Im 26!! I need some advice from and experienced photographer

vanillllaaa · Apr 19, 2004

I want a career change ! im 26 and would like to be a serious studio photographer .. please can someone give me some good advice?? x :roll:

MDowdey · Apr 19, 2004

hi vanillaaa,

be prepared to have no money to your name....

seriously, make sure you save up because the first years , i hear, are the toughest..

md

vanillllaaa · Apr 19, 2004

yeah but I dont have to go to college to do that !! not full time ny way ! what do u do for a living ??????? :wink:

MDowdey · Apr 19, 2004

vanillllaaa said:
yeah but I dont have to go to college to do that !! not full time ny way ! what do u do for a living ???????

im a manager for an 8-9 billion dollar bank. i have no college degree...

its not about whether you have a degree or not...its about the need in your area for a studio photog. :lol:

md

vanillllaaa · Apr 19, 2004

Well . im in central London so yeah .. theres gonna be work everywher.... I just dont know what the first step would be ..... I guess maybe to get an apprentaship on my day off ??? do u know ny studio photographers for magazines ??? :cry: hehe that sounds like a good job by the way !!

markc · Apr 19, 2004

I'd suggest learning about what a studio photographer does, first. I know several, and they spend very little of their time actually taking pictures. Much of it is actually prep work, from designing the shot to interacting with all the various people who have a say in what is to be produced.

In the movies you only see them firing like machine gun and yelling out "Good! Good! You're georgeous!", but that's just a very small part of what they do.

I don't want to discourage anyone, but there's a lot more frustration involved than people realize. Most clients go with established photographers that they've already worked with or have a good resumé. Starting as an assistant is usually the best way to go, though you won't be shooting.

markc · Apr 19, 2004

bp22hot said:
Marc is right you spend 5-10 minustes of shooting per hour you work. The rest of the time is posing, changing the backgrounds and any props

And that's just studio time. There's a lot of work to be done before even getting in there.

jack · Apr 19, 2004

what ideas of your own have you ad so far V?
the first thing anyone needs is a mind of there own after all.

danalec99 · Apr 19, 2004

jack said:
what ideas of your own have you ad so far V?
the first thing anyone needs is a mind of there own after all.

Good q

ksmattfish · Apr 19, 2004

vanillllaaa said:
I guess maybe to get an apprentaship on my day off ???

I think an apprenticeship is probably a very good idea. Unfortunately you will be waiting in line behind the people who will do it full time for peanuts.

vanillllaaa · Apr 21, 2004

Thank You for taking the time out to give me some advice , I have taken it all into consideration . I relise that like alot of things artistly , they are all competetive and are more difficlut to make a name for yourself in than out of the creative indusrtial world , however I wont let that dertire me .... if everybody that was an artist of some kind took on board how dificult it was to effectively break into the industry they wouldnt get anywher! ....... I know my dreams, myself and I have the dertimination to make it ! WATCH THIS SPACE! !!!!!!!!!!!!! x :bounce:

thebigbillybob · Apr 21, 2004

i personally hope that when i become a sucessful photographer i never have to do stutio work... i want to do action photo and scenic those are the only 2 types of work im interested in really studio just seems like a lotta boring busy work and not enough fun i want to enjoy my job i realize a lot of studio photogrphers make mega BUCKS but its just not for me i want know my dream job would be to travel all aroun the world with a team or one pro snowboarder taking pics of them either that or to be the snowboarder... haha i hope im not even 18 so ne thing is possible

Galaxy_Stranger · Apr 25, 2004

There are companies like Olan Mills and Sears you could work for until you get bored with them, and they'll actually pay you. There are, of course, pros and cons to this:

I can tell you first hand that it is rigorous work, but there are things to be learned there. Now, they're not gonna actually TEACH you anything about photography. But, you will learn how to shoot children and how to deal with people. You may even learn how to sell your own work. Now, if you keep your eyes open, you can learn about their equipment and how their lighting works. It's gonna seem like they don't care about you or the quality of your work, but remember to follow ALL of their instructions - they actually do have reasons for them.

If you're attentive and ask questions, you can learn a great deal. It also helps to have a manager or someone else who can mentor you. Of course you can always come here to fill-out any questions you've got.

Once you get bored working for them you can go from there. But it'll give you a start. At that point, you should know enough to start shooting on your own for friends and family and maybe start working for a normal photographic studio.