Hey Reader,
Coming to you again with another weekly newsletter, hope you're doing well!
For this week, a reader named Jasinder replied to my newsletter a couple of weeks ago and asked how I got my first paid clients and what actually helped me grow my income in the early stages.
So I thought I’d breakdown exactly what I did.
When I first decided I wanted photography to become my full-time career in 2022, I made one decision very quickly:
I wasn’t going to treat it like a hobby.
The phrase “make it real” became my motto.
So instead of just floating around with a camera hoping things would magically happen…
I took action immediately.
That very first weekend:
• I created my logo
• Built my website
• Made business cards
• Started building a real brand
No waiting around.
No “I’ll do it later.”
I wanted to make the dream real.
Then every week, I pushed myself to get out and practice photography constantly.
Street photography.
Car photography.
Anything I could shoot.
Because I knew something important:
How can you sell a skill if you haven’t developed one yet?
So I spent months building my skills, my portfolio, and my confidence before money ever really entered the picture.
Then at every social event, gathering, and conversation…
I introduced myself as a professional photographer.
Even before I fully believed it myself.
That identity shift mattered a lot.
I also kept posting my work online consistently so people could see:
• I was serious
• I was disciplined
• I was improving
• And I genuinely cared about this
Then 84 days after starting…
My first client appeared.
A friend introduced me to another friend who ran a music production company.
They wanted photos and short-form videos from a studio session.
And honestly, I was terrified.
Especially when it came time to price the job.
I had absolutely no idea what to charge.
So I did the only thing I could think of…
I charged my hourly rate from my 9–5 job which was $40 per hour.
The total came to $442.50.
I sent the quote over expecting pushback…
And it got accepted immediately.
Looking back, I probably undercharged.
But at the time, I was just reacting to the opportunity rather than being prepared for it.
And that’s okay.
Sometimes opportunities come before you feel ready.
I remember arriving at the studio with butterflies in my stomach.
I felt awkward.
Underqualified.
Out of my depth.
But I did what I always try to do in those situations.
Take a breath.
Pretend I’m confident.
Push forward anyway.
And afterwards?
The work was actually good.
That first client then led to another.
Then another.
A friend of a friend needed product photography.
Another needed car photos.
Then I started building relationships inside the car community through car meets, dealerships, and consistently showing up online.
And honestly, one of the biggest reasons I think my income grew steadily in those early stages was because…
I stayed patient.
I kept my 9–5 job.
That gave me income security while I built my business properly.
My salary paid for my life.
My business income got reinvested back into the business.
And my only goal in the first year wasn’t to become rich.
It was simply:
“Can I break even?”
That’s it.
Not six figures.
Not massive clients.
Not becoming famous.
Just:
Can I make back what I spent?
That mindset removed so much pressure and allowed me to move sustainably instead of desperately.
Then over time, all the pieces slowly started stacking together:
• Photoshoots
• Retainer clients
• Content creation
• Personal brand growth
• Digital products
And eventually, it became enough for me to go full-time.
If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this email, it’s this:
You do not need to have everything figured out before you start.
You just need to make it real.
Take yourself seriously.
Build your skills.
Show up consistently.
And ride the wave from one opportunity to the next.
That’s how momentum is built.
A lot of the lessons and systems I learned during those early stages are exactly why I created Freelance Launchpad.
It’s my live workshop designed to help photographers and creators go from zero to their first paying client without spending time overthinking and not knowing what to do next.
If you want help building your skills, portfolio, confidence, outreach, and first income streams, you can check it out here.
If this was useful, just reply with “yes” so I know.
And if there’s anything you want me to cover next, let me know.
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Thanks so much for spending some of your time with me & reading Filling The Gaps.
Talk soon,
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P.S. If part of what’s slowing you down right now is your editing or not feeling confident in your work yet, my LTO Signature Preset Collection: Volume 1 is designed to help with exactly that.
It’s built to help you improve faster, develop your editing style, and create work you actually feel proud to post.
Click here to check it out.
