If you want to pick up more work as a freelance photographer then you might consider doing some freelance photography for newspapers.

From local papers to national dailies, newspapers regularly pay freelance photographers for those special shots that their staff photographers were unable or too busy to take.

Let’s face it. The staff photographers of the newspaper cannot be in every place at once.

Sometimes a scheduled shoot is too far away. Or the staff photographers are already busy on other assignments. So a freelance photographer is assigned the shoot.

On other occasions, freelance photographers manage to sell their photos to newspapers simply because they were in the right place at the right time. There was a candid moment and they got the shot.

There may even have been some staff photographers on the spot but the freelancer happened to take an outstanding picture better than all the rest.

The fees paid by newspapers to freelance photographers vary considerably. There are many newspapers that pay around $150 to $200 per shoot. In addition to this they often pay a mileage rate to compensate you for driving to the location for the shoot.

Smaller county newspapers might pay just $50 per shoot, or sometimes they will pay $10 per photo used.

These figures are just examples and the newspaper you target could pay a higher or lower rate.

Be aware that working as a freelancer for newspapers comes with its pressures. It can be somewhat hectic as you will often have a very a tight schedule and have to produce results to short deadlines. Do you think you can handle that pressure?

And don’t forget, aside from the pay, one of the best things about working as a freelancer for newspapers is the perks that come with having “media credentials” – such as getting free entry into popular concerts and major sporting events.