Pitching Brands and How I do it as a Professional Photographer

Why Pitching Maters for Photographers

Pitching is the single biggest reason I’ve been able to grow my career. When I was younger, I learned early on that in order to do the work I wanted to do and get people to trust me, I just had to create the opportunity myself. That hasn’t changed. Even now, with years of work and some great clients behind me, pitching is still how I land new projects. Brands are busy, and even if they like my work, they may never see it unless I put it directly in front of them. For me, pitching isn’t about being pushy. It’s about creating doors that weren’t open yet and showing people what’s possible when we work together. Almost every opportunity I’ve had traces back to an email I sent or an introduction I made happen.

Getting Past the Intimidation

The key with pitching is mindset. You can’t get emotionally attached to every email you send. If you tie your worth to whether or not someone replies, you’ll burn out fast. What I do is hit send and let it go. The goal isn’t to have a 100% success rate, it’s to consistently put yourself in front of the right people. Over time, those small, steady efforts add up to big opportunities. When you stop overthinking each pitch and treat it like part of your job, the process feels so much lighter. It’s not personal, it’s business and the faster you adopt that mindset, the faster you’ll grow.

Part 1: Getting in the Door

Identifying Dream Clients

When I first started pitching, I did not have a clear picture of who I actually wanted to work with. Over time, I learned that it is not just about who looks good on Instagram. It is about making sure they are the right fit for me, and that I am the right fit for them. That takes trial and error, but now I have narrowed down a clear set of criteria that helps me decide if a brand is worth the energy of a pitch.

My Criteria

I focus on medium sized businesses that:

• Are actively creating press opportunities, campaigns, or launches where fresh photography is needed

• Value high quality editorial driven imagery that elevates their brand

• In my location or in the Southeast or in a place I am planning on traveling to soon. I have more brand recognition closer to home so better for me to start there

How I Research Them

When I have a brand in mind, I start with Instagram to see what kind of imagery they are posting. I ask myself if it feels polished, consistent, and in line with my own style or if it looks like they are overdue for professional content.

• I look at their website to see how they are presenting themselves

• I scan for PR mentions and press releases because if a company is putting out news, doing collaborations, or being featured in magazines and blogs, it shows me they are invested in visibility and will need strong photography

• I check curated boutique and industry lists. Roundups and best of articles for hotels, fashion brands, or lifestyle products are a quick way to spot businesses that are already being positioned as elevated and value spending money on visuals

Finding the Right Contact

Knowing who to reach out to is just as important as knowing which brand you want to pitch. The goal is to get your work in front of the person who actually makes decisions about visuals and marketing, not just a general inbox that gets ignored.

PR vs. Marketing vs. Brand Manager

• A PR contact usually handles press coverage, brand mentions, and media outreach. They often appreciate fresh imagery they can use for features or campaigns.

• A marketing contact oversees campaigns, launches, and brand storytelling. They are usually the ones who can budget for photography.

• A brand manager often has a hand in both PR and marketing, which means they can be a strong point of entry if you are unsure where to start.

How I Track Them Down

• If it is not on their website, I use LinkedIn to see who actually works at the company and what their titles are. Searching the company name plus “marketing” or “PR” usually pulls up the right people.

• I look at Instagram for hints. Sometimes the marketing team is tagged in posts or comments

• I figure out email formats by checking the website or looking for press releases. If I see one example like firstname.lastname@brand.com I can usually guess the rest.

My Minimum Viable Information

Before I pitch, I make sure I have at least the name, title, and email of the person I want to reach. I do not always need more than that to start a conversation. If the brand is smaller and the founder is running everything, I will email them directly. It is completely fine to do that. Many of my best shoots have come from reaching out to the person who is wearing all the hats.

Part 2: Crafting the Pitch

Once you know who to reach out to, the way you introduce yourself is everything. These brands are getting flooded with emails from influencers asking for free products or generic collaborations. I want my email to feel different. My goal is to come across as kind, approachable, and professional, more like a friend reaching out than a transaction.

Subject Line and First Impression

Your subject line sets the tone before they even open the email.

Here are a few that I do:

• “A quick hello”

• “Wanted to introduce myself!”

• “A note of introduction”

• “Admiring your brand, wanted to introduce myself!”

• “Inspired by [Brand Name]”

• Avoid sounding sales-y or overly polished. A subject line that feels like a real person wrote it always works better.

• The first sentence of your email should immediately confirm that you are human and genuinely interested in them.

Email Structure I Use

My emails are short and personal. I always want the recipient to feel like this note was written just for them.

• Greeting with a quick personal connection, such as something I love about their brand or a recent project of theirs I admire

• A short introduction of who I am and the type of photography I do

• What I enjoy about working with brands in their space and why I thought to reach out

• A soft mention of my work, with an easy way for them to see it if they are curious

• A call to action that is light, such as “I would love to introduce myself properly if you are ever looking for photography support”

THE SELLER: And no matter what, I always include a preview of four to six images that I think look similar to their brand imagery in the body of the email, made in Canva. It is my visual handshake and it shows them right away what I do without me having to oversell.

What I Attach vs. What I Link

• I link to my portfolio and Instagram

• If I have a pitch deck that feels relevant, I keep it short and simple and attach it as a PDF, but most of the time links are enough.

• The goal is to keep the email light, easy to open, and full of friendly energy.

Example Email

Hi [First Name],

I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, my name is Kathryn Ann Waller, and I’m a photographer based in Savannah, Georgia. I’ve been following [Brand Name] for a while and really admire the way you approach [specific thing, such as design, storytelling, or product launches]. There’s such a thoughtfulness in what you’re creating, and it inspired me to reach out and say hello!

My work centers around editorial-driven imagery for brands, hotels, and lifestyle companies. I love working with teams who care deeply about their story and want visuals that feel as intentional as everything else they do. Below I’ve shared a small preview of my recent work so you can get a feel for my style at a glance.

If you’d like to explore more, you can find my portfolio [link] and Instagram [link]. I’d be glad to be a resource whenever you might need any upcoming photography support. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best, Kathryn Ann Waller

Part 3: A few personal hacks

Over time I’ve found a few little tricks that make my outreach feel more natural and often open doors that a cold email wouldn’t.

Mentioning Travel Plans

When I know I’ll be in a certain city, I always mention it. Saying “I’ll be in [City] on these dates and would love to work with your property.” I do avoid saying I want to stay there, assuming they will offer. It gives the brand a reason to consider working together right then, without it feeling forced.

Referencing Press and Past Projects

If I’ve been published somewhere or recently worked with a recognizable brand, I’ll mention it briefly and link the work. Not in a bragging way, but as context that helps build credibility. It shows the recipient that my work is trusted and valued in their industry.

Trade

Sometimes I offer a trade — for example, exchanging a stay for imagery — if it feels like a strong fit and aligns with my travel plans. But after you have a good portfolio, unless you feel okay doing a trade, companies should be paying your rate.

Letting it go

My #1 piece of advice through all of this is to let it go. Once I hit send, I let it go. I don’t overthink or get attached to the outcome, I simply move on to the next opportunity.”

Part 5: Converting a Pitch into Paid Work

Sending the pitch is only the first step. The real magic happens when someone says “yes.” Having a clear process in place makes it easy for both sides to move forward smoothly.

Handling a Yes

When a brand responds positively, I reply quickly with next steps. I share a short outline of what working together looks like, along with my availability, so they can visualize the process right away. This keeps momentum going and shows I am reliable.

Rate Language

I keep my pricing and usage terms simple but professional.

• For paid projects — my rates include both deliverables (the number of images, edits, or galleries) and licensing. Licensing spells out exactly how the brand can use the photos and for how long. This ensures clarity and sets the expectation that they are paying for both my time and the rights to use the work.

• For trade projects — I keep things light, but I still define usage. I’ll grant a web and social license so the brand can use the photos on their website, organic social media, and press mentions. If they want to run paid ads or a full commercial buyout with my work, that falls under a different license and I send over a separate invoice for that after the images are delivered. I make sure this is clear ahead of time and most brands completely understand that.

This approach keeps things friendly and fair while making sure I protect the value of my photography.

Building Longer Relationships

A lot of times a simple introduction or one-off project grows into a full relationship, it really is a big “who you know” game. I love the quick projects, but I also look for ways to keep building on them. That might mean suggesting seasonal shoots, a campaign refresh, or a content retainer if it feels like a good fit. Sometimes those opportunities come up right away, and other times they unfold naturally after the first project goes well. Either way, I see every pitch as the start of something bigger, not just a single moment.

Part 6: Mistakes I’ve Made (So You Don’t Have To)

No one gets pitching perfect from the start. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, and each one taught me something valuable.

• Over committing — saying yes to too much and stretching myself too thin. I’ve learned it is better to do fewer projects well than to try to be everywhere at once.

• Sending too many images — in the beginning, I would overwhelm brands with huge galleries. Now I know a tight, curated set of images has a stronger impact.

• Pitching clients who weren’t a fit — not every brand is your brand. Trying to mold myself into something I wasn’t only led to frustration.

• Undervaluing my work — this was the hardest lesson. When you undercharge or give away too much, it sets the wrong precedent and makes it harder to build sustainable relationships. Decide your trade limit, they are inevitable especially when you are starting out.

Conclusion

Pitching for photographers is a numbers game. Not every email will land, and that’s okay. The photographers who book dream clients are the ones willing to keep showing up and asking.

If you take away anything from this, let it be this: the difference between “I wish I could work with that brand” and “I did” is simply sending the email. Start with one. Use this outline, make it your own, and hit send today. You never know what door it might open.