I Want to Start a Photography Career - Need Help

[timeshadowed]

I think there's a misconception out there, especially in the digital age, that anyone can take quality photos. That there's nothing too it but just pressing the shutter button.

I will agree with you here, rickabobaloey. Photography is first and foremost, a highly skilled form of art. One must learn the fundamentals of the art form before one can be accomplished in this field.

 

[Bryce]

I have pictures that have taken me hours to get it just the way I want it. Pictures are like peoples kids. No matter how stupid and ugly that kid is the parent wants the to be in the movies, be a doctor, lawyer, or whatever. No one wants to admit the kid is not going to meet the standards they set. Same with pictures. I see pictures on here that have so much artistic thought thrown in to them that nothing is thought about technical quality. If you are going to sell a picture no one is going to use a picture of your kid because you like the picture or an artistic picture that won't sell a car. Just enjoy taking pictures then make money if you can. Fun first money last. It is a camera not an ATM. I am using my camera to create a T shirt line. If the T shirts don't make it then I have some clothes for a while to wear.

 

[rickabobaloey]

I do believe that if someone has the passion for photography and that they can convey that passion through their photographs, they will find a way to market themselves. You've got to have more than passion just for photography, you've got to have passion for what you're shooting as well.

I will use something as an example that was floating around my head the other day. I work at a small ice cream shop in Michigan. We make our own homemade premium ice cream. Around here in Michigan, there's hundreds, of little mom and pop ice cream shops. Almost in every small town and dotted along every major highway.

I thought it would be interesting to go around and visit these shops, taking pictures of them and their customers. I'd also go and visit the shops during the winter when there's snow on the ground and add those for the winter months when most mom and pop ice cream shops are closed. I'd collage these photos together and sell them to these other ice cream shops (I know a lot of owners from various ones, the ice cream world is a small one), and they could either sell them to their customers or give them away as a customer appeciation gift.

Would this idea generate a sustainable income for myself? Not likely. I'm unsure if I was able to convey my full thoughts with that long windedness :lmao:. I guess the gist of it is,

Like any business, especially if it is a small one, things are pretty cut throat. You've got to be adaptable, and also find ways to market yourself in which others haven't, or in the least, aren't as popular as trying to get a landscape photo into a travel magazine.

 

[timeshadowed]

I have one picture that was taken in Colorado, that I spent a lot of time just walking around to get the right composition which ended up to be standing in the middle of an icy cold creek on a rock, which of course I slipped off and fell into the cold water! ;D

I can never forget taking that picture. ;D

 

[Bryce]

I have one picture that was taken in Colorado, that I spent a lot of time just walking around to get the right composition which ended up to be standing in the middle of an icy cold creek on a rock, which of course I slipped off and fell into the cold water! ;D

I can never forget taking that picture. ;D

You almost have to get alot of money for that one. Hazard pay.

 

[gsgary]

I would love to post a few of my vacation pictures that I have taken through the years, but sadly they are all in 35mm slide format. I've been exploring how to convert them to digital format, but I can not afford to buy the scanner nor have someone do it for me.

ps I have somewhere around 10 thousand slides to convert.

If you can't afford that, you have no chance of becoming a pro tog,have you seen the price of pro eqipment i have 1 lens that would cost £3500 if i had to buy a new one and that is one of many plus 5 bodies

 

[vtf]

Thanks for all of the helpful information so far. Keep the comments coming. I'm here to learn.

If you want free classes and jobs just given to you then you will fail.

Don't get me wrong - I do expect to pay for some type of education down the road. But right now, I can barely pay all of my monthly bills and still eat. Times are really tough for me now. I do have a full time job, but the pay is not that great. I thought that I could start learning now what I can for free and later pay for some college classes when I can afford them. The apprenticeship thing really sounds great - even if you don't get paid for it. However, what I had in mind, was working for someone doing office type things for pay and learning the photography things along the way by just being in the studio. The only problem with this idea, I don't know where to look for this type of job.

I should add that I'm not young any more, either, (almost retirement age) so time is short for me.

There are alot of portrait studios that offer part time and full time positions and also seasonal. Lifetouch, Olan Mills and many others in Kmarts, Sears, Pennys. There's the Picture People, Picture Me and Kiddie Kandids in the malls. All these can give you some early experience in taking portraits of people. Add your local independent phtographers who need assistants. Even your local camera store needs people. Keep checking in craig's list, I find ads all the time. Good Luck.
A google search for portrait studios
portrait studios - Google Search

 

[SrBiscuit]

just enjoy the craft.
dont make it a goal to have a business...first, make it a goal to take wonderful pictures.

go shoot.

 

[supraman215]

just enjoy the craft.
dont make it a goal to have a business...first, make it a goal to take wonderful pictures.

go shoot.

I haven't seen better advice on this thread yet. I'm still working on that goal.

As for scanning the slides I HIGHLY recommend you do it. Though slide film is pretty durable making your pics digital will help them last forever. Nikon has about 4 pro film scanners I know atleast one of them can take 50 slides at a time. You could scan your whole collection for like $1000 then charge your neighbors to do the same. You'll pay for that scanner in no time. Epson has good high end scanners as well. I looked into this as a business a couple years back, couldn't find anyone who wanted it done guess I wasn't a good enough salesman. People don't realize that they NEED it done till there's an emergency and they lose ALL of their old photos. Then $1000 doesn't seem like that much. Put it on a credit card whatever. If those slides mean something to you get them digital!

Actually here's one that's CHEAP and has Digital ICE (infrared scratch removal)

 

[kundalini]

I Know, I know, but right now I'm not able to afford the nice pricey ones.

[THEN FURTHER DOWN.......]

I can barely pay all of my monthly bills and still eat. Times are really tough for me now.

This is not a hobby for the faint of wallet.

Enjoy and learn more with whatever you have now. Take care of business with regard to your family and personal obligations first. Photography takes a backseat to that.

 

[timeshadowed]

I have one picture that was taken in Colorado, that I spent a lot of time just walking around to get the right composition which ended up to be standing in the middle of an icy cold creek on a rock, which of course I slipped off and fell into the cold water! ;D

I can never forget taking that picture. ;D

You almost have to get alot of money for that one. Hazard pay.

LOL! It sure was a good thing that the creek was less than a foot deep. It was probably just snow melt run off, but very cold and wet just the same. ;D

Then there is the series of photos that involved a tree growing right out of a rock. My bod was twisted into a knot and along comes a bunch of fire ants. Major OUCH!

;D

 

[KmH]

Since the OP posted this and last posted 8-9 months ago, it's difficult to tell if your contribution here is worthwhile to them or not. Certainly others may find the link useful.

 

[daarksun]

If you are honestly looking for a career change then check on learning photography at a college and getting a degree in it. They will teach you more than you will learn just shooting like a mad man and reading books.

See if you can work free with a local wedding photographer. working for free to learn is a great tradeoff. They will teach you shoot, lighting, setting up shots, posing, using the camera, and so on. If's likely the quickest way to learn. There is really nothing else in photography like shooting weddings. Taking some courses at the college could help too. getting a photography degree could help get the foot in the door.

Get some decent software. Very few people will shoot perfect shots right out of the camera every time. Photoshop, CS5, Elements and others are great starts. Get a nice thick manual and go through it one page at a time playing with the software to get it down. There's more to photography than aiming a cam and closing the shutter.

good luck. We all need it.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

People never read threads, do they?

 

[vtf]

People never read threads, do they?

:lmao: