Photography careers.

Mike V

Mike V

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Mike
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Hi guys, I am currently on my second year of a photography degree but I am having doubts about a career in photography. I dont know what i want to do when I finish. I cant see myself as a photographer.

Every guest speaker comes in to school and keeps saying the same things.
Photography is a hard career, only 1-2 of you in this class (of 25) will make it.

The usual 10% is taking pictures and 90% is getting yourself out there finding work.

'You have to be a business man aswell as a photographer'

Its a ll a bit off-putting. I want a 9-5 job, guarenteed income and obviously well paying. What sort of things can I do?
I love motorsport photography and possibly studio product photography. (still learning)

What do you guys hope to become when you leave school/uni etc.

I had these doubts in my first year then thought I would be a crime scene photographer. Then I realized any monkey can take the shots nowadays thanks to 'auto mode'. So there is no longer a need for a specific person to come and take crime scene photos. The guy who takes the pictures is the same guy that does finger prints etc....oh great! :(

This auto mode is also the reason that the modern day photographer is looked down on as 'anyone can take a photo'.

I wouldnt mind being a director of photography but I heard you need video experience. Does anyone know more about it?
 
im the same, nearly finished high school doing tog courses but wondering whats next?
i think most are freelancers or work for the newspapers and paparazzi etc. also a director of photography is completely different to a photographer, the DOP has to work out camera angles and pans/tilts etc.
 
9-5 photography jobs, as far as i know, don't exist i'm afraid :(

Unless you work for a big company such as Venture then they have dedicated photographers but this is not big pay and it's very much cut-off and conveyor belt photography which i would hate to do personally.

I run my own little business which is building slowly but to do this it takes a long time to establish the customer base and a reputation. I much prefer this to working for someone else having little time with clients to get to know them and give them the portraits they truly want.

Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it. If there's not a lot of competition around, maybe home studio and self set-up?
 
mastertrinity said:
im the same, nearly finished high school doing tog courses but wondering whats next?
i think most are freelancers or work for the newspapers and paparazzi etc. also a director of photography is completely different to a photographer, the DOP has to work out camera angles and pans/tilts etc.
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I know, I would enjoy that. Working behind the scenes of t.v./movies. Being creative with camera angles etc

Just wondered if anyone knew anything about it. I will have to speak to a careers advisor this week at uni.
 
danieljamesphoto said:
9-5 photography jobs, as far as i know, don't exist i'm afraid :(
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Exactly, thats why Im not sure its for me. I thought a crime scene might be 9-5. If your not shooting crime scenes you could be shooting police officers etc for promo material and such
 
andrewc said:
Wouldn't a director of photography (whatever that is) have to have served time as a working photographer to be taken seriously?
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I'd say so. My plan is to work for myself for say 5-10 years ideally, even if its just part time or on weekends, basically work solidly as a professional photographer during that time to try and build enough portfolio to do a PGCE and lecture in Photography at a university/college :)

It's all about experience, not qualifications in art based subjects i've found, talking to my old lecturers
 
I would like income and a set working day that’s my preference. What I've done is switched to a general art degree which will allow me to become an art teacher. Totally my cup of tea! I already work in schools a fair bit with the basketball I enjoy the environment and working with the staff and yes their will be the odd few nut case's but I'm sure I can develop a way of dealing with them :nuts: Personally in the current climate I wouldn't touch freelance photography with a 200ft poll! But depends on how cut throat you are..........

A director of photography will have worked in moving image photography instead of still image photography it’s just a really traditional way of saying it!
 
My 9-5 day started this morning at 8am, printing promotional images for a wedding venue and burning them a DVD. Then off to deliver said images. Meeting with my marketing guru this afternoon and a wedding client this evening. Home at 8pm.

A 12 hour day and not even a camera in sight. Yes, at time it IS as much about business as having a camera in your hand. I sometimes go out and shoot for myself just so I can still shoot what I want. What I want to do and what sells are sometimes two different things. As the saying goes. "Shoot for dough, then shoot for show"
 
Mike V said:
Its a ll a bit off-putting. I want a 9-5 job, guarenteed income and obviously well paying.
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Yeah? Well join the back of the queue! If you find the thought of working freelance, why do you think it will be any easier in the corporate world?

9-5? You'll be lucky if you want to make a success of your career and/or want to earn a decent wack. But it's not that easy, you've got to negotiate office politics, the vagaries of the corporate world, mergers, plummeting share prices, job losses, targets, poor line management, over expectant customers, inconsistent suppliers, yada yada yada.

If you're going to do anything for a living, make sure that it's doing something you love and something you're good at. That way success is a byproduct not the end result and you'll be happier for it.
 
NorthernNikon said:
Yeah? Well join the back of the queue! If you find the thought of working freelance, why do you think it will be any easier in the corporate world?
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That did kind of elicit the same reaction from me. After 25 years at work I've had quite enough of the 60 hour weeks, the targets (that never, ever go down), the deadlines. Had enough of justifying my own existence on last month's financial results. Sod it! with a capital S!

At least if I do a 60 hour week now, it's because it's for me, not lining some corporate fat cat's pocket. I'd rather be poorer and happier. I honestly feel like a weight has been lifted though. :)
 
Mike V said:
Exactly, thats why Im not sure its for me. I thought a crime scene might be 9-5. If your not shooting crime scenes you could be shooting police officers etc for promo material and such
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And crime or major incidents don't happen 24 hours a day? :D Wait until you're called out at 3am to photograph a gruesome accident or murder scene, it can be an interesting job but certainly not 9-5.

NorthernNikon said:
Yeah? Well join the back of the queue! If you find the thought of working freelance, why do you think it will be any easier in the corporate world?

9-5? You'll be lucky if you want to make a success of your career and/or want to earn a decent wack. But it's not that easy, you've got to negotiate office politics, the vagaries of the corporate world, mergers, plummeting share prices, job losses, targets, poor line management, over expectant customers, inconsistent suppliers, yada yada yada.

If you're going to do anything for a living, make sure that it's doing something you love and something you're good at. That way success is a byproduct not the end result and you'll be happier for it.
Click to expand...

AliB said:
That did kind of elicit the same reaction from me. After 25 years at work I've had quite enough of the 60 hour weeks, the targets (that never, ever go down), the deadlines. Had enough of justifying my own existence on last month's financial results. Sod it! with a capital S!

At least if I do a 60 hour week now, it's because it's for me, not lining some corporate fat cat's pocket. I'd rather be poorer and happier. I honestly feel like a weight has been lifted though. :)
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Got to agree with Barney and Ali, if you want to get on and be successful you will not be doing a 9-5/37.5 hours a week job. Unfortunately I'm still doing the 60 hour weeks but I'm also running a fledgling business, who knows what I'll be doing in 2 years but if I don't try......
 
NorthernNikon said:
Yeah? Well join the back of the queue! If you find the thought of working freelance, why do you think it will be any easier in the corporate world?

9-5? You'll be lucky if you want to make a success of your career and/or want to earn a decent wack. But it's not that easy, you've got to negotiate office politics, the vagaries of the corporate world, mergers, plummeting share prices, job losses, targets, poor line management, over expectant customers, inconsistent suppliers, yada yada yada.

If you're going to do anything for a living, make sure that it's doing something you love and something you're good at. That way success is a byproduct not the end result and you'll be happier for it.
Click to expand...

Exactly! don't think there are many 9-5's left in any industry!
 
Or my local bank which closes at 3.30. lol

I've been trying to pay a cheque in for two weeks now and not managed to get there during their opening time. They do seem to be the ones existing in a time warp. Expecting Mr Mainwaring any minute!
 
Im at college but i finish in a few months and im looking to take photography as a career. I've been lucky enough to get hold of some good solid freelance work whilst at college which has given me a benchmark to build off of. I've been in your shoes with other things but i know now that photography is what i want to do and ill be happy provided i can get by comfortably. When i finish college I plan to work like a dog doing portfolio stuff and working to build money up behind me and around autumn time start making myself known in the photography world!

Being honest if your having secound thoughts then it proberly isnt the career choice for you! but you could always do a teacher training course and become a photography teacher, that would be 9-5 ish so to speak.
 
I decided not to do photography at degree level.

I felt that it was a pointless degree since jobs in photography are about experience, not qualifications. Not to say you've just wasted 3 years, I would love to do a degree in photography, it would be awesome and I'd have learned a lot! But I'm not sure if I want to go into photography yet, and so I've opted for a course in 'Advertising and Media Communication'.

I'm all very nervous as to where my life is going to take me, and as my Dad always tells me, "I still don't know what I want to do for a living."
 
Mike V said:
Exactly, thats why Im not sure its for me. I thought a crime scene might be 9-5. If your not shooting crime scenes you could be shooting police officers etc for promo material and such
Click to expand...

Did anyone tell the criminals that work at night that?:)
 
Mike V said:
Hi guys, I am currently on my second year of a photography degree but I am having doubts about a career in photography. I dont know what i want to do when I finish. I cant see myself as a photographer.

Every guest speaker comes in to school and keeps saying the same things.
Photography is a hard career, only 1-2 of you in this class (of 25) will make it.

The usual 10% is taking pictures and 90% is getting yourself out there finding work.

'You have to be a business man aswell as a photographer'

Its a ll a bit off-putting. I want a 9-5 job, guarenteed income and obviously well paying. What sort of things can I do?
I love motorsport photography and possibly studio product photography. (still learning)

What do you guys hope to become when you leave school/uni etc.

I had these doubts in my first year then thought I would be a crime scene photographer. Then I realized any monkey can take the shots nowadays thanks to 'auto mode'. So there is no longer a need for a specific person to come and take crime scene photos. The guy who takes the pictures is the same guy that does finger prints etc....oh great! :(

This auto mode is also the reason that the modern day photographer is looked down on as 'anyone can take a photo'.

I wouldnt mind being a director of photography but I heard you need video experience. Does anyone know more about it?
Click to expand...

Nice to see the people who come and talk you you are giving you good advice, but if you want a 9-5 job then photography is certainly not for you.
I spent 2 years at college pretty much working all hours putting my portfolio together, everything else was put on hold. It did pay off as I got a job 2 weeks after leaving, the other 23 didn't, so if you are not 100% committed enjoy yourself at college but think about doing something else.

Just remember anyone can can take a photo, whether it is any good is another matter.....

btw what's a "Director of Photography"
 
Edtog said:
Nice to see the people who come and talk you you are giving you good advice, but if you want a 9-5 job then photography is certainly not for you.
I spent 2 years at college pretty much working all hours putting my portfolio together, everything else was put on hold. It did pay off as I got a job 2 weeks after leaving, the other 23 didn't, so if you are not 100% committed enjoy yourself at college but think about doing something else.

Just remember anyone can can take a photo, whether it is any good is another matter.....

btw what's a "Director of Photography"
Click to expand...

The guy who tells the cameramen where to point the camera, and what to do with the camera.
The director gets everyone together but the director of photography is in charge of getting as many successful shots of the scene as possible so the editors can talk with the director and see which shots work and then splice them together.

That's the basics of it.
 
I went to uni and studied psychology. I'm now earning money as a photographer, but not earning a living. It does seem to be more about promoting yourself and your photography business. Of course if you suck, you wont get any work.
 
foodpoison said:
The guy who tells the cameramen where to point the camera, and what to do with the camera.
The director gets everyone together but the director of photography is in charge of getting as many successful shots of the scene as possible so the editors can talk with the director and see which shots work and then splice them together.

That's the basics of it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clearing that up, my guess is that you would need a few years of holding the camera, before you become a director, but probably best ask someone who works in film/TV.

Most of the film crews I've worked with recently, the cameraman has done the sound, lighting and filming due to budget cuts :( A director of Photography sounds like a position only the big budget productions can afford.
 
Ive just done a degree in Computing, and i dont know what i want to do, so its nice to see that im not the only one! As i was unsure of what i wanted to do, i decided to stay on and do a masters. I still dont konw what i want to do!
 
I studied fine Art at uni. Out of the 50 or so people on the course I would say about 10 have jobs conected to the art world. A few are art teachers, a couple are photographers and a couple are what you might call professional artists, but these don't make there sole living from selling there work, they lecture etc as well.

The ones who are professional photographers/artists where the guys working the long hours at uni, and not so they could be rich etc (no one does an art degree for the money!), It was more so they could have a shot at doing something they really enjoyed as there vocation.

If its something you enjoy, why would you mind working more than 9-5?
 
I've only just decided what I want to do and I've been out of college for 25 years!

Life is a journey, not a destination, and in my view trying to decide what you want to do straight out of college is the wrong way of going about it.

Togging certainly isn't 9-5 - particularly if like a lot of us out here, you also do another job to pay the bills that the togging can't yet cover, and it's certainly not the right choice if your first priority os 9-5 and good pay!

It sounds to me like the OP has unrealistic expectations of life in general and not just Togging - I suspect harsh reality is about to break in
 
I consider myself very lucky with my current job. I am a Photography/Digital Arts/Sound technician in a University which is 9-5 with decent holidays etc. Although technically the job is 9-5, I often work much longer than this, not just because the job requires it, but because I love the job and a lot of the time it is more like a hobby that I happen to get paid for. In the job, I rarely actually take photographs, but I do everything associated with photography; I look after the studio, the print rooms etc, teach people about photography and photoshop etc.

The actual photography I keep for my hobby, which allows me not to get bored with it (As with a lot of things, if photography was your job, you run the risk of losing the fun of it in your hobby). And i'm gearing up for making some more sales and having exhibitons from my own work.

So I have the best of both worlds; A stable '9-5' job that pays the bills and is fun, but also the freedom to shoot whatever I want in my hobby. :)
 
Messiah Khan said:
I consider myself very lucky with my current job. I am a Photography/Digital Arts/Sound technician in a University which is 9-5 with decent holidays etc. Although technically the job is 9-5, I often work much longer than this, not just because the job requires it, but because I love the job and a lot of the time it is more like a hobby that I happen to get paid for. In the job, I rarely actually take photographs, but I do everything associated with photography; I look after the studio, the print rooms etc, teach people about photography and photoshop etc.

The actual photography I keep for my hobby, which allows me not to get bored with it (As with a lot of things, if photography was your job, you run the risk of losing the fun of it in your hobby). And i'm gearing up for making some more sales and having exhibitons from my own work.

So I have the best of both worlds; A stable '9-5' job that pays the bills and is fun, but also the freedom to shoot whatever I want in my hobby. :)
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Too true, some of the bitterest people I've met are, in no particular order, press photographers and mechanics.
 
I wouldnt mind not working 9-5. I just want a stable job.

I am starting to resent the idea of going around looking all the time for work as if I was jobless. Trying to find clients.

I prefer to have job security and know where my next pay check is coming from. With the crime scene for example, if someone did ring up at 3 I dont think I would have a problem going out to work.

As long as I have that job and get a monthly salary. Its all good.
 
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