Don't be ashamed of shooting a broad range of work when you are starting out in your career – the money that you make from shooting weddings, events, and corporate portraits can be ploughed back into personal projects, new kit and your rent. Many of the worlds most celebrated photographers have (and do) shoot commercial work. If you're dedicated and prepared to spend time building on your skills, there will come a time when you're getting commissioned to do jobs that not only pay well, but are interesting too.

Perhaps most importantly (and with very few exceptions) avoid working for free. Know your own worth – a client who says they have no budget for the photography that they are asking you to produce is a client that is not worth having.