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| *SoulEyes Photography>>>Landscape Photography |
I really love photography, but will it support me financially? |
I love art and I know I want do have an art-related job the rest of my life. I really have a passion for photogrpahy, but I need some insurance that I could make it a career. I like portraiture and landscaping, and photo journalism, you know capturing a moment. My idol is Annie Leibovitz. Any experienced photographers have any advice? After 37 years as a professional photographer your answer is yes. Photography has supported myself and and a wife and two sons. One has graduated college, his major photojournalism. He has been a professional photographer for two years now. Understand photograhers do not make a lot of money. If you are after alot of money, do something else. Hope this helps. Being a professional photographer, and making a lot of money at it, is like saying, "I want to be a professional basketball player." You just have to have a special ability for it. If you want to start a business, you need the best equipment; top of the line cameras, lenses, studios, lights, software, and lots of extra money. It really starts getting up into the big bucks. In the end, the Federal Labor Board says the average photographer makes around $10-15,000. Not much. My friend is a wonderful photographer and she does really good for her self. She does creative photography for bands, Ive seen some abstract photos and shots with great angles, and mentioned how she is going to get involved doing photography for magazines. The best thing I ever did for myself was to become a photographer and you should have no hesitation as long as you have a passion for it. BUT...get a formal education in photography. There are many specialties and you need to find your particular passion. i.e., portraiture, advertising, journalism, industrial, etc. There are many good photo schools like Art Center in Los Angeles and Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara CA and with a degree, you'll find that you can make a decent living and have a great time doing it. So if you're serious, treat this goal the same as if you wanted to be a professional of any kind. Get a good photographic education and then, like any other career, you work your butt off. Sure you can make a living at photography, but there's no insurance. No matter what field you go into, be it selling real estate, underwater salvage, or photography, it will involve some combination of: 1) Your native talent and learned technical skills 2) Connections & networking 3) Sheer blind luck 4) "Sticktuitiveness" (determination) 5) Your ability to identify and seize opportunities You won't have any problem finding talented people who fall on their face because they never got a break, never hooked up with a sympathetic person who could help them, or because they simply lacked the drive to go the distance. I'm guessing from your question that you are young (under college age). You'll learn that all of this is true. Even so, I suppose the shortest answer to your question is to open up the yellow pages or check your local citysearch.com and you'll see lots of people are making a living at photography. What makes YOU so different? Try this website! HeatherRLange.etsy.com It is a place where others share your vision, and make money doing it. Have fun! I am a self taught photographer and have been doing it for awhile now. I only had one college level class because I wanted something on paper. I work as a Visual Information Specialist and this includes: Photography, Videography and Graphics (computer). If you have a passion for photography then start reading about the technical aspects of photography and then applying what you have learned and going out and shooting. Take notes learn from your mistakes and try not to make them again, ask a couple of professional photographers to look at your work and learn to take criticism good or bad. To get your foot in the door you could start by getting a part time job with a photographer and being an assistant or / and working in a photo lab. We get High School students on a regular basis for full semesters and we teach them various parts of our jobs. Some students are more interested than others and we take them out on assignments with us. Some we give them the cameras and let them do the photo shoot and we stand off to the side and observe and step in if necessary. Financially I am doing well above an average photographer and since knowing more subjects in this field makes me more marketable. A few of us will also look at new applicants resumes and let our boss know which ones we think is best qualified for what we do. I hope this information and what some of the others posted helps you out and good luck. Kevin |
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