How to make the transsition from working a normal local job, to pro photographer?

astroNikon · Jan 30, 2015

There's money to be made as a photographer
But you have to be better than all the others

Know not just how to use your camera but how to "mold" lighting to create the best image that you possible can.

Your competition is everything from the people doing stuff for free, to people charging enough to break even, to the full-time professional photographers that make their livelihood at it. You have to rise up above the low-end jobs and get to the high-end jobs. To do that you need to be able to nail every shot, in every situation. That's a professional photographer.

pixmedic · Jan 30, 2015

astroNikon said:
There's money to be made as a photographer
But you have to be better than all the others

Know not just how to use your camera but how to "mold" lighting to create the best image that you possible can.

Your competition is everything from the people doing stuff for free, to people charging enough to break even, to the full-time professional photographers that make their livelihood at it. You have to rise up above the low-end jobs and get to the high-end jobs. To do that you need to be able to nail every shot, in every situation. That's a professional photographer.

your photography doesnt have to be better than the others....your marketing and business plan does.

imagemaker46 · Jan 30, 2015

What is "mold" lighting, i've never heard this before.

pixmedic · Jan 30, 2015

imagemaker46 said:
What is "mold" lighting, i've never heard this before.

its for when you want to take pictures of fungus.

KmH · Jan 30, 2015

Yep.
There are plenty of mediocre photographers out there that are making good money doing photography.
They make money because they are are good at doing business.

imagemaker46 · Jan 31, 2015

...and there are plenty of mediocre photographers working 15 hours a day, undercutting other mediocre photographers. There is more to life than always being on the clock, at some point it does kill you. Once the hobby becomes the job, that's when you can sit back and wonder why it isn't as much fun anymore. There are always exceptions. I really enjoy shooting and editing and the computer work, it's the other 99% of the work I don't always enjoy.

Vtec44 · Jan 31, 2015

There's good money to be made being a full time photographer. You have to work much harder than everyone out there. Differentiate yourself and find the right clients are the two most important things. It's not easy but nothing is easy in life.

vintagesnaps · Jan 31, 2015

If you're as good as Scott you might have a shot at it, but if you follow what's going on in the world of photography this doesn't seem like the best time to try to go into business for yourself as a photographer.

If the OP comes back, I'd see if there's anything in your area that offers information on what fields of work are good to go into, who's hiring, any job training that might be available, job fairs, etc. and figure out what would be some good options for you. Photography could be a sideline and then see if it develops into anything more from there.