Wanted: Professional Photographer to Help Mentor a Venture

[Bluerog]

I'm in search of a professional to help mentor my first professional venture into photography. I would love it if this person 1) has started/runs their own website, and 2) if they feature cityscapes. Landscapes work too.

I won't ask you to do any work for me I just want to bounce ideas off of you and get some advice.


Yes, I understand the market is saturated with landscapes/cityscapes. I understand what it takes to be a professional - and even that I'm not 100% there yet. And I understand that it takes money to get some ventures off the ground. I'm investing.

Comment here or give me a PM. I'll run things by you.

And thanks in advance.

 

[480sparky]

Official Mentors Bio list

 

[Bluerog]

Official Mentors Bio list

Thank you Sparky. Some older posts there. Some not-so-active members. No cityscape specialization. Perhaps a call for more mentors would fill that list up?

I'll PM a few though.

And thank you.

 

[480sparky]

Admittedly, it's not a well-known or well-used slice of the forum.

 

[Olivia Green]

Did you try searching on the internet?
This is what I found when I did:
How to Start a Photography Business - 10 Step Handbook

Yes, I understand the market is saturated with landscapes/cityscapes.

Doesn't matter how saturated the market is. If its something you love and will go on through ups and down, you should pursue it.

 

[Bluerog]

Thank you Olivia. That site and some of the articles there are outstanding.

Did you try searching on the internet?
This is what I found when I did:
How to Start a Photography Business - 10 Step Handbook

Yes, I understand the market is saturated with landscapes/cityscapes.

Doesn't matter how saturated the market is. If its something you love and will go on through ups and down, you should pursue it.

 

[Designer]

I just want to bounce ideas off of you and get some advice.

Greetings, Bluerog! Although not everyone on here is a professional, some are, and the others are enthusiastic amateurs. Either way, I think there is a pool of talent and experience available, even if you don't find a dedicated mentor.

You can post questions and examples on here and you'll get answers and/or suggestions from the general population on here.

Have a look at the list of forums. You will see that there are some that are geared specifically toward one aspect of going pro, such as; website feedback for instance. There is also the "aspiring professionals" forum, where many of the pros are known to offer help.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Don't invest a lot of money into this...

I don't know if many photographers ever made a living shooting cityscapes/landscapes. Unless you're awfully good, and have years to work toward it, maybe you could develop your reputation enough to command high prices for your work. But don't hold your breath, in my experience I've had photos good enough to get accepted into juried exhibits and hang on the wall of an art center/gallery, but that doesn't mean it sells.

Try American Society of Media Photographers - Homepage or PPA to learn from pro photographers organizations what's involved in photography as a business. ASMP offers webinars (don't have to be a member, no cost, sign up and they send a link). Learn about licensing usage, pricing, etc. etc.

 

[vintagesnaps]

And what the heck is Pixpa?? I had to look... clicked on a link to a blog post about pricing and got a pop up asking if I needed help/had a question about pricing for whatever the heck they're selling. Then another pop up, can I just look at the site for a few minutes?<?!! lol geez, they want to sell something really bad.

Get some professional information, not from just another site from outside the US trying to sell stuff. Some of the article seems fine, but seems to be presenting it in a way that seems like anybody could do it and doesn't get into how to actually do all this.

Try http://www.pdnonline . The Photo District News usually has specific features in various issues but I've found it sometimes interesting and on top of what's going on in the photography business.


P.S. India, I knew Pixpa wasn't in the US by the spelling of some words. That's probably why the info. to me didn't seem to necessarily apply here. The guy who started it might be successful at what he does, but red flags to me when there's no phone number, no email address, just the street address and a contact form. And I started skimming thru the Terms, #4 Fair Use... now what the heck does a 'reasonable' amount mean?? More red flags on the play...