What are the proper steps in becoming a legitimate (legal) photographer?

[STiZzle2010]

I have a passion for photography and would love nothing more than to do this full time however, I realize that I need to set reasonable expectations to start. Considering a have a family to support and a full time job, I'm interested in providing portraits as a part time gig. I reside and work in Rhode Island and I'm not sure where to begin. What exactly is required to obtain the proper licensing and documentation? Do I need insurance and/or a lawyer? I'm trying to get an idea of costs to do this as well. Any help and direction is greatly appreciated!

 

[JacaRanda]

Google Some of the sites will help you get started.

 

[The_Traveler]

I have been shooting since March of this year

Do you have the skills necessary to provide a service for which people will pay?

 

[unpopular]

1) Don't use your camera for anything illegal, this includes voyeurism (well. maybe a little)

-legit!-

 

[STiZzle2010]

I have been shooting since March of this year

Do you have the skills necessary to provide a service for which people will pay?

That is a fair question. Well let me give you a little background as I have not been on here very long.

I've been interested into photography for a long time however, it has been with just point and shoot. I'm a family man, on a sole provider of 5 type of budget and getting a camera that allowed me to go into full manual with the option to interchange lenses,wasn't something I could readily get. It took me a while to save and during the wait I look tons of pictures with my point and shoot, mostly on my cell phone due to convenience. I also researched as much online as I could. I spent time learning exposure, what each value represented, and I learned as much as I could until I got my hands on experience.

I now have a Nikon D5500 that came with a 18-140mm 3.5-5.6 kits lens, and I purchased a Nikkor 50mm 1.8G (mostly used). I've never shot in auto as I went into full manual from day 1. I also have Adobe's Creative Cloud with Photoshop and Lightroom (I use this 95% of the time) and I've got a pretty good grasp. By no means am I a pro with pre and post processing and I am always looking to improve. To be honest, I use Facebook quite a bit and I have been apart of a group called "Photography for Beginners" for quite some time. I post in this group pretty frequently and I get pretty good feedback. Even though there are a few members who are more advanced than others, I have started to explore what other's thoughts are (one of the reason why I recently joined this forum). I started posting more and more pictures on my personal Facebook page and I started getting more positive feedback from my photos. I started to have people ask me some surprising questions...things like, "Are you ready for a career change" or "You should start doing photography". The one that got me though was, "Would you take pictures of my family and how much would it be"? I never thought about charging anyone and to be perfectly honest, I didn't think I was experienced enough. With the encouragement of my wife, I offered to start doing free shoots to gain some experience. The catch, is that they had to sign a model release allowing me to use the images for promotional purchases as well as to post online and in return, I would provide them with a digital copy and print release. I've continued to research online while gaining experience in "the field" by read blogs, watching videos, and I've chatted with other photographers. I'm eager to learn as much as I can! Results from these shoots have generated great reviews from my clients, as well as my posts to Facebook. It has given me confidence and I started thinking about doing some paid shoots on the side. I know that I still need to get some "upgrades" to generate better results and I'm in the process of researching for a new lens and some form of lighting. I was initially thinking of a 70-200mm 2.8 but due to my crop sensor, I'm thinking of a 50-150mm 2.8 instead (this could be a whole other conversation I'm sure)...

With all that being said (sorry so long winded), I've attached a few shots of some of my more recent shoots, (back to school time). All of these photos were taken with my D5500 and 50mm, in natural light, and, in and around the golden hour. I'm open to CC and I would love any feedback if you think I'm ready to start making a few extra bucks. I'm not looking to make a killing, I would probably charge $150 for a 1 hour session with unlimited people and shots. I basically would get in as many as I can in the allotted time frame (these would continue to be watermarked digital copies with print release). What do you think?

 

[tirediron]

The only requirement to becoming a legitimate photographer is to own a camera. If you want to become a professional (as in "paid", no reference to skill), then you need a few things. You absolutely, positively MUST have insurance. It only takes one child to trip over your camera bag, knock out a tooth, and you're in the poorhouse. You also need to ensure you have the required licenses and taxation permits. You should have all of your contracts, agreements and licenses reviewed by a competent attorney practicing IP law.
Don't pay attention to comments such as, "You should be a pro" when they come from friends and family. They're meaningless unless they're professional photographers themselves. You should become a professional photographer if it's your passion and you want to do it full time. Bear in mind however that the business of photography is, in reality, very little about photography and very much about business. If you don't have a business background, your first step should be to learn all you can about business and entrepreneurship.
With respect to your images, they're not bad at all. You're clearly thinking about each shot, and you're already not making many common 'beginner' mistakes such as horribly distracting backgrounds, excessive DoF, and unpleasant shadows. I do see room for improvement in your posing, and while not bad by any stretch, there are some less than desirable elements in them.
Spend some time learning lighting and refining your posing, and get all the business stuff sorted.
Good luck!

 

[Vtec44]

Do you want to become a legitimate photographer or/and have a legitimate photography business?

 

[Designer]

They're not bad, but not great either.

Are you sure you want to try to do this professionally?

Making this (now hobby) a business involves quite a bit more planning, business acumen, regulatory hoops, than most neophytes imagine.

Meanwhile, you could continue to gain skill and things like lights, etc. while doing what you love.

 

[STiZzle2010]

The only requirement to becoming a legitimate photographer is to own a camera. If you want to become a professional (as in "paid", no reference to skill), then you need a few things. You absolutely, positively MUST have insurance. It only takes one child to trip over your camera bag, knock out a tooth, and you're in the poorhouse. You also need to ensure you have the required licenses and taxation permits. You should have all of your contracts, agreements and licenses reviewed by a competent attorney practicing IP law.
Don't pay attention to comments such as, "You should be a pro" when they come from friends and family. They're meaningless unless they're professional photographers themselves. You should become a professional photographer if it's your passion and you want to do it full time. Bear in mind however that the business of photography is, in reality, very little about photography and very much about business. If you don't have a business background, your first step should be to learn all you can about business and entrepreneurship.
With respect to your images, they're not bad at all. You're clearly thinking about each shot, and you're already not making many common 'beginner' mistakes such as horribly distracting backgrounds, excessive DoF, and unpleasant shadows. I do see room for improvement in your posing, and while not bad by any stretch, there are some less than desirable elements in them.
Spend some time learning lighting and refining your posing, and get all the business stuff sorted.
Good luck!

Thank you! This is great advice and absolutely makes sense. I see you noticed my poor posing. This in the one thing that I've been the least confident in and is something that I know I absolutely need to work on.

Would you care to elaborate on the less desirable elements you mentioned? I would love to get some critique so that I know how I can get better!

Do you want to become a legitimate photographer or/and have a legitimate photography business?

Right now I have a full time job and this is something that I want to do on the side as I could use the extra cash so, I'm not quite sure what category this falls in. Imo, having a legitimate photography business is the legal way to generate any income whether it is full time or part time but, you can correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Vtec44]

Right now I have a full time job and this is something that I want to do on the side as I could use the extra cash so, I'm not quite sure what category this falls in. Imo, having a legitimate photography business is the legal way to generate any income whether it is full time or part time but, you can correct me if I am wrong.

IMHO, you don't have to have a business to generate and report income. May of my 2nd shooters don't have a business, but they receive payments from me, fill out the right paperwork, and I claim their payments at the end of the year. They in turn suppose report that income and file taxes. Whether they do it or not then it is up to them.

 

[STiZzle2010]

Right now I have a full time job and this is something that I want to do on the side as I could use the extra cash so, I'm not quite sure what category this falls in. Imo, having a legitimate photography business is the legal way to generate any income whether it is full time or part time but, you can correct me if I am wrong.

IMHO, you don't have to have a business to generate and report income. May of my 2nd shooters don't have a business, but they receive payments from me, fill out the right paperwork, and I claim their payments at the end of the year. They in turn suppose report that income and file taxes. Whether they do it or not then it is up to them.

Valid point. What paperwork do I need to file for something like this?

 

[tirediron]

Quick critique, per req:

1. The rock wall creates a bit a dividing line; not fatal, but not ideal IMO. I would also like to see her hands posed differently; as-is, it appears that she has none, simply upper arms which disappear into the grass.

2. While not quite as cliche as a brick wall, a tree comes close. The main issue here is the fact that you've bisected her arm. If you must crop limbs, do it boldly, and never at/near/through a joint, and NEVER along the limb. In this case there's a couple of bright spots just above what I assume is a gravel path; while nicely defocused, this could easily be made to disappear with a careful application of the clone tool.

3. I'm rarely a fan fo flare (purely a personal thing; I understand it's popular right now) and to me, the falre here is just annoying; not strong enough to be artistic, but too strong to ignore. The line cutting through his head is a bit of a distraction. On the up side, excellent job of controlling light here.

4. There is almost never a time when it's good to pose someone square to the camera (referred to as "football shoulders") unless they are a football player, and never, ever a female. Again, your tight composition has resulted in a laterally bisected upper arm. Another good job of light control!

5. Pretty much exactly as per #4.

Overall, these aren't bad at all and I've seen people pay money for far inferior products. That said, while you're doing a good job of controlling ambient light, almost every one of these could have been improved with some strobed light. Do NOT get caught up in the mindset that using a flash is 'hard' or that using only ambient light makes you a more 'pure' photographer. The fact is that once you get over the initial learning hump with strobed light, life becomes much, much easier (also more expensive, but that's another story!). Photography is all about control of light, and try as I might, after 30+ years, I've yet to find a rheostat to let me adjust the sun, but strobes? They have controls built right in!

 

[STiZzle2010]

Quick critique, per req:

1. The rock wall creates a bit a dividing line; not fatal, but not ideal IMO. I would also like to see her hands posed differently; as-is, it appears that she has none, simply upper arms which disappear into the grass.

2. While not quite as cliche as a brick wall, a tree comes close. The main issue here is the fact that you've bisected her arm. If you must crop limbs, do it boldly, and never at/near/through a joint, and NEVER along the limb. In this case there's a couple of bright spots just above what I assume is a gravel path; while nicely defocused, this could easily be made to disappear with a careful application of the clone tool.

3. I'm rarely a fan fo flare (purely a personal thing; I understand it's popular right now) and to me, the falre here is just annoying; not strong enough to be artistic, but too strong to ignore. The line cutting through his head is a bit of a distraction. On the up side, excellent job of controlling light here.

4. There is almost never a time when it's good to pose someone square to the camera (referred to as "football shoulders") unless they are a football player, and never, ever a female. Again, your tight composition has resulted in a laterally bisected upper arm. Another good job of light control!

5. Pretty much exactly as per #4.

Overall, these aren't bad at all and I've seen people pay money for far inferior products. That said, while you're doing a good job of controlling ambient light, almost every one of these could have been improved with some strobed light. Do NOT get caught up in the mindset that using a flash is 'hard' or that using only ambient light makes you a more 'pure' photographer. The fact is that once you get over the initial learning hump with strobed light, life becomes much, much easier (also more expensive, but that's another story!). Photography is all about control of light, and try as I might, after 30+ years, I've yet to find a rheostat to let me adjust the sun, but strobes? They have controls built right in!

This is excellent feedback and thank you very much! I see exactly what you mean about cropping off limbs in the wrong places and I will absolutely work on that. I really want to take care of my lighting issue next. I do not have someone available to hold a reflector for me and I fell like getting one with a stand is just too much work, especially on a windy day lol. I've never used the "on board" flash as I've never been a fan of the harsh results. What would you recommend I use (provide a link if possible)?

 

[tirediron]

In my opinion, a kit like this (assuming you are in the US) would be an ideal starter. While it's by no means professional-grade, Adorama's Flashpoint line is regarded as one of the better 'bang-for-buck' lines available. You would likely want to add a set of radio triggers to that, and battery packs such as these will make it completely portable and suitable for field use when mains power is not available.

You can certainly get far cheaper gear, but lines such as Cowboy Studio and similar are of a quality that gives honest junk a bad name, and buying cheap gear gets to be VERY expensive very quickly. Your built-in flash and even on-camera speedlights will do in a pinch, but it takes some experience to get decent results from them, and even then, their power is limited. A kit such as I've linked to might look intimidating, but with with two hours of instruction, you could be using it very effectively. It really isn't hard!

 

[The_Traveler]

I won't repeat what others have said but there are some very important issues that are failing here.
Yes, these are sharp and reasonbly well exposed but the camera is doing most of that.

Posing is essentially absent.
The subjects are flat to the camera or leaning against something. There is nothing in the poses that adds to the subjects; they are just there.

You aren't looking closely at the subjects or the photos.
Each of these is really deficient in a way that will show a lot in a print.

His head is off in one corner and there is a distinct greenish tinge to everything.
Assuming the color tint can be fixed, this needs to be sharpened or it will print flat.

the tree others mentioned
look at the distinct greenish tinge on the left side of her mouth

that full on face is totally wrong for a young person with some baby fat.
If you pose her better, get a bit higher and work with her chin a bit, that chin bulge will disappear.
The right side of her face has a green tinge that will show in a print.

And what's that white thing running down the side?

Look at the yellow discoloration below his chin and working up into his skin particularly on his right side.
See that little peak of hair on top of his head, maybe it doesn't bother you but his mother will wonder why that's there in an expensive print.