Is there a future career in photography?

DJMorgan

DJMorgan

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Just a random question, mainly because I keep thinking because I want to make a career out of it, but there is so many people who are so good at it now.

It must be hard, really hard to get to where you need to be now..
 
DJMorgan said:
Just a random question, mainly because I keep thinking because I want to make a career out of it, but there is so many people who are so good at it now.

It must be hard, really hard to get to where you need to be now..
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I'm not sure that is a new situation. To be good at anything takes hard work. Competition is to be relished as it pushes the good to be better and the indifferent to be good.

If you really want a career, work hard. If you want a job...well, many of us have those to pay for our hobbies ;)
 
the photographic industry is based purely on creativity so really in a way it's pot luck for most of us, some are lucky to have people want our talent and then that usually kick starts our career.

I've earned a bit from photography but it's been down to who you know, luckily I have family who are in the creative business (painting, graphics, web design, music) so I normally get called up to do some shoots and earn a little bit of cash for my time.

My ambition was to become a professional photographer shooting portraits and commercial but I think I'm going to get a full time job doing something related to photography even working in Jessops would suit me, and then any spare time can be used to book shoots etc and so in a way I'm getting two wages :)
 
mastertrinity said:
the photographic industry is based purely on creativity
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I think I might disagree with that statement. I would compare the photography industry to the music industry - most pros will tell you it's 10% talent and 90% hard work.

There are a lot of very creative people around who never make it because they lack the business acumen and/or the willingness to put in the time.

And this is in no way aimed at you Luke.
 
Bythesea said:
I think I might disagree with that statement. I would compare the photography industry to the music industry - most pros will tell you it's 10% talent and 90% hard work.

There are a lot of very creative people around who never make it because they lack the business acumen and/or the willingness to put in the time.

And this is in no way aimed at you Luke.
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I have to agree. It's 80% business and the ability to talk *****e. I've lost count on the amount of successful photographers who are lacking in any creativity. An inspiration of mine is Nadav Kander. At a recent workshop he was called repeatedly the most successful photographer working right now, not because of his talent (which he has lots of), but because he runs a business.

Quite a fitting quote/

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb."
 
I might have broke it from logging on twenty times a day.:D Google throws up lots of results too.
 
It's when creativity meets business acumen that you get the likes of Jerry Ghionis. Truly a fab photographer, I have seen him produce amazing images out of literally nothing and not using the latest greatest gear either. He also happens to be a very good business man.

There are so many starving artists over the years. It does not matter if you are a creative genius, you client books you to produce images of a certain style and standard. You deliver. That is business. And it is being able to repoduce that cycle over and over again that is a business.

Yes you do get very competant photographers in business. Tim Wallace, Stuart Walker, Tim Flach, Colin Prior, Joe Cornish...... all sucessful in their own genre and damn fine photographers too. But you need to be able to do both.
 
I know that it's mostly business which gets you the work but what I meant was for example if your a plumber people like to see that your qualified etc but with photography they are paying for your portfolio :)
 
mastertrinity said:
I know that it's mostly business which gets you the work but what I meant was for example if your a plumber people like to see that your qualified etc but with photography they are paying for your portfolio :)
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True - a photographic qualification can help with getting a job, but much less so than in a trade. Can just see it now - "Really like the way you've fitted that tap with the light falling on it - you're hired!" :lol:
 
mastertrinity said:
I know that it's mostly business which gets you the work but what I meant was for example if your a plumber people like to see that your qualified etc but with photography they are paying for your portfolio :)
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Disagree with that ;)

They are paying for your skills and experience. Your portfolio is what you have done. It's only there to show a benchmark so they are paying you for what you are about to do, not what you have already done :)

Nothing quite like standing with your camera in your hand at the start of a long day with a feeling of "OK, here we go!"
 
Having a successful career? How are you measuring that success?

Peer recognition?
Publication?
Volume of commissioned works?
Amount of cash in the bank?

You can consider yourself as successful with any one of those things - if that is how you choose to measure yourself.

Equally, others may have different measures and consider you to be not successful by their yard stick.

Probably only one of those items I listed has anything to do with artistic talent, the rest are all business acumen driven.
 
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