Event photography - offer to shoot free with no takers?

Keep shooting as much as you can, keep shooting what ever you can and keep posting for free work. There's no difference between advertising for free and offering your services for free at a Church or Charity, although you should look into those as well. Jump into the deep end and run with it. Just make it clear to everyone what your skill level is, what your trying to achieve and don't try and pass off other people work as your own. Anyone who is afraid or upset with a free CL shooter is probably at the same level as you so don't sweat them. The more you read, the more you educate yourself and the more you practice the better you'll become. If you sit around and wait for 'it', 'it' will never come.

sniper_md wrote in post #11409864
If you perceive newbies-photographers who offer free services as your direct competitors and see a threat to your business, it means only one thing - you realize that your work is no better than that of newbies. You just don't want to say it loud, that's all. You prefer to call yourself a professional but deep down inside you know you produce no better images than a newbie.

Really? And what type of photography are you referring to?
What evidence can you produce to back this up?
There is plenty of evidence that indicates that GWC's giving away images have hurt action sports photography.

wyofizz wrote in post #11411320
Really? And what type of photography are you referring to?
What evidence can you produce to back this up?
There is plenty of evidence that indicates that GWC's giving away images have hurt action sports photography.

And look at what the super bargain basement wedding tog has done to that market.

People need to stop and realize that when you value a photography at the price of $0, the average consumer will view any and all photographs as having the exact same value, no matter how good or bad they are.

But try buying groceries, paying the rent, or buying a car with $0 and get back to me on how that works out.

sniper_md wrote in post #11404222
I am wanting to get into event photography (ceremonials, official dinners, charitable events etc), and posted on CL offering free coverage (so that i can build portfolio).
To my surprise, there are no inquiries.
Wow.

Perhaps, I should be fishing for these somewhere else? or do something else alltogether?
Any advise?
thanks

If you going to do free work at least do it for a worthy cause like homeless or pets SPCA and on and on..

Bosscat wrote in post #11411371
And look at what the super bargain basement wedding tog has done to that market.

People need to stop and realize that when you value a photography at the price of $0, the average consumer will view any and all photographs as having the exact same value, no matter how good or bad they are.

But try buying groceries, paying the rent, or buying a car with $0 and get back to me on how that works out.

yeah, I don't buy it.
If your client is going with free photographer, than maybe the problem is not in free photographer, but in your product. Because if the client sees no difference between the end product that you provide for $tonsofmoney$ and the end product of free photographer, maybe it means something, no? Maybe it means that your end product is no better than that of free photographer?...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with my sprint car or snowcross images.....but if given a choice between a $20 8x10 and a $0 8x10, most people would opt for the freebie........they seem to think they got something for nothing, and in most cases they got exactly what they paid for.

I'm off to stock shelves at a local store, serve coffee at a coffee at a house, pump gas at a gas station, do a radio broadcast at the local station, operate a bulldozer at a construction site, and drive an 18 wheeler, all for free..........and I am sure they will all ask me back tommorrow, since the price is right, and good for their bottom line.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11404556
head...wall; wall...head - have you two met?

Mike, perhaps the OP should post this on SportsShooter and see how Liddy and the gang feel? Can you move over so I can have a shot at that wall too?

Bosscat wrote in post #11411371
And look at what the super bargain basement wedding tog has done to that market.

People need to stop and realize that when you value a photography at the price of $0, the average consumer will view any and all photographs as having the exact same value, no matter how good or bad they are.

But try buying groceries, paying the rent, or buying a car with $0 and get back to me on how that works out.

My clients tell me and their friends that I'm worth every penny.

When I first started, I tried to have professional rates. It's no surprise that that only served to keep the professionals with years of experience to use as a selling point in business. It didn't help me a lick.

Then I went free or super low price to get some work. I built a portfolio, then came up with rates once I felt comfortable enough to deliver. This is how pretty much every photographer starts if they can't get a highly paid, well respected professional to babysit them. It's also how I continue to get into new genres.

you have to ask yourself how many event organizers visit craigslist... not a very good outlet to drum up business... well at least in my area it's not...

namasste wrote in post #11411579
Mike, perhaps the OP should post this on SportsShooter and see how Liddy and the gang feel? Can you move over so I can have a shot at that wall too?

New record for "inappropriate" marks?

I see nothing wrong with advertising on CL when you're just starting out. I got my first big event from CL as well as a few portrait sessions that were great practice and I charged a decent amount for them. I'm actually doing a second event for the first client I got off of CL.

At that time I didnt have experience in portraits or events but they all said that they like the shots I took of landmarks in their neighborhoods that they saw on my site. So I say shoot everything you can and if its good, post it to your site, you never know how it might impress a potential client

I still post a couple of ads every once in a while, but since I raised my prices I havent had too many calls. But you never know, one CL customer could = a couple of referrals.


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I also agree with the others who say to do charity work. I do stuff for local churches and it has opened a lot of doors. You also should try to hook up with a good graphic artist, they always need good photos.

Contact local PTA's and see if you can get contracted to do a fund raiser for the school. I did this for my son's school and it was a huge success. The IT class sold $10 portraits. The purchaser got a 8x10. The school got $5 bucks from each one sold, and I got $5 bucks for the costs. The piece of paper the purchaser got for the $10 gave them a number to call and schedule their shoot (PTA volunteer). The school gave us the auditoriam to use on Saturday...actually took 3 to get them all done...and we only had maybe 10% that didn't show, even though they had paid.

sniper_md wrote in post #11411442
yeah, I don't buy it.
If your client is going with free photographer, than maybe the problem is not in free photographer, but in your product. Because if the client sees no difference between the end product that you provide for $tonsofmoney$ and the end product of free photographer, maybe it means something, no? Maybe it means that your end product is no better than that of free photographer?...

AN Absolute myth in certain types of photography.

I'll tell ya a little story about somebody who started out shooting for free.

A dirt track that has been running for 60 years now, was approached by someone who was willing to shoot for free, and would just sell photos to the racers and crews. Problem is now that the track has become accustomed to not having to pay a weekly fee to have somebody on sight, they won't be willing to pay somebody in the future.

The funny part is late last winter I was contacted by the track manager via e-mail, for a few photos, and I asked why, since they have a track tog, and the answer I got back was that anything that looked OK, was fuzzy, when they enlarged them.

Free looked great in the beginning, but cost in the end in this case, plus its also going to cause a problem down the road when the current tog decides they no longer want to spend their Saturday nights at a race track. I love the french fries there, but sure wouldn't be willing to drive the 70 miles to shoot for free on a weekly basis.