Professional Photographer: Experience NOT required?

[RMThompson]

So back in March I lost my day job.

Since then I've been looking for something to replace it. It just so happens that I live in Tampa Bay, something like the 3rd WORST area for unemployment vs. new job openings.

Recently I've decided it might be a good idea to combine my sales and customer service experience with my true love of photography. So I started searching for jobs with photography in the title.

With the exception of one "advertisement photography" job for the newspaper that I barely lost out, ALL of these jobs are the same; they are school picture people, the places in the malls that take photos, and the company that takes the "first photograph" of a baby and then tries to sell it to new mothers and fathers in the hospital.

None of them sound like BAD jobs per se, but something keeps bothering me. Everytime I look at the requirements, they require 1 or more years of sales experience, but then say "NO PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE REQUIRED" or at most "photography experience preferred by not required."

That really gets my goat. While I have both the sames and photography experience, I am not sure I want to work for a company that puts the sales aspect of the job first, and would rather have a salesman with a camera than a photographer with sales experience. (if that makes any sense)

Anyone working professionally in any of these types of jobs care to give me some more information? None of them are particularly high paying positions, which sort of stinks, but I have a feeling they are all commission based which DEFINETLY stinks.

Also - anyone else have any ideas how to work professionally as a photographer in another type of position? I'm desperate here!

 

[Overread]

Its simple - they are not after professionals with a high wage - they want you trained to do as they want you to perform. Thus they don't want you comming with your own ideas -they are essentailly after people to point the camera, arrange the kids and press the shutter. The main aspect of these companines is the sales - making the sale - taking the shot - handing over the frame and then done.
Creativity, originality and working in difficult/interesting situations are not needed - chances are its all studio work which will work fine on the same settings day in day out

 

[Bifurcator]

The company is after making money. The goal of any company. Evidentially they have a high turn-over rate and have developed a process whereby anyone can take the pics with little or no training.

It's not red-carpet fashion photography but it sounds OK to me. Heck, it might even be fun. :thumbup:

 

[Big Mike]

I tend to agree with Overread, they are looking for people with little or no experience & knowledge because they don't want to pay very much.

 

[Puscas]

Yes, they are probably anybody-can-do-this kinda things. If you think that not being creative may become a problem, then don't do it.

Also - anyone else have any ideas how to work professionally as a photographer in another type of position? I'm desperate here!

have you looked into starting your own business?





pascal

 

[ksmattfish]

While I have both the sames and photography experience, I am not sure I want to work for a company that puts the sales aspect of the job first, and would rather have a salesman with a camera than a photographer with sales experience. (if that makes any sense)

They don't need someone who is into photography. They can train a monkey to set up the lights and camera; it's the same every time. What they need are people that can sell their products. That's a much more difficult skill to teach.

Even in photo businesses where creativity and an interest in photography are desirable, I think you'll find customer service and business skills will be more important for success. I believe it was a thread here at TPF where several professionals agreed that a mediocre photographer with excellent business skills will probably have more success than an excellent photographer with mediocre business skills.

 

[Battou]

Its simple - they want you trained to do as they want you to perform. Thus they don't want you comming with your own ideas

This is exactly the case, They want a salesman that they can train to do it their way without the trainee knowing more than they do and telling them what is better in their own opinion. They want things done a specific way, they do not care if it's technically correct or not, any one who knows better is just an inconvenience in their eyes.

 

[usayit]

I tend to agree with Overread, they are looking for people with little or no experience & knowledge because they don't want to pay very much.

If you are lucky, those are the same jobs that get your foot in the door. Consider it a pit stop and not the final destination. If you are desperate.. never be too proud.

During my 2 year unemployment stint.... I shuffled cars around in a parking lot for a Mazda dealer. This is after loosing a job that essentially paid 6x the amount. The experience was ... lets just say.. a humble one....

 

[RMThompson]

Yes, they are probably anybody-can-do-this kinda things. If you think that not being creative may become a problem, then don't do it.



have you looked into starting your own business?





pascal

I did, and I've been trying to come up with an actual amount I would need to start one. I wonder if I could get the local business charter to back a small business loan.

So, I think I'm going to start another thread related to costs associated.

 

[Hooligan Dan]

I work(still do a little work) for a studio here in town that does all the school photos. When i applied they had the "No experience required" tag, but since I had quite a lot of experience I was hired on as a lead photog immediately instead of as an apprentice and I started at $15 an hour while everyone else hired started at $8. A lot of places say no experience required because they don't want to pay, much like others have said, but at the studio I worked for it they said it because you get lots of training. I came out of the job knowing more about lighting than I ever had before. And I worked 40-55 hours a week making some major bank.

But the job also sucked because the owner was the biggest jerk I'd ever met and the redundancy gets old quick.

 

[Garbz]

Portraiture by the book. two umbrellas at 45 degrees, a hairlight or separation light if you're lucky, say cheese, nuke the subject with light, and hand them their print.

No photography experience required in the same meaning as someone working with large scale printers doesn't need printing experience. They just need to follow instructions on how to unjam the paper and press the restart button.

 

[Jedo_03]

Few weeks ago there was a kids photo booth in our plaza (mall) and I got chatting with the guy taking the pics in between shots... He was gothic.. The strobes are all labelled with metal plates as to what they are/where they go/what setting, and all have dials and LED's so you can set the power... they have precise(ish) measurements where to place each light. Have 75mm primes (gives them around 100). Only thing they didn't use was a tripod. Interestingly, there was no NEED for salesmanship... the queues were longer than the checkouts in Woolworths... the guy reckons their sales are upwards of $5K a DAY... (With packages at around $180 a pop, no wonder...) He was shooting a D30... The lab they work with can output 4 different 'sets' of images (packages) (2 big, 3 medium, 6 small eg) that caters for most peoples (Mums) tastes... He says some of the mums of the kids he shoots look as if they haven't got a brass razoo, yet they want/need/must have piccys of their kids...
See... with the consistency of strobe lighting and seamless backgrounds and "adorable" enlargements plastered all over the booth walls, you can't go wrong... wow... $5K a DAY....
Jedo

 

[RyanLilly]

I actually just had an interview for one of those jobs, I don't really even want the job, but I need a job,(hope there not on this forum) preferably with benefits. There are actually no photography related questions in the interview. I do however have an interview for a job I actually do want, tomorrow.

 

[jayreilly]

the buyer or client does not really know the difference between great photography and something that is better than what they have... so sales is more important.

 

[Joves]

They don't need someone who is into photography. They can train a monkey to set up the lights and camera; it's the same every time.

More like turn the switch on the lights and, the camera. They want good BSers and that is about it. I cant sell anything to save my life so, I can never be a professional (cough) photographer.