...Where to begin...

[Designer]

Speaking of lenses; (and other gear) I don't remember reading what camera body and lenses you have, and if you own a speedlight and what other gear do you own?

 

[qy10]

Ultimately, I'd be thrilled if photography could pay for my monthly dog food expenses, or some of my annual club dues etc...

I'm a "keep it even" kind of guy, and I would designate income from photography as going toward defraying photography expenses rather than dog food. You're going to want/need better lenses, speedlight(s), RF triggers, modifiers, tripod, more memory cards, transportation expenses, entry fees, website, promotional materials, etc. And if you treat this as a business, meticulous record-keeping is imperative.

Thanks for the reminder. I do need another memory card, haha. Very good point though. I hear ya, I'm at the point where I am in need of some new items and trying to figure out when/how I'm going to afford it is kind of daunting.

 

[qy10]

Speaking of lenses; (and other gear) I don't remember reading what camera body and lenses you have, and if you own a speedlight and what other gear do you own?

Canon Rebel T5i body. My go-to lens is my 55-250mm, but I also have a 50mm lens. I don't think I have ever used the 50mm... it was a gift. Other than that, I do have a tripod, but I don't use it often. I find holding my camera is a lot more practical when my subject matter is constantly moving around.

I am looking at buying a speedlight as well as another lens, but I haven't firmly decided on which lens or speedlight. I am at the point where I am just researching the different brands and which lenses are best suited for which type of photography etc... I'm hindered by a budget, which narrows things down somewhat for me, haha.

 

[manaheim]

It's also worth noting that by being free/cheap, or by "just wanting to pay for dog food" you are contributing to the exact problem of why photographers can't make any money.

There are a billion people out there who just are in it for "some folding cash" or "enough for a six pack of beer", or even "I can't charge for my services because I'm not good enough yet."

Guess what? That average $25K salary? Supply and demand. There's a ridiculous supply, so there's relatively little demand.

Many of us here are (or have been) guilty of it. I wanted to make money just to buy gear. Granted, I bought a lot of high-end gear and charged a fair bit to make it to that point, but even at my level... I was contributing to the problem.

 

[qy10]

It's also worth noting that by being free/cheap, or by "just wanting to pay for dog food" you are contributing to the exact problem of why photographers can't make any money.

There are a billion people out there who just are in it for "some folding cash" or "enough for a six pack of beer", or even "I can't charge for my services because I'm not good enough yet."

Guess what? That average $25K salary? Supply and demand. There's a ridiculous supply, so there's relatively little demand.

Many of us here are (or have been) guilty of it. I wanted to make money just to buy gear. Granted, I bought a lot of high-end gear and charged a fair bit to make it to that point, but even at my level... I was contributing to the problem.

I'm really not trying to add to any problems that exist and I understand what you're saying. Maybe the dog food thing was a bad example. The fact of the matter is that I own two working and performance canines and I'm passionate about the things I do with them. Their upkeep, care and activities cost me about 10-15,000/year. I'm also very passionate about my photography. I would love to combine the two into something that is viable and would allow me to continue participating in both.

I photograph my mom's dog for free and I've offered free service to my PSA club because I would really love to add to my portfolio as the breeds in my portfolio are very limited.

That being said, if my club were to host a trial and other clubs from N. America came to compete, my photography would not be free. People would be expected to buy the photo of their dog if they wanted it.

I guess I see it more of a trade off... I'm taking photos of their dogs for free, but they're allowing me to practice on their dogs. So, if I don't get many usable shits, it's okay because it was all just for practice anyway. That was my thought process anyway.

 

[gsgary]

Take a look at one of the best, click on dog gods
Dog Gods - Tim Flach

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

 

[gsgary]

It's also worth noting that by being free/cheap, or by "just wanting to pay for dog food" you are contributing to the exact problem of why photographers can't make any money.

There are a billion people out there who just are in it for "some folding cash" or "enough for a six pack of beer", or even "I can't charge for my services because I'm not good enough yet."

Guess what? That average $25K salary? Supply and demand. There's a ridiculous supply, so there's relatively little demand.

Many of us here are (or have been) guilty of it. I wanted to make money just to buy gear. Granted, I bought a lot of high-end gear and charged a fair bit to make it to that point, but even at my level... I was contributing to the problem.

I'm really not trying to add to any problems that exist and I understand what you're saying. Maybe the dog food thing was a bad example. The fact of the matter is that I own two working and performance canines and I'm passionate about the things I do with them. Their upkeep, care and activities cost me about 10-15,000/year. I'm also very passionate about my photography. I would love to combine the two into something that is viable and would allow me to continue participating in both.

I photograph my mom's dog for free and I've offered free service to my PSA club because I would really love to add to my portfolio as the breeds in my portfolio are very limited.

That being said, if my club were to host a trial and other clubs from N. America came to compete, my photography would not be free. People would be expected to buy the photo of their dog if they wanted it.

I guess I see it more of a trade off... I'm taking photos of their dogs for free, but they're allowing me to practice on their dogs. So, if I don't get many usable shits, it's okay because it was all just for practice anyway. That was my thought process anyway.

There are millions wanting to do the same, I have set up studio's at dog shows and shot portraits and made £400 in a few hours but I was loosing my weekend's and my hobby turned into a chore so now it is just a hobby
One of mine from a show
Dog Vagas Portraits - Gary Clarke

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

 

[qy10]

It's also worth noting that by being free/cheap, or by "just wanting to pay for dog food" you are contributing to the exact problem of why photographers can't make any money.

There are a billion people out there who just are in it for "some folding cash" or "enough for a six pack of beer", or even "I can't charge for my services because I'm not good enough yet."

Guess what? That average $25K salary? Supply and demand. There's a ridiculous supply, so there's relatively little demand.

Many of us here are (or have been) guilty of it. I wanted to make money just to buy gear. Granted, I bought a lot of high-end gear and charged a fair bit to make it to that point, but even at my level... I was contributing to the problem.

I'm really not trying to add to any problems that exist and I understand what you're saying. Maybe the dog food thing was a bad example. The fact of the matter is that I own two working and performance canines and I'm passionate about the things I do with them. Their upkeep, care and activities cost me about 10-15,000/year. I'm also very passionate about my photography. I would love to combine the two into something that is viable and would allow me to continue participating in both.

I photograph my mom's dog for free and I've offered free service to my PSA club because I would really love to add to my portfolio as the breeds in my portfolio are very limited.

That being said, if my club were to host a trial and other clubs from N. America came to compete, my photography would not be free. People would be expected to buy the photo of their dog if they wanted it.

I guess I see it more of a trade off... I'm taking photos of their dogs for free, but they're allowing me to practice on their dogs. So, if I don't get many usable shits, it's okay because it was all just for practice anyway. That was my thought process anyway.

There are millions wanting to do the same, I have set up studio's at dog shows and shot portraits and made £400 in a few hours but I was loosing my weekend's and my hobby turned into a chore so now it is just a hobby
One of mine from a show
Dog Vagas Portraits - Gary Clarke

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Those are beautiful shots.

 

[gsgary]

It's also worth noting that by being free/cheap, or by "just wanting to pay for dog food" you are contributing to the exact problem of why photographers can't make any money.

There are a billion people out there who just are in it for "some folding cash" or "enough for a six pack of beer", or even "I can't charge for my services because I'm not good enough yet."

Guess what? That average $25K salary? Supply and demand. There's a ridiculous supply, so there's relatively little demand.

Many of us here are (or have been) guilty of it. I wanted to make money just to buy gear. Granted, I bought a lot of high-end gear and charged a fair bit to make it to that point, but even at my level... I was contributing to the problem.

I'm really not trying to add to any problems that exist and I understand what you're saying. Maybe the dog food thing was a bad example. The fact of the matter is that I own two working and performance canines and I'm passionate about the things I do with them. Their upkeep, care and activities cost me about 10-15,000/year. I'm also very passionate about my photography. I would love to combine the two into something that is viable and would allow me to continue participating in both.

I photograph my mom's dog for free and I've offered free service to my PSA club because I would really love to add to my portfolio as the breeds in my portfolio are very limited.

That being said, if my club were to host a trial and other clubs from N. America came to compete, my photography would not be free. People would be expected to buy the photo of their dog if they wanted it.

I guess I see it more of a trade off... I'm taking photos of their dogs for free, but they're allowing me to practice on their dogs. So, if I don't get many usable shits, it's okay because it was all just for practice anyway. That was my thought process anyway.

There are millions wanting to do the same, I have set up studio's at dog shows and shot portraits and made £400 in a few hours but I was loosing my weekend's and my hobby turned into a chore so now it is just a hobby
One of mine from a show
Dog Vagas Portraits - Gary Clarke

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Those are beautiful shots.

Thank you, but it gets very boring using up your weekends just shooting dogs

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

 

[beagle100]

It's also worth noting that by being free/cheap, or by "just wanting to pay for dog food" you are contributing to the exact problem of why photographers can't make any money.

There are a billion people out there who just are in it for "some folding cash" or "enough for a six pack of beer", or even "I can't charge for my services because I'm not good enough yet."

Guess what? That average $25K salary? Supply and demand. There's a ridiculous supply, so there's relatively little demand.

Many of us here are (or have been) guilty of it. I wanted to make money just to buy gear. Granted, I bought a lot of high-end gear and charged a fair bit to make it to that point, but even at my level... I was contributing to the problem.

I photograph my mom's dog for free and I've offered free service to my PSA club because I would really love to add to my portfolio as the breeds in my portfolio are very limited.

That being said, if my club were to host a trial and other clubs from N. America came to compete, my photography would not be free. People would be expected to buy the photo of their dog if they wanted it.

I guess I see it more of a trade off... I'm taking photos of their dogs for free, but they're allowing me to practice on their dogs. So, if I don't get many usable shits, it's okay because it was all just for practice anyway. That was my thought process anyway.

There are millions wanting to do the same, I have set up studio's at dog shows and shot portraits and made £400 in a few hours but I was loosing my weekend's and my hobby turned into a chore so now it is just a hobby
One of mine from a show
Dog Vagas Portraits - Gary Clarke

k

nice K-9 portraits !