Over the past few months, I’ve transitioned from being a freelancer with a few retainer clients in NYC to traveling and completely rebuilding my freelance career. The question I’ve been focusing on is straightforward: “How do I make money remotely as a freelance photographer?” The problem is, I don’t have a clear answer, but I’m experimenting with different approaches.
We started by leaving NYC to work on a personal project in Mexico, sharing the experience on social media. Then, I had my first solo exhibition, aiming to bring the photo and fighting communities in NYC together. As an added bonus, it subtly signaled to potential clients that I was freelancing again. Now, almost three months after the show, assignments are finally rolling in.
Here are the first five lessons I’ve learned from transitioning to remote work as a freelance photographer:
#1: Make personal work you're proud of. Share it often, and explain why it’s important to you or what you’ve learned from it. When I was trying to break into photography—and even now—I love learning things that can streamline my work or make it better.
#2: Don’t be afraid to cold email or set up random meetings with other creatives, directors, photographers, and artists. These people often share similar challenges or have overcome them and can offer useful habits for our line of work. Plus, I always leave these meetings feeling inspired and energized to create new work.
#3: Simple does it. Habits and consistency don’t need to be huge; they can be small actions, like taking one photo a day or sending one email a day to a client you want to work with. Over time, these tiny actions really add up. Like the best triathletes in the world, they didn’t start off running ultramarathons—they began with small runs that became easier and easier each day.
#4: Create content that addresses your potential clients’ problems. This has been top of mind for me lately. Make content that sounds like a Google search query, such as “How to share high-res photos with my designers.” This not only solves problems for other freelancers and businesses looking for freelancers but also helps build trust. It shows you’re an expert willing to help your clients improve their processes and ultimately make them look better in the eyes of their bosses.
#5: Navigate the challenges of remote freelancing. Before leaving our apartment in New York, Meg and I checked Airbnb and were shocked by the surcharges for short-term rentals. For example, $10k for an apartment in Costa Rica for a month—and it didn’t even have a stove, just a hot plate and mosquito nets. That’s way more than I was paying in NYC for a beautiful apartment with tons of amenities.
Faced with this dilemma, I decided to message several homeowners on Airbnb to see if I could trade photos for a discounted stay—and it worked. We found a place that was $8,000 per month on Airbnb, and we negotiated it down to $3,900. Still expensive, but we had saved up before making the trip. Recently, we discovered Furnished Finder, which is a much more affordable monthly stay website similar to Airbnb, but it’s for month-to-month stays, not just 1 or 2 nights.
If you’re seeking more freedom in your life, it’s not easy. But when you encounter these challenges, you have to get creative. Leverage your skills. Ask friends for alternative options. Many people have navigated remote freelancing before, and although it’s not easy, there are ways around the nonsense to make it more affordable and fulfilling.
