When To Work For Free

“We can’t pay you, but you’ll get lots of exposure.”

As freelance creatives, we’ve all heard this phrase before. It can be disheartening to hear when rent’s due, but there can be a time when working for free is mutually beneficial. But, it’s definitely not all the time. ⁠⠀

Here are circumstances where I’m down to work for free: ⁠⠀
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• To fill a gap in my portfolio: For example, if I wanted to shoot more coffee shop images but didn’t have any coffee images in my portfolio, I would go to a coffee shop and offer to shoot their products for free to use in my portfolio. I’d give them free use of the images as well, but ask to be credited on social media. It’s a win win!⁠⠀
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• As a trade: I love doing trades with artists. Earlier this year, I shot some product images for my friend who’s starting her own jewelry line and in exchange she’s painting me a large piece for my home.⁠⠀
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• To learn: This is a big one. I’m happy to do something for free if I’m gaining valuable insight and skills through the process. I always make sure that whoever I’m helping, whether it’s assisting a photographer or writing a guest blog post, understands I’m using it as a learning opportunity to manage expectations. ⁠⠀
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• As a gift: I recently photographed my sister’s family as her birthday gift. It was a meaningful gift for her, and it felt good giving her something she can enjoy for a long time. ⁠⠀
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I think in general working for free can be a positive experience as long as you feel you are gaining something valuable and not being taken advantage of by the client.