# how to Find Clients ?



## MH_91 (Dec 3, 2009)

hi there 
hope you all doing well 

Am new Photographer in Photography business filed and so far i took pictures of one Couples , and the second is coming soon 

i was wondering , how can i find clients ??? 

i did everything that is Possible 

 i made fan club throw facebook .. but most of them are my friends  or there friends... 


i wanna know whats the best way to find clients ? 

Thank you all


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## Atlas77 (Dec 3, 2009)

You dont find clients, you let them come to you. 

Website/Advertising. etc etc. If you have your best previous work posted somewhere usually clients are more interested its like a resume.


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## MH_91 (Dec 3, 2009)

Atlas77 said:


> You dont find clients, you let them come to you.
> 
> Website/Advertising. etc etc. If you have your best previous work posted somewhere usually clients are more interested its like a resume.



Ture , but if you are new in this field , you dont have lots pictures to share ( only your personal works) 

at this time YOU must look for the clients


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## camz (Dec 3, 2009)

I think in the beginning you'll just have to work for really cheap maybe sometimes for free to get your portfolio going.  It's really hard to sell a portfolio filled with your friends and family. Facebook is a good move.  There's also craigslist...if you want to score free and cheap gigs then CL is the way to go.  Advertising won't do you any good if you don't have work to show for so get the experience first and the portfolio going.  Once you get that ball rolling and your name out there it will start to pick up if your work is good b/c the majority of this business is based on a referral game.


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## MH_91 (Dec 3, 2009)

camz said:


> I think in the beginning you'll just have to work for really cheap maybe sometimes for free to get your portfolio going.  It's really hard to sell a portfolio filled with your friends and family. Facebook is a good move.  There's also craigslist...if you want to score free and cheap gigs then CL is the way to go.  Advertising won't do you any good if you don't have work to show for so get the experience first and the portfolio going.  Once you get that ball rolling and your name out there it will start to pick up if your work is good b/c the majority of this business is based on a referral game.




Ture .. all the stuff you told me . i did them 

about the Pricing , well could you please tell me the avrange ? 

because i have 3 options 

1.	 4 pictures in frame + 10 to 15 pictures you guys chose so I can print them up and put it in nice Album + the Cd . 
The price for that are 150 $

2.	4 pictures in Frame + The Cd 
The Price for that are 100 $

3.	Just the Cd 
The Price is 80 $



do you think this a good offers ? or should make the price more lower ? 

for free shoots i asked some of my friends .. N they accept it


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## camz (Dec 3, 2009)

MH_91 said:


> camz said:
> 
> 
> > I think in the beginning you'll just have to work for really cheap maybe sometimes for free to get your portfolio going.  It's really hard to sell a portfolio filled with your friends and family. Facebook is a good move.  There's also craigslist...if you want to score free and cheap gigs then CL is the way to go.  Advertising won't do you any good if you don't have work to show for so get the experience first and the portfolio going.  Once you get that ball rolling and your name out there it will start to pick up if your work is good b/c the majority of this business is based on a referral game.
> ...



I think your offerings are way too low even with a sitting fee. For package 1 you're giving them 4 prints in a frame + 10-15 images with an album and the high resolution CD for $150?  A single print alone in my opinion should be 25 - 150 times the cost of printing costs which depends on a photographers self worth and demographics.  I just did a comparison in my area and that's the range that I'm seeing with pros around here.

See you're even throwing frames with your packages so I think your approach is too cheap.  I'm curious how you came up with the prices?


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## DennyCrane (Dec 3, 2009)

Local newspaper ads.
Phone book yellow pages
Drop inserts in advertising bundles in direct mailings
Advertisements on back of super market receipts


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## MH_91 (Dec 3, 2009)

thanks for the tips!


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## MH_91 (Dec 3, 2009)

camz said:


> MH_91 said:
> 
> 
> > camz said:
> ...




i just did research , and i saw the other Photographer which is new in this field , they had smiler prices as i had ...


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## KmH (Dec 3, 2009)

I'm going to be really honest here and it's meant to help in the best way possible.

I get the impression English is a second language for you. There is nothing wrong with that. However, a photography business needs quite a bit of paperwork that will be read by your clients: Advertising, pricing and package descriptions, contracts, model releases, print releases, emails, etc. A lack of capital letters, improper grammer and language usage fail to make a good first impression, an important ingredient for success.

Unless you have a close personal support network that can assist you with the typing and language skills you are showing here, you'll have difficulty attracting clients from a broad spectrum of your community. Upgrade your written communication skill as soon as possible.

More importantly, you won't be able to attract the kind of clients that will allow you to charge prices high enough to not only sustain your business, but to also pay you a living wage that also provides for your family and your retirement .

Do what works for you, rather than copying what other new photographers are doing because as the above survey shows, most of them are doing it wrong.

Having a camera and the ability to make pleasing images is only part of the equation. Unfortunately, recent surveys show that 95% of all new photography businesses fail within the first 12 month, because the business owners lacked business skills.

You sound motivated and intelligent enough to make a go of it, just be sure you're expending your efforts on the things that are so important for the business. The photography part will tend to take care of itself.

I'm of the opinion that working for cheap or free when starting out is a canard, a trap many new photographers fall into that doom them before they ever really have a chance to get started.


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## MH_91 (Dec 3, 2009)

KmH said:


> I'm going to be really honest here and it's meant to help in the best way possible.
> 
> I get the impression English is a second language for you. There is nothing wrong with that. However, a photography business needs quite a bit of paperwork that will be read by your clients: Advertising, pricing and package descriptions, contracts, model releases, print releases, emails, etc. A lack of capital letters, improper grammer and language usage fail to make a good first impression, an important ingredient for success.
> 
> ...



hey , thank you for ur comment . and yes English is my 3rd language , and i totally DISAGREE with you about what you said  ?! 

paper works and the other stuff , its okay for me to do that kind of stuff ... 


and if you judging me from just by reading my comments and telling me my English want to work on it more   .. welll here we just type fast and say whats on our mind ... 

*you comparing  Official paper works* to a Forum that we just write and we don't care about the Grammar stuff  .... 

i just love photography and lots of family and friends supported me

thanks for your honestly but* please don't judge too fast ! *


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## Eco (Dec 3, 2009)

#1.  Get professional business cards and give them to everyone you meet or see (playing a numbers game).

#2.  Look for community events where you can rent a table for $15-$100 and show off your work.

#3.  Take a cooler full of sodas to the park and give people a soda and a free picture in exchange for a model release and 5 minutes of their time.  Of course you will e-mail the photo to them with the chance to add a marketing message.  You can also try this at school sporting events, what parent does not want a picture of their little brat e-mailed to them?  In both cases wait a month and mail them another photo (different than the first one).

Work on building a database of people that you can e-mail with your offers--- just be sure to include something in your release that lets you e-mail or call them.  Don't cross the thin line and spam them!

Think outside of the box.

BTW, finding POTENTIAL  clients is only part of the larger picture since you will need to learn how to convert potential clients into paying clients.  Then you will want to learn how to turn them into bird dogs (people that get you more clients).  

Good luck!


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## MH_91 (Dec 3, 2009)

Eco said:


> #1.  Get professional business cards and give them to everyone you meet or see (playing a numbers game).
> 
> #2.  Look for community events where you can rent a table for $15-$100 and show off your work.
> 
> ...




That was a very goood information thank you soo soo soo much for the tips 

 i will work on them !!! 

thanks again !!


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## Eco (Dec 3, 2009)

I was going to add:

#4.  Join business related forums (sales, marketing, book keeping......).

#5.  Read consumer complaints at ripoffreport (dot)com and other places to see how clients *don't* want to be treated. 

#6.  Throw out all of the CD's in your car/truck and replace them with sales and marketing CD's.  You can take the best pictures in the world but if you don't learn how to market your potential clients and sell them you will be hungry every evening.  

#7.  Once you make a few dollars get a professional looking website.  Learn all about SEO and master it or spend the money and outsource it.

#8.  Dress like a professional.......spend a few dollars and wear shirts or wind breakers with your company's name, phone number and website URL.

#9.  Learn what an elevator speech is (30 second-2 minute sales pitch) and learn how to use them effectively.  Don't be shy about introducing yourself to people and letting them know what you do.  After you are done hand them a business card with some sort of coupon on the back.


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## Big Mike (Dec 4, 2009)

> hey , thank you for ur comment . and yes English is my 3rd language , and i totally DISAGREE with you about what you said ?!
> 
> paper works and the other stuff , its okay for me to do that kind of stuff ...
> 
> ...


I agree with KmH.  Your spelling and grammar (that we have seen) is very bad.  Improving in this area could really help your on-line image, which could lead to more clients.  



> welll here we just type fast


Slow down.  Use a spell checker.  



> that we just write and we don't care about the Grammar stuff ....


Most of us do care about the grammar stuff.


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## Christos_2006 (Dec 4, 2009)

What path of a photographic career are you looking to pursue? weddings, portraits, sports, commercial, fashion?

In all honesty you will never find the holy grail on how to obtain clients on an open forum or any forum for that matter. Because if someone does know, they will not give up that information. Remember that actual photography is only about 20% or so in this business, the other 80% is how to properly run a successful business, so yes communication is important. 
Basic business sense must prevail here, create business cards, a brand, website and go meet and talk to people.

Long Island wedding photographer


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## KmH (Dec 4, 2009)

MH_91 said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > I'm going to be really honest here and it's meant to help in the best way possible.
> ...


Actually, I didn't post most of my thoughts, though your reply here confirms my original impressions.

All the best for you and your new business venture. :thumbup:


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## jubb (Dec 4, 2009)

When starting out it can be through family, and then friends and acquaintances.  The facebook fan page is good, every time you update the fan page you should also place a status update on your own page as well.  Add everyone you can to facebook.  Do some free shoots so you have work to show everyone on facebook that you can turn out goodwork.  Then if you are good people will ask to book with you.

Other than that, there is SEO to get yourself in the search engines, talking to everyone you know about your photography(Work, Church, clubs, groups, school... or whoever), join the chamber of commerce and go to their meetings and make friends with people.

You can get gigs by being a people person, kind of the same way real estate agents get their clients.


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## rlstevens (Dec 4, 2009)

THAT IS RIGHT!!


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## random2 (Dec 7, 2009)

You guys are to much. lol.. all true and helpfull though.. I just enjoy reading this site.


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## keith foster (Dec 7, 2009)

KmH is right. 
Right or wrong, people judge us by how we communicate when we write and speak. AND, if you are trying to build a successful business you must consider EVERYONE that you come in contact with as a potential source of business. Either as a someone who may offer a referral of business or as a direct user of your services and that reinforces the advice that KmH is giving.


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