If you want to become a freelance photographer, there are several challenges you must address. One of them is knowing how to send your large media files to your clients quickly and efficiently, albeit without the loss of quality. This is what we’ll discuss in this article.
What Is Freelance Photography?
In freelance photography, a photographer provides photos on a contract basis to different clients, making them self-employed.
Freelance photographers can work in a variety of fields: from taking photos for weddings, graduations, and family albums to working with brands and organizations on comprehensive marketing campaigns.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Freelance Photographer?
Here are some of the perks that come with freelance photography:
- The most obvious one of them is that you get to be your own boss. As a freelance photographer, you have a say in how your schedule is organized, who you get to work with, and how you approach each project creatively. Freelance photographers can work anywhere in the world and set their own fees.
- Being a freelance photographer can also be a more lucrative career option compared to the regular 9 to 5. As you get to set your own hours and fees, you can directly influence your income and make adjustments based on your financial goals. In short, you get back as much as you put in.
- As a freelance photographer, you get to build and develop your own client base. As a result, over time, you will have an extensive and reliable network of people using and recommending your services to others.
- Finally, working freelance means your opportunities are endless. You get to plan out your career creatively, take part in exciting projects, focus on a specific niche, and enjoy so much more.
How to Become a Freelance Photographer
While there are definitely lots of benefits that come with freelancing, there are also a number of complications and challenges that you will have to address.
The first things that you will need as a freelance photographer are a portfolio and professional equipment. However, the biggest hurdle you need to address is knowing how to deliver photos to your clients.
Here are several things to consider here:
- Speed. Photo and video files are very large — and sending them over the web can take quite a bit of time. This is why you will need to find a service that lets you efficiently get your work over to your client.
- Cost. Sending large files over the web can be pricey. Even popular cloud-sharing solutions like Dropbox or Google Drive require paid subscriptions if you want to store substantial amounts of data. The price of file storage and sharing is something you will need to consider when setting your fees.
- Image format. Another thing to look into is the format in which you will store and share your photos and videos. Some of the most popular formats include GIF, PNG, EPS, RAW, TIFF, MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, AVCHD, and MKV, among others.
- Image resolution/Quality. The higher the resolution and quality of your photos and videos, the bigger storage you will need and the more expensive your file transfer will be. On the other hand, you must remember that most clients will want you to send over your work in the highest quality.
How to Send Photos to Your Client
So, what is the best way to share photos with your clients? Here are some options:
Send printed photos
It makes perfect sense if your client has specifically asked for printed photos. However, in most other cases, this is not a very viable option. Even if your client asks for printed photos, they will most likely also ask you for digital versions. Note that if you do offer printed photos, this will be an additional expense that you will need to consider when setting your fee.
Use a USB flash drive
Saving your work to a USB flash drive is another way of sharing your photos and videos with the client. However, there are lots of downsides here. First, this is quite old-fashioned. Second, if you work with clients from around the world, this is simply impossible. You will also have to deal with storage limitations, security concerns, and additional costs.
Share your work over social media
You can also share your work over social media — however, this is a rather limited option. First, most social media channels won’t allow you to send your photos and videos in their original qualities — which is probably something your clients will not appreciate. On the other hand, posting samples of your creative work on social media platforms is definitely useful as it will allow you to attract more clients and serve as a portfolio that you can easily share with potential new customers.
Invest in cloud storage
Cloud storage is one of the most popular options for sharing digital work of any kind online. You can use popular services like Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, and others. Here’s the catch, however. All of these services require a paid subscription if you need substantial amounts of storage. For instance, even the basic 100GB plan on Google Drive starts at $1.99 per month — and if you want 1TB of storage space, you will need to pay $9.99 a month. This means additional costs on your side — and you will still have to deal with storage limitations. Let’s be clear: even 2TB of storage is not that much when it comes to photos and videos.
So, is there any other alternative to get your large files across the web?
You can try using a new modern secure file transfer service FileWhopper. Here’s why it looks like the best possible option:
- No size limits. With FileWhopper, you won’t have to worry about file size limits. With this service, you can transfer files of absolutely ANY size — even if we are talking about a 10 TB media pack. All your work will be delivered in its original quality.
- No compression. As you can transfer files of any size, you won’t have to worry about compressing your work and the loss of quality in the process. Additionally, you will get to avoid all the issues and complications associated with compressing and extracting files.
- No subscription. With FileWhopper, you will only pay for what you are sending. This will be especially convenient for new freelance photographers who are just building up their client base and don’t want to make any extra investments. As you upload your file, you will get a price estimation and will only have to make a one-time secure payment. Moreover, you can choose who pays for the transfer — it can be you or the client you are sending your work to.
- Send folders. In addition to files, you can also use FileWhopper to send entire folders: your portfolio, project, video collection, and more. This is a wonderful time saver as you won’t have to send your files one by one.
- 100% security. FileWhopper uses the most advanced file protection available today — zero-knowledge encryption. This means that nobody but you will get access to your photos — and this can be a very important factor to a lot of your clients who want to keep their photos private.
- Fast transfer + simultaneous upload and download. Transferring folders and files with FileWhopper is very fast. Plus, you can use the option for simultaneous upload and download. Your client can start downloading the file or folder the moment you start uploading it.
- No internet interruption issues. In case you run into any connection problems, your work or transfer progress will not be lost. The transfer will simply be interrupted during connection problems and pick up from where it left off once the connection is restored.
Finally, you can try using FileWhopper for free — get your free 5GB transfer.
Bonus Tip: How to Find Clients as a Freelance Photographer
One of the most important aspects of your work as a freelance photographer will be building and expanding your client base. Here are a few tips:
Create a strong portfolio
Publish the best examples of your work online and on social media. Build a diverse collection of photos and videos that you can send to clients in different spheres — or in your specific niche.
Network with other photographers, professional communities, and businesses
Join local and online clubs and organizations where you can meet other photographers, exchange ideas and advice. Reach out to local businesses that could benefit from your work — wedding venues, restaurants, photo studios, and more.
Build referrals via word of mouth
Use all networking options that you have access to — including your friends and family. Mention to all the satisfied clients that you would appreciate a recommendation to their friends and business partners.
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