Family pressure

[elizabethysmom]

As a beginner I'm having a hard time with family pushing me to go into business. I've always taken decent snapshots but have only started studying photography over the past 9 months. I feel like this is a wonderful hobby, I'm passionate about it but I know I have a long way to go. An acquaintance purchased a 5dmkII last year and the next week started charging for portraits! I cringe looking at her photos. I don't want to go down that road. I cringe looking at what I Thoight was awesome 9 months ago and in 9 more months I'll know How crappy the pictures I'm taking today are.
Anyway, slight vent but anyone else feeling the pressure?

 

[MReid]

Go with your own concience. At some point, usually takes a couple years of hard work, your work will be "good enough". This "good enough" point is NEVER when your friends and family will tell you it is.

I have been doing this for years and still look back at my work every 6 months and ask myself "what was I thinking", so get used to that.

Really can't understand why so many people feel the need to charge money for inferior product....and even a harder time understanding why someone would pay them for it....hmmmmmmmmmm....

 

[DiskoJoe]

I did not start charging until people started offering to pay me on their own. If someone decides they want to pay you just tell them to give you whatever they think is fair and go from there. I started off charging close friend like $20 bucks to do portraits for their kids. Now I do wedding and get paid hundreds of dollars. But dont let anyone rush you. You decide when the time is right. But be glad they at least encourage you.

By the way, do you have any pictures that you would like to share?

 

[SCraig]

The absolute LAST advice you should be listening to when making a decision like that is your friends and family. Are they in a position to know whether your photographic abilities are at a professional level? Most likely not. Are they willing to really critique your photography at a professional level? Most likely not. You are listening to people who most likely do not kave the knowledge to really determine whether your abilities are of professional quality or not.

You yourself stated that you are a beginner with 9 months of experience. Beginner are NOT professional photographers. Can you go to ANY area, at ANY time, under ANY conditions, take ANY photograph that a client wants, and post process it to a professional level? Do you have the equipment REQUIRED to be able to do that? If you answer "No" to any one of those questions then you have answered your own question.

 

[jake337]

Most family that tells you to go into the photography business don't realy understand the photography business, especially the business aspect. You know, the most important part.

 

[LuckySe7en]

just smile and say, "when I'm ready". Simple as that.

 

[Overread]

Get a job as an inturn/apprentice/assistant/etc... For an already establiashed photography firm. Chances are you'll have to travel (many have clauses in their employment contracts preventing you from starting up a similar business/service within a given distance of their firm within a given period of time after you terminate your contract with them).

If family are keen they can put some money toward helping travel/living costs if you have to work further afield.

That lets you get experience without first putting your name on a company and muddying it making amateur mistakes or going into something that, wince you get behind the workings; you find isn't the job you want.

 

[KmH]

I'm a firm believer that if you provide photography services to someone who is not immediate family, you have every right to charge for your time and for the photos you produce. Charge as much as the traffic will bear.

It is the buyer's responsibility to decide if you are worth paying, or not.

However, there are moral and legal responsibilites that go with charging people money. Over the years, many getting paid to provide photography services have elected to ignore the moral and legal implications. When they inevitably get caught, they discover how devastating the financial consequences can be.

As alluded to above, a photography business is way more about doing business, than it is about doing photography.

 

[elizabethysmom]

The absolute LAST advice you should be listening to when making a decision like that is your friends and family. Are they in a position to know whether your photographic abilities are at a professional level? Most likely not. Are they willing to really critique your photography at a professional level? Most likely not. You are listening to people who most likely do not kave the knowledge to really determine whether your abilities are of professional quality or not.

You yourself stated that you are a beginner with 9 months of experience. Beginner are NOT professional photographers. Can you go to ANY area, at ANY time, under ANY conditions, take ANY photograph that a client wants, and post process it to a professional level? Do you have the equipment REQUIRED to be able to do that? If you answer "No" to any one of those questions then you have answered your own question.

I think you missed my point. I am NOT ready to work in a professional capacity at all. I'm asking if others feel this pressure.

 

[elizabethysmom]

just smile and say, "when I'm ready". Simple as that.

This is my standard reply

 

[elizabethysmom]

Here are a few of my photos, definitely still learning and growing!!!

 

[SCraig]

I think you missed my point. I am NOT ready to work in a professional capacity at all. I'm asking if others feel this pressure.

You're right, I did miss your point and I apologize. A question along these same lines normally comes up about once a week (sometimes once every few hours) however the poster is normally not intelligent enough to realize that they are not ready to make photography a profession. It's nice to see someone showing restraint as opposed to the "I've been shooting for a whole month and I'm ready to "Go Pro" now!" attitude so many have.

 

[elizabethysmom]

Thank you scraig - I would be scared half to death to go pro even once I'm up to that level - after reading about taxes, equipment, insurance, etc etc!

 

[DiskoJoe]

Thank you scraig - I would be scared half to death to go pro even once I'm up to that level - after reading about taxes, equipment, insurance, etc etc!

Baby steps. From the pics you posted I would say work on framing.

 

[SCraig]

Thank you scraig - I would be scared half to death to go pro even once I'm up to that level - after reading about taxes, equipment, insurance, etc etc!

Then don't. There is no law that says you have to. I enjoy my job, I have no urge whatsoever to pursue a career in photography, and I'm content with that. I enjoy being able to shoot what I want, when I want, with no pressure. I enjoy photography, and have for many years, but I have never wanted to pursue it as a career.