I'm thinking about going as a professional photographer

[tecboy]

I'm still waiting to learn where the "bad track" was...

Let it go. I still like my photos even the racetrack is bad.

 

[tecboy]

Don't ask the internet for support. Even if you were ready, you'd have hundreds of people telling you that you aren't. Only you truly know if you're capable of running a photography business
and meeting the requests of your clients.

Thanks, I was not asking for support. I was asking for information. Maybe I should rewrite the title, "How to become a pro-photographer, or what is like to be one?"

 

[Warhorse]

I'm thinking about going as a professional photographer

Not to nitpick your English, but where are you going? :mrgreen:

 

[photoguy99]

If you're Pro, the only opinion that matters is the client's. It doesn't matter if you like your photos. If you're shooting for yourself, yours is the only opinion that matters.

If you're shooting for yourself, and if you pay attention, and if you have some taste, and if you're honest with yourself and still like your photos, then you might be on to something. You might be making photos with a bit of importance, you might be making photos some people like because they're good.

Most people like photographs mainly because they look like other photos. Clients might say they want your artistic vision, but what they really want is some photos that look like these other photos. In particular, people don't like photos because they're good, usually. They like them because they are familiar, or have obvious markings that the viewer thinks means 'good'. Shallow DoF for example. Or simply in focus.

 

[Steve5D]

I'm still waiting to learn where the "bad track" was...

Let it go. I still like my photos even the racetrack is bad.

Yeah.

If your photos are bad, it's not the track's fault...

 

[Steve5D]

Thanks, I was not asking for support. I was asking for information. Maybe I should rewrite the title, "How to become a pro-photographer, or what is like to be one?"

What exactly were you asking when you wrote this:

I'm thinking about getting a job as a photographer and hopefully I'll earn enough money to get high end gears. Any thought?

Based on the available photos of yours, you are not ready. The majority of your images are not professional quality. You want to blame a race track for bad racing photos. Well, that's not what a professional would do. A professional would hunker down and get to work and get the shots. He wouldn't blame a "bad track". A professional isn't going to insist that a modeling photo is good, even the the poor lighting in the photo destroys it.

You have a lot to learn before you get to the point where you're charging people...

 

[bribrius]

Thanks, I was not asking for support. I was asking for information. Maybe I should rewrite the title, "How to become a pro-photographer, or what is like to be one?"

What exactly were you asking when you wrote this:

I'm thinking about getting a job as a photographer and hopefully I'll earn enough money to get high end gears. Any thought?

Based on the available photos of yours, you are not ready. The majority of your images are not professional quality. You want to blame a race track for bad racing photos. Well, that's not what a professional would do. A professional would hunker down and get to work and get the shots. He wouldn't blame a "bad track". A professional isn't going to insist that a modeling photo is good, even the the poor lighting in the photo destroys it.

You have a lot to learn before you get to the point where you're charging people...

does this mean i'm a professional even though I take some seriously chit shots because I occasionally get paid?

Hey, look, I'm a pro now and didn't even know it.

 

[tecboy]

Thanks, I was not asking for support. I was asking for information. Maybe I should rewrite the title, "How to become a pro-photographer, or what is like to be one?"

What exactly were you asking when you wrote this:

I'm thinking about getting a job as a photographer and hopefully I'll earn enough money to get high end gears. Any thought?

Based on the available photos of yours, you are not ready. The majority of your images are not professional quality. You want to blame a race track for bad racing photos. Well, that's not what a professional would do. A professional would hunker down and get to work and get the shots. He wouldn't blame a "bad track". A professional isn't going to insist that a modeling photo is good, even the the poor lighting in the photo destroys it.

You have a lot to learn before you get to the point where you're charging people...

Where are you going with this?

 

[runnah]

Where are you going with this?

Isn't it obvious? You asked if you were ready and everyone has said you aren't. Instead of taking it to heart you have backed up the excuse truck and dumped a load of bs on this thread.

Part of my job is taking photos at construction sites which happen to be very ugly, dirty and bad light. I do the best I can because I can't change the location. I don't blame the location, the people or the light, I do my job and take the best photos possible.

 

[Derrel]

SNIP>Part of my job is taking photos at construction sites which happen to be very ugly, dirty and bad light. I do the best I can because I can't change the location. I don't blame the location, the people or the light, I do my job and take the best photos possible.

I feel bad for you runnah...all those dirty old Maine-area construction sites...

Here on the west coast, we take those big piles of construction gravel and hose them down to give them a sexy shine...that just-outta'-the-shower look... we take the old yucky cement form boards and paint them pretty pastel colors, or hire local youth gangs to graffiti cover them in cool, hip, urban gang-graffiti styles--looks awesome. We take the muddy areas and throw surplus Gulf War camo netting over them, and then throw down duck and goose decoys, so it looks just like a field with pretty duckies and geeses lounging about...and the old beer cans, we paint yellow, then add tufts of green cottonballs on the ends to make them look sorta like ears of corn instead of COors Light cans!!!! ...and the old board fragments and 2x4 ends and small plywood sheet sections, we take those and build fires with and ring the site, so it looks like a hobo bivouac area!!! These kind of small attention-to-detail steps help make our west coast construction site pics look like they belong in Better Homes and Building Sites Magazine's spring issue!

 

[tecboy]

Where are you going with this?

Isn't it obvious? You asked if you were ready and everyone has said you aren't. Instead of taking it to heart you have backed up the excuse truck and dumped a load of bs on this thread.

Part of my job is taking photos at construction sites which happen to be very ugly, dirty and bad light. I do the best I can because I can't change the location. I don't blame the location, the people or the light, I do my job and take the best photos possible.

Derrel and Vintagesnap have answered my question. They are the real pro-photographers, and they are very helpful since the beginning. So, relax and chill out!

 

[runnah]

I feel bad for you runnah...all those dirty old Maine-area construction sites... Here on the west coast, we take those big piles of construction gravel and hose them down to give them a sexy shine...that just-outta'-the-shower look... we take the old yucky cement form boards and paint them pretty pastel colors, or hire local youth gangs to graffiti cover them in cool, hip, urban gang-graffiti styles--looks awesome. We take the muddy areas and throw surplus Gulf War camo netting over them, and then throw down duck and goose decoys, so it looks just like a field with pretty duckies and geeses lounging about...and the old beer cans, we paint yellow, then add tufts of green cottonballs on the ends to make them look sorta like ears of corn instead of COors Light cans!!!! ...and the old board fragments and 2x4 ends and small plywood sheet sections, we take those and build fires with and ring the site, so it looks like a hobo bivouac area!!! These kind of small attention-to-detail steps help make our west coast construction site pics look like they belong in Better Homes and Building Sites Magazine's spring issue!

I've tried to spruce up the occasional site by using some tasteful throw pillows.

 

[Steve5D]

Where are you going with this?

Wow.

A professional photographer doesn't blame the subject. He doesn't blame the lighting and he doesn't blame his environment. He mans up and accepts the fact that his photos are bad because he, and he alone, has screwed up.

Since it's glaringly obvious that you're unable to yet do that, you are woefully ill-prepared to be a "professional".

That's where I'm going with that...

 

[Steve5D]

Derrel and Vintagesnap have answered my question. They are the real pro-photographers, and they are very helpful since the beginning. So, relax and chill out!

You only like what they had to say because they weren't critical of you, your approach, and your photos.

You don't care about being a professional photographer, you only care about people liking you. That's good, because it's doubtful you'll ever be a professional photographer...

 

[photoguy99]

I've never hired a professional photographer.

I'm surprised to hear that, unlike professionals in every other discipline, they never make excuses.