When did you go PRO?

Kerri Rae · May 1, 2007

I'm just getting serious into digital photography and was hoping some of you could share your experiences into how you ended up as a professional photographer. Was it a serious hobby and you never planned on going pro? Did you always know you wanted to do this for money? Did you just start taking small jobs and ended up getting enough work? Is photography something you are only able to do part time? Did you go to school for this? Did you start off as a photographer' assistant?

Thanks for sharing your story!

Alpha · May 1, 2007

I went pro on my way out of the womb.

lasershot · May 2, 2007

lol, nice one...

I myself am not pro yet because I'm just starting out but I plan on going pro when I sell 2 prints lol.

PicturePerfect1 · May 2, 2007

I am also not pro yet... but i am opening a studio in my home in the next month and have been running a part-time portrait business for a year. I am a sophomore in college and am getting a degree in portrait photography ... I would have to agree with the first comment made... I was born ready to be a professional in the field and have never doubted it...

CBRfanatic · May 2, 2007

i have recently become serious with it as well after showing friends, family, and co-workers my shots and most of them wanting to buy multiple prints. Im opening my own design studio soon as well. Ill consider myself fully professional when photography is my sole bread winner and im hosting workshops etc.

JIP · May 6, 2007

The first time someone paid me for a photograph.

zendianah · May 6, 2007

MaxBloom said:
I went pro on my way out of the womb.

Max.. why am I not surprised...

Damn Genius!

AprilRamone · May 6, 2007

I actually never thought I was going to be a photographer even though I was always really into taking pictures and scrapbooking with my Mom as a kid. Even in high school they had a photography class and I was always more interested in taking drawing and painting classes. But, I knew that I wanted to be an art major in college and I didn't think I could really make a living trying to sell paintings and drawings so I decided to try a photography course to see if I liked it. (So naive of me to just assume that it would be so much easier to make a living as a photographer :lol:

) And, I really did so I ended up being an art major with an emphasis in Photography. It wasn't until after college that I really got into portraiture though and now that's what interests me the most.
After college, I nannied for a little bit, but was feeling like I really wanted to use my art degree so I took the plunge, quit my nanny job and started working on my photo biz. It's been rough, but I definitely don't regret it. I LOVE what I do for work. I feel so lucky that I get to do something I'm passionate about for my profession.

What's really nice about it is that I feel challenged all the time to take better and better photographs and I can see myself improving which makes me feel really proud, which is always a nice feeling.

craig · May 7, 2007

I became a photographer to **** off my mom. Turns out I should have listened to her and gone to law school instead.

Seriously. My path was clear from day one. I earned a B.A in photography and worked my way up the ranks. Photography has always been my life. I considered my self a professional as soon as I started getting editorial work. I dream of one day kissing the commercial world good bye, but I do not see it happening any time soon. If ever. Besides commercial is and can be slightly fun.

Love & Bass

elsaspet · May 8, 2007

I went pro when the workload became too much to keep a day job and keep up with my photography. It was a pay cut at first, but with hard work, I make a very nice living now.

skieur · May 14, 2007

Probably before most of you were born.

skieur

mysteryscribe · Jun 3, 2007

I went to tech school and the teacher convinced me to make the plunge first thing out. "Since you are never going to be any kind of artist, you might as well be a studio hack," those were her words. That was in 1969 . I have banged around at it ever since. Hardly ever had a real job, as my dad would have said.

I doubt anyone has been a professional photographer longer than I have been on this earth. Im 62 this month. I can sympathise with the first couple of years struggle. But you know what? The struggle is the most fun.

Duchan · Jun 4, 2007

To me, a professional is someone who carries something out as a profession. I have earned money with portraits, but taking portraits is not my profession, so I don't categorize myself as a professional portraitist. I have had several photos printed by local papers, but that doesn't make me a pro news photog.
So, then, when is a pro photog a pro photog? When it's his or her profession to take photos. I'm uncertain as to whether I want to make the transition from amateur to pro wedding photog, still some insecurities and lack of funds. Hats off to any who display the commitment to try to find a footing in the photographic endeavor, the commitment already is an indicator of a professional mindset. But then I'm writing from this side of the Great Pond, where things and mentalities are somewhat different than, say, in the USA. Not better here, just different.

D.

Einny · Nov 28, 2007

I'm just starting out and try to find a good DSLR camera myself, but i already make connection with few stock agency and publishing company (wish to self-publish one day) I think you should read more book about marketing your own photo and how to become pro. The 'Photographer's Market' book will help you.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.flickr.com/einny
http://www.myspace.com/einny

LaFoto · Nov 28, 2007

I just gave an answer to the same kind of question in another thread, so let me quote myself here:

LaFoto said:
Somehow I grew up with it. When I was little, my dad and uncle had a little photography business going on on the side (they had proper day jobs for all their lives), doing group shots, portraits, advertisement photography for a dealer of prefabricated houses and also movie film work (my uncle). That is how cameras were ALWAYS there in my life, and even developing tanks (and a bath tub that was very rough and never smooth from the developer being poured out into it destroying the surface) and later also a darkroom (for black&white printing).

But my sister took up the hobby and earned a little money on the side while a school girl by doing weddings and portraits for all the Turkish families that had by then moved to our town (70s). So I felt it was "her thing" but never "my thing".

I always had a camera, and always snapped, but never felt anywhere beyond snapping. The joy of "plucking things from reality" and giving them a "new life" inside the highlighting frame of a photo only came to me when I could first use an SLR-camera (my husband's cheap model back then, which he very soon "lost" to me the moment we started going out). It took me yet another 10+ years to really start looking into photography as my personal "main hobby" (my own SLR which I got in 1999 helped!)

I still am not a professional, and I doubt I will want to become a professional. It is an honour and great fun to be commissioned to doing the dance photography I do now, and to doing the weddings I have done, but I already feel that doing photographical work for others takes away from my own enjoyment of the very thing, so I much rather stay a "photography enthusiast" and better not even call myself "a photographer" (it's enough when others do so ).

More or less the same thing is being discussed here .