Like some of you
reading this, I was also just another guy who was into aviation photography,
and never thought of it as anything more than a hobby. However, it was my main
hobby, and did it for several years. During that time, I visited a lot of
airshows and airports, where I took many photos and practiced my skills as an
aviation photographer.
Although I didn’t
consider myself to be on the pro level, I still had some nice images, and I
thought to myself: “What if I could make some money doing this, or even start a
career as an aviation photographer?” So I started working on it and I asked for
advice, read tips online and tried a couple of things myself. It was a difficult task and it took me a
while, but I eventually started making money from my aviation photography. If
you are in a similar position to where I was back then, then this post might
help you get a better perspective on what you need to do to avoid the common
pitfalls.
Start making
connections
Being alone and
cut off from the rest of the community will get you nowhere, no matter what
type of photography we are talking about. This also applies for aviation
photography, especially when you consider that there are not many people who
practice this genre of photography.
The next time you
are at some air fare or a similar event, you will probably see some
professional photographers taking photos around. You need to get close to them
and try and start a conversation. The first thing you should do is ask them how
long they’ve been doing this.
Some other
important topics you should talk about (if you start talking) is where you can
market your aviation photos and in what way. There are a small number of
aviation photographers still, but their number is growing each day and the
competition is getting stronger.
This means that
you will have to break into an already established market and this can be
difficult. This is why you should look to network with some professionals, and
who knows, you might find someone who can offer you something and you can show
them your work.
Send your photos
to local magazines
One of the best
ways for aviation photographers to make money is to get a full time job with
some local magazines that have the need for that kind of photography and they
simply deliver all of their work to these magazines. This is certainly the
least complicated way of earning money as an aviation photographer, but it’s
not easy to get into it.
You need to have
a big portfolio with a lot of quality photos, and even then you won’t be
guaranteed anything and you will need to give them attractive photos that will
look great in their magazines. One of the best types of photos that can get you
a long way are images taken in mid-air from another plane.
These are very
exciting shots, but you’ll need a lot of knowledge and experience to take them
without capturing any detail from the plan you are in, and you’ll also need to
get special clearance, especially if you want to take photos of military
planes.
Create your own
website
I know that you
probably know this, but having a website of your own is essential. Some other
types of photography can in fact work well without the photographer building
his or her site, as there are various sites where you can post photos for free
and publish them for someone to purchase them.
However, this is
not the case for aviation photography, and you should definitively look to build
your own site. Not only can you customize and decorate your site and present
yourself in the best light possible, but you can also showcase many photos and
offer them for sale.
Over time, you
will just start to notice more and more people contacting you and offering to
buy some of your work. This will, of course, only happen if your photos are
good, so work on your skills regularly and try to get as much experience as
possible.
Additionally, you
can always provide your website address on your promo material, so that people
can visit it and check out your work. The more you spread awareness about work,
the higher the chances are of something happening.
Find freelance
gigs
When you already
have a large enough portfolio, you can go and look for freelance jobs that
include aviation photography. In most cases, you will be able to find some
photos in your portfolio and use them, meaning that you won’t have to waste
time taking new photos and you will easily earn a quick buck.
In most cases,
when getting freelance gigs you will also have to edit your photos as well, or
hire a photo editing company to do this for you, because these services are
usually considered a part of photographer’s job. This is why you should make
sure to learn to do this on your own, or get someone to do it for you.
Stock photos
It’s also good to
post stock photos on websites where people might come and buy them. This
doesn’t seem like much, but over time you can get a lot of people to buy them
and bring you a considerable amount of money. This is a good option to take
advantage of before you are able to find a full-time job.
Additionally,
your name will stand next to every photo and you will get the exposure you
need. This doesn’t have to be your main source of income, but it can help you
cover all of your costs and earn a bit of cash while building your name and
your skills in the process.
Conclusion
These are the
things you should do and work on if you want to start making money off you
aviation photos. Work on all of them and improve your photo skills. You can’t
expect to start making serious money immediately; it will take some time and
hard work that before you achieve a major breakthrough.
Tags:
Aviation Photography