Just got offered my first gig

I've been practicing just for fun on my friends kids basketball games. I emailed the pictures from this thread to him...
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=463612

Well he fowarded them on to some of the parents and they are interested in paying me to come to the next 3 or 4 games and get some good shots of all the boys. He said they will all chip in and pay me a rate per game.

So it looks like I'm going to need to go ahead and order the 85mm 1.8 and probably a strobe also. If they are going to pay me then I''ll need to up my keeper/in focus rate to make sure I can get good shots of all the boys. So I guess in a way they are buying me a strobe and a new lens . They are all aware I'm a newbie and they've seen the pics I have to offer at this point so there will be no surprise in what I can produce. And they are not paying me a ton, but its enough. And I'm excited about it

Yay! Congratulations!!

Robert16 wrote in post #5047675
Yay! Congratulations!!

thanks!!

Good work. Don't gouge them as it would seem they could potentially unlock a lot of other opportunities for you (family portraits, other sports events, etc.)

Get your business cards out and make sure you make the whole group of parents aware you're available for hire.

If you guys have younger "dance teams" and stuff like that, hit those events up. I just got into those, and I am making around $400 - $800 in photo sales from these events per event. Parents buy these pictures UP! Also, talk to the parents. Find out who has only one kid, they will buy non stop.

Enjoy the young sports, they are pretty much where the money is at right now. Little League baseball is coming up!

EnronRocks wrote in post #5050796
If you guys have younger "dance teams" and stuff like that, hit those events up. I just got into those, and I am making around $400 - $800 in photo sales from these events per event. Parents buy these pictures UP! Also, talk to the parents. Find out who has only one kid, they will buy non stop.

Enjoy the young sports, they are pretty much where the money is at right now. Little League baseball is coming up!

Yup I hit a baseball game last night!

texasreddirt wrote in post #5052356
Yup I hit a baseball game last night!

How did that work out?

85mm 1.8 is damn sexy. I'm glad I got mine. Congrats on your new gig!

congrats, the first gig is always the most exciting, like others said now just get your name out there and price according to the market and your abilities and people will pay you, just stick to your ethics and dont let people persuade you to do things on the cheap as you will then gain that rep and it will be hard to move forward.

Congrats from a fellow sports shooter. Be sure to ask the coaches/officials if flash is allowed. Do this before you use one and are told to stop. Some coaches don't care and other do. It's funny that it's always the losing team to complain
It might be time for an on line gallery to increase sales.

You'll be surprised how you business wil grow just from- word of mouth. Since Sept,
I only approached one school and have since been called by 2 more HS for sports and a University for Cheerleading events. I have also picked up other business

Mike R wrote in post #5070069
Congrats from a fellow sports shooter. Be sure to ask the coaches/officials if flash is allowed. Do this before you use one and are told to stop. Some coaches don't care and other do. It's funny that it's always the losing team to complain
It might be time for an on line gallery to increase sales.

You'll be surprised how you business wil grow just from- word of mouth. Since Sept,
I only approached one school and have since been called by 2 more HS for sports and a University for Cheerleading events. I have also picked up other business

I have done some experiments with flashes and playing sports such as basketball. Personally when a flash is fired while I am shooting the ball or going for a layup it does not bother me at all. That is me though so I can not put this as a general for everyone. I tend to stay away from flashes when it comes to sports, but sometimes you can't.