No matter what. If you are suddenly quiet for a month or have missed out on some good jobs, the most important thing you can do is just continue to release quality work. Then the new clients will come.

Our industry is full of people that want to undercut you or will shoot for nothing. Respect your art form and the industry by pricing your work properly. As freelancers, we have huge expenses – studio hire, camera gear, assistants, etc. We also don’t work everyday or get holiday pay. Remember that once you give a client a low price, it’s very hard to ever raise that price.

After every shoot, no matter how happy the client is, I always critique my work and find ways I could have improved it. A lot of your friends will tell you how amazing something is, but you have to look past that and seek out flaws in order to improve. 

I am obsessed with what I do. I think about lighting constantly and most nights I’m looking at blogs to see what the best photographers are doing. Immersing myself in my craft really shows in my work.

You have to go to launch parties, meet the right people and just try to get along with them. A client’s first priority is usually hiring someone they like hanging out with, so being easygoing helps.

As a freelancer, you need to be good enough to shoot anything, so that if a job comes along to shoot something outside your comfort zone, you can still deliver an amazing job. My niche is shooting women well, and I like to think I have a unique style and look to my work, however I regularly shoot interiors, food, product, or any style of ad. Just please don’t ask me to shoot a wedding.

Find models that you want to work with and shoot as much as possible. The work I get paid for is generally selling a product and while I love doing commercial work, the concept usually comes from the client. The work that I am most proud of and that I think best represents me are my editorials and collaborations with models, stylists and other creatives. Plus, this always leads to further opportunities and more work.

Drink champagne after every shoot. I think it’s always important to celebrate if you’ve done something great – secured a new client or just delivered a great shoot. It’s good to take a step back and look at how far you’ve come. 

Look at what the best in the industry are doing. Figure out why their work looks better or different to yours, and then adapt. If your lighting sucks, put one of your photos next to a well-lit shot and figure out how to fix it. I learnt a lot from assisting but really I learnt the most by constantly experimenting with lighting ideas. I know exactly the areas I want to improve and have very high expectations of the new heights I should be reaching as a photographer.

I know it is the boring side of things, however it’s important. I went into freelancing a little blind. I’d recommend getting advice on setting up business accounts, implementing a good invoicing program, and keeping on top of taxes. It’s easy to just spend everything that comes in. Too many people fail due to not taking out the GST or tax. I know it sucks, but just do it.

Being a photographer is a hard job. Long after the model, stylist, HMU artist, and creative team have left for the day, I’m culling the shoot, giving it colour grade, and making proof sheets until 1 or 2am. Last week I shot product until 3.30am to make a deadline. You have to be able to handle a lot of different personalities and please some people who are very hard to please. There are a lot of people behind a shoot, but at the end of the day, the pressure is on you to get the result, so be prepared for some sleepless nights!