How to Turn One Photo Gig into Four

A question we hear a lot is: “Do people actually sell their photos after your workshops?”
The answer is yes. (Read about a few of them here.)
The folks who find success after our workshops aren’t usually the most talented of the group… nor are they the ones with the nicest cameras.
They’re people who, quite simply, get off their butts and give it a go.
Today I’m going to attempt to light a fire under your tuckus by sharing a story from reader Dawn-Marie Hanrahan, who took one photo opportunity and spun it into three more. As a result, she set up an ongoing income stream for herself in her local town.
Read on below to find out how she met with success, and get her top seven tips for how you can, too.
HOW TO SPIN ONE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY INTO MANY MORE
By Dawn-Marie Hanrahan
How successful are you at recognizing opportunity when it knocks on your door? Do you wait and watch for it? Do you intentionally create your own? Or do you miss it completely?
This is a story about turning opportunity into success…
As a photo hobbyist, I made a decision to write travel stories and shoot breathtaking photography. One day a little voice in my head said, “Go! Do it. Call up that newspaper editor and offer to write a monthly travel column for free!”
So I did. And the editor agreed.
My first gig was to interview and photograph a red-haired, freckle-faced owner of a local restaurant about the live Celtic music his establishment hosted on Sunday nights.
During the interview, I told him about how my husband and I were leading an upcoming small group photo tour through Ireland (another thing we decided to try). He asked if I’d share my photos as a travelogue attraction paired with his live Celtic music.
Of course, I said “yes.”
As a result of the travelogue attraction, the Professional Photographers of Washington agreed to co-sponsor the event and hosted their district meeting there. Much to our delight, it was so over-crowded that diners were re-directed to neighboring restaurants.
Because of the unprecedented crowd and vast public interest, the city asked us if we could repeat the travelogue as part of their Department of Parks and Recreation’s public travelogue series. So we said yes. What a thrill — over 70 attended!
Finally, because of the number of requests for travelogue images, I established an ongoing revenue stream by creating inspirational photo montages and handmade photo cards which I sell to local gift shops, pharmacies, bookstores, and novelty shops.
Here’s what I learned in the process:
1. Listen to your inner voice, and go for it!
2. If you sense an opportunity, don’t be afraid to ask.
3. Don’t be afraid to share about yourself and your photography.
4. Conduct interviews and take photographs. Be inquisitive.
5. Connect with people who might be able to give you another opportunity.
6. Be enthusiastic about what you do.
7. Be open-minded to new opportunities.
More than anything, I learned that one photo opportunity can often lead to three… four… or five more. Act on those opportunities, and you can create a nice ongoing income in the process.
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.  Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]