I'm probably posting this in the wrong place but ermm yeah :|

[Photographic,vampire]

I got my camera about 2 weeks ago but i've been interested in photography for a few years I recently decided that i'd like to consider a career in it. I talked to my parents about it but they were pretty clueless so i decided to seek advice from people with more knowledge about it.
I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me?
Or any information?
I really don't know much about it but i love photography and have been told by many people (not family haha) that i'm good.
Thank you
Photographic,Vampire

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[Soocom1]

First, get yourself educated in the field. (Obviously)... Local Trade Schools and comm. college courses are a good place to start. Then, look into college level courses such as a Cont. Ed. class, etc.

Then (and I cannot emphasize this enough) practice, practice, practice, and log it all down. The more you see where your mistakes are, and recognize them, the better off you’ll be.

Finally, learn more about art, physics, math, etc. may seem redundant, but such education gives you insight into how, why, what, who, when, things work. This will DEFINATLY help you with understanding WHY things are in photography, not just HOW things are.

[dxqcanada]

What industry/business are you considering as a Photographer ?

[Photographic,vampire]

I'm kind of undecided :|
I only started seriously considering photography a couple of weeks ago, before that i just took pictures for fun.
I think i'd prefer something that wasn't freelance.

[Restomage]

I'd suggest find your specialty in photography then go from there, for example are you going to specialize in outdoor portraits or wildlife photography?

[dxqcanada]

You should look into what business' require a staff photographer ... this will give you a path to follow.

[UUilliam]

so you took a few pics, a few weeks ago... and your already considering a Career in the area?
well.. it wont be easy tbh... some people dont make it to PRO photographers (e.g. model shoots for magazines) till about 5 - 10 years later... some even longer

[JerryPH]

There is a HUGE hole here. First, learn the basics, master them. If you cannot talk ISO, aperture, shutter speed, walk and chew gum at the same time without forgetting to breathe, you are not even out of the "kindergarten" level.

Next, take at least a year and get some direction and practice. Learn what you like and do not like. To say that last week you were taking snaps and this week you want to do it professionally, but are clueless... to me means nothing.

After that year, find a professional that is in the field where you have decided to specialize in, and stick with them for at least 2-3 years... during this time, I hope you are still in school... most preferably business school.

The business of photography has very little to do with pressing a shutter or taking pictures. If you are not even out of high school... complete it, then start the process outlined above, but enjoy the chance to practice more.


Cheap poor photography is easy. Quality photography takes YEARS to develop and grow. 80% of people who start a photography business do not last a year. Of that 20%, 90% never make it to the 2nd year. Of the few that are left, only a handful really make a carreer of it.

[Dwig]

... I hope you are still in school... most preferably business school.

The business of photography has very little to do with pressing a shutter or taking pictures. ...

So true.

I spent nearly a quarter of a century running professional camera stores. Over the years I was witness to many, many young photographers go to school and start out on a career or attempt to change careers becoming a professional photographer.

I was in the business with contacts throughout the photo community in a larger market all of that time. As with most new businesses, most failed. Almost all failures were related to poor business management. Business courses are as important, perhaps more important, that photo courses.

You can learn photography in the back alleys, as I did as a child, but business is hard to learn that way. The successful photographers of my experience mostly fell into two groups, those with good business skills and those that married someone with good business skills.

[KmH]

I'm kind of undecided :|
I only started seriously considering photography a couple of weeks ago, before that i just took pictures for fun.
I think i'd prefer something that wasn't freelance.

By not being self employed (freelance) business knowledge becomes less important. Not unneccessary, but less important.

Of course, working for someone else won't be 'taking pictures for fun' and you will not have copyright ownership of any of the images made for your employer, it will all be 'work for hire'. But, if you can envision having fun taking pictures for someone else, go for it.

[Moglex]

My suggestion would be to take a two pronged approach for now:

1) Try for a good NVQ course. This will give you a very good grounding in that part of photography that can be taught in a classroom. (Plus some practical experience).

2) Keep taking the pictures. Set yourself assignements is different subject areas. Be very critical of your own work - perhaps ask for criticism here. When there is something you don't like try and see if you can correct it easily or if you need to tackle the problem in a different way.

You don't need to be a maths whizz but it does help if you aren't intimidated by it. Same with optics (a branch of physics).

Good luck!

[Montana]

You could find a local niche that needs filling. I broke into business by shooting rodeo and horse racing. Both of which were neglected by photographers around here. I made a name for myself and handed out business cards (all this of course after tons of shots and fileing all the paperwork to the feds and state for licensing). Every event I shook hands with customers, and when it came time to open for studio work and other events (again after tons and tons of shots with strobes to know how to use them properly), I started telling folks. Word of mouth spreads, and your photos should speak for themselves. Now I am selective and only take on jobs that I want to do. For instance, I have turned down every wedding offer. LOL They do not interest me at all at the moment. Senior portraits are always fun, I like working with that kind of age group.

[craig]

You are in a very positive position to discover photography. Have to say that the industry requires a lot of dedication. You can take marketing and business courses and you can visit the sheep at strobist.com. It will eventually all come down to where you want to be in the vast photography market. Commercial, Editorial, Fine Art or Retail.

Photography is not like throwing darts. You need a strong vision and game plan to succeed.

You can Master in Photography or you can assist. The question you asked can only be answered by you.


Love & Bass