anyone here have another career besides photography?

[eddiesimages]

My real job is Crime Scene Investigation (no, I don't watch the show). As a part of my job I photograph crime scenes, but I'd rather be photographing outdoor scenery. I haven't gotten good enough to make any money on the side from photography yet, though.

 

[Johnboy2978]

In the mental health field here working as an emergency services crisis psychologist. Photography has become an intensive hobby over the past year, and am starting to pick up some paying jobs with it. Hope to make it my career in the next few years and leave then mental health field (and this infernal pager) behind.

 

[D-50]

I think the majority of us here are not professinal photographers maybe 20% of us make money off it but I bet 100% would like to make money off it. Photography for most people is a hobby/interest that may manifest into a buisness. Just gotta keep getting your work out there for the public to view. Aside from event photography such as weddings or being a true professional it is extremely hard to make enough money to live off of by selling photos print by print. A decent outlet though are craft fairs and flee markets, for a couple hundred bucks you can usually get a table/space to display your work for hundreds of people, just make sure to price them with regard to the area of the fair and the type of people it attracts.

 

[kugy5]

Steichen the famous and wonderfull photographer said, be a plumber, but keep your photography as your art(or something to that effect) there have been moments when I felt that way, when I made images without regard of their consumer value, were the process is everything,

 

[Christie Photo]

Photography is my day job... I've had a studio for 20+ years.

I "change hats" most weekends. I'm music director at a local church. I plan services and direct a choir and musicians. I've come to rely on this additional income in recent years.

It works well for me. I love both roles and can't imagine leaving one out. My schedule is up to me, so I can plan when any conflicts (weddings) arise. And since I know the boss, I can leave during the week for funerals as needed.

 

[Inverness Photographic]

Line Manager for a manufacturing company.

Been into photography for what was years but is now decades, about time I started getting some money back from it. ~ Well trying anyway.

 

[chris82]

from what I can see you all have really interesting and great jobs,mine is not so great.I work in tesco even worse i work night shift

 

[JDP]

I've got 15 years experience in Information Technology, and am a Senior Network Engineer.

Upside: You've got bank - so I have no problems buying new toys for the cam and affording a little studio here in town

Downside: IT is a creative job, in a lot of the problems require creative thinking to solve - which drains you a lot. Makes it so when you get home you don't want to be creative anymore hehe.

 

[usayit]

It would be absolutely a dream to make a living from photography. Unfortunately, it never really panned out. So I'm doing what I do best... IT and software. I have two jobs... one is in computer disaster recovery the other is as a software engineer. I make time for photography when ever possible... :-(

 

[usayit]

My real job is Crime Scene Investigation (no, I don't watch the show). As a part of my job I photograph crime scenes, but I'd rather be photographing outdoor scenery. I haven't gotten good enough to make any money on the side from photography yet, though.

Sounds interesting... is it in real life? Back during my unemployment, I actually saw an ad for a photographer to be hired by local law enforcement agencies.. The pay they were offering was not all that great never-the-less it did grab my attention. Something inside told me that I personally would not be happy being that close to the darkside of humanity and it wasn't the photography I would enjoy.. so I moved on. perhaps I'm wrong.. watch too much tv.. and let my imagination get the best of me...

 

[airgunr]

My wife and I own and run a Restaurant & Gift Shop in a rural resort area in SE Wisconsin.

I just enjoy photography. I've never sold anything but have been asked by friends and family for some of my work. Usually I give them away, sometimes as gifts for X'mas and the like.

 

[Jeepnut28]

Advertising Account Executive.....been doing it for 11 years.

 

[abraxas]

I was a civil and structural engineering technician for about 18 years. Just snapped one day and walked off the job- was tired of being a target and sycophant fodder. Bought a digital camera ('95) and started taking pictures of industrial buildings. Lived off of my wife's income for 3 years. Built a small multiple listing service on the internet for homes for sale and now do virtual tours. Have time and money enough now to invest in learning art- which I've always wanted to do. Couldn't have done anything I'm doing now without doing everything I've done. Occasionally I sell photos for books and TV on the side. Writing a book and learning about the things that matter to me. Still take pictures of bedrooms and toilets, it don't bother me, I like the people I meet. I ain't rich and don't care. Funny though, I make more money doing what I want than I did working for 'the man.' My wife has worked the last 3 years for me. You can bet I thank God every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to bed for the opportunity. Sometimes you got to take a chance.

 

[craig]

Yea Abraxas! Inspirational story! Love it!

Not only should you take a chance you should also push yourself harder.

 

[rmh159]

I work for a Logistics company contracting different freight carriers so that we can use them to move businesses "stuff". Like most of others I just do photography for fun and as a way to unwind.

In regards to the original post I guess if I had any advice it would be to learn something else to start. It's good to have another sell-able skill available and you can always drop that later on once you have more photography experience. I don't want to sound discouraging but if making good money off of photography was remotely easy, we'd all be doing it.