How can I become a professional photographer?

How did you know?

haha.

Im guessing you have seen the movie Sicko?
 
Someone else has said this several times here on the TPF

Beginners think the equipment is the enabler
Intermediates think the photographer is the enabler
The older and wiser realize that the equipment and photographer are both the limiters.

Your focus on equipment is pretty much places you in the first category. You don't want to be a professional (or at least not serious enough about it).. what you want is a shortcut to cash and equipment.

Please don't put words in my mouth, that is very rude. I'm open to ideas, but at the same time I can tell the SLR cameras take sharper and crisper photos... Its a fact! And if you read my other post, you'll see I'm open to suggestions, so I'm not what you think I am. I'm not doing this for the money, as there are MANY other, EASIER ways to make money while keeping this fun...
 
"photographer" - practice, practice, practice ... I am not sure if it's possible to say, "hey, I want to be a photographer" and just do it. But that's just me, I'm not a photographer.

"professional" - someone who does not use the word "cool"

I have a feeling "if you have to ask the question, you are not ready". How can you "want to do something", but not have an idea how to do it?

If you "know how to do it", why are you asking?

Hope that makes sense.
 
"photographer" - practice, practice, practice ... I am not sure if it's possible to say, "hey, I want to be a photographer" and just do it. But that's just me, I'm not a photographer.

"professional" - someone who does not use the word "cool"

I have a feeling "if you have to ask the question, you are not ready". How can you "want to do something", but not have an idea how to do it?

If you "know how to do it", why are you asking?

Hope that makes sense.

I was really asking what would be the best ways to plug into the social pipelines that would help me get a photography job. I know you have to be good at taking photos, a LOT LOT better than I am, and from what people say here, college is a good idea possibly better than learning on your own (I didn't know this, cause some say college hurts people's natural instincts).

I mean, you'll get nowhere just taking photos and applying for jobs. From what I understand the saturation of this industry probably means you gotta know people. And if that's the case, I wanted to know what was the best way to get to know people. I don't want to know how to make friends with the editor of National Geographic or anything, but I WOULD like to know what sort of internships in the people's opinion here would best be looked at... newspaper, portrait studio, job at Wal-Mart, etc...

I thought doing some free work for the local 8-page weekly newspaper would be good, but I was told otherwise. That's the type of stuff I want to know; what choices are the better choices to make (I hope to learn from the success and failure of others).
 
Please don't put words in my mouth, that is very rude.

I'm not putting words in your mouth. I'm being brutally honest. You don't become a professional by not taking your craft seriously. If you can't take my post... then yes.. you are just here for information on a good camera (which is fine too).

People gave you the answers you wanted but your response was... $300 is too much for a class, should I just read a book... I don't want to spend the time in a business study... I can get it with my father's business... oh yeh... I just want to do this for fun as a weekend job. Then you finish up with... I want a camera. If I were an accomplished professional photographer with an open internship position, I'd dismiss you in a second.

If anything... your response to these good posts is less then appreciative. If I went to my friend who worked his way through med school then into the service to fund that education and asked him:

hmm.. I think I can be a good doctor do you think I can just read a book?? I would just be insulting his good hard work and efforts. Just like nicfargo's degree in business, you don't get the equivalent from tagging along with your father.


In my job.. when I screw up... I expect people to tell me. As a professional, I'm going to take that feedback and run with it to better my performance. Not run to the corner and say "ouch" that hurt and stop putting words in my mouth.
 
usayit
+1

There are naturals when it comes to the business side as well as the artsy side. Both take practice though. Schooling is a great backup(I have business school Degree as well as before moving to NY 2 years ago had my own business doing IT consulting.) I'm also Ops Manager where I currently work.

Now that I moved back to PA i'm in process of starting business and I've already wrote business plan, assets and liability, budget for upgrades and have the forms to start the business legit and am going to spend the next 3 years building contacts and reputation before I go full time. During this 3 years as well I'm going to get where I want to be "photographically"
 
...I'm open to ideas, but at the same time I can tell the SLR cameras take sharper and crisper photos... Its a fact! ...

Im sorry but this really makes what usayit seem true. Just becuase a photo is "crisp" does not mean there professional. Im sure that a pro with a P & S could blow away many of the shoots i take with my dslr's. And im guessing you consider an dslr to be a pro camera. All (or most) pros are shooting with $3,000 cameras, not $400 rebels and D40's.
 
asfixiate,

I want to wish you the best of luck!!! I love to hear good business stories. The country was built on business successes (and failures).

I personally never had a knack for business.... (not including getting my IT contracts). I like to think I am waiting around for an idea to profoundly inspire me.
 
btw... there are many professionals not shooting with high end, several thousand dollar cameras. It just seems like it because their equipment is being funded by a company or agency that wants to provide the best equipment for their professionals. The photographers are being paid for their talent, it just makes sense to also equip them properly.

I've seen a small town studio running and producing very nice photos from a rebel. Not every business can afford such expensive equipment.

This is no different in my field. I don't fund a multi-million dollar server out of pocket... companies that I work for fit the bill. At home, I have something quite a bit smaller.
 
Since I'm goign to be focusing on portraits really at first we're probably going to do Rebel Digitals or Film 1v/EOS3, etc. We're even going to offer HOlga.

If I was going to do weddings I'd consider the high high end digitals but for now the glass is going to be my main investments.
 
Become a good businessman.

Ding! Ding! Ding! That man wins the prize. :D

Being financially successful in photography has little to do with cameras or lenses or flashes.

If you look at some of the richest photographers around, you will see that their pics are not all that "amazing", however they have incredible marketing and business skills.

This becomes 10 times more important when in fields like wedding photography... where you can be the BEST photographer in the world and not be able to find any work because your business skills suck.

Being able to handle difficult clients with ease, poise and professionalism will get you more clients than any amount of photographic skills.

Now, don't get me wrong, you will be judged by your final results, but if you can't handle a clientzilla effectively, you won't be in business very long, no matter how good you are behind the lens.
 
JerryPH
Excellent post!

I started in IT 4 and 1/2 years ago entry level. They found I could also talk to customers so they put me in Operations. They found I could do both and put me in IT project management, they found I could cool down customers and make the office money so now I'm in charge of Operations. They send me all over the US whenever there's problems and I'm only 26 going to be 27 in May. I'm not the best photographer but I can be good with practice. I will say I can sell ketchup popsicles to a woman wearing white gloves though.
 

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