Freelance photography is booming

(Baonghean.vn)- There are joys and sorrows, these are the ups and downs in the story related to the freelance photography profession. However, with passion, it is still a profession chosen by many young people and has flourished in the past few years.

From passion

In the past 5 years, freelance photography has begun to gain attention and favor from many customers. As long as you are creative, understand the technical parameters of the camera and have a good PR strategy, the profession will bring high profits and become a developing service.

Most of the freelance photographers today are young people, not over 30, mostly men. Among them, the majority are young people who are currently students or have just graduated from university or college. They come to this profession by chance, from seeing it, to liking it, to becoming addicted to it and so on.

Young people pursuing freelance photography are mainly students studying in universities, colleges or have graduated.

Ngo Phuong (21 years old, Nghe An University of Economics) shared: “I started learning photography in grade 9. I was so passionate about it that I decided to buy a camera to use, then went to YouTube and social networking sites to research how to use it. By grade 12, I was able to take yearbook photos and make videos for the class. Seeing that I did well, many friends came to hire me to take photos for the class and for the group. I decided to take the show and have been doing it ever since. Besides a decent, stable income of 6-9 million VND/month, what I like most is being able to satisfy my passion and be creative...”.

Nguyen Van Hoang (23 years old, K55, Faculty of Law, Vinh University) shared: “To have enough money to buy an old Nikon d70s camera and a 35-70D lens, I had to save up from serving coffee and serving in restaurants. During that time, I went to school in the morning, worked in the afternoon, and learned Photoshop and Lightroom online in the evening. After having a camera, I invited my friends to go to faraway places to take outdoor photos and post them on Facebook. Gradually, many strangers also proactively contacted me to take photos and pay me. Not only satisfying my passion, photography has helped me cover my tuition fees, as well as other expenses."

A photo taken by a young freelance photographer

For these "photographers", in addition to buying a quality camera, investing in accompanying accessories is also very necessary such as Flash, trigger, light stand for overcast days, Ultra HD color standard screen... Just like other professions, freelance photographers also have specific standards in terms of price, ranging from 250 - 400 thousand/person, depending on the level of skill with a photo file of about 15 - 20 photos that have been edited with photoshop.

The way freelance photographers receive orders is mainly through social networks such as Facebook, Zalo... then contact by phone to set an appointment. For large programs such as weddings or yearbooks, it is necessary to combine 2 to 3 freelance photographers, along with an assistant to ensure quality work. Prices are also specifically agreed upon.

Joys and sorrows

The season of yearbook photography (starting from April to July of the solar calendar) and the season of wedding photography (late November, early December of the solar calendar) are the busiest times for freelance photographers. At this time, freelance photographers will cooperate with each other to become a team so that the work is completed quickly and effectively.

Truong Xuan Luc (23 years old, Phuc Tho commune, Nghi Loc district) shared: “The most memorable thing is taking photos during the graduation season. Seeing the high school students, memories come flooding back. Missing the school, class, and teachers, I have more ideas. There is no longer a boundary between the photographer and the customer. Having fun together, playing games, doing puzzles, lighting fireworks... creating beautiful, very natural and impressive photo sets. Afterwards, the students texted to thank me, it was so much fun.”

A young man "practicing" at weddings

Along with the joy, there are also many difficulties. One of those difficulties is the unfavorable weather. Then there are scenes that require many props and many support people, but for a freelance photographer, he has to play many roles alone. It is not uncommon for customers to make appointments but not show up. When taking wedding photos, freelance photographers do not have many advantages in terms of lighting, angles, makeup, and a professional team, forcing them to seek out large studios to cooperate. Not to mention, technology is constantly developing, forcing frequent upgrades of equipment...

Nguyen Van Hoang confided: “For freelance photographers, the camera is their best friend, always respected and carefully preserved. However, during the work process, there are also unfortunate events. I remember one time, when I was taking pictures of a couple at Nghi Thiet beach, I accidentally slipped and fell, both me and the camera fell into the water, the camera was broken. I was very sad, but still had to apologize, hoping the customer would understand, postpone the date to tomorrow and borrow a friend's camera to take the photo again.”

Freelance photography mainly works outdoors.

Currently, according to the calculations of some young people working in the profession, the number of young people "practicing" freelance photography in the province is about 100 people. Mostly known because these people advertise on Facebook. This "profession" has many young people in Vinh City participating, including high school students, as well as students at universities and colleges.

However, if not developed properly, it will be misunderstood by the spread of social networks. Many young people come to this profession as a trend just to show off their hobby and like to show off. Then they neglect their studies, causing many problems leading to unnecessary consequences.

Truong Xuan Luc said: “Many people invest tens of millions of dong in equipment just for show with the purpose of... flirting with girls. First, they lure models to take photos, then they flirt and get acquainted, which is a discredited profession. Many people buy equipment to take photos for fun and also to make money, taking photos for customers while the quality is not guaranteed, causing many customers to consider carefully when choosing a freelance photographer to take photos for them.”

However, there are also many passionate freelance photographers whose every photo is always filled with meticulousness. They always try to change and create every day to improve themselves and to live fully with their own passion.

Wang Yun