Everyone wants to be a photographer

Good questions Zone 5.

Own business: Pros = Managange your own time. Be your own boss. Better income.
Cons = Less time to do anything. Less shooting= More marketing, research etcetc. book keeping, bills and more bills. supply issues. staff. List goes on and on.

Freelance: Had to market myself to companies but then never stopped. got the dates and job sheets. go to shoot and burn. done. more money= more free time. Less paper work and less hassle.

Cons: Can't think of many... Except I was travelling all over the Country.

Book keeping was easy as you invoice firms end of everymonth with fees and expenses.

Staffing: Pros= i could be doing archeaological work one year. Press calls for Nationals the next year. Or working for the Police another time... Paid and pension. no worries where to find the work from and no marketing . just pure Photography and being paid.

Cons: wages are not fantastic. Very rare over £22k a year. but you a photographer and be proud of being so.


Lots and lots of other stuff but those for me.

If i could do this job it would be for a a Fashion House Catalogue as a Staff tog.
 
Daryl said:
Good questions Zone 5.

Own business: Pros = Managange your own time. Be your own boss. Better income.
Cons = Less time to do anything. Less shooting= More marketing, research etcetc. book keeping, bills and more bills. supply issues. staff. List goes on and on.

Freelance: Had to market myself to companies but then never stopped. got the dates and job sheets. go to shoot and burn. done. more money= more free time. Less paper work and less hassle.

Cons: Can't think of many... Except I was travelling all over the Country.

Book keeping was easy as you invoice firms end of everymonth with fees and expenses.

Staffing: Pros= i could be doing archeaological work one year. Press calls for Nationals the next year. Or working for the Police another time... Paid and pension. no worries where to find the work from and no marketing . just pure Photography and being paid.

Cons: wages are not fantastic. Very rare over £22k a year. but you a photographer and be proud of being so.


Lots and lots of other stuff but those for me.

If i could do this job it would be for a a Fashion House Catalogue as a Staff tog.
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It's very interesting to hear how someone who's done all three feels about it, thanks for taking the time to explain.

I see you had no trouble getting yourself aquainted with companies who gave you a steady stream of work as a freelancer. Is this the reason you chose not to use agencies?
 
Depends on the type of freelance you want?

Press work is hard but once your in... whether papping or sports. Both vary.

when I did sports and entertainment i worked for an Agency like this one.

http://www.sportsphoto.co.uk/

This was Premier games footy and rugby... I'm more of a petrol head. But the stuff I really liked was the Photo calls at Studios or the BBC for TV. Royal events etc.

Sports is very very hard to get into. Or you could event sports. a few photographers on here do it.

There are also the big Nationals that do schools work. not very exciting but you get money in the back and it accounts for 6 months work a year leaving you time to shoot other stuff you really like doing.

Many togs snub certain work.. but hey! If you want to take the leap or go full time you need bookings and money needs to go in the Bank.

no money = no business= no Wife = Family leaves yo and you are broke.

This day and age only a fool turns down any photography work when starting up. If they think they will cherry pick the work they only like and other work is beneath them..... Then look them up in 2 years time see where they are now?

This business is wide and varied.... Make the most of your life skills and the use of your photography skills. when you get to where you want to be you can ditch the work you don't need anymore.... But when starting out........ Take what is out there....

It's all experience and money.
 
You very much implied easy by stating "all you need is a good eye to become a professional photographer" If that is all the need then the rest has to be easy doesn't it otherwise you would need other things?

Do you still really think you just need that one thing and the rest will fall into place with no effort?
 
ernesto said:
You very much implied easy by stating "all you need is a good eye to become a professional photographer" If that is all the need then the rest has to be easy doesn't it otherwise you would need other things?

Do you still really think you just need that one thing and the rest will fall into place with no effort?
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You don't seem to read correctly. I said u dont need to run your own business to be considered a pro
 
jonneymendoza said:
You don't seem to read correctly. I said u dont need to run your own business to be considered a pro
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I don't think you really understand everything you've said and agreed with on this thread at all. Other than having some people you definitely disagree with;).
 
jonneymendoza said:
You don't seem to read correctly. I said u dont need to run your own business to be considered a pro
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No, you said "Point is, so long as you have an eye you can become a decent pro photographer."
That implies that is all you need (no camera skill, no business knowledge, no self publicity - nothing, just a good eye.

You also said other things about business. May be a good idea to go back through the thread to remind yourself of what you actually wrote before commenting on how well others read...
 
ernesto said:
No, you said "Point is, so long as you have an eye you can become a decent pro photographer."
That implies that is all you need (no camera skill, no business knowledge, no self publicity - nothing, just a good eye.

You also said other things about business. May be a good idea to go back through the thread to remind yourself of what you actually wrote before commenting on how well others read...
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no it does not imply that. i simple said u do not have to run your own business to be a pro and others agreed with me
 
jonneymendoza said:
no it does not imply that. i simple said u do not have to run your own business to be a pro and others agreed with me
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Of course you don't need to run your own business as being a professional just means being paid, but you need more than just a good eye to be a professional photographer (which again is what you claimed is all you need)
 
ernesto said:
Of course you don't need to run your own business as being a professional just means being paid, but you need more than just a good eye to be a professional photographer (which again is what you claimed is all you need)
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That's the fundamental thing.have an eye. Without it u might as well give up and just shoot and use Instagram .
 
jonneymendoza said:
That's the fundamental thing.have an eye. Without it u might as well give up and just shoot and use Instagram .
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It's a necessary trait, yes... but all you need?
 
Pookeyhead said:
It's a necessary trait, yes... but all you need?
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No its not all you need. i was wrong to specificaly say that. Of course u need all other skills like how to use a camera, good communication skills and good contacts just to name a few but for your photo's to have that pro look, you need a good eye
 
Just got another message from a friend who bakes cakes for kids asking me.......


"I am going to start a photography course can you suggest a DSLR.... and what is a DSLR" ?
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
Just got another message from a friend who bakes cakes for kids asking me.......

"I am going to start a photography course can you suggest a DSLR.... and what is a DSLR" ?
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Couldn't help nut chuckle at that one
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
Just got another message from a friend who bakes cakes for kids asking me.......


"I am going to start a photography course can you suggest a DSLR.... and what is a DSLR" ?
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But that's not to say she wants to become a pro? She wants to learn photography, surely that's not a negative thing?
 
Phil V said:
But that's not to say she wants to become a pro? She wants to learn photography, surely that's not a negative thing?
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No not saying its negative or she should not but thought it was funny especially after posting this thread.....

That will come next though...... I wanna be a pro :wave:
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
No not saying its negative or she should not but thought it was funny especially after posting this thread.....

That will come next though...... I wanna be a pro :wave:
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Tell her you fancy being a baker, can she recommend a food mixer, then ask what's a food mixer do?
 
I guess there are two problems, first of all people see a professional at a wedding swanning round snapping away and then hearing they charged £1000+ for the day and think... thats easy money.. I can do that.

And the other side is there are no ongoing costs now, not like back in the day when professional photographers were buying medium format filmstock like it was going out of fashion, so you buy a £500 DSLR and away you go.

Start a facebook page as First Name Surname photography and the next thing you find yourself in The Sun :) because actually you arent quite as good as your friends told you you were.
 
NeilMc said:
first of all people see a professional at a wedding swanning round snapping away and then hearing they charged £1000+ for the day and think... thats easy money.. I can do that.
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The next thing you know, people will want to be film stars and pop singers... outrageous!


Steve.
 
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