Today I will share a story about my journey as a freelance photographer. I hope you found this photography blog post helpful and are now more aware of the potential dangers posed by certain individuals who may seek to harm you.
Years ago, my dream was to be a freelance photographer and have the ability to do what I love while being independent. Although it's an amazing experience, it wasn't always the case for me. I began my freelance journey as a photo retoucher more than a few years ago.
I met my first client who was looking for retouching services some years ago on Modelmayhem, a social network similar to LinkedIn where professional models meet model photographers. Back then, you could find a lot of interesting people there such as photographers, models, makeup artists, hairdressers, and retouchers. While the website's design now looks outdated and its functionalities are nothing special, it was quite good at the time.
I no longer use Modelmayhem because it lacks many of the features needed to properly present my work, as Behance does. However, that's where everything started for me.
The Personal Story
Back then, I had just started my first full-time job with a German retouching company, and I loved it. I knew that to become a good freelance photographer, I had to understand every aspect of image creation. It was not enough to just know how to take images, so I decided to learn how to professionally retouch photography images. I was determined to learn and earn more, so I registered on a site, and a few days later, a British photographer contacted me. She asked me to take care of the retouching for her new images.
I looked at her work in her portfolio, and it seemed that she was known in England. How did I know that? Because her images were on the covers of fashion magazines and newspaper publications. This was my first independent project, and I was more than excited. I really did not believe she would hire me because my portfolio was not full yet. I had just registered on the site, and I was still a new member. Then she asked me for my price range, and I gave her an offer based on her needs. Since I believe everyone should value their work and not underestimate themselves, I gave her a price that was quite expensive.
What Did She Do
I remember how she accepted my offer almost immediately. I was only 19 years old and I had already been offered a job by a famous freelance photographer. I was super excited! Not only would I earn an income equal to a month's work in less than 30 minutes of negotiations, but also because I felt like I had the potential to be successful. I saw this as a chance to learn and grow. I imagined my portfolio would be full of professional photos from famous photographers in just a couple of months.
She sent me the picture via email and I got to work. A few hours later, the project was completed, and I was thrilled with the great result I achieved. I worked all night, in addition to my full-time job during the day. I had worked for more than 19 hours, but it was worth it. By retouching only three photographs, I managed to earn as much as I would have earned in a full month of work, starting from 6 am and finishing at 2 pm.
Falling Into The Trap
When I woke up on Saturday morning, I saw that she had paid me for a job well done, accompanied by the message “Amazing work! I love your work, here are some more images to work on."
To be honest, I was very excited, and two days later, I sent her back the work I had done. Then, the problems started. She stopped answering my messages. In the beginning, I thought she may be busy, and I didn't want to be pushy, but a few days later, she still wasn't answering my calls and emails. My biggest mistake was that I didn't ask her to pay me in advance, and I trusted her completely.
One day, she said she would never pay me because she had chosen to stop working with other retouchers than the new retoucher she hired. I got mad, but what could I do? She became a completely different person, or maybe she showed her real self - that's what I thought.
A Few Years Later
One day, a friend told me about a female scammer who pretended to be a photographer and was eventually sent to prison. Curious, I searched for her name on Google and was shocked by what I found. According to a respected British media outlet, the scammer posed as the personal agent of a celebrity photographer and attempted to swindle over £560,000 from the photographer. It was clear to me that she was not the person she pretended to be, and that this was her profession.
In conclusion, whether you are a freelance photographer, Photoshop retoucher, or any other type of freelancer, it is crucial to beware of scammers. Always ensure that you receive payment before beginning work or sending completed work. Do not trust strangers, even if you have not met them in person. It's always better to be cautious and protect yourself from potential scams.