Camera Setting Help.

[KmH]

IIRC - Kyle is in high school.

 

[cgipson1]

IIRC - Kyle is in high school.

Really? I am positive I read somewhere where he was claiming to be early / mid 20's...

 

[AaronLLockhart]

Really? I am positive I read somewhere where he was claiming to be early / mid 20's...

Yeah, I think I recall some comments somewhere where he insinuated 20 or 21.

 

[KmH]

I didn't remember correctly - http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/welcomes-introductions/314388-hi-my-names-kyle.html

 

[gregtallica]

He said he's 20.


Kyle, is english not your main language?

Also, I read up in another thread you have a facebook fan page. Care to share? I'd like to see what kind of photos you're already taking.



Here's the thing, we're similar in the fact we want to shoot concerts. I've been playing in bands for 10 years, I'm mid 20's now. I've always been a part of shows, I've always seen the dudes with all the gear in the photo pit and it looks like the second coolest spot to be (stage is 1st). I have been mildly using DSLR's for years, started with a Minolta 35mm film camera, then to a D3100 and more exclusively to a D5100, to my D7000 which I know own. There is a lot to know in this "business." In fact, shooting shows really means you need to get a handle on both businesses, music and photography. Any old chap can start a business, this is america - millionaires have been made in stranger ways. But, I think a little respect needs to be paid to the pros who have been doing this all their lives. Have you taken the courses you've said you were going to take? I mean, you mentioned you wanted to go to an $84,000 photography school. Maybe a more intelligent idea would be business courses from an accredited university, and brush up on your chops.

Quick note to that - one of my bands just worked on shooting a TV pilot. The dudes who filmed it work a lot with some bigger TV shows, and everyone I talked to had something similar to say. They went to the University of Utah film school, a great school, learned how to use the cameras, got their chops down, came out of it with very little business knowledge. They all said if they were to do it over - business first, and side classes on filming. Youtube, practice, practice, and more practice.

Everyone has to start somewhere, but I think everyone is wondering why you're trying to start on top, and skip some of the smaller steps.


I'm a rambler.

 

[kylesfreelance]

Quit nagging at me first off I have tried the college route no go with Photography couldn't obtain a cosigner, Second Facebook page is being worked on. Third, how am I supposed to find good business classes if I can't afford it atm. Any suggestions let me know. 4th, yes I am 21 so quit giving me a hard time and sorta discouraging me.

 

[KmH]

Free business advice:

1. Business books are available for loan at your local library.
2. Your tax dollars at work - Starting & Managing a Business | SBA.gov
3. Free business advice/coaching from retired business executives - Free Small Business Advice | How-to Resources | Tools | Templates | SCORE

 

[Overread]

Quit nagging at me first off I have tried the college route no go with Photography couldn't obtain a cosigner, Second Facebook page is being worked on. Third, how am I supposed to find good business classes if I can't afford it atm. Any suggestions let me know. 4th, yes I am 21 so quit giving me a hard time and sorta discouraging me.

Please understand that many if not most here are not out to attack you nor insult you. What they are however (in a myriad of various ways = some direct and some less so) is trying to caution you. You're making a lot of what many consider to be, text book bad choices. Choices that they've seen made time and time again and which has resulted in a person never getting further than a weekend job that mostly only just pays for a lens here and a camera there and not much if anything more.

The suggestions to slow down and to do more research and indeed to approach things from other angles is sound advice - you're only 21 so you've got more than enough time to really get your feet into the field; to gain and work upon experience before you need to consider jumping all the way to running a whole company (even if you're the sole employee of that company) and also doing all the work for that company. Several of our members are, as they've themselves said, professionals or ex professionals- some are even running along similar pathways to yourself.

I'd encourage you to re-read - re-evaluate and really try to research and get a broader view of yourself and your situation. It might feel slower, but honestly working ground up toward something gives you a foundation - a firm foundation that can weather a setback here and there; that can be prepared and that can build into something stronger.

 

[kylesfreelance]

Ok will do overrread and I have signed up for a webinar on digital exposure.

 

[Derrel]

creativelive.com has some great, free business/technical/methods seminars--some GREAT stuff!!!

Don't let the haters get you down. Pick a smallish niche, figure out how to shoot it, and have at it. SHoot with plenty of fill light, and when you process, "Action" or "Filter", or just TTT-SOOTS (totally tweak the $hit out of the shots) your stuff and hype the daylights out of it on Facebook.

 

[kylesfreelance]

I have decided to make a huge buisness plan for my company so I can refer to it if I ever need help.

 

[pgriz]

Kyle, A business plan is really a working description of a machine that you will use to create wealth for yourself. In it, you start with your raw materials - your target market (who they are, what they are looking for, what are the key buying patterns, etc). Then you look at who's going to "share" that market with you - your competitiors. What is your unique selling proposition that will allow your target market to favour you instead of the competition? Next, how are you going to reach your target market so that YOUR unique selling proposition is in front of them? Once they reach out to you, what is your selling process that allows you to conclude an agreement with them? This selling process includes things such as presentation materials (portfolio), business cards, brochures, price sheets, contracts, licensing forms, release forms, and so forth. Part of any business plan is to have numbers that define the size of the market, the market share you expect to get, the number of transactions you need to have to cover your basic operating costs, your selling ratio, and projections of the average revenue, cost of sales, expected gross margin, overhead contribution, and expected net profit.

The business plan will cover the production systems- the tools and equipment you will need to deliver to the customer what you have contracted to provide. This includes (in the case of photography) camera equipment, lighting equipment, computer equipment for processing and image storage, printing (maybe), various licensed copies of software that you will need. It also includes (if appropriate) the place where you will meet clients, have a studio, have your administrative office, etc. The business plan should cover the production flow so that a reader will understand how you will make the production process work, and the assumptions you are making about how much effort/time is taken up with each step.

The business plan will cover the administrative aspects: how you will manage the books, maintain the necessary records for tax collection and remittance, maintain your prospect and client records, daily calendar (to-do lists, appointments, regulatory deadlines), cover your potential liability with appropriate amounts (and types) of insurance, and show a prospective lender, partner, or advisor how you will manage the business.

Probably the most important in the end, is the financial analysis, starting with your overhead projections, and working through the cash-flow requirements (more small businesses go bankrupt from cash-flow management issues than any other), showing how the financial assets will be applied to generate a profit. If you don't have the money to invest in the purchase of your production tools, what kind of loans are you looking for, and what kind of payback can you demonstrate?

If you plan to hire people, there will be a section in your business plan about the human resources (recruitment, qualification, training, pay policy, termination policy, regulatory and statutory compliance, etc.).

Your business plan is not someting to do once and then put on the shelf - it should be a working document, updated often, with the key assumptions tested with actual operational data. It is your operating manual of how you will build this machine to generate wealth.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

I have decided to make a huge buisness plan for my company so I can refer to it if I ever need help.

Make sure you set, not only goals, but realistic and achievable goals for the company for future milestones. A 1 year and 5 year is a good start, but I would be even looking as far out as 10 years for a plan and goal set. Just keep in mind the return needs to be realistic.