What is a freelance photographer?

As a freelance photographer, you are a self-employed professional who takes photos for clients. You perform jobs on a contract basis, managing your client list and workflow on your own. Freelance photographers work in a variety of specialties including wedding photography, urban journalism, and photography for travel magazines and websites—your specialty, or if you even have a specialty, is up to you. Since you work on a freelance basis, job duties are defined however you choose, but common contracts might require you to take on the role of photographer, editor, curator, contract negotiator, promoter, printer, and anything else required to run a successful business.