Photographer?

[hoodmeister]

I love photography. Since I started dabbling with it late last year, I've not been able to get enough of the stuff...
I've come to the point where I'm asking myself... Do I want to make a career of this? Can I make a career of this?
At the moment, I don't really have any other prospects, so I'm starting to think, hell, why not at least give it a shot?
But I don't really know where to start. Should I look into trying to spend some time shadowing a proffesional, or try to become some sort of apprentice at a studio? How would I even go about that? Or am I just being incredibly naïve? Or is there some other kind of route I should be looking at?
So that's my question. Is it fanciful to think that I can make a living from this? And if not, what are my options for doing so?

Cheers for any advice ~ Hoodi.

 

[Ghost in the Shell]

been thinking the very same thing for a while now. people here will give you good advice as this has been asked before if you look. i have a background of working in fashion for around 10 years and i am hoping once i can improve my skills i will be able to use the contacts i have to get some professional work and start on the ladder. i am also thinking of doing an OU course in some kind of journalism with a view to photojourno work.

i have also applied to work in an independant photography store to gain more experience (read get staff discounted product ) while i earn/learn.

its a hard trade to get into unless your dogged in determination, very charasmatic and or good at business as the best way is to work on people who can help you or start your own biz and help yourself!

good luck though and keep us informed with decisions im sure a lot of others feel the same and would love to share in the experience of trying to live the dream

as an ego boast from what i can see you are a determined chap and certainly talented so stay motivated and anythings possible!

 

[Johnny|lucidcomposure]

I would say. Try doing both!

Its trying to get someone to take you on thats the damm hard thing!

But I would strongly advise seeing if its a career for you. I personally see it as an exciting lifestyle.

 

[SDK^]

Professional Photography is all about contacts - Having a wide network of contacts will get you further than anything else.

 

[Colin_da_Killer]

In the same boat here. Posted the same topic a while back, still looking.

At the moment I don't want to get into portrait/model photography as I don't have the shiny expensive equipment for it and it doesn't interest me as much as landscape/macro/media (military - journalist styel) photography.

Still looking for ways in...

 

[neverender]

Just ditto really.

Im halfway through my degree, but I don't fancy doing it for the rest of my life and, frankly, I don't see how I would be able to.
Gonna start bucking my ideas up in the next few weeks and get my name around a bit. With a bit of luck, the photo I have on exhibition next week might just pull a few more randoms to my website, but just like it's already been said, get your hand in is pretty tricky.

 

[Johnny|lucidcomposure]

Well I am trying too. Im 100% set on becoming a sucessfull Photographer. Contacts, Pateince, money, and self confidence are what you require.

 

[hoodmeister]

Apologies for not replying earlier to this - been busy with this and that.

Cheers for the advice guys - much appreciated

 

[ChroniC]

Well I am trying too. Im 100% set on becoming a sucessfull Photographer. Contacts, Pateince, money, and self confidence are what you require.

Im afraid it's gona take a lot more than that.
There are a lot of people flowing out of universities with qualifications that cant get work, what makes you think that a digital camera and some skill will get you past them?
If you ever wanted to work for a magazine, paper or get a commision and make decent money then thats what your gona need.

 

[hoodmeister]

You forgot to mention "what" exactly it is that you're gonna need, ChroniC

 

[Johnny|lucidcomposure]

I never said that was "all" you need. What you need is for a employer to actually give you a chance.

I would imagine a good portfolio speaks for its self.

In all honesty I dont fully know what all the things are you require to make it. But people do make it. Its a matter of not giving up as far as I see it.

 

[glitch]

How many people actually want to be a photographer and how many want to just make a living from taking photos?

And yes, there is a difference!

 

[ChroniC]

How many people actually want to be a photographer and how many want to just make a living from taking photos?

And yes, there is a difference!

I intent to make a fortune out of it, thats why im in fulltime education doing it.
I would suggest a degree if u want to be taken seriously as an artist you need to study it, learn other backgrounds and ways of producing work. a lot of peoples work on here is composed brillaintly but has no soul, meaning, emphasis etc ect. For example.

what do you think of this, not what ud see on this forum is it. But this is by a very respected artist. Go figure.

 

[glitch]

I intent to make a fortune out of it, thats why im in fulltime education doing it.
I would suggest a degree if u want to be taken seriously as an artist you need to study it, learn other backgrounds and ways of producing work. a lot of peoples work on here is composed brillaintly but has no soul, meaning, emphasis etc ect.

You really mean that, don't you?

what do you think of this, not what ud see on this forum is it. But this is by a very respected artist. Go figure.

I think it's time they sacked the cleaners.

I know that's what passes for art in certain circles, but quite frankly it's a load of pretentious nonsense.

 

[cyKey]

I intent to make a fortune out of it, thats why im in fulltime education doing it.
I would suggest a degree if u want to be taken seriously as an artist you need to study it, learn other backgrounds and ways of producing work. a lot of peoples work on here is composed brillaintly but has no soul, meaning, emphasis etc ect. For example.

You're talking about Fine Art. Thats different. Theres a big difference between being an artist and being a photographer. Sports photographer for example. Should they spend 3 years at university studying how to put a camera into Tv at 1/250th? No. They should be out there practicing and making connections. Do landscape photographers do that? No, they just try and capture beautiful landscapes. If your pictures want meaning then do that. If mine want meaning then I make them have meaning and try to show it. Did Ansel Adams go to uni? He was self taught. I know plenty of great photographers who are self taught and don't have degrees in Photography.

You CAN be a successful photographer without a degree. Its all about targetting the right people with a good portfolio. They will listen. You make them look good which helps their business. However, there is more to professional photography than just a good portfolio.

 

[Johnny|lucidcomposure]

I agree with what cykey has stated above.

and Glitch. .. My answer is quite simple. One day I will be a photographer. I love it with all my heart and never get bored dedicating all my time towards it. Its that dedication and ongoing progression in skill and development that will one day see my dreams a reality. I believe a lot of people on this forum believe this and will one day sooner or later will achieve the title of Photographer.

If I thought for a moment I wouldnt make it one day then I really would see my life going nowhere. I have fell from graphics/computing/ engineering and no of it has an impact like Photography. This is mainly due to I am proud of what I can do. (And will contiune to do so)

I went to college to study a HND in Graphic Design and photography. I started on film and progressed to a good spec system that can meet my needs. The majority of everything I know is self taught. A dedicated self taught person will acomplish so much more than any student will as that person will probably dedicate all of his time to it.

 

[ChroniC]

You really mean that, don't you?

I think it's time they sacked the cleaners.

I know that's what passes for art in certain circles, but quite frankly it's a load of pretentious nonsense.

I really do yes, and im not learning fine art. Its photography BA(hons).
Dont get me wrong im not saying its not possible, maybe for sport and such, but anyone who works for national geographic, time, vogue, the sun, whatever will probably have had to go through some sort of schooling

I hate it just as much as you guys, i see no art in it, no skill, and no meaning untill you explain it, and to me thats not worthy of merit.
But take alook on here, the skill level is very high, now think about the scale of england and similar forums.
Mostly everyone on here takes pictures of landscape and cityscape because frankly its very easy.
I have to develop meaning in my work, something that is lacking here.

The digital age has made it a lot harder for the professionally qualified photographer because any tom dick or harry can take a shot, think it looks good instantly and sell it(maybe).

I am in now way saying its not possible, however when i leave i hope that my qualification, practise and ability will make me stand out from the average joe.
Remember im trying to follow my dream just as he is, are you saying what im doing is a waste of time. I should just make my portfolio and go out and get my dream job???
To have an art which most digital photographers would simply not know and struggle at. I,e film development, enlargement, printing, studio, lighting and the ability to read into a shot, is somehting i think is very important, and i hope any prespective employer would too.

Thats my opinion and im sticking to it.

 

[cyKey]

I would have thought in this digital age film development wouldn't be too important a skill. You can send it off to professional companies who will be able to do it quickly. I was at a discussion a few weeks back and it was pointed out there are basically no public film development labs in Merseyside/North West. Sure learning studio lighting is important but you can learn that on your own. Yes architecture / landscapes are easy to shoot but there is still a level of skill involved to seperate the men from the boys. I was recently told by a Manchester based photographer that my shot of the Lowry Bridge, the one that won the previous comp, was the best she's seen of the bridge in a long time. She was a professional photographer of 20 years.

You say that the digital age has made it harder for good photographers to get jobs. Well I'm not convinced. I used to do web design. We would get clients who wanted the earth because their mate could do a website using Dreamweaver for £50. You know the best thing to do with those clients? Tell them to get their mate to do it. The same thing will apply to photography. If someone can't appreciate the difference between their mate who is cheap and a professional who is expensive then tell them to get lost. I do often. By the way I was a professional web designer without a degree in web design. I was self taught there too. I knew more than anyone at the company I was hired at too. I do have a degree but I do feel that experience is far greater than qualifications. Look at the guys on that Papperazi show. One of their top pap's was a lorry driver.

Your skill will make you stand out from the average joe, not the letters after your name. During our final year at university we were discussing the other people on our course. There was no way in hell we would employ any of them after they left uni. So they had a degree. That meant they knew the basics of networking, the waterfall model, how computers worked and so on. Nothing you couldn't learn on your own.

You say you have to develop meaning in your work. But you don't say what your ideal work is? I can't see how you develop meaning in architecture shots. Maybe that is why I'll never be a great architecture photographer, but then saying that I can't think of a photo of a bridge thats had as much meaning as a poem by Wordsworth.

I do know plenty of photographers that don't have degrees that have big names asking for them. If you feel its the route for you then keep going and I hope your are succesful. I don't feel its what I need to be successful. I know what I'm doing is working because I have people ringing me asking to work with me. The coolest thing that happened to me this year was out on a shoot and some guy had heard of me. Networking is key. Doesn't matter how skilled you are, how many letters you have after your name. If no-one knows you are out there its all useless.

Good luck to us all

 

[glitch]

I really do yes, and im not learning fine art. Its photography BA(hons).

The only reason I asked was that I couldn't be sure if you were taking the **** or not. If you believe in it then I take my hat off to you.

I've broken your comments down into manageable pieces so we can have a discussion about what you've just said. I appreciate that this is normally the tactic of someone trying to rip the previous post to shreds, so thought I'd set the record straight from the off.

Dont get me wrong im not saying its not possible, maybe for sport and such, but anyone who works for national geographic, time, vogue, the sun, whatever will probably have had to go through some sort of schooling

A lot of the photographers working on the publications you listed will have served their time as apprentices and assistants to the photographers who came before them. I really wouldn't have thought that they would have been able to do a degree like yours and then jump straight into a job from the off.

What's the success rate (for want of a better term) for your course/uni? Have many students gone straight into their dream jobs?

I hate it just as much as you guys, i see no art in it, no skill, and no meaning untill you explain it, and to me thats not worthy of merit.

Can you explain it then? I'd be interested to hear what you've got to say.

But take alook on here, the skill level is very high, now think about the scale of england and similar forums.
Mostly everyone on here takes pictures of landscape and cityscape because frankly its very easy.
I have to develop meaning in my work, something that is lacking here.

I see your point but I don't understand why you have to develop meaning in your work. Why does there have to be meaning, why can't the picture just speak for itself?

Is this something that is specific to a certain type of photography or are you saying that every picture should have meaning behind it?

The digital age has made it a lot harder for the professionally qualified photographer because any tom dick or harry can take a shot, think it looks good instantly and sell it(maybe).

Fair enough but you're missing out an important part of the puzzle - the buyer.

Your average punter doesn't care about quality or meaning or how much effort you put into the image. For the most part they want something that looks nice and will go with the decor of their house/room. As photography becomes more and more mainstream and in reach of the general public it's going to get harder for your professional who makes a living selling prints to continue making that living.

Again, are you talking about a specific branch of photography or are you generalising?

I am in now way saying its not possible, however when i leave i hope that my qualification, practise and ability will make me stand out from the average joe.
Remember im trying to follow my dream just as he is, are you saying what im doing is a waste of time. I should just make my portfolio and go out and get my dream job???

And what is your dream job, ChroniC? Do you have your sights set on a particular company or agency or are you aspiring to be a fashion photographer, etc?

To have an art which most digital photographers would simply not know and struggle at. I,e film development, enlargement, printing, studio, lighting and the ability to read into a shot, is somehting i think is very important, and i hope any prespective employer would too.

Where do you think these skills will come in handy? Personally I would have thought that if every student coming through had the same skills, assuming that this is taught across the board, that you would need something extra to attract the eyes of a potential employer.

Also, can we see some of your work? Do you have anything from your course that we could take a look at? Might be a nice idea if you can expain the meaning behind your work while you're at it, I'm sure it will help some of us (or most likely, me!) to understand where you are coming from.

 

[Johnny|lucidcomposure]

Just going off a comment made about been able to go out and shoot landscapes..

Well I concerntrate my efforts in portrait photography which is obviously something you cant just go out and do. I feel I am needing to produce successful people skills which again as a role of a photographer isnt just what he does with a camera, Its his whole attitude to work and his visial and verbal skills.

I like to try a bit of all styles of photography to make a generalized portfolio. During the last 9 months I have made back getting on for 500 quid in prints alone to clients who I have produced a portrait moment of younglings.

My ambition is to work with both male and females within a studio and on location for credible portraits.

Going off what Peter mentioned about his bridge shot in relation to a Pro. a lot of pros will admit to requiring the assistance of new blood for newer concepts. Its the same as a CD with a Design company and mainly advertising. A person starts to repeat patterns and can become obsolete within a few 10s of years.