viable income

[Richard 1977]

Hello there I'm Rich in sunny Stafford.
After finally beating the devil that is alcohol eight months ago,photography has become my therapy.At the moment I have a canon 7D with a basic 70-300mm zoom lens.A canon printer and a Dell Lattitude laptop.I like to take images of any form of wildlife,from macro to birds in flight.So my main question really is can i provide myself with a viable income doing just this.And the best methods of doing so?

 

[G.K.Jnr.]

Hi Richard, And welcome aboard TP, looking forward to hearing from you and maybe seeing some of your images on the various forums. "Enjoy"

 

[ecoleman]

Hi Richard and welcome.

So, to put it bluntly, with a 7D, a basic zoom lens, a printer and a laptop alone, probably not.

Can you make money from photography, sure but most photographers these days make their money from YouTube, sponsors and selling workshops, online courses, ebooks, physical books and some sell prints but most will tell you that very little of their income comes from print sales.

You’ll also need to make a name for yourself before you even think about selling any of the above. There is a lot of competition out there from very well established photographers.

If your photos are any good you could sell the odd print here and there but it wouldn’t be a viable income.

 

[TimHughes]

Hi Richard, welcome.

Congratulations on your major achievement!

Something to think about is that if photography becomes your source of income there is a high risk that it will lose its therapeutic value for you. All the things that Elliott mentions which are needed to make a living make it a job like any other. It may be worth keeping it as your therapy. Just a thought.

 

[Norkie]

Welcome to the forum

I think that’s a tall ask given the equipment you have. It will take a lot of time and dedication to achieve success and an income from photography, all the very best of luck