Getting Your — Photography Business Breakthrough

Getting Your
First Gigs

Section 02 Worksheet

Your name

Your portfolio model list

Who will you reach out to for your first free or trade sessions?

Name 3–5 specific people. Be specific — not "a family" but "Sarah and her husband, they just had their first baby."

Person / couple / family	Type of session	Why they're the right fit

The portfolio rule

What type of photography do you actually want to get paid for?

This is the work you should only be showing and only be shooting for your portfolio builds.

Do you have images that show this type of work already?

Yes — I have strong examples Somewhat — I have a few No — I need to build this

Practice your outreach script

Write your personalized portfolio model message.

Use the first person from your list above. Fill in the blanks and make it sound like you.

Hey ! I'm building my photography portfolio and I immediately thought of you. I'm looking for a to add to my work — and your is exactly the vibe I'm going for.

I'd love to shoot a session for you completely free in exchange for honest feedback and permission to share the images. No strings, no pressure.

Would you be up for it?

Feeling good about it? Send this message before the end of today.

Preparing for your first paid inquiry

What do you need to have ready before an inquiry lands?

Check everything you still need to set up.

A starting price I'm comfortable saying out loud A simple package or two (start with one or two — not five) A place to send them (website, social page, or even a PDF) A saved inquiry response I can send within 2 hours A contract (even a simple one) A way to collect a deposit (Venmo, PayPal, Square, HoneyBook, etc.)

Your starting price

What will you charge for your first paid session?

Write a number. Not a range. A real number you'll say without apologizing.

$ for a

Calculate your real hours per job

Shoot

hrs

Edit

hrs

Admin

hrs

Travel

hrs

Total

hrs

Before you leave today

The one person I'm reaching out to this week for a portfolio session:

The date I'll send the message: