Summer Job

[Face]

Hey guys... I'm looking for a summer job. The only one i've applied for so far has 1500 applicants for 400 positions. I would love to do something with photography, but I'm not sure what I could do. How would I be able to make money for three months? Would portrait work be a good thing to get into? Freelance for local publications? Start my own business? Try to seel artsy prints? I have my own darkroom, a nice camera with tripod and cable. And that's about it. What would you suggest? Am I completely delusional to think it would be a viable method of employment?

 

[Cuervo79]

yo got no flash? hmm thats something that's needed, the thing that worked for me is doing wedings, events, etc for family and friends (thats just for starters, if you pull it off then you get work from your family's and friend's friends) although for this kind of work a flash is needed. another one would be to make photo sesions, with that you can use a location natural light for lighting. most ppl don't like the pictures they get taken most of the time, i have had good experience with this making photo sesions of my friends in different poses. ofcourse you need to work on it good. cause I did it but it wasn't what i was looking for (the weding and event photography)

well while reading it again it doesn't sound too profesionall but that's what I did, hope it helps

 

[avanti]

You could get in touch with your local wedding photographers and see if you can cover the black & white reportage for them.
I don`t know what it`s like in the U.S. (I assume that`s where you are) but in England EVERYBODY loves this style and it`s quite difficult to do properly with just one photographer, so I would think that there would be work out there for someone that`s good at it.
And it`s much more fun than doing those boring group shots, more creative too.
If you don`t have any contacts, you could cover one for free to start with, then at least if you`re good enough you`ll have a lot of samples to impress people with.

 

[markc]

It depends upon your skill level. It's really hard to start a photography business without some level of skill. How would you rate yourself? Trying to sell fine-art is usually a good way to get poor fast, so I wouldn't go that route.

Assisting at weddings is a good way to get started and see if it's really the thing for you. Unless you have some good work to show the photographer, it's doubtful they will take you on as an actual second. You may end up doing things like holding a romote flash most of the time, or reloading film, but when you aren't needed you can grab some images of your own and you'll get to see how it's done.

 

[Face]

hooking up with photographers out there is a great idea... and even just holding a remote flash wouldn't be that bad of a summer job. Umm as far as rating myself... I'm far from proffesional. I'm not bad though. I've taken 2 years of photography at school, covering studio to fill flash, etc.
I did win a Gold Key in Scholastics if you're familiar with that at all. It's a national competition for high schoolers with smaller county wide competitions. I got a Gold Key (top award) which sends it to Nationals and I'm waiting to hear from them. Yeah i think I'll call around to local photographers.