i recently went to a photography retreat and one of the topics that came up was doing free sessions. while i never tell anyone how to run their business, i do give my two cents here and there 🙂

i started my business on free sessions. i literally had to beg and plead with people for them to let me shoot them. it is so embarrassing to admit, but it’s because i was still learning and i needed the experience!!! i remember my first paid shoot. it was a family member. my aunt hired me to do an extended family shoot. it was hard for me…but i loved every second of it. i am so grateful that my aunt {thank you Joy-Joy!!!} had faith in me to capture that memory for her and her family. i learned a lot that day 🙂

so let’s get back on track…i always tell people once you are an established business and have business expenses don’t work for free. meaning…don’t let people make you feel like you owe them a session because they helped you in the beginning. you now have expenses and you need to make sure every click of your shutter is getting paid for…because you are paying to maitenance your equipment, edit their portraits, post their portraits in an online gallery, etc. so there is an expense involved! most people just don’t realize this, it is our job as professionals to educate them. i am sure they don’t mean to offend you by asking for free stuff…they are just usually un-informed. even though i say you should always get paid, i will talk about why i choose to gift sessions to specific people and why i can’t gift sessions to everyone.

like i said before, i started my business on free sessions. there is nothing wrong with doing what you love, for free!!! if you need a model, do it for free. you’re getting something out of it…whether it is experience, images for marketing, etc. but there is a fine line between shooting for your portfolio and getting taken advantage of and shooting everything for a discount or for free.

i run model calls quite often. sometimes i have a specific vision in my head and sometimes i don’t know what i want to shoot until a particular person sends in an application! that’s just how my brain works. sorry guys 🙂 it’s a simple explanation but my model calls are really not all that tricky to figure out!

i do however, view my business as my ministry. my photography business is how i show strangers and even close friends and family, the love of Christ. God blessed me with my business and He could take it away at any moment. i choose to use the talents He gave me, to glorify Him and i know…deep down…my business is not my own. it is His. He is using me to glorify His name…and i feel so honored to be able to do that with something that i am truly passionate about.

because of that…i choose to gift sessions to particular people that God places in my life. occasionally, in my photo groups online…there is a need. a friend has a baby in the NICU and can’t afford portraits or simply did not have time in the hospital to have them done, or there is a last minute need for a photographer of some sort. i see these posts all the time and while i can’t help everyone…there are those few times where one just sticks out in my mind and i feel called to gift my services. they are always so appreciative when we are through with the session and it just makes all of the hard work that i put into my business, so worth it.

God blesses those who glorify His name and shows the love of Christ to others…and i am so very blessed to be able to chase my dream while i am here on earth…gifting sessions to those very few in need is the least that i can do while i am here.