PHOTOSOC COMMERCIAL
Member Onboarding and FAQ
Welcome to the onboarding portal for Photosoc Commercial, a photographer to client matching service at the University of Surrey. Whether you want to gain some experience in commercial photography or just looking to up your side hustle game and get some income during your time at university, being a Commercial member makes finding jobs easy!
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We handle commissions for all skill ranges. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner looking to photograph your first event or a veteran looking for steady high-paying jobs, we've got the opportunity for you.
Why join Commercial?
Being a Commercial member gives you access to an assortment of opportunities and jobs, and the freedom to take them on an interest basis. Photosoc is always actively searching for high-quality jobs from societies and local organizations, so we have no-pressure, entry-level jobs for members who want to try out commercial photography as well as longer/more intense, high-paying gigs for our more experienced members.
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The best part? It's completely free to join; you just need to fill in a quick form to register you as a member. From there, you can take jobs on a no-commitment, interest basis.
How does it work?
We gather all the commissions we get in a closed Facebook group, along with information about the event itself, how much you would be paid, and the deadline for expressing interest. If you're interested in taking a job, just comment on the post by the deadline (along with a link to your portfolio / instagram / etc) and we'll put you in contact with the client!
If there are multiple people that have an interest, it'll be up to the client to decide; in that case, we'll let you know and may ask you to send us a quick bio or portfolio (for higher-end jobs) to help you close the deal.
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Once you've completed a job, we'll take a small portion of your payment as a matching fee to help keep Commercial running smoothly, and keep finding new jobs for our members. (The matching fee is 25% of your initial payment above a £40 threshold; so for lower-budget jobs, we won't take a fee).
How can I join?
Click the button below and fill in the Commercial signup form. Then go to Ussu.co.uk by clicking the other button and buy the £5 PhotoSoc Commercial membership. Once you've done that, make sure to request to join our Facebook group (link at the end of the form!). You won't be able to see advertised opportunities until you've joined the group, so make sure to click that request button.
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Also, ensure you're signed up as a Photosoc Surrey member on the Student Union website (if you're not, use the button in the middle for both memberships!).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IF I'VE NEVER DONE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY?
We have plenty of opportunities to gain experience as an unpaid second shooter before trying out some paid jobs! There's no pressure involved being a second shooter, and you can build your confidence without worrying about making mistakes.
I'M AN EXPERIENCED PHOTOGRAPHER. WHAT BENEFIT DO I GET?
The opportunities we receive include higher-end commissions for intensive events like formal balls or stage performances and even a few weddings, which often have higher budgets associated with them in return for being more difficult or demanding in experience.
DO I NEED ANY SPECIAL EQUIPMENT OR CAMERA GEAR?
The only thing you need is some sort of interchangeable-lens camera and a lens to go with it! Whether you have with a DSLR and kit lens, or maybe trying out a "nifty fifty" prime lens, you can certaintly photograph an event with it. Of course, higher-end jobs may require more advanced gear or speedlites, but we'll let you know.
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You can always request to borrow some of the societies' equipment
DO I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO EDIT MY PHOTOGRAPHS?
For low-budget opportunities, you can certainly get by without any kind of photo editing. For higher-end jobs, however, you'll find that editing is needed to bring your images to the quality expected. Simply put, you can experiment and build up your skills with low-end jobs before moving onto more difficult commissions, and that includes editing or postprocessing skills.