How to Become a Freelance Photographer with Isaac Johnston

Meet Isaac: a full-time freelance photographer who specializes in adventure photography. He quit his job a couple years ago to pursue his dream, and hasn't looked back since.

It's important to know some of the problems you'll face as a fulltime freelancer: income, scheduling, self-doubt. Isaac covers some of the problems he faced to give you a realistic expectation of what you can expect.

Choosing gear that you can use forever. Which drone to buy? Which lens to use? Isaac looks for the gear that gets our of his way so he can focus on one thing: creating.

It's important to think about whether or not your hobby should become your profession, and if you have reached that point. Isaac lays out a couple steps to help you decide if you are ready to become a full-time freelancer.

Showing your work daily is an immensely helpful routine in the creative process. It helps craft your own story, improve your craft, and strengthens your sharing muscle.

Becoming a full-time freelancer is not an easy process. So it's imperative that you build a network of support around you: family, friends, loved ones. Isaac shares how the people surrounding him made it possible for him to make the jump to freelance.

The fear of failure is very real, but also something you can avoid. Mindset is incredibly important as you make this journey, and Isaac lays out steps to help you keep a positive mindset as you achieve your dreams.

Every creator has something unique to bring to the table. When approaching brands or clients, you need to know what your unique value is so you can harness it and win the job.

Backing up, organizing files, getting ready to edit. It's a boring part of the photography process but it's crucial to master if you want to become a professional.

To pursue a freelance career you’ll need to be able to get work. Isaac shares his approach to finding new clients and getting brands to work with him.

Once you've been talking with a brand, it's time to send them your proposal. A good proposal can make you stand out and secure the job. Isaac shows you a real-world example of a proposal he uses.

You don't need to have a huge social following to increase your exposure. Treat social media like its social. This is where a friendly approach meets strategic planning. Isaac shares his tips on giving your work more exposure in ways outside of follower counts.

Meeting other creatives is one of the best parts of the job for Isaac. He shares his philosophy about reaching out to other creatives on the internet in non-creepy ways.

Creative blocks can be very real. But Isaac has created a tried-and-true method to coming up with ideas for photo shoots.

Join Isaac in the field as he shoots a spec job for motorcycle gloves.

Story is king. In this day and age it's ever so important to be able to tell a story well. Isaac shares his tips on how to make better stories. Hint: do more interesting things!

Crafting a video to tell a story is no easy feat. Isaac shares some of the things he learned along the way learning how to make YouTube videos.

Being comfortable on-camera is an invaluable skill in today's culture. Isaac shows you some of his tips to acting comfortable and natural on camera, and how he makes his Instagram stories look so professional.

Isaac recaps his final notes from the workshop and shares a few tidbits on obsession.