I know there are plenty of pro photographers on this website, and for that I am very grateful they're sharing their work and their knowledge with all of us.
And so I am wondering....
1. What type of pro photographer are you? Strictly portraits? Stock? Wedding?
2. How did you get started? Did you go to school, or did you dive right in with only your photography knowledge and an entry level SLR?
I'd love to hear your stories. I hope to learn from them :-)
I'm not pro anymore, taking a break. I worked in press. I did Uni, then begged a job at a local paper. I also found my own stories for them unpaid until that, and the begging worked and they offered me a job, took about a month. I didnt have much kit until they offered me a job, just a pentax K1000 but they insisted on decent camera's and lenses.
After that it was just working a couple years on local and news agencies before I was taken on by national newspapers. Imo, if you can do the work well and talk the talk, its anyone's world.. and if you get a good rep then it can be a good job for a long time.
I am a freelance photojournalist and landscape photographer. The photojournalism bit is what pays the bills, and the landscapes/nature/animals I do for fun.
I started out studying film at UNC Wilmington, a tiny little school whose film department is actually a joke. I then got into photography to learn how films are actually shot. My first photography job was the only student photography for the university, and I kinda took off from there. I started with only a Nikon D200 (which I still use) and a Tamron 24-75mm lens. That was it. Now...I have more ;)
1. What type of pro photographer are you? Strictly portraits? Stock? Wedding?
I professionally shoot motorsports (drag racing, drifting, rally) along with other automotive stuff (industry models, cars for magazine spreads, etc). If begged/paid enough, I will do a wedding or two, headshots, etc.
2. How did you get started? Did you go to school, or did you dive right in with only your photography knowledge and an entry level SLR?
I dived right into it, but not with an entry level SLR... I had a D200 originally, then a D300 as primary body. Use only AlienBee studio strobes with PocketWizard triggers. Gotta pay to play, and entry level cameras and cheap equipment don't keep up with fast moving sports that well. I did take classes later on in NYC and NJ, but that really didn't help with anything I do professionally, all they did was turn me into a film snob.
@jasonbarnette University of Illinois College of Medicine. I work very little in a studio; not much opportunity for it. I do the incoming students portraits in the studio once a year; and I shoot all of the events throughout the year, except graduation. I shoot special requests, like doctor portraits, department requests, etc. It's a fun part of my job - not full time, but my favorite part nonetheless.
I've been giving consideration to taking photography to the next level. I have experience shooting weddings - enough to make me not really want to do it all that often. But I love portrait work and event photography, and really love photography as an art. As a matter of fact, some of my work is going to be exhibited in a local gallery this spring. I'm just not a risk-taker and hate to invest in expensive lenses and lighting when I don't feel I know enough to be successful (studio work).
@shutterbug0810 You sound exactly like me about a year and a half ago. I worked full-time hours, although I was only part-time pay haha. I really loved that job and did pretty much the same as you: events, portraits, magazine covers, and I shot for the Alumni Magazine. Oh, and I also had to shoot graduation which I hated with a passion haha.
I also worked with the Athletics Department to shoot all the home sporting events and a few of the away games when they were in NCAA tournaments. I think I worked about 70 hours a week in photography the last half of my senior year.
Here is a link to the best of my editorial work while I was a student photographer. Lemme know what you think.
I was just reading back through our posts and I want to clarify - I'm not a "student photographer". I photograph the students :-) Lol. Just in case it sounded like I'm one of the students :-)
Isn't it funny - you hated shooting graduation, but I'd love the opportunity to do it!
@shutterbug0810@jasonbarnette I think doing anything too much and you will hate it... your first grad shot is exciting, your second you are on your way... a week in and you have nothing new to do... after a year... you'd give anything for a sunset....
@icywarm Funny you should say that Jordan. When I first started dabbling in photography years ago, I always said I wouldn't want to depend on it for my income because I loved it so much and I never wanted to hate having to "go to work".
In my old age, I'm pondering making it more than a hobby. Funny how time changes us.
@shutterbug0810 Actually, it sounded exactly like you were a student. Oops, haha.
But I hated graduation because it was sooooo long. At my university, it was a two day event divided into four separate ceremonies. So, I basically heard the same exact speech from the same exact people four times in two days. I started shooting photos of hats just to give me something to do.
@jasonbarnette THAT sounds tedious. Ours is only one ceremony, a few hours long; graduating less than a hundred medical students. I guess it appeals to me because there are so few of them, and I get to know them a little over the years, so I'd love to be able to document their special day. But they bring in the big guns for that. You know. Someone like you :-)
@shutterbug0810 that is why I am an artist/hobbyist and not a pro photog... I love being an accountant, I do consulting and I never do the same thing for more than an hour... I have to steal time to get out to golf or take photos... I cannot be laking of ideas and everything is because I really want to and I get begged to take photos... what's not to love...
Jason mentioned before in another post once you do something for free you can never charge... I find that I do a great job and I look for an excuse to not charge the first time... often they are photos for my book or something else... I attach a business card to the back for the frame... often they cover my expenses plus a little extra and let others know about me... also it lets me be picky about who I work with... if I don't want to shot a wedding, because I HATE group photos I often let them hire a 'pro' as the first shooter, get some 'snaps' as a guest and we are both happy! OH ALSO... if you decide you are not the pro at an event... you are not! Don't get in the paid guys way!
If you want to get into the business this is often a good method...work as a PA and second shooter, get paid by the frame that gets printed... and learn lots from the pro...
BUT if I was going to do it full time... I would say the same thing I tell my small business clients...
Charge and charge like the pro you are... do what you said you would do and only say you will do things you can... use your professional judgement on clients a bad client is not worth your fee, if you think they will be trouble, don't do the job, you will not end up making any money anyways, so you might as well not do the work...
@icywarm Oh I'm very aware of the whole back-up rig being a necessity. Since I can only afford one camera at a time, I've turned down a lot of work because of that :-)
I'm actually considering starting small; putting a small studio in my big empty basement - one of these days. I'm thinking sooner rather than later. But I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon.
Your suggestion as working as an assistant is good, but I had a bad experience once, so I hesitate to try. I got my a$$ reamed by a photographer. He was teaching a photography class that I took. He liked my work, so he had me come back and "observe" him, but I never got past the darkroom. One day I told him I was asked by some friends to take senior portraits for their daughter (they couldn't afford it otherwise), and asked him for advice. He jumped all over me about how people like me were taking work away from real photographers and I should crap or get off the pot (paraphrasing here) about whether or not I wanted to do it for a living, etc., etc. He had some really choice words. I was so stunned, I couldn't say anything to defend myself. I mean he was really, really mad. I left and never went back. Stupid jerk.
Sorry - got a little off subject there! Haven't thought about that in a while. Now I'll probably have nightmares remembering the little troll.
Not uncommon... A degree in Econ, years of accounting experience and a general smart ass personality would say... if you are good at what you do you will make money... you cannot take money out of an econ if your friends had a price in mind of FREE and they would not pay more than NOTHING... you do the gig... the econ does not grow... if you don't do the gig the econ does not grow... so I think this guy who was teaching the course knows nothing!
It has been said that photography is the easiest art to learn and the toughest to have a style in... (I forget the guy who said this) You can be a working photog (grads, weddings) or you can be a WORKING PHOTOG (Selling prints and such)
To me if some random person with no experience can book work that you cannot get... you are not that good...
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After that it was just working a couple years on local and news agencies before I was taken on by national newspapers. Imo, if you can do the work well and talk the talk, its anyone's world.. and if you get a good rep then it can be a good job for a long time.
I started out studying film at UNC Wilmington, a tiny little school whose film department is actually a joke. I then got into photography to learn how films are actually shot. My first photography job was the only student photography for the university, and I kinda took off from there. I started with only a Nikon D200 (which I still use) and a Tamron 24-75mm lens. That was it. Now...I have more ;)
I professionally shoot motorsports (drag racing, drifting, rally) along with other automotive stuff (industry models, cars for magazine spreads, etc). If begged/paid enough, I will do a wedding or two, headshots, etc.
2. How did you get started? Did you go to school, or did you dive right in with only your photography knowledge and an entry level SLR?
I dived right into it, but not with an entry level SLR... I had a D200 originally, then a D300 as primary body. Use only AlienBee studio strobes with PocketWizard triggers. Gotta pay to play, and entry level cameras and cheap equipment don't keep up with fast moving sports that well. I did take classes later on in NYC and NJ, but that really didn't help with anything I do professionally, all they did was turn me into a film snob.
I've been giving consideration to taking photography to the next level. I have experience shooting weddings - enough to make me not really want to do it all that often. But I love portrait work and event photography, and really love photography as an art. As a matter of fact, some of my work is going to be exhibited in a local gallery this spring. I'm just not a risk-taker and hate to invest in expensive lenses and lighting when I don't feel I know enough to be successful (studio work).
I also worked with the Athletics Department to shoot all the home sporting events and a few of the away games when they were in NCAA tournaments. I think I worked about 70 hours a week in photography the last half of my senior year.
Here is a link to the best of my editorial work while I was a student photographer. Lemme know what you think.
http://jasonbarnette.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Editorial-Assignment/P0000ar3SuAlX5F8
I was just reading back through our posts and I want to clarify - I'm not a "student photographer". I photograph the students :-) Lol. Just in case it sounded like I'm one of the students :-)
Isn't it funny - you hated shooting graduation, but I'd love the opportunity to do it!
In my old age, I'm pondering making it more than a hobby. Funny how time changes us.
Baby steps though....
But I hated graduation because it was sooooo long. At my university, it was a two day event divided into four separate ceremonies. So, I basically heard the same exact speech from the same exact people four times in two days. I started shooting photos of hats just to give me something to do.
Jason mentioned before in another post once you do something for free you can never charge... I find that I do a great job and I look for an excuse to not charge the first time... often they are photos for my book or something else... I attach a business card to the back for the frame... often they cover my expenses plus a little extra and let others know about me... also it lets me be picky about who I work with... if I don't want to shot a wedding, because I HATE group photos I often let them hire a 'pro' as the first shooter, get some 'snaps' as a guest and we are both happy! OH ALSO... if you decide you are not the pro at an event... you are not! Don't get in the paid guys way!
If you want to get into the business this is often a good method...work as a PA and second shooter, get paid by the frame that gets printed... and learn lots from the pro...
BUT if I was going to do it full time... I would say the same thing I tell my small business clients...
Charge and charge like the pro you are... do what you said you would do and only say you will do things you can... use your professional judgement on clients a bad client is not worth your fee, if you think they will be trouble, don't do the job, you will not end up making any money anyways, so you might as well not do the work...
And as to equipment... you need back-ups... as per this:
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/130049-f********k-16-50-dies-during-harpers-bazaar-shoot.html#post1350030
the funny thing is I learn a TON from this guy... look at his blog... high high level stuff!!!
I'm actually considering starting small; putting a small studio in my big empty basement - one of these days. I'm thinking sooner rather than later. But I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon.
Your suggestion as working as an assistant is good, but I had a bad experience once, so I hesitate to try. I got my a$$ reamed by a photographer. He was teaching a photography class that I took. He liked my work, so he had me come back and "observe" him, but I never got past the darkroom. One day I told him I was asked by some friends to take senior portraits for their daughter (they couldn't afford it otherwise), and asked him for advice. He jumped all over me about how people like me were taking work away from real photographers and I should crap or get off the pot (paraphrasing here) about whether or not I wanted to do it for a living, etc., etc. He had some really choice words. I was so stunned, I couldn't say anything to defend myself. I mean he was really, really mad. I left and never went back. Stupid jerk.
Sorry - got a little off subject there! Haven't thought about that in a while. Now I'll probably have nightmares remembering the little troll.
It has been said that photography is the easiest art to learn and the toughest to have a style in... (I forget the guy who said this) You can be a working photog (grads, weddings) or you can be a WORKING PHOTOG (Selling prints and such)
To me if some random person with no experience can book work that you cannot get... you are not that good...