How do I start my Photgoraphy buisness before I turn 18?

[New Hampshire]

Ok, Lydia, let me see if I can explain this in a simple way. Now, let's say I want to start a business making hand made furniture. I have all the equipment and the experience. I make good furniture. What is the next logical step?....a catalog showing my products, correct? That is sort of what a portfolio is like, a "catalog" of what you are selling. If I were to go on Craigslist and say "I have handmade furniture for sale" but no photo of it how can anyone take me seriosuly? Do you see what I mean? Until you actually build a portfolio your just another person making noises, but with no actual example of the product you want to sell.

Brian

 

[Stradawhovious]

To the OP.......

Please don't take any offense to what I'm about to say.....

Being young and homeschooled, I think this might be your first big dose of reality. Here it comes.........

You aren't going pro. Not yet. Not going to happen.

Learn how to use your camera. Learn about exposure. Take a few classes. Read a few books. THIS would be a good start. Take pictures. Get them critiqued by people that have been shooting longer than you've been alive. Work on your technique, build a portfolio.

Lather, rinse repeat. That's just the photography end of it.

Do you know what overhead is? If not, by the time you find out, it will be too late. Take a business course. Learn basic accounting, find out what it takes to BE a professional photographer..... ABOVE and BEYOND the taking of pictures...... (scheduling, marketing, sales, paperwork, equipment, insurance, Taxes, Legalese etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. There are reasons above and beyone my painful lack of talent that will prevent me from EVER becoming a professional photographer....).


Good luck!

Also remember, NOTHING will ruin your business (any business) faster than not being prepared, trained for it, and competent. Word of mouth is a killer, and news of bad business travels fast.

 

[e.rose]

But placing in photography competitions against both minors and adults I believe does show I have some photographic quality.

No, it only means you were better than *them*... but we don't know what *their* (or your) work looks like so we can't judge based off of that fact.

I know someone who won a photography contest... and their photo wasn't anything to write home about. But they won because it was the BEST of the entries... not because it was mind-blowing photography.

 

[LydiaK100]

Biggs88: You can read articles from professionals, talk to several and it is not necessary to have a degree, although it does help.

 

[New Hampshire]

New Hampshire: I do not plan to lay that bill down in my parents lap at all. In fact I had most of the money for my camera I got for my birthday saved up and they paid for the rest. But as of now I can't just a job at the local Wal-Mart. So I'm doing what I can do.

Ok, excellent. So you have made a start, and that is a good thing. But like many people have said, myself included, you need to work your way into this. You have won a contest or two. Congrats! I am honestly happy for you. But local photo contests do not make you a pro level photographer yet.

Brian

 

[RauschPhotography]

No, it only means you were better than *them*... but we don't know what *their* (or your) work looks like so we can't judge based off of that fact.

I know someone who won a photography contest... and their photo wasn't anything to write home about. But they won because it was the BEST of the entries... not because it was mind-blowing photography.

Seriously--unless we see the actual work, for all we know it could be fifteen people submitting pictures of their cat.

 

[o hey tyler]

No, it only means you were better than *them*... but we don't know what *their* (or your) work looks like so we can't judge based off of that fact.

I know someone who won a photography contest... and their photo wasn't anything to write home about. But they won because it was the BEST of the entries... not because it was mind-blowing photography.

Seriously--unless we see the actual work, for all we know it could be fifteen people submitting pictures of their cat.

I went to quite a large state fair in Northern Maine, which is extremely rural compared to where I live.

One of the first place photos in their photo competition was a top down view of a cat that was walking away from the photographer, that had also been run through a "pencil sketch" filter in photoshop. No joke.

 

[mwcfarms]

I think we are getting Trolled. ldman:

 

[RauschPhotography]

I think we are getting Trolled. ldman:

The sad thing is, I kind of hope we are.

 

[Stradawhovious]

[sniff.... sniff.....]

Anyone else smell that?

 

[e.rose]

No, it only means you were better than *them*... but we don't know what *their* (or your) work looks like so we can't judge based off of that fact.

I know someone who won a photography contest... and their photo wasn't anything to write home about. But they won because it was the BEST of the entries... not because it was mind-blowing photography.

Seriously--unless we see the actual work, for all we know it could be fifteen people submitting pictures of their cat.

I went to quite a large state fair in Northern Maine, which is extremely rural compared to where I live.

One of the first place photos in their photo competition was a top down view of a cat that was walking away from the photographer, that had also been run through a "pencil sketch" filter in photoshop. No joke.

Case in point.

 

[sugo]

Being young and homeschooled, I think this might be your first big dose of reality. Here it comes.........

homeschooled kids get a dose of reality far sooner than most traditionally schooled kids so I hope that you aren't implying that she is somehow sheltered from reality as a homeschooler. Pretty ignorant if you do.

 

[LydiaK100]

Listen, I didn't come here for an argument. I came here for how to let people know about my photography. So to all the people who are saying that I'm not ready, when I wish for your opinion over that matter I'll ask. Brian, were not talking about furniture. E.rose I have to say there were some professional photographers in the contest so that right there should prove a point.Stradahovious (I think I spelled that right) I've read books, I understand the technical aspects, and being homeschooled gives me more time to practice. Resorting to chatspeak nice...real mature. I think you have all lost credibility right here. You really think that you are better than me don't you? Just don't forget the fact that just because you may have been doing photography longer than I doesn't automatically make you better than me.

 

[Stradawhovious]

homeschooled kids get a dose of reality far sooner than most traditionally schooled kids

Not the ones I've run into, and I've worked with hundreds.

Guess it depends on the teachings.

Call me ignorant if you wish (whatever that means...), I've been called worse.

 

[Biggs88]

Biggs88: You can read articles from professionals, talk to several and it is not necessary to have a degree, although it does help.

Thus I said "and/or".


I mean, do you know what ISO, noise, f stops, WB, DOF, metering, RAW format, exposure, histograms, gray scale, small sensors and large sensors format, ect, ect, ect. . . . are?

(without google search)


I mean, you have all these people telling you that your NOT ready too go pro.
Either where all lying to you, or you can't take the info and accept it.