Buy a Camera, Start A Business?

[c.cloudwalker]

All I see is lots of barking and growling...

So? Didn't you start an HDR controversy yourself recently?

Yes, it may have been a joke but you knew full well it would end up just like this thread. It's the nature of the human beast

No I posted a reasonable post that everyone lost their minds about.

:lmao: :lmao:

 

[c.cloudwalker]

All I see is lots of barking and growling...

So? Didn't you start an HDR controversy yourself recently?

Yes, it may have been a joke but you knew full well it would end up just like this thread. It's the nature of the human beast

No I posted a reasonable post that everyone lost their minds about.

:lmao: :lmao:

 

[thenikonguy]

i think so people missed my point.. i'm totally fine with people starting businesses.. i think its great.. the thing that bugs me is when people buy a camera, take their first few shots.. then start a business.. its wrong!

 

[benlonghair]

i think so people missed my point.. i'm totally fine with people starting businesses.. i think its great.. the thing that bugs me is when people buy a camera, take their first few shots.. then start a business.. its wrong!

That's all well and good. However, as a hobbiest, I'm looking to sell photos. Not photo services, but photos I've taken for myself.

Gear is friggin expensive and I'm not independently wealthy, or even close. If I could sell a few photos and buy myself a new piece of glass, or a tripod, or pretty much anything, you better believe I'm gonna do it. If 'pros' don't like it, they can go screw.

I think there's room in the market for both expensive pros and cheap semi-pros.

 

[linpelk]

The topic of this thread is what I've been struggling with personally. I am the typical "mom with a camera". I got my first dslr after the birth of my first child 4 years ago. I have spent a lot of time learning how to use my camera. It is a HOBBY for me. However, I see other photographers out there doing EXACTLY what I am doing and are making money off of it. My husband downright REFUSES to buy me anymore equipment. I will NEVER be able to upgrade to a full sensor camera unless I start making some money. I have a friend who started her photography business with mediocre pictures and she is now BOOKED OUT for several months. She is learning and getting better from all of this experience (and she just bought a 1d mkii and my heart just sank with jealousy) I feel like, in some ways, I'm missing the boat. I have lots of friends who keep asking me to take pictures (I have 7 that are waiting for me to figure out days that work..) and it is impacting my family. I am having to PAY a babysitter to go take pictures for free. I love doing it, but at what point do you stop doing it for free and START a Frickin business?

 

[PhotoXopher]

at what point do you stop doing it for free and START a Frickin business?

When you're ready and confident enough.

Sounds like you are, on both counts.

 

[Overread20]

at what point do you stop doing it for free and START a Frickin business?

When you're ready and confident enough.

Sounds like you are, on both counts.

I agree - all pros had to start somewhere and most didn't start anywhere near their "prime" in photography. Oh they were good, good enough to make a result that people were prepared to pay for and that is what made them a pro - that along with some good marketing and business skills (not underselling themselve and such).

Infact most pros I know will freely admit there are whole areas of photography they have little to no idea of and many won't even attempt to say that they are as good as they can possibly be - they are still learners too .
Even the mighty Zark Arias won't know it all at 56 years old
Zack Arias - Atlanta based editorial music photographer » Transform :: A short film for ScottKelby.com

Everyone has to start somewhere - there is no golden rule for where this is save when your ready to do so

 

[c.cloudwalker]

The topic of this thread is what I've been struggling with personally. I am the typical "mom with a camera". I got my first dslr after the birth of my first child 4 years ago. I have spent a lot of time learning how to use my camera. It is a HOBBY for me. However, I see other photographers out there doing EXACTLY what I am doing and are making money off of it. My husband downright REFUSES to buy me anymore equipment. I will NEVER be able to upgrade to a full sensor camera unless I start making some money. I have a friend who started her photography business with mediocre pictures and she is now BOOKED OUT for several months. She is learning and getting better from all of this experience (and she just bought a 1d mkii and my heart just sank with jealousy) I feel like, in some ways, I'm missing the boat. I have lots of friends who keep asking me to take pictures (I have 7 that are waiting for me to figure out days that work..) and it is impacting my family. I am having to PAY a babysitter to go take pictures for free. I love doing it, but at what point do you stop doing it for free and START a Frickin business?

No matter what anybody says, you start whenever you want. There's competition in every business and people who can't deal with that maybe should not be in business. As the saying goes: if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Cheers. Go for it. It sounds to me like you are ready.

 

[Gaerek]

This is what's great about a free market. It won't take long for these people who don't know what they're doing to get a reputation and be out of business. I mean, I know if I go to a professional for work, I want to see, at the very least, a portfolio of some of their work. That's how my wife and I chose our wedding photographer, we liked what her portfolio looked like. Someone who doesn't know what they're doing won't have a portfolio (or it will be very lacking) and they won't get many clients.

 

[Sachphotography]

I wonder if a guy with really great photos has a kinda crappy site should lose business but a guy with a really nice site and crappy picture would get the business? Just a thought?

JEffro... So which am I?

 

[Soocom1]

The real problem is that this culture of ours has moved away from the concept of EARNING, and has moved to INTITELMENT. Ergo, many people think they have a pro end camera, and boom... They are a pro. I have seen this mentality a million times, and not just in photography. It is fostered by a certain group of people, without the pre-curser of… first LEARN... then open business.
I have full encouragement in wanting to stand on your own, but for many it’s the allure of quick easy money. The think that because the camera does most of the work, voila, they can shoot and cash in. This is a concept not promulgated by, but defiantly NOT discouraged by the manufacturers because it sells cameras.
Years ago, my wife started into the mail order cheapie stuff from a certain company that Tom Bossley does ads for, and I when the stuff came in (propaganda, videos, and a bunch of forms) all for only $350.00, I hit the roof. So I told her, no mas until she can prove to me that there is a market, and that it is sustainable, and she understands business. End result: now she sells her own home made stuff, has her own business, and actually sells her jewelry. But not until after two years at a community college in Business Administration classes, and HTML courses.
I started mine, but had the misfortunate experience of having opened just when the economy took its first nose dive in 2006. (Gas prices hit, and people cancelled because they couldn’t afford me and the gas at the same time.) I was also working at an extreme disadvantage of having a regular job that conflicted with other’s schedules. Lesson learned.
I have nothing against opening a business, but I too fell pray to that mentality and got burned.

 

[bitteraspects]

i think so people missed my point.. i'm totally fine with people starting businesses.. i think its great.. the thing that bugs me is when people buy a camera, take their first few shots.. then start a business.. its wrong!

why is it wrong?
because you suck and youve been doing it longet then them?
because theyre making money in a field you think youre better at?
what is wrong with it?

ANYONE can pick up a GE license and start a business. (and not only for photography). but their work will determine weather they get payed or not, and in what amount.
as will yours.
crying on the internet is not going to bring you more business. in fact, its things like this that are the reason the "n00b" is getting work and you arent. all this time could have been put into effective marketing, rather then crying on a message board.


step your game up, and stop worrying about the next guy.

 

[bitteraspects]

The real problem is that this culture of ours has moved away from the concept of EARNING, and has moved to INTITELMENT. Ergo, many people think they have a pro end camera, and boom... They are a pro. I have seen this mentality a million times, and not just in photography. It is fostered by a certain group of people, without the pre-curser of… first LEARN... then open business.

fun fact time...

never finished high school:
Walt Disney
George Washington
Liza Minelli
Abe Lincoln
Thomas Edison

never finished to college:
Steven Spielberg
Harry Truman
Bill Gates
Henry Ford
Gandhi
Hitler
Pancho Villa
Andrew Jackson
John Rockefellr (first BILLIONARE)
Michael Dell (founder of dell computers)
AND MANY MORE!

but youre right... people should go to school for their craft, then move on to a business... :lmao::lmao::lmao:

 

[manaheim]

i think so people missed my point.. i'm totally fine with people starting businesses.. i think its great.. the thing that bugs me is when people buy a camera, take their first few shots.. then start a business.. its wrong!

<chuckle>

I once worked for this guy... he ran a pretty successful IT consulting business with a few guys working for him (me included) and this very UNsuccessful graphic design and printing firm.

He did so many things wrong... he even convinced his IT customers they needed to buy copies of photoshop so he could steal the serial numbers from them before delivering the product so he could use it for his graphics team.

It was crazy.

Anyway, at some point I left the company and figured "This guy is gonna go down in FLAMES and I'm gonna enjoy watching it."

Not only did it not ever happen, but he had some pretty extreme measure of success... still inexplicable. His services were more expensive than his competitors, he did lesser work, was obnoxious to work with as a customer, etc. (I know some people who worked with him, or tried...)

Eventually he sold his business off for a TIDY profit and is currently relaxing with his family and working on his house and giving the occasional business seminar.

This guy was all kinds of wrong. Didn't stop him from being a roaring success.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest emulating it, but you might wanna think about it for a bit.

 

[thenikonguy]

why is it wrong?
because you suck and youve been doing it longet then them?
because theyre making money in a field you think youre better at?
what is wrong with it?

what the hell is your problem guy.. this started out as a friendly conversation.. your the only one here being an ass about this.. I don't suck.. theres no way you can know if I do, because I havent posted photos here, other than some that were just messing around trying lighting.. get a life, and stop trying to call people out on the internet..