Putting Yourself Out There as a Photographer
- rcl_photography
- Feb 11, 2020
- 3 min read
How I reach out to friends, photographers, models, or just random people on Insta and what do I say to them.
Model: @jolie.diane Photographer: @rcl_portraits (me)
About a year ago I decided to get serious about my hobby of taking pictures. About 3 months ago I decided to stop being afraid to reach out to people. I got over my fear of rejection.
Little did I know, the law of attraction really works. I started reaching out to random people to shoot including acquaintances, family, friends, and random people on Instagram. How?
Reaching out to models and creatives on Insta
Please keep in mind that it is important to have a somewhat established portfolio or at least the beginnings of a decent showcase of your work if you expect strangers to want to work with you. That said, it doesn't hurt to try but include somewhere in your initial intro message that you are trying to build a portfolio.
To find models or persons interested in modeling, search your Instagram for #jacksonvillemodels but replace the city with your location. That is the easiest way to start. Once there, look through photos and find a few candidates. When I first started doing this, I looked to see if they have a fairly modest following as that usually means they are starting out as well and more likely to say yes.
When messaging to schedule a shoot, have your dates ready. Don't plan for further out than a couple of weeks and make sure to give them at least five or seven days heads up. Everyone is busy and has schedules.
I compose my message as something like this:
Hi! My name is Lena and I am a photographer in the Jacksonville/St Augustine area. I saw your pictures on #jacksonvillemodels. Would you be interested in doing a photoshoot with me? I have openings on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 - time of day is optional/or include good times here. Please feel free to check out my portfolio/website. Thanks for your time. Have a great day!
That's literally it. Put several lines out and wait to see if anything bites. I understand that this can be terrifying at first. But...No pain - no gain!
After you get a reply, please be ready for them to say "Sure. What do you have in mind?" Please don't just say "I don't know/care" or "You decide". This is where they are already feeling you out for confidence, for credibility.
I reply with:
Thank you for being interested in working with me! After looking at your Instagram portfolio, I noticed that you really like an urban style or you seem to love the beach or another approach you don't have very many pictures in a professional studio/outdoors/whatever you notice about them as a person. Creeping on their Insta is not an issue here. You have already done it by seeking them out. They know this. This shows them that you took notice in their page/their interests.
Finish with:
There are a couple of urban spots around town that are really cool/have great lighting. List them. But I am open to suggestions and if there is some other place you would rather use - please let me know!
If you have anything to add to this, please post your comment below.
Reaching out to photographers for collabs on Insta
Maybe you are more comfortable reaching out to other photographers right away. Or maybe their fame and amaziness scares you. Just do it. Reach out to the photographer. They have been through everything you are experiencing and will most likely be very kind and coaching.
I recently reached out to @annapantarei on Insta whom I have been following for over a year. I asked her for tips and tricks and asked if she does tutorials/tag alongs. She gave me a really nice list of suggestions to improve my style and said that no she is not currently doing any coaching.
Two months later she messaged me asking if I would like to attend an InPiece Collaboration with her and shoot all kinds of models and photographers. I was stunned and so excited. It was an amazing opportunity for me that would have never arose if I didn't take that first step at a connection.
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