How do I get work and break into Event photography?

Hi all. I've been looking at event photography as a possible route to go with my photography.
I do wonder how you go about getting the work? Advertising in the general media I don't see working at all. So there must be some other way in. I seems like a closed door. People that organise events need to find (if they need) photograhers but event photography is a bit of unknown thing imo.

Any advice and tips that could help me get started in this field would be so very helpful and much appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

This is less advice than it is mere description of what I did, but I got my first gig ever via Craigslist. I had nothing of a portfolio but for a dozen people shots I took at various friends' parties. I shot with nothing but a 5d, a 50mm and a 430ex flash and was paid about $20 / hour for my effort.

First off, event photography is certainly not an unknown thing....it's a very competitive market. Depending on the types of events you would like to shoot, figure out who your target audience is and start targeting them. You could run Facebook ads, local ads, direct mail or collaborate with other event organizers in your area. Once you determine who your customers would be, do some research on how to reach them with and offer your services.

Event Photographers....talk to me.

Online orders question

Reasons people don't buy online

And since you used a descriptive title, the forum has done a mini-search for you. Look at the links at the very bottom left hand corner of this page.

[QUOTE=PhotosGuy;13737​155]Event Photographers....talk to me.

Online orders question

Reasons people don't buy online

And since you used a descriptive title, the forum has done a mini-search for you. Look at the links at the very bottom left hand corner of this page.[/QUOTE

and are you working events now? ur proper stuffed without a dyesub it's all pointless. Pll want something to take home. Thats where the $$ is.

jra wrote in post #13735757
First off, event photography is certainly not an unknown thing....it's a very competitive market. Depending on the types of events you would like to shoot, figure out who your target audience is and start targeting them. You could run Facebook ads, local ads, direct mail or collaborate with other event organizers in your area. Once you determine who your customers would be, do some research on how to reach them with and offer your services.

Thanks. I'm equipped to do most eventd with the exception of large sports events. I could cover a 3-400 ppl gig. I recon. My dydsub just spits em out!

I'll tell you what worked in my case. I cover a lot of events, and I don't shoot all of them. So I often hire others to shoot for me. While one of my hired photogs was covering an event for me, there was another photog shooting there also. He wasn't working, just shooting on his own. He was chatting up one of my photogs, learned my photog was shooting for "me" , and then offered to share his pics with us for free. So he sent us his pics, and they were pretty good. I think we ended up using a few.

But, he didn't say thanks and let us forget about him. He was persistant enough to send us more pics (for free) from other events too. And now, that same photographer has a job with us shooting events.

Now, it doesn't always work out this way. But sometimes if you go to the type of events you want to shoot, and meet the right people and offer to share some of your work... you might just be able to use the opportunity to get real work from it.

It's not what you know it's who you know.

j-dogg wrote in post #13741463
It's not what you know it's who you know.

yup!

JacobPhoto wrote in post #13741639
yup!

and to a point you'd both be right but that doesn't help me

snappy7 wrote in post #13742665
and to a point you'd both be right but that doesn't help me

Sure it does. One thing you can do is start networking with companies that typically need event photography. I shoot running races, kids triathlons and to get started I contacted small races who didn't have a photographer. I shot the race & sold the images, used the images to demonstrate my ability to book more races.

I also shoot public & private events and am linked in with a few event marketing companies who hire me. Again, I seemed them out and started building a relationship with them. If you know the market it's not difficult but it can take time. If you don't know the market you have some homework to do.

Go get 'em

Rubi Jane wrote in post #13746486
Sure it does. One thing you can do is start networking with companies that typically need event photography. I shoot running races, kids triathlons and to get started I contacted small races who didn't have a photographer. I shot the race & sold the images, used the images to demonstrate my ability to book more races.

I also shoot public & private events and am linked in with a few event marketing companies who hire me. Again, I seemed them out and started building a relationship with them. If you know the market it's not difficult but it can take time. If you don't know the market you have some homework to do.

Go get 'em

Thanks for that. I've backed off of calling event organisers because I've so little of these type of images. I was thinking of waiting to approach them. I'm thinking if I have nothing to show they'll never want to know me after if they are placing me they wanna know I can do the job.

^^You need to build a portfolio first, before anything else.

snappy7 wrote in post #13742665
and to a point you'd both be right but that doesn't help me

What do you expect? a list of contacts?

go out and meet people. Show them your photography. Hope that someone likes your stuff and gives you a shot.

JacobPhoto wrote in post #13752084
What do you expect? a list of contacts?

go out and meet people. Show them your photography. Hope that someone likes your stuff and gives you a shot.

that would be delightful. Thanks for the help I'll pm you my details