Making money in the photogaphy field. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Question

If you make money in photography, could you please tell me where and how. How did you get started? Any help would be great.

Answer 1

You need a folio as Doc rightly says - you've got to show people what they are buying if they are going to buy it.

Then you have to decide how to reach your prospective customers... so first you need to decide what aspect of photography you're best at... and then how to reach your particular target market. So young professionals might hang around certain sports and leisure clubs for example, which is where you might be able to get their attention, through some printed flyers, postcards or even a digital photo frame.

I got started by getting photos published by Gamma Press, through them I got images published in magazines like Le Monde, Stern, Figaro and The Sunday Times. From there I approached major companies, won a calendar deal and ended up with a lot of blue chip clients after it reached the final / exhibition stage of the UK calendar awards.

From there I decided I needed a studio, which meant entering the social market (weddings and portraits), buying a house and a studio in my second year as a photographer.

I was flexible and I think this helped me to get clients... the most important thing was to deliver what they wanted, when they wanted it. I was also proactive - I called and met with major companies to show them my work.

Many professionals are let down by things that should never ever get in the way of them getting the business, such as failing to follow up meetings and quotes promptly, turning up late, dressing inappropriately - so I guess the moral of my particular story is to find out what your client needs and do your utmost to surpass their expectations in every way possible.

I've ended up doing an incredibly wide range of work and it's been very rewarding: aerial, underwater, fashion, photomicroscopy, portraits, products, PR, architecture, art galleries, weddings, nudes, landscapes among others.

This lead me into consulting for imaging companies, publications for camera manufacturers, public speaking and training for a variety of photographic organisations and even camera inventions. I've been incredibly fortunate but along the way I've worked hard like many of my colleagues, often 100 hours a week or more, month in month out, year in year out. I think you have to be a little obsessive compulsive to get to the top - everything has it's flip side!

It's not the glamour job most people think it is and the fact is that you have to keep raising the bar on your quality if your clients are to be happily surprised. So you have to provide a combination:
Image quality is paramount.
Followed by customer service.
And your business skills also need to match your images and your service levels or you'll trip over through poor cash flow, lack of customers or inappropriate pricing.

There are a lot of people scrambling around in photography for low money, I think it's important to set your standards high and to price and deliver accordingly.

I hope that helps - you're welcome to mail me if I can give you any further advice or information.

Good luck - go for it!

Answer 2

There are many different ways. But, you will have to lay out a large amount of cash up front. First you need to decide what type of photography you want to do. Portraiture, Models, Fine Art, Children, pets or even porn. You will have to build a strong portfolio of work in your desired field. If you want to do Portraiture you may be able to apprentice with a local studio. If you want to work with models then you will have to hire 15-20 models out of your own pocket to build your portfolio. If you want to do Fine Art I suggest you go to a Good college ( I suggest S.I.U. Carbondale, Illinois) and get a degree in photography. If you want to do pets I suggest that you start going to State Fairs and hire on with a 4H or FFA family to do their animals for a few years.

Answer 3

2 years photography school, 1 year TV broadcasting school, a few years selling cameras.

i work for architects and anyone that pays. If you have the skills and knowledge to compete with the pros, write a business plan and impliment it.

the top fotogs make fine art like Anne Geddes, the rest survive off clients commissioning them to do shoots. or there are a few ones on salary.

get the skills and the knowledge then write and impliment a plan, if you havent been to photography school consider it, its the fastest way to learn the craft


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Answer 4

DUDE ME TOO! i'm fourteen and same thing i cant get a job here. i have to be fifteen. but anyway my mom told me the other day the animal shelters, they are always looking for people to help with puppies and kittens. running around with them, baithing them, feeding them. i've been looking into it. other options are: walking dogs for neighbors if you know someone who has their own business you can help there and they can pay you on the side. thats what my cousin did. so i hope i answerred your question :] good lucky.

Answer 5

Take pictures. Submit to newspapers in "Readers Pics", post on line, compose and mount for art shows and decorators. Get up the next morning and do it again.

Answer 6

u need a portfolio. go and take some pics of anything, friends, family , outdoors to build one up then advertise in the paper on wesites heck even here, or college boards word of mouth works good. Good Luck

Answer 7

Join a local competitive photo club, meet people in your area that want to do the same thing and learn from them.............this is the cheapest and most practical way of determining what you want and are willing to do.