This document contains short interviews with 10 professional photographers about how they started their photography businesses. Some common themes that emerge are: finding first clients through friends, family, and networking; treating all clients well to get positive referrals; answering phone calls to get work; and using YouTube as an effective marketing platform. The photographers emphasize the importance of networking, delivering excellent work, and building relationships with clients.

1. How Did You
Go Pro?
10 Professionals
Share the Secrets
of Starting a Successful
Photography Business

2. Christina Van Dyke is the owner/founder
of Van Dyke Design & Photography,
a boutique creative agency offering
private, corporate and commercial design
and photography services. Her work can
be found at vandyke-photography.com
Christina Van Dyke
Christina Van Dyke is the owner/founder
of Van Dyke Design & Photography,
a boutique creative agency offering
private, corporate and commercial design
and photography services. Her work can
be found at vandyke-photography.com
Christina Van Dyke
Christina

3. A project I was working on for
one of my graphic design clients
required custom photography. Out
of necessity, I picked up the camera
(having had limited experience with
film photography from my college
days). Needless to say, I took a
chance, fell in LOVE, and never
looked back.
Christina Van Dyke
How did you find your first client?

4. Christina Van Dyke
How did you get your best client?
My best client found out about my photographic services
from a word-of-mouth referral. That client has since
introduced me to countless new clients, who are all just as
fabulous. The lesson I’ve learned is to always treat each
and every client as if they are your ONLY client. Provide
great work and a great customer experience. In return,
your clients will reward you with wonderful referrals that keep
your business growing and thriving.

5. Christina Van Dyke
What do new photographers need to know?
I’m a firm believer in keeping things simple. Learn
everything you can about your ideal customer, and then offer
the services/products that you most enjoy creating and which
people most want to purchase from you. Then you’ve found
your niche.

6. Cappy is a wedding photographer based
in New York’s Hudson Valley who has
photographed weddings all over the
world. Her work has been featured
in Brides, New York Magazine, Elle,
The Knot, Well Wed, Grace Ormonde
Wedding Style and many others. You can
find her at cappyhotchkiss.com.
Cappy Hotchkiss

7. How did you find your first client?
I found my first buyer (in my case, my first bride and groom)
in the dog run on the Upper West Side! At that point, I had
photographed weddings for a few friends and absolutely loved
it. Someone in the dog run overheard me talking about it
and asked me to shoot her wedding. I still remember what a
thrill it was - and how scary and fabulous it was. I took a ton
of black and white shots with real film and used a vintage
camera for some portraits. They just loved them.
Cappy Hotchkiss

8. Cappy Hotchkiss
What do new photographers need to know?
My advice to new photographers to help them get buyers is
this: Network, be honest, and approach social media from
all angles. If you do good work and put it out there, the jobs
will come.
The biggest positive impact on my sales has been being
published so often - and good word of mouth.

9. Casey Kelbaugh,
caseykelbaugh.com, is a NYC-
based photographer and the
founder of Slideluck, slideluck.com
Casey Kelbaugh
Casey

10. How did you find your first client? How did you
get your best client?
In my 15 years in the business, I have never gotten a job out
of thin air. Every single break, every assisting gig, every big
campaign, every meat-and-potatoes job has come to me
through some kind of relationship.
While I know this concept is not revolutionary, I think
we sometimes lose sight of the simple power of human
connectivity. Making great work is important, but just as
important is building and maintaining relationships.
Ultimately, you’re working with people.
Casey Kelbaugh

11. What do new photographers need to know?
I think it’s important to look beyond your photo industry peers
for job opportunities. It may seem sensible to network with
photo editors and art directors, but you are competing for
their attention with every other photographer under the sun.
Clients can be found anywhere, so think about reaching
out to your friends that work at startups, universities, law firms
and restaurants.
When building your clientele, try to think outside of the box.
Casey Kelbaugh

12. James Brosher is an editorial, commercial
and wedding photographer based in
Bloomington, Indiana. His editorial clients
include The Wall Street Journal and
Chicago Tribune, among others. He is a
former staff photographer at the South
Bend Tribune and Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
His work can be found at brosher.com.
James Brosher
James

13. How did you find your first client?
I left a staff photographer position at the South Bend Tribune
to move to Bloomington, Indiana. I had a few connections in
Bloomington and Indianapolis, which lead to some freelance
work immediately when I moved back. One day I got a
call from the Indianapolis Star needing an event covered
in 15 minutes. I’ve been able to get several jobs because
of flexibility. Being around, available and being able to
anticipate when a publication might need you (a big event,
news, sporting event, etc.) goes a long way.
James Brosher

14. How did you get your best client?
One day I was at the library and got a phone call from a weird
number. I answered, and I was glad that I did: it was a great
job that paid my bills for an entire month. The client said he
had called a couple other people but I got the job because
I answered the phone. Ever since then, I’ve made a point
to always answer my phone. You never know when a great
client will call.
James Brosher

15. What do new photographers need to know?
As is the case in almost any industry, networking is huge.
Just knowing someone informally goes a long way.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to editors, publications
or other photographers to introduce yourself.
James Brosher

16. Holly Ireland is located in San Diego,
CA and specializes in Wedding,
Dance and Family Photography.
Her website is hollyireland.com
Holly Ireland
Holly

17. How did you find your first client?
I started with friends and family.
How did you find your best client?
My best client was one who hired us for a wedding. It was
really profitable, nice, beautiful and led to multiple referrals
afterwards.
Holly Ireland

18. What do new photographers need to know?
I recommend networking in all the markets that your
photography specializes in. Also, develop a strong social
media following, have a strong workflow in place early on,
and never stop practicing and learning.
Holly Ireland

19. Marlene Hielema
Marlene Hielema is a photo &
video educator, and digital content
creator in Calgary, Canada.
Her work can be found at
imagemaven.com and
imagemavenvideo.com
Marlene

20. How did you find your first client buyer(s)?
Over the years, I’ve found most of my clients through personal
connections and referrals, including my first clients. I got
one of my most lucrative corporate clients when I was in grad
school. One of my classmates was working in public relations
for a multinational energy company and kept me busy
shooting and doing print production work for over 5 years. I
would definitely define that as my “big break.”
More recently, I’ve been getting new clients from my YouTube
videos for both my online courses and video editing. People
contact me to say, “Can you teach me to do what you do?”
Marlene Hielema

21. or they say, “Can you edit my videos to look like yours?”
YouTube has become like an online portfolio for my content
creation services.
How did you find your best client? For your
courses, what has made the biggest positive
impact on your sales?
As I eluded to above, YouTube has definitely made a
huge positive impact on my sales over the past 3 years.
Photographers are well-positioned to create YouTube content,
whether that’s uploading a portfolio, creating video slideshows
Marlene Hielema

22. from events, shooting behind-the-scenes videos, or producing
educational content.
You don’t even need to know anything about video editing or
production to get started doing slideshow videos. YouTube
videos get better with age, and are indexed by Google. That
is the huge advantage over other social media channels. I
have more interaction on my YouTube channels than I do on
Facebook, Twitter and my blogs combined.
Marlene Hielema

23. What do new photographers need to know?
You have to get out and meet people! People like to work
with people they like, so you need to make connections with
people who need the type of work you want to do. Have
your elevator pitch ready, because I have met a lot of future
clients at parties.
Even if you’re not the best photographer, if you are a good
person who acts professionally, you will get work. Try to avoid
the “this will be good for your portfolio” clients, as there are
lots of people who like to take advantage of beginners.
Marlene Hielema

24. Andrew Federman
Andrew Federman is a photographer
working in a photojournalistic style for
clients including Google, YouTube, L2,
Hearst Magazines, the Steve Nash
Foundation and many others. His work
can be found at andrewfederman.com
Andrew

25. How did you find your first client?
My first client was a New York-based event production
company called Dalzell Productions that was known for
giving people a chance to push their qualifications beyond
what they had ever been asked to do before. In my case,
I was an amateur photographer, with an old manual film
camera from the 1970’s (Olympus OM-2) with two lenses (a
50mm and 28mm), who had a desire to move into the world of
professional photography. They brought me on to photograph
the 2004 FiFi (Fragrance Foundation) awards show from a
Andrew Federman

26. Andrew Federman
photojournalistic perspective. There were press photographers
at the event who mainly focused on celebrities, but Dalzell
Productions wanted me to capture the story of the whole
event. I printed all the photos after the event and put them
in a book, which really helped to enhance the narrative the
images told. (A testament to the power of editing!) They loved
the photos and hired me for many subsequent events!

27. Andrew Federman
How did you get your best client?
I got my best client, Google, by landing a smaller event
for them (the kick-off to the 2011 Google Science Fair) and
delivering photos that they just loved. Word spread and they
asked me if I would come shoot the inaugural Google Science
Fair (an event for 15 global finalist) out in Mountain View,
California at Google HQ.

28. Andrew Federman
What do new photographers need to know?
My advice for young photographers is to remember that it’s
the photographs you actually deliver to your clients that
set you apart - not how slick your website is, how many
Instagram followers you have or how many blog hits you
get. Marketing is important, but delivering photos that blow
away your clients will generate a powerful word-of-mouth
force. I think this is especially relevant when shooting for large
companies who often consult internally for creative services
recommendations.

29. Michael Zide
A member of Moab fine art paper’s Master Photographer Program and an
Ambassador for Manfrotto Distribution and LiveBooks web design, Michael
Zide’s work is in private, corporate and museum collections. Commercial
clients have included Sinar Bron View Cameras, Schneider Optics, Bogen
Imaging, Newsweek, Fortune, Fine Homes and Silvershotz, along with other
publications and companies. His work can be found at michaelzide.com
Michael

30. How did you find your first client?
My first job involved photographing clouds to be used as a
background projection for a production of King Lear at the
Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center in NYC. A friend,
who was part of the set design team, hired me. This was
a lovely gift to me as someone just beginning his career in
landscape photography.
Michael Zide

31. How did you get your best client?
My best client/job situation occurred early in my career
and was a tremendous learning experience. Hired as the
photographer for a start-up weekly newspaper on Martha’s
Vineyard, I learned how to tell a story in photographs and
think quickly on my feet. As an editorial photographer,
I gained facility in working with subjects to create relaxed
and believable images, a big plus as I began to specialize
in marketing photography for educational institutions
and corporations.
Michael Zide

32. What do new photographers need to know?
Alfred Eisenstaedt, a famous Life Magazine photographer
said, “It’s more important to click with people than to click
the shutter.” People hire you because of the quality of your
work, but will hire you again and again because they enjoy
your attitude and manner both on and off the set. If you are
passionate about the work you do and enjoy the challenges
and rewards of fulfilling your client’s expectations, word will
spread and your reputation will grow - both as an image
maker and a human being.
Michael Zide

33. Steve Hansen
Steve is an L.A. based headshot
photographer who has also had work
published in The Hollywood Reporter and
The New York Times. His work can be
found at SHansenPhotography.com
Steve

34. How did you find your first client?
My first client was actually a friend who needed headshots.
He couldn’t afford some of the more pricey photographers and
I needed clients so we struck a deal.
How did you get your best client?
I actually found my best client during a special promotion
I did. He ended up getting a lot of work from my photos
and now he shoots with me a couple times a year. He has
been such a joy to work with that I continue to offer him my
promotional rate each time. In return, he keeps sending new
clients my way.
Steve Hansen

35. What do new photographers need to know?
Don’t be afraid to take a pay cut in the early stages of building
your business and name. Yes, you may be worth a lot more,
but having your work out there is invaluable to building a
solid client list.
Steve Hansen

36. Chris Marion
Chris Marion is a freelance
photographer based in Springfield,
Massachusetts who has shot for the
NBA and Sports Illustrated. His work
can be found at ChrisMarion.com.
Chris

37. How did you find your first client?
I had an opportunity to meet the editor of a local sports
magazine so I asked him if they had a need for additional
photographers. He said yes and gave me what was most
likely a test assignment. The assignment went well and it
went on to become my first real sports job.
Chris Marion

38. How did you get your best client?
My best client is easily the NBA. My hometown of Springfield
had an NBA development league and I was their team
photographer for five years. Through that experience I was
able to capture the attention of the NBA, which then led
to freelancing opportunities with Sports Illustrated, as well
as others.
Chris Marion

39. What do new photographers need to know?
When you’re just starting out, networking is crucial. A key
word of advice that I always give aspiring photographers
is to just ask. Ask whether someone needs photos or a
photographer; a lot of times it’s the only way you’re going
to get the job. The only catch here, is that you need to be
prepared when they say, “yes”!
Chris Marion

40. Are you ready to Go Pro?
How Did You Go Pro? is an excerpt from the expanded, second
edition of Going Pro: How to make money through your photography
from Digital Photography School.
Written by Kelly Kingman, a former photo editor with close to
a decade’s experience working in New York City for consumer
publications, Going Pro has sold over 8,000 copies. It features Kelly’s
insider expertise as well as dozens of interviews with photographers
and the people who hire them. The second edition includes practical,
printable guides that help you build an online presence, craft an
elevator pitch, protect your work with legal tools, master basic sales
and marketing and much, much more.
Visit http://digital-photography-school.com/learn for a complete list of
available titles.