From the Introduction Photography has always felt like magic to me. Growing up as a teen in the nineties, I would flip through Rolling Stone and Seventeen magazines for hours on end, entranced with each photo. "What is it like," I wondered, "to be at those shoots?" Back then, I thought the talent would stand in front of the camera and strike a few poses with an industrial fan blowing from the side, effortlessly creating a wind-swept Mariah Carey look with each click of the camera. The reality, I later learned, is far less glamorous. But to this day, for me, it''s still like magic. That hasn''t changed. I determined I would spend my life creating that magic, and in college, I discovered my dream career path: Photo Editor. I''m not actually a photographer,outside of doing it for fun.

But I became the person behind the scenes hiring the photographers, choosing the art direction, and helping create the visual stories of brands. I''ve been in the photography industry for over ten years now, and have worked for Wired , Southern Living , Netflix, and more. Although the reality of photography isn''t the fairytale picture I imagined, I still pinch myself every time I step onto a set. When I was in school for my BFA, my dream was to shoot the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. I idolized that publication. However, years later in September 2023, the president and founder, Jan Wenner, said in an interview that black and female artists "weren''t articulate enough" to be included in his book The Masters , his anthology of the greatest rock n'' roll musicians. That comment struck a chord deep within me. It was the same chord that resonated with the George Floyd tragedy and the hollow promises corporations made in light of his death.

These incidents opened my eyes to the world I had been living in for years. I had become used to being one of the only black people on set, and I began to question why. Then I began to wonder on a broader scale why talented hard-working photographers of all kinds were consistently being passed over. The answer is a simple one: there are rules and information they don''t have access to. I had become a part of the industry gatekeeping that I hated so much. This book is the product of my determination to change that. The media industry is dominated by old white men. Until recently, the same five photographers have been used for every major media publication.

For years, the photo industry has been in dire need of someone to throw the door open and shine a light on the obscure rules, moving goalposts, and insider knowledge required to work for prestigious publications. As a Photo Editor, I know exactly what creative/art directors are looking for (and what turns them away). I''ve written this book because there are talented, driven photographers who can''t get in the door simply because they don''t know how. Which leads me to the question you''ve most likely been asking yourself: How do I get in? First, a word of warning: Commercial photography isn''t for everyone. The road to that dream is a long one paved with hustle, hard work, and rejection. But since you''re reading this book, I''m willing to bet knowing this doesn''t deter you. You''re one of the photographers who has the determination to work with prestigious big-name clients. If this really is you, then listen up, because I''m going to teach you everything you need to know about the photo hustle--and how you can get in.

It is possible to break into the photography industry. It''s not reserved for the elite: it''s for anyone willing to do the work. All you need is a little tenacity, talent (which you have!), and the tips and tricks I''m going to spill in this book. In the following pages, you''ll learn everything photography school never taught you, and all the industry secrets they don''t want you to have. You''ll learn how to pitch your dream client, how to negotiate a contract, and how to keep your clients coming back for more. It''s time you get to understand how to break into commercial photography. You shouldn''t be excluded from the chance to achieve your dreams because of a set of invisible rules you don''t know to follow. This book is your empowerment to go for it, and have the career you''ve always wanted.

This is where your magic begins.