Advice for Photographers: “There’s just so much to learn from older photographers, not only about photography and being on a set, but also just how to run a business, how to how to send invoices out and when do you have to charge sales tax and, with what things do you charge for on a on a shoot and what things do you not charge for and where should your fee be when you’re starting out.”
—Julie Bidwell, professional photographer
Welcome to the final segment of our four-part interview series with Julie Bidwell. We always appreciate hearing insights from seasoned photographers, there’s always something new to discover! In this segment, Julie shares her perspective and advice from years behind the lens.
Julie Bidwell is a commercial and editorial photographer based in Connecticut, with a passion for capturing food, interiors, and portraits.
Text below transcribed from a portion of an interview conducted by Betty of Cradoc fotoSoftware in April 2025. To view this and other interviews, please go to our Cradoc fotoSoftware YouTube Channel.
Advice for Photographers
My first advice for photographers would be that the first thing that they should do is assist other photographers. Work with other photographers even if it’s not an area that you think you’re interested in because maybe you’ll work with them, you’ll find out you actually do like it. Maybe you’ll work with a food photographer, and you’ll say, this is kind of interesting. Or maybe you’ll work with an architecture photographer or sports person. I mean, there’s so many different ways that you can go, but you’ll learn so much. So I would say number one, do that.
Don’t try to think you’re going to be a photographer as soon as you graduate from school, or before you’re ready because you may be disappointed. But there’s just so much to learn from older photographers, not only about photography and being on a set, but also just how to run a business, how to how to send invoices out and when do you have to charge sales tax and, with what things do you charge for on a on a shoot and what things do you not charge for and where should your fee be when you’re starting out. There’s just so much to learn from older photographers that have been there.
Photographers and Networking
I would say that another thing that young photographers or even older photographers, should do is join an organization. It doesn’t have to be ASMP. There’s lots of others. There’s APA, there’s PPA. Depending on what kind of photography you do, there’s probably a group for you. But I find it really so helpful to have a group of other photographers that I can call on and say, hey, I had a query from a client about this. What do you think about X,Y, and Z? And we will tell each other what we think. It’s just so useful to have a group of your peers that you can talk to about photography because you can talk to your friends about it. Like, any other industry,
nobody gets it except other photographers. So I think it’s just very helpful to have a group of photography peers and friends that you can go to when you need help. And also just for socializing and just to have fun with. We have a lot of events that try to have monthly events, that are a little bit of socializing, a little bit of education, a little bit of information. So my advice for photographers is find an organization in your area; I’m sure there’s one. Or, if there’s not, you can start one. Meet in person.
Photographers and Networking
Networking is useful in any industry. Check out our blog about the importance of having a mentor. And take a look at this article on why photographers should network.
About Julie Bidwell
Julie Bidwell is a commercial and editorial photographer based in Connecticut, passionate about photographing food, interiors, and portraits. Her creative journey began with an art degree from Syracuse University, where she first discovered the magic of the camera. She loves everything about photography, from its rich history to the incredible tools. As President of ASMP CT, she is proud to mentor emerging photographers and contribute to the creative community.
Website: https://www.juliebidwell.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliebidwellpix/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliebidwell/
Copyright: All images belong to Julie Bidwell used by Cradoc fotoSoftware with permission of the copyright holder. Use of images or content by any person or entity other than Cradoc fotosoftware for any purposes is expressly prohibited.
See other great interview transcripts:
- Todd Bigelow
- Jonathan Kingston
- Julie Bidwell
- Steve Whittaker
- Scott Dworkin
