with my 5D mark III and 85mm lens.

This is the quality of the photo on the edge.  By seeing this, it may just be the lens producing the poor quality.  There looks to be extra grain (possibly from the smaller sensor) and its also leaving aberration.  It’s not sharp and has too much noise.

The center of the image is a lot more sharp and produces less fringe.  But with the amount of noise from the ISO at 500, it is enough to make the features on the face and hair below my standards.  I think I may use a metabones adapter in the future with a Canon lens to test the quality again.

Here are two photos taken with my Canon 5d Mark III features Model (@breighannamarie).  Notice the difference?

Would you agree that this is a night and day difference?  I would.  If you’ve got any input, please comment below and share with your friends.  Photographers and Models alike.

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Thank you again for reading and thank you for supporting DSLR Warehouse along with me, Rawfoto.  I enjoy writing this excerpts for you and hope you take something away from them.  Coming soon, Top 5, How-to’s, and more.

Special thank you to both models for allowing me to shoot with them for these demonstrations.  If you want to see more, visit my personal website:

www.rawfoto.net

Remember to follow the models above by clicking on the blue links.

For inquires with Joelle, visit her personal website:

www.joelleraquel.com

 

Remember to read last weeks article and find out what we recommend for winter photography clothing.  @DSLRWAREHOUSE

Why you need a professional Website! Not just Instagram!

 

 

 

Why you need a professional Website! Not just Instagram!

You may be asking me, “why do you need a professional website”? Then I’d assume you were under the age of 25.  Let’s dive into why you need a professional Website and the benefits of having one.

It’s 2018 and everyone’s getting hunch backs from staring down at their phones.  Instagram is the quickest and most popular app on the market for showcasing your work.  But let’s face it, Instagram is not the most professional outfit for serious business.

I’ve preached time and time again that quality is key.  With Instagram, you are only able to see a photo in max resolution of  1350×1080.  This is great when being viewed on a retina screen or any other mobile device but not on a computer.  Most camera phones are capable of printing sharp images up to 8×10 but when viewing the image on a computer, 1350×1080 resolution is low quality.  It will become pixilated and not sharp, and in return, if you have a serious commercial outfit looking to hire you, they may not think your equipment and standards are up to par.

Another great reason for having a professional website is personal branding.  Sure you can do this with Instagram, but you are limited to a description that is only 150 characters.  That’s like 30 words.  Can you really talk about what makes you stand out from your competition and appeal to a company with only 30 words.  If so, you’re amazing and give yourself a pat on the back.  Here is an example of my Instagram profile about me vs. my website:

(Instagram via @RAWFOTO)

(via Personal Website)   http://www.rawfoto.net

Side note regarding Instagram.  You can get a lot of info crammed into 150 characters or less.  Make sure you make it worth every word and direct your viewers to your website.  You want to use these two tools interchangeably.

The last and most important reason to have a professional website is google searching and embedding your URL into googles databases for ever.  Meaning, if you are Joe Blow form JoeBlowPhotography.com, then google searches will recognized that when being searched by anyone in the world.  You will build back links with other companies and websites.  You can intertwine this linking with you Instagram, featured articles, Facebook Page, Youtube, Pinterest, Blogger, whatever!  It is more powerful than Instagram because with out the Internet, Instagram wouldn’t exist.

If you are curious of the two websites I recommend for building websites, please see below:

Sign up now for FREE or sign up and sell your work for a low rate.  They also offer domain hosting and easy to use Templates (click here or on WIX photo below). They’ve even got them predesigned for photography portfolios and sales!!!

WordPress, which is what I use for this blog, also has a free platform for you to start showcasing your work as well.  I would suggest getting the 2nd tier entry to have a little more freedom and have a personal URL but to each their own.

Thank you as always for taking the time to read this post and be a part of our community.  Please follow us on Instagram and give us feed back.  We want to hear what equipment you prefer, what websites you like, your photography, tips and tricks, and everything else regarding photography.

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Read last weeks article below:

Are you a Photographer or an Editor?