Who makes a living out of photography

[John_Olexa]

Photographers Market is a great book!!
It list everything you need to know. Companys, how much they pay, what they want, how to contact/ summit.
It list :
Consumer Publications, trade publications, book publishers, greeting card/poster companys , Newpapers , stock agencies, Galleries, contest and a lot more.

This is where I found the stock agency I now shoot with.

 

[lonewolfe]

ok thanks i was wondering if it was worth buying or not, any other books you might suggest?

 

[In2daBlue]

The first thing to ask yourself is what kind of photography you want to do. Photojournalism? Weddings? Portrait?

I see photogs at the top of Vail ski mountain shooting pics of people getting off the lift. They are working for Vail resorts, probably aren't being paid much, but they are taking photos for a living.

I know many wedding photographers and the track they each took to get there are as varied as the shooters themselves. All of them will tell you though that they are more of a businessperson than a photog. They spend many weekends in bridal expos, many hours marketing and advertising their company and some more time on the side of all of that keeping their books in order (taxes, collecting payments, etc.)

As a working photojournalist, I can tell you the newspaper and magazine industry is shrinking at a fast clip. Advertising dollars are going south each quarter and newsrooms are laying many people off and the freelance budgets are drying up. On the magazine side, it's more difficult to pitch stories to editors (especially ones that involve any sort of travel) than ever before.

I got my start by being in the right place at the right time. I was/am a reporter who loved photography. One day the photo editor at a newspaper I was employed at many years ago was short a photographer and asked if I could get a photo to go with my story. I agreed and brought back decent art. In a short time, I was shooting all of my own photos to accompany stories I was writing for the newspaper. Within a year or so, I was shooting photos for the paper (sports, spot news, stand-alone) in addition to my writing. I have successfully marketed myself as a writer and photographer and have found success finding work in newspapers and magazines.

The youngest photographer we have was hired 6 months ago and this is his first job. To get here, he spent a semester in J-school learning photojournalism techniques. Then, he spent a semester shooting photo stories and high school sports to build a portfolio. From there he lived out of the back of his truck for two years as he bounced from one newspaper internship to another, getting larger circulation each time, in 4 different states. When Hurricane Katrina hit, he called the Red Cross and humped with them (for free) along the Gulf Coast taking photos of the carnage.

Did I mention, he is incredibly talented too?

Needless to say, after all of that he was selected by the photo editors to take our open photog position about six months ago. There were 246 applicants for the job.

Bottom line: Is it impossible to break into professional photography? Not at all. Whether photojournalism, wedding, freelance or whatever, there is always room for an incredibly talented photog, but the competition is intense.

I agree with an earlier comment though that dreamers don't usually make it to the professional ranks. The doers do.

To all the doers out there, good luck.

 

[Meysha]

hello, my name is vicky and I'm a photographer.

Yes it's just like AA. hehee or it becomes like that.

I quit my full time desk job 8 months ago, started a photography business (see signature below), didn't know anyone in real estate at all but thought hmpf it's a niche and i'll take it. It took off and I got my first client within a month and then managed to actually live off the business within 3 months of it starting.
Now I also do freelance work for a newspaper company here and my business pretty much runs itself.
Yep I'm a freak.

Get out there and do it. It's awesome.

 

[JodieO]

I make a living out of my photography. I've done a few commercial shoots, a few editorial shoots, have some of my images coming out in a book, sold some nature stuff to card companies, etc...

but my bread and butter is my portrait work. I do have a studio (and shoot indoors and outdoors at the studio) - have had it for a year now. It tripled my business.

I don't do weddings - too much headache for me, for not enough money, and I don't work weekends. You can't pay me enough to work weekends - that's *MY* time.

 

[JodieO]

I am a part time freelancer.

My opinion is if you want to get into photography for the money, dont bother.

Why wouldn't anyone do it for the money? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love photography, but I would *NOT* be doing this for fun. For fun, I would be out riding my horses every day and kicking back, not working. I wouldn't be a photographer/business owner for any less than a six-figure salary (of course, I am in one of the highest cost-of-living states, so maybe that is why I feel that way).

I am 32 years old and have been in business for myself for 13 years (I married my husband at 19, and went right into self employment since he could support me - I took a chance, and never looked back.). I have only been a full time photographer for the last 4 years. Owning your own business and TREATING IT LIKE A REAL BUSINESS, are two different things. I'm just shocked that people do any work for a little bit of nothing - I would just ask why bother?

There are ways to make money at this, you just have to find your niche, and learn how to act as a real business. Price accordingly (no $20 8x10s - you aren't making a dime off of that)... and don't use the excuse as "my area doesn't support high prices". Either does mine - I target market to where I actually have had people fly in from New York for my services, and drive up to 4 hours to my studio.

Some business management courses or even some free courses through your small business development center can change your business life. There are too many business out there folding because they don't charge enough and don't know how to run a real business.

Sorry, didn't mean to go off on a tangeant, but I really have no idea why anyone would not do something for the money as well as for the love of it.

 

[JodieO]

I'm going to throw this up here because I just shared it elsewhere. How much do you WANT to make doing photography? It's basically YOUR decision.

Here are some figures based on my popular sales amounts over the past few years. Now, I am going to list total SALES, but keep in mind, sales is different from profit. All expenses, etc, needs to be taken out of the final sales, but you can watch these figures grow. By the way, I am basing this on portraits. That is what *I* do.

We are just going with a simple equation - average sale + how many sessions per month.

Let's make our variable the sales (that you need to structure your pricing and marketing to receive these types of sales, and they are not bizarre amounts - I worked for a photographer for a year who had sales between $7,000 and 14,000) so I am aiming on the low side here IMO....

If you average $1,000 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $120,000 per year in sales.
If you average $1,500 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $180,000 per year in sales.
If you average $2,000 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $240,000 per year in sales.

Now change that to more sessions per month, and see what your sales are.

If you average $1,500 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $180,000 per year in sales.
If you average $1,500 per client and take 15 sessions per month, that is $270,000 per year in sales.
If you average $1,500 per client and take 20 sessions per month, that is $360,000 per year in sales.

Change ONE item in the equation (as above) and it makes a huge difference... change TWO items in the equation, and it is even more insane.

If you average $1,500 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $180,000 per year in sales.
If you average $2,000 per cleint and take 15 sessions per month, that is $360,000 per year in sales.
If you average $2,500 per client and take 20 sessions per month, that is $600,000 per year in sales.

It's all about operating as a business, not operating as if this were a hobby.

 

[Rhys]

If you concentrate on weddings and get 4 a year, charging $1500 per wedding then that's $6000 income. Not a bad chunk of change for a part-time bsuiness.

 

[JodieO]

If you concentrate on weddings and get 4 a year, charging $1500 per wedding then that's $6000 income. Not a bad chunk of change for a part-time bsuiness.

Does $1500 per wedding really cover your expenses to even HAVE a business?

What does that mean you make hourly after you have shot the wedding, proofed the wedding, set up for making orders, mileage on your vehicle, and then print costs? (and don't forget costs of your equipment, backup camera, etc., marketing, website, etc. etc.)

I just checked out your pricing. Seriously, are you charging $100 for portraits and giving them the CD of high rez files?

That can't possibly cover your costs to be in business. I charge $2,800 for a high rez CD, and it sells.... but more often, they will buy a $1,500-2,000 print package and tack the digital files on for an additional $1,800 on top of that. Why would you give away your stuff like that? I'm just curious - I mean, do you not need to pay yourself for your time and talent?

 

[John_Olexa]

When I shoot a wedding, it's only for friends or friends of friends who cannot afford a wedding photographer. I don't do the bride at the house stuff or all that. I shoot the church stuff, shoot the portrait stuff and shoot the reception stuff. I eat, drink, shoot, get paid and leave. I send them a CD a few days later and tell them to have fun making there wedding album. No fuss. Makes a nice chuck of money for a Saturday.
This only happens about 4 or 5 times a year so no big deal for me to work a few Saturdays and make a few hundred bucks for a days work. So far everybody has been happy.

 

[Trenton Romulox]

I'm still in high school myself, and am absolutely in love with photography, but I realistically know that I won't be able to live off of my hobby for a long time, if ever. That's why I plan on becoming an English teacher, because I love english and I love teaching people. And, bonus, I get summers off if I become a teacher, and if I teach in high school like I want to, I can always be like, 'Hey, students, senior portraits, I can do them if you want.' And hey, if I could build up a business whilst I'm a teacher, then great. If not, I still have teaching, and I still have photography. Win-win really.

 

[Icon72]

Can anyone make money off of photography, no. However, look around. Obviously plenty of photogs do make a living from their work so I always find it odd when this question comes up. Typically the people that will tell you you can't make money at it are ones that have tried and failed or they are people that don't have the drive and desire to make it happen. If it was impossible to make money as a photographer than there wouldn't be any professional photographers.

Is it difficult? I'm sure it is. Now I wouldn't say drop any other income you have and just pray you can make it as a photog but don't fail to try only because others have the opinion that it's not a good idea. I'm sure there were plenty of folks that thought it was a bad idea for the Wright brothers to attempt flying and told them so. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think their idea ended up being a pretty good one. In any case you get my point.

 

[jols]

I'm going to throw this up here because I just shared it elsewhere. How much do you WANT to make doing photography? It's basically YOUR decision.

Here are some figures based on my popular sales amounts over the past few years. Now, I am going to list total SALES, but keep in mind, sales is different from profit. All expenses, etc, needs to be taken out of the final sales, but you can watch these figures grow. By the way, I am basing this on portraits. That is what *I* do.

We are just going with a simple equation - average sale + how many sessions per month.

Let's make our variable the sales (that you need to structure your pricing and marketing to receive these types of sales, and they are not bizarre amounts - I worked for a photographer for a year who had sales between $7,000 and 14,000) so I am aiming on the low side here IMO....

If you average $1,000 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $120,000 per year in sales.
If you average $1,500 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $180,000 per year in sales.
If you average $2,000 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $240,000 per year in sales.

Now change that to more sessions per month, and see what your sales are.

If you average $1,500 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $180,000 per year in sales.
If you average $1,500 per client and take 15 sessions per month, that is $270,000 per year in sales.
If you average $1,500 per client and take 20 sessions per month, that is $360,000 per year in sales.

Change ONE item in the equation (as above) and it makes a huge difference... change TWO items in the equation, and it is even more insane.

If you average $1,500 per client and take 10 sessions per month, that is $180,000 per year in sales.
If you average $2,000 per cleint and take 15 sessions per month, that is $360,000 per year in sales.
If you average $2,500 per client and take 20 sessions per month, that is $600,000 per year in sales.

It's all about operating as a business, not operating as if this were a hobby.

ridiculous prices butif people are rich enough and stupid enough to pay them then go for it.

they say 'a fool and his money are soon parted'

 

[John_Olexa]

One thing that has hurt freelancing big time is people not sending in what Editors ask for! you use to see a lot of editors say " send unsolicited photos by mail for consideration" Well so many people sent junk and waisting there time, that you no longer see this much anymore. The editor of one magazine told me she was looking for images of dogs only.. she got cat images, bird images mice images, ect ect, so she no longer ask for unsolicited images, now she, like at lot of others now ask for " self promotion pieces to be kept on file for future assignments" or "Provide resume, business card or tearsheets to be kept on file" Hard to get tearsheets if you haven't been published! hard to get published if you don't have tearsheets!

Please, find out what the magazine wants that your interested in, and only send them appropriate images.

 

[abraxas]

We're all on vacation.

Define "living."

I don't make much, but I don't require much to live.

I don't work too often, but make good money when I do.

My living is half from photography and half from web sites I develop for myself- that have to do with photography and the outdoors where I do my photography.

I didn't realize I made money from photography until I did it for 10 years.

I haven't made a sales call in 10 years.

Everyday I try to do less of the stuff I like to do in order to do more of the stuff I really like to do.

It could all dissolve tomorrow. Since it don't take much for me to live, it shouldn't be too hard to recover from. I'll worry about it then.

That's it in a nut shell.