I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY I have been doing photography for many years- Did film photos and darkroom photography for quite awhile. Within the last 3 years switched the digital... I have done some freelance work, just some headshots. I would like to start up with some freelance work. Possibly trying to do headshots/portraits. Can I please have some tips? Things I should get? Tips on the photographs themselves? My brain is racing, and I'd love some opinions.

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First you need to figure out if you can make a living as a freelance photographer Make a list of the costs of running your business. Include fixed, variable, recurring, periodic and especially capital investment costs Next do a survey of what services you intend to provide cost locally. Throw out the lowest and highest rate. In the middle is where you will need to price your work. NOTE: Capital investment is what will prevent you from making a living if you do not factor them into your budget and fees. Your camera system includes at least one computer that needs to be replaced once every three years and it needs to have either Adobe Lightroom3 or Photoshop CS5 installed on it. You will also need a better than average monitor, one that can display AdobeRGB's full gamut and the tools to keep it calibrated (Huey or EyeOne). Add a notebook computer if you plan to shoot on location. Remember, unlike 35 mm SLR's which only needed replacing every decade or two because the technology was in the film, dSLR's have a useful life of about 4 to 5 years ... so plan on replacing your two $5,000 camera bodies that often. Once you have a good, realistic profit and loss worksheet with all the numbers plugged in, you will know how much you will have to work to break even and how much you will need to charge for your services.

freelance portraiture is dead dead dead, hook up with a studio if your serious about portraiture my tip would be find a more profitable niche................

"freelance" portraiture is anything but "dead, dead, dead" as someone (wrongly) said. Freelance really just means you work for yourself rather than an employer. You say you have already done some of this work so you should already know what is required but if you mean in the way of equipment then a pair of decent cameras and associated lenses. Lighting equipment, either portable or studio based and the skills and knowledge to use it properly. Backgrounds, tripod, posing accessories, etc etc. What you actually have in the way of equipment depends on loads of factors not the least is where you are going to be based. (whether or not you are going to be studio based or travel to customers locations). Try visiting your local library or bookshop and getting a couple of books on the subject as it can be a lot more involved than just saying have this or that.

Freelance portraiture is alive and well -- if you're very good and you run your business properly. The thing to be aware of is that a significant piece of the puzzle is going to be how well you market and promote yourself. A close friend of mine does freelance photography and while the photography part comes relatively easy to her, she has to put a lot of thought and effort into getting clients. Her main source has been via her website and Google AdWords. Referrals are also a big deal, so be sure every client leaves feeling wonderful about the experience. Good luck!

Here is a good freelance website you might want to join: http://www.scriptlance.com/?ref=fleurdel they offer photography work as well. Good luck :)