How do you know when you're good enough?

TimSandhu

TimSandhu

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How do you know when you're good enough to make it as a professional? By that, I mean earn a decent living from photography. I realise that producing consistent results of a high standard is part of it, as is providing an excellent service to your clients.

But at what point did you think...hang on, I can do this? Was it when you achieved certain qualifications, a certain level of experience, repeated good feedback, published work? Or a combination of these?
 
Hi, TimSandhu,
I've never been a pro photographer (and never will be looking at the dross I churn out), but as a working hack with a camera once you have identified the markets you want to exploit and are achieving success at exploiting them then you can seriously judge whether the time is right.
Best of luck,
Andy.
 
When your job disappears from under your feet?

I know that's what happened to a few of us. I spent 14 years in sales (very technical products) so I know my way around a sales process inside out, I have a lot of the business skills that I know I'm going to need and often they are as important if not more so than the photos you produce. (It depends on your target market)

You need to be sure of your market, know your product, be able to market and sell your product and have people prepared to pay for it, that's when you know you are ready :)
 
I suppose it's when you sell your work and people are happy with it and keep coming back or recommend you.

There's amateur photographers out there far better than some pros I've known and always will be, it's not just a question of how good you are but more how you market your work and self.
 
I would never want to be a pro i dont think, would be nice but not worth the stress etc it causes

I would say you know when the time is right when your getting customers returning and you simple dont have enough time to fit sorting your photography around your day job and of course the way its paying
 
TimSandhu said:
How do you know when you're good enough to make it as a professional? By that, I mean earn a decent living from photography. I realise that producing consistent results of a high standard is part of it, as is providing an excellent service to your clients.

But at what point did you think...hang on, I can do this? Was it when you achieved certain qualifications, a certain level of experience, repeated good feedback, published work? Or a combination of these?
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I think being good enough is only half the issue - and possibly not even the most important half.

You need to be able to work to commission, understand your market, develop and maintain a business and marketing profile, get yourself in front of clients and sell yourself better than your competitors ... and have enough time and money to continue to develop yourself as a photographer.

And keep enjoying what you do.

Good luck!
 
I would love to be able to produce pictures that sell consistently, but at the moment thats not going to happen. In my case I'm looking long term, retire in 10 years when I'll be 57, and make up the pension by selling at craft fairs etc.
Thing is if I'm still not good enough I'll just stay in work a bit longer. Noooooooooooo.

Andy
 
When your working too much to call it a hobby and earning more than the day job;)
 
Some great info and advice. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Photography is what makes me feel alive. It's hard to bear the thought of working the next 30-40 years not enjoying what I do. One day I'll take the step. One day. :)
 
Being good enough is totally subjective – there will always be someone out there who likes the photography you're doing.

It's the business part that you really need to understand. Being able to promote your services, getting the right people interested, offering the right services – I'd say these are as important as the work you produce.

There are a ton of really $hite photographers out there who all make money (take weddings for example) but they know how to deal with customers in the right way and produce work on time and to the client's brief.

I've seen some brilliant photographers who are totally ill-equipped in their head to deal with commissions and customers and despite their talents, end up working a day job and having photography as their hobby.

It's all about the breaks. I would lovbe to be a pro snowboard and ski photographer but I ain't nowhere near pr-active enough. I'm too scared of the failure to commitment ration that I just merely dream of doing it, rather than saying "what the hell" and spending the cash (and skinting myself) to invest int he time to get a good portfolio together.
 
You'll only know if your ready when you try, notice I say ready not good enough. You need to be a good photographer sure but you don't need to be excellent to make areasonable living what you need is a good business head and commitment. Let me sound one note of caution you sound like you love photography so be very careful turning it from a hobby into a job, it is surprisingly easy to fall out of love with something when suddenly it's what you do all day every day and it's responsible for putting food on the table.
 
a1ex2001 said:
You'll only know if your ready when you try, notice I say ready not good enough. You need to be a good photographer sure but you don't need to be excellent to make areasonable living what you need is a good business head and commitment. Let me sound one note of caution you sound like you love photography so be very careful turning it from a hobby into a job, it is surprisingly easy to fall out of love with something when suddenly it's what you do all day every day and it's responsible for putting food on the table.
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Thanks Alex, that's sound advice about becoming disillusioned with it. It's always a danger. But on the other hand I might be left wondering 'what if'...

If I try and fail. At least I'll know one way or the other. I think it's easier to succeed when you're passionate about something. The bit that troubles me a little is the business and marketing side of the photography business. There are plenty of books telling you how to become a better tog. Information on how to run a successful photography business is harder to come by.

The decision to turn a hobby into a career is not one I'd ever take lightly as I have family commitments and a secure job that pays above average. (Well as secure as any job is in these times). It's a tough one.
 
a1ex2001 said:
You'll only know if your ready when you try, notice I say ready not good enough. You need to be a good photographer sure but you don't need to be excellent to make areasonable living what you need is a good business head and commitment. Let me sound one note of caution you sound like you love photography so be very careful turning it from a hobby into a job, it is surprisingly easy to fall out of love with something when suddenly it's what you do all day every day and it's responsible for putting food on the table.
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Highlighted the important bit. It happened to me when I started ramping up my photography to provide a healthy second income.
I love photography, I still do - but when ALL your photography time is spent for other people and the majority of that time is not photography it gets to be a drag.

You have to love photography and you have to love dealing with people and building your business. Love of photography alone IMO is not enough.
 
RichardtheSane said:
Highlighted the important bit. It happened to me when I started ramping up my photography to provide a healthy second income.
I love photography, I still do - but when ALL your photography time is spent for other people and the majority of that time is not photography it gets to be a drag.

You have to love photography and you have to love dealing with people and building your business. Love of photography alone IMO is not enough.
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That was my experience as well, it ended up that I didn't pick up a camera for four years.

I'll echo what others have said earlier. Skill and/or talent as a photographer is not essential to being a successful professional. You need to be able to understand your clients needs, market yourself and meet requirements. There are some very successful photographers out there who aren't actually all that good, I was probably one of them.
 
I agree with gingerjon 100%. It's no good taking superb images if you haven't got the confidence to go out and hustle them into the marketplace.
Andy.
 
Surely if you have any sense, the time to ditch the day job is when your financial outgoings are able to be covered by the income from your hobby....

Well, assuming your definition of "pro" is the same as mine - ie making your living from money earnt from photography.

Which means you have to have worked out what sells, where to sell it and have a reasonable confidence in your sales outlook for some time to come.
 
desantnik said:
Surely if you have any sense, the time to ditch the day job is when your financial outgoings are able to be covered by the income from your hobby....

Well, assuming your definition of "pro" is the same as mine - ie making your living from money earnt from photography.

Which means you have to have worked out what sells, where to sell it and have a reasonable confidence in your sales outlook for some time to come.
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exactly. its when you have to make the decision to either drop the day job and go full time or cut back on the photography work. either way its at the point when you cant do both and you're in a position to live off photography.

remember there are some truly awful full time photographers about, so just because someones main source of income is photography, it doesnt necissarily mean they're particularly skillfull at taking photos!
 
Your "main source of income" could amount to 5 quid a month.... and the rest paid for by the DSS... technically, that still makes you a "pro" photographer, but it doesnt amount to much!
 
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