Photography: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering photography

You offer photography sessions for personal and business clients. This guide covers what customers ask, how to win the booking and what to show on your profile.

What customers ask

  • What do I get, and how many edited images are included?
  • Who owns the photos, and can I share them?
  • How do you plan the lighting and the location?
  • What if the weather changes on the day?
  • Can I see a full gallery from a session like mine?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask what the photos are for, where they will be used, who is in them and when the customer needs them before you talk about the booking
  • Send a full gallery from a similar session, not only your best three images, labeled with the session type
  • Put the session length, the location, the number of edited images, the delivery format, the delivery date and the usage rights in the written quote
  • Share a short shot list or session plan so the customer knows what to expect
  • Confirm the location, the time of day and any permit or access needs in writing before the session
  • Explain your retouching level and how revisions are handled
  • Name your backup date and what happens if the session must move

What to put on your profile

  • Full galleries from real sessions, grouped by session type
  • A short list of what each package includes, with the number of edited images
  • Photos of your setup and any location you use often
  • Your insurance status and the session types you cover

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a short mini session or a second location as an optional add-on
  • Suggest a print or album option for the final images, with the choices explained
  • Recommend a photo review call after the session to pick the final set together

Licenses and permits

No state license is usually required for photography work. Carry general liability insurance and check local permit rules for public locations and commercial shoots with your state or local licensing agency.

Questions

Who owns the photos I take for a client?

Agree on this in writing before the session. The contract should say who owns the images and how the client may use them.

How long should I take to deliver the edited photos?

Put a delivery date in the quote and keep to it. If you need more time, tell the client early and agree on a new date in writing.

Should I shoot in a public location without a permit?

Check the rules for that location first. Many parks and businesses have their own permit or access rules for commercial shoots.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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