Who does photography as a career?

[darreny]

My wife is considering a career change and has always enjoyed photography. She's due to start maternity leave soon and doesn't really want to go back after so we were talking about her maybe do portrait, more specifically children and new born. Now I know this is a saturated market, I know someone that does it and they didnt even know what camera they use and I'm not just talking model, brand too. So I was thinking about out and about shots and find good locations. I live in the Peak District so there a loads.
What are the ups and downs to this? What are the ways of maximising profit.

We have a Canon 70d and Sony rx100 mk1 atm so not strangers to photography it's the business we need to learn about.

Any help greatly appreciated

 

[Russinating]

Me, but mainly as a spin off to video production.

As you say, the photographic market is incredibly saturated by both professionals, but also anyone and their phone. The days of being able to charge for baby portraits for example are long gone for all but the best photographers and those customers with a decent amount of expendable income.

The latter reason is why the wedding industry is still strong - you can't take your own photos on your wedding day - but also incredibly saturated. Depending on her aspirations it could take years to make a reasonable living, assuming she's very good at both photography and business and is happy to work long days on weekends, especially throughout the summer.

You've already said you'll be using a camera that's now 5 years old, and who is going to pay more than £50 for you to take photos of their child or baby when they can take photos any time themselves, capturing the best moments, on a phone that's as good quality (as far as your average non-photographer is concerned)?

Sorry it's not more positive but this is the reason it's so saturated; lots of people who have a camera have decided to do something with it, one way or another.

Otherwise, let me know if you'd like any other advice.

 

[D.P.]

"doesn't really want to go back after"

Well that is the kicker really. Even if your wife was good enough, and I have serious reservations about that because someone that is genuinely good enough at photography to make a living of it wont be asking their spouse to get help form a forum, a photographic career has very long hours, lots of stress, relatively low pay and difficult working works (loose most of your Saturday at a wedding, or shoot an event in the evening). And there is no paid vacation, holidays, scik leave, pension, bonuses, health benefits, career progression etc.

SO why doesn't she want to go back to work? It would be a much easier path, liekly earn more, has more growth potential and will let her see more of her children.

If you want to maximize profit, get your wife back in to full time work ASAP and spend your free time shooting weddings. Weddings are about the only area you can make real money. For about 4 years I was shooting some events in the evenings, but that was almost entirely for fun and to make me feel less guilty about 1the 12Ks worth of equipment I had. I also used to sell micro and macro stock, but that is the most saturated market there is and the ship sailed for that about 15 years ago.

I am an avid photographer and would love to ditch my career and make a living form photography. I can tell you the absolute best way for me, and I did some fairly detailed business modeling, was to ignore the photography side itslef but run wildlife viewing and photography tours out of somewhere like Jackson Hole Wyoming. Take a load of rich tourists around on a minibus to the most likely locations, they pay a few hundred bucks for 3-4 hours. On the side you rent out equipment. No one likes going to these destinations with big lenses, and many don't own one, there are online rental places but many would prefer to pay $200 for a 500mm lens rented in person form you as they pay $400 a day for you to cart them about the place. A good destination has year round tourists. I just don't know a good European destination where this would work as well as Jackson Hole.
Also, if you build up a reputation then being a photographic travel guide can pay. Some of my favorite pro togs run these, they set you back about $5-8K for 10 days but includes accommodation. you would need to know the destination intimately.

But shooting babies and protraits, just not a good idea unless you are already such a well known photographer that it is already paying a living. Your wife is much betetr off going back to work and then go on photographic holidays

 

[darreny]

Thanks for the input.

She is a teacher atm working 26 miles away so a change of school would be on the cards anyway as with the long hours teachers already do plus the travelling time she doesn't get a lot of free time as it is. She didn't ask me to help and the photography side isn't the problem it's the business side and what the best model is. It's not something she's set her mind on just something we're considering for her to have a change of career.

 

[stuman]

I have just started out and have shot a few weddings and events now..... This is all alongside my normal 40hr/week job. It's a long road to be able to drop having a normal job and photo for a living.

There is a bit of money to be made, but unless you have been at it for years and are genuinely talented then it would be very (VERY) difficult to just drop into the market and mop up.

There are a few on here who do i believe do it as a primary job? So maybe wait until they arrive for some actual solid information.

This is where we are at. Slowly upping prices and getting stuff sharpened up (contracts, insurance, payment methods, advertising etc)

https://www.sj-images.co.uk

There is a lot that goes into running business... and the more you look into things the longer the to do list is.