Case studies : Freelance press photographer: Jennifer

Jennifer graduated with a BA Hons in Photography and runs her own freelance business. After a brief job straight out of university, she applied for a position as a photographer at a magazine company.

I was a photographer for the magazine for three years while I was also doing weddings and a bit of freelance work on the side. I was made redundant by the magazine at which point I decided to go freelance. Going from full-time employment to freelance work wasn’t that big of an adjustment as I had already set myself up as a freelance photographer.

My degree course allowed me to learn skills and development but was also business orientated and aimed at getting a job. I use the technical skills I learnt everyday; I never know what conditions I may have to work in. I will only know what I need to deal with when I arrive on a job. You can plan ahead and put things in place but I do sometimes have to make quick decisions based on what is ready and available to me at the time.

You do need a lot of confidence to be a photographer and have excellent communication skills. You need to be able to talk to people and get them to cooperate with you.

The great thing about my job is that my working days are always varied and changing. I can shift between working with local business owners, taking images for features, doing studio and product work as well as working at weddings and portraits.

While this is a positive side of the job, it can also be one of the most challenging. You need to be a quick thinker and be able to solve problems on the job. But the results are always worth it - I love the look of delight on a client’s face when you give them something they are really happy with.

The administration side of running your own business can be a bit of hassle, especially if you are a creative person like me. Paperwork and invoicing can be tough but it is a much-needed part of a business.

You have to bear in mind that photography is not just a day job. Assignments can be at any time of day and you may have plenty of early starts to get to where you need to be for that day’s shoot.

It is also an industry with plenty of competition so you will have to be prepared to work hard and get as much experience as possible. If you have drive and passion for the job, you should be able to go far.