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I want to be a photographer, how do I get started? |
What is the best way to get started in a photography career? How much do they make? How do I start my own buisness? How can I get some publicity when I start? I am still in college, and I am looking to go to photography school. I was just wondering how I could get started with it all. If you know anyone who has a current Mac computer, you can use IWeb to create a website showing your recent photographs. Set up an .mac account [$99 per year] and publish your IWeb webpage(s). Acquire from Vistaprint.com a colorful business card by selecting from their many templates a suitable one that meets your needs. Make sure to list the URL of your website along with a telephone answering device. Do not place your home address or anything personal such as a cellphone on this businesscard. Then when you receive the finished business card, pass it around to various churches, temples and the like to solicit business. When you receive a major photography assignment, visit your local professional camera store and "rent" the necessary camera equipment to fulfill this assignment. When starting out, you don't want to tie your money up with a piece of camera equipment which because of ever changing technology "becomes obsolete." Remember, that 90% of professional photographer are not "buying" camera equipment continually which can easily become outdated; instead, they merely "rent or lease" the camera equipment for set period of time; thereby keeping their money for other expenses. Even though you may have your heart set on an SLR and film, you may have to give up that concept for the moment, since digital photography offers the most economic method of photo reproduction. Digital imagery is easy to edit on a computer and the print quality is often far superior to regular film-generated prints. You want to buy an "essential/basic" DSLR system which has an all-around affordable accessory lenses, then consider the award winning Pentax KD series beginning with the Pentax K100D 6.1 mp DSLR with "image stabilization" built into the camera body. "Image stabilization" is essential for allowing you to take telephoto pictures at weddings, parties, while on the go and you don't have to drag along a tripod to steady your camera. Unfortunately, Canon and Nikon have chosen to install their "vibration reduction" devices into very expensive auxiliary lenses. But getting back to the Pentax K100D which comes in a starter kit consisting of two Pentax lenses: a 18-55 mm. normal lens and a 50-200 mm. telephoto which sells for $650 at samys.com. Again, the Pentax K100D starter kit runs circles around the D40 Nikon! For digital print processing, find a private professional film processing lab who can handle all your client's print orders. And with a resale license, you will be qualified for considerable "professional" discounts on lab fees. A search on the Google and Yahoo for wholesale photo albums will connect you with various distributors who, again, you can sign on as a photography studio and get a dealer's pricing for any number of albums, guest books, etc. Instead of renting a studio, take people pictures at local parks and beaches and for indoor shots, go to the client's residence or office to set up a photo shooting environment which consists of a set of lights, reflective screens, background drapery, etc. Good luck! Connect with a local commercial photographer and see if they will take you on as an assistant. Then get into a good photo school Art Center Brooks Cal Arts RIT That will get you started FotoDude I took a class in high school. I guess maybe adult school, like your local junior college is a good place to start. Get a camera, take lots of photos. Artists, you've heard we're all hungry right? You need luck and usually a bank loan to start a business. Publicity...newspaper ads, websites...You are in school, just take Photography One at your school. If you are interested also take Digital Photography One, and / or depending on your schools course descriptions, Color photography, traditional methods (chemical, and black and white). I took photography in HS, JC, and still, now I am in graduate school, after next semester I will have my teaching credential. Hopefully I can get a good teaching job to help pay off my student loans. There are great Art schools everywhere, and most colleges have a photography department, even a digital photography department. I received my B.F.A. in Fine arts photography from the San Francisco Art Institute. I would look at a niche market. If you are on or near a military installation a good idea might be sponsoring and photographing "Glamour Parties". These are popular right now and usually involve getting a hair stylist, make up/nail artist and some "glamour" clothing and then shooting pictures of the clients for husbands or boyfriends. As a female photographer you are much more likely to succeed because it feels "safer" having a woman sponsoring thid type event and taking the pictures. It also means that you collect a basic fee up front to cover the cost of getting the hair & makeup people and then let your clients pick the pictures they want from the event. This can be lucrative if you get a few people talking about your parties and the "guys" usually love getting the pics to take with them when they are seperated from their families on hardship tours. It is also easy to get referrals for pictures of kids if you have a few good shots of that type to display at each party. which gives you a secondary market. One word of caution, be very careful about allowing party shots to be viewed on the internet you don't want to get a reputation for letting private pictures fall into "the wrong hands". Income varies drastically depending on location, skills and competition. To get started develop a portfolio of top quality shots to show people and take it with you everywhere. Also, consider setting up a web site to display them. You need permission from the people you photograph to post their images on a web site. The best publicity for photographers is usually people seeing the work they have done! Hope this helps. Good luck. |
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