I Want to be a Photographer

sin_d84 · Jul 14, 2010

Hi all I'm new here and I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do I want to be a photographer, but some people say i should go to school others i hear never went and are doing well and personally i don't want to end up 30,000 dollars in debt by going to the Art Institute of Atlanta just to drive 4 hours a day there and back round trip and to be overloaded with extra work I don't want.

ANY advice on getting started I'm 25 and finally got my g.e.d but this is something I have been interested in for a long time im saving up for the equipment I need but i have been making due with my sony camera.

I'm interested in doing wedding,portraits,maternity,etc. basically if i see something that catches my eye i shoot and my camera is always with me PLEASE HELP!

bigtwinky · Jul 14, 2010

there are no quick ways.

if you are scared of debt, then do it as a hobby and take some night classes to learn. or read on the interwebz and practice. shoot for friends and build your experience and portfolio on your own time. After a few years, see where you are at and when you feel you have a client base, a business plan and the skilsl to take images and be a successful business person, then go for it full time

supraman215 · Jul 14, 2010

what BT said. you can learn a lot using just a P&S.

sin_d84 · Jul 14, 2010

Did you all go to school for it? My plan is to take digital photo editing and photography at the technical college and maybe some photo shop class

Eco · Jul 14, 2010

Look on craigslist for unpaid gigs as an assistant and build your way up to a second (photographer)= getting experience & building a portfolio.

Then take a 1 in 100 chance of starting a business that does not fail.....and actually makes money.

Alpha · Jul 14, 2010

Eco said:
Look on craigslist for unpaid gigs as an assistant and build your way up to a second (photographer)= getting experience & building a portfolio.

Then take a 1 in 100 chance of starting a business that does not fail.....and actually makes money.

+1, but the probability of failure is far worse than 99 times of 100.

Petraio Prime · Jul 14, 2010

sin_d84 said:
Hi all I'm new here and I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do I want to be a photographer, but some people say i should go to school others i hear never went and are doing well and personally i don't want to end up 30,000 dollars in debt by going to the Art Institute of Atlanta just to drive 4 hours a day there and back round trip and to be overloaded with extra work I don't want.

ANY advice on getting started I'm 25 and finally got my g.e.d but this is something I have been interested in for a long time im saving up for the equipment I need but i have been making due with my sony camera.

I'm interested in doing wedding,portraits,maternity,etc. basically if i see something that catches my eye i shoot and my camera is always with me PLEASE HELP!

Professional photography has nothing to do with that. There are many talented people who are not making enough money as it is. There are way too many wanna-be pros.

IlSan · Jul 14, 2010

Did you all go to school for it? My plan is to take digital photo editing and photography at the technical college and maybe some photo shop class

Well, to school I did go

In my humble opinion I still believe that taking some classes on photography benefits a lot. I know, many will disagree (or not...) but it's just, that going to school you can learn more about the technical aspects of it all (granted, this could most likely be done online as well).

Look at it this way - if you have the financial means and the time to attend some classes of interest to you - why not.

bushpig · Jul 14, 2010

I took classes in high school, but nothing past that. You don't need to go to school to be a photographer.

However, I'm not telling you NOT to go. I'm sure that you would learn a LOT about photography in a classroom setting, but I can also tell you that all that info is available on the internet as well. The only difference is that you'd be paying to go to school. But some people find it much easier to learn with a person actively teaching them. It can be hard for some people to sit down and learn stuff on the internet. There's a lot of distractions. Buying a basic photography book will teach you the basics as well and you can't watch funny videos or get on facebook using it.

As far as saving up to buy yourself 'the equipment I need', that's not as important as you'd think. You don't need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to be a photographer. In fact, I believe that if you do that with no experience, you're making a mistake.

Here's my suggestion which I add to what everyone else is saying:

Buy yourself a manual film camera. You can get a cheap slr for next to nothing. Then, shoot like a crazy person. Buy cheap film and shoot a lot. Take time to adjust your settings. Don't bother with a variety of lenses before you can master the basics. Most slr cameras are going to come with a basic 50mm lens (or something close to that). Once you have it down, figure out what you wanna do with your photography: hobby, wedding, portrait, art, etc. Figure out what you'll need to do that, and then you can worry about going gear crazy. But I'd start with a cheap, film slr to start with.

Try to learn through experience. Don't be discouraged by mistakes early on. Learn from them and improve. But above all else, keep shooting. A better camera won't make you a better photographer.

Also, don't be afraid to ask for help.

Morpheuss · Jul 15, 2010

sin_d84 said:
Hi all I'm new here and I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do I want to be a photographer, but some people say i should go to school others i hear never went and are doing well and personally i don't want to end up 30,000 dollars in debt by going to the Art Institute of Atlanta just to drive 4 hours a day there and back round trip and to be overloaded with extra work I don't want.

ANY advice on getting started I'm 25 and finally got my g.e.d but this is something I have been interested in for a long time im saving up for the equipment I need but i have been making due with my sony camera.

I'm interested in doing wedding,portraits,maternity,etc. basically if i see something that catches my eye i shoot and my camera is always with me PLEASE HELP!

I would say pick it up as a hobby surf the forums for a good SLR digital camera and a couple lenses and just practice practice practice and I agree with the people before just work on building a portfolio. Look around craigslist for no paying photo jobs and also go to different free events around and see about taking pictures. I would also see about finding a professional photographer in your area and see about being his apprentice or something along those lines. I wouldn't expect to be making good money enough to make a living off for a while.

VJS · Jul 15, 2010

I can see both sides of the 'school or no school' argument. Paying to take classes when the option to learn for free is a pretty easy choice IMO.

However, anyone can 'be a photographer'. Anyone can drop the money to buy the most expensive camera and lenses. Anyone can also, drop alot of money to take courses only to find out, they just take bad pictures no matter what.

You can't be taught what makes a good image. You just can't be shown how to take great shots everytime, no matter what you see/hear/read. If that were true, then not one photographer in the world would ever sell an image because everyone could do it. You can be taught to 'standards'. A pro thinks outside the box... consistently. A pro delivers something truly different everytime ( think wedding shooters - they don't do all the same poses over and over for every wedding they do ).

A pro is someone who can make a living, equal to if not more than their previous job would. Consistently and continually making your business grow. Not something you do overnight.

Bottom line? You have to be somewhat decent before you can even think about charging money. Most of the guys here I'm sure will tell you ; the first, any maybe up to the third, gig they did was for free. Do everything asked by anyone - gets your name ( along with reliability ) out there.

Learn to shoot outside your comfort zone. Learn to shoot when you or your clients are 'not feeling it' - it happens. Spend every free second you have shooting something. Even if we're talking DOF practice with your coffee table and the change in your pocket : work it and work it every chance you get.

Long reply, I know, I'm sorry. I've been where you are, in the beginning stages. I don't want this to sound like it's coming from a pro. I still work, I shoot every day if I can, I sell 4-10 prints a week + family / kid stuff average 2 times a month. I'm amazed it's gone this far to be honest and I'm truly thankful people like my work enough to hang it their homes/offices.

You can have it if you work for it....

henkelphoto · Jul 15, 2010

Most people will tell you that making a living in photography is 10% photography talent and 90% business talent. Go to school to get that business talent.

KmH · Jul 15, 2010

sin_d84 said:
I'm interested in doing wedding,portraits,maternity,etc. !

This is retail photography.

Like you, many new photographers consider starting a retail photography business. Some actually do.

As already suggested, as far as schooling, concentrate on business and marketing classes. An Art minor would be helpful.

I say that, but I know a very successful photographer who spend $30,000 going to photography school, and started out in a small, economically depressed town in Kentucky. She met a guy and wound up moving her business to Kansas so she could marry him, but that hasn't slowed her business down any. That's because the schooling she got included the business aspects of photography.

So, in addition to photographic skill, you also must know how to operate/run a business, do marketing, advertising, and sales. You could instead pay someone else to run the business, do your marketing, advertising, and sales for you.

At the least you will probably want to retain a qualified accountant familiar with the financial details that can affect a photography business.

The vast majority of those that start a retail photography business, are no longer in business 2 years after they start. Many have a photography business that is actually just a hobby, because it costs them more to take photos than they make and their 'business' is supported by other income like a second job or a spouses income.

There are the business legal aspects that also need to be covered: contracts, model and property releases, terms and conditions, indemnity insurance, liability insurance, errors and omissions insurance, equipment insurance, life insurance, health insurance, car insurance, bookkeeping costs, taxes and tax deductions, quarterly federal income tax payments, etc.

Other people have done it, so you can too. :thumbup:

Petraio Prime · Jul 15, 2010

The fact that you said you want to "be a photographer" is telling. You don't become a photographer. You take photographs. It's not about 'being'; it's about doing.

This is no mere semantic quibble. You are infatuated with photography. Pros are not. It's a job like any other.

Thousands upon thousands of people want to 'be' photographers. Many who try fail, because they don't understand what's involved. Today, with the increasing sophistication of equipment, the hurdle of acquiring technical proficiency has been reduced dramatically. Do you really want to be a pro? Taking prom photos, Little League teams and soccer teams? That's what it will be. That's what pays the bills.