Right well here is my situation.. I’m 17, in my first year of sixth form studying English Language, Sociology and Fine Art. I’m expected to get B’s at the end of the year. As much as i like school and the subjects i do, there isn’t anything i want to do at University.

My hobby is photography, i just have a normal digital camera. No knowledge of light, lenses, composition or anything like that. But i still want to be a photographer, as in Weddings, family photos, model portfolios, landscapes e.t.c. I’ve seen photography courses at various University’s, but non of them are what i want. So, here is my proposal, and i want you guys to tell me if its realistic.

1.For my 18th Birthday (in September) my parents are willing to buy me a professional camera, then get some practise with that.
2. Finish my A Levels in July 2011, and have good grades to fall back on.
3. During that summer, get a job (as in a shop assistant or something) to get money. At the same time go to a photography course to gain knowledge and skills.
4. After the course start doing one off jobs for people (Cheap but enough to make a bit of profit), and advertise myself in shop windows/the internet/newspaper e.t.c.
5. Hopefully my business will grow and grow into something professional.

Is this realistic/a good idea? I don’t mind the truth

Hi

I own a commercial studio (take a look at www.powerhousephoto.co.uk) and we get lots of people coming to us for advice on how to get into this industry. My advice to you is based on what’s worked for the vast majority of photographers working in my region, and the ones working here:

Try and get some work experience in local studios (You may have to work for nothing) during your summer time. Just a couple of weeks work will at least give you the reality of doing this as a profession – you will either be encouraged or give it up as a bad idea.

Go to uni and do a degree in photography or an hnd at a college. This will teach you the fundamentals and lots of practical skills (It takes years to perfect, so 2-3 yrs at Uni is time well spent) I’d recommend Blackpool and Newcastle as two respected for Photography. I’m sure there are others (Leeds is getting better) During your summer time, hire yourself out as a photography assistant to local commercial studios. Expect to get paid 50-75/day – it;s not great money but it;s fantastic experience.

After Uni, try and get a job at a studio, or go freelance and continue assisting. In the meantime, build up your own portfolio and style. By this time you will understand the industry and what sells.

Next step is freelance photographer – u can work for studios and try to get your own independent commissions.Day rates vary from 200 – 300/day pending experience/how good you are. Once you have built up enough of your own commissions, you can go it alone with your own studio.

Overall time to get from where you are now to up with your own independent business is 5+ years.

Hope this helps

Neil

Managing Director
Powerhouse Photography

http://www.powerhousephoto.co.uk

I just graduated in Fine Arts – Studio Photography – I did plan on obtaining a masters in art administration; however, I had a baby in my last semester and that plan vanished. I figure my only option with a new baby and three other children is to start my own business. The problem is since I studied as a Fine Art student my knowledge in digital is very limited. I always had a point and shoot digital and I received a SLR digital a few months ago. My knowledge is growing everyday but I also need to learn color because I’m use to black and white film.

My current (very simple) plan is the following:
(Background knowledge: I do live in a enriched art community – I do not have a lot of money – current equipment- film and digital SLR, clip lamps, white and black cloth backgrounds and no studio just a area in my house)

The plan. Starting out I want to sell my work on the internet and outdoor art markets. In addition,start to take outdoor photos of children, single adults and couples. I do not have expertise with weddings so I’m nerves about that.

Question – Do anyone have any advice for me? How to get started on a small budget? If the plan is going in a good direction? If I should look into another direction? Equipment I need to buy the is not expensive? Advice on marketing is needed. Feel free to give additional advice.
Thank you!

From my experience, it’s possible but it’s going to be hard and grueling. Photography is a job with hard competition, you have to be extremely good or extremely original. I’m not saying you can’t do it, just keep that in mind. The best thing I can say is to get involved with social networking sites(ie. Myspace, facebook, DeviantART, redbubble modelmayhem etc.) and promote yourself through there. It won’t cost you anything either. You can also sell your photos through deviantart and redbubble but its hard.(I’ve only sold 1 print through deviantart). Modelmayhem is the best way to go if you need models to start off with. They will work for free a lot of the time.

You can also make cheap fliers if you have an understanding of photoshop, print them out at staples or something, not too expensive. post them around town. (not sure if that’s illegal or not where you live though haha, it is here)

As for equipment I’m not so great on that… I’d say start off with some cheap studio equipment, a softbox or photography umbrella. The backgrounds will be good. You can also depend on the natural areas around where you live for photography, (that’s what I do and it works pretty nicely).

You already have a good camera though so that should be all that’s really necessary until you build up a portfolio. just be resourceful and use everything around you.

I hope that helps. I’m not an expert on studio photography, I mostly work with bands and models in the alternative scene(music, underground, metal scene) so I mostly do conceptual/themed shoots and I take pictures at concerts for bands as well as promo shoots. I’m also a photoshopper.
Heres a couple of my pictures if you care to take a look hah: http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd10/your_maja/efde2a5ef5af65482763a18ba38d19ca.jpg
and

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd10/your_maja/Sometimes___by_korn13blind.jpg

I hope that helps you out! My style is probably way different than yours though so you may have to take different paths to get to your destination of your self owned business. Good luck though!

I have a few plain muslins. I have the 20′ by 10′ muslin scaffold. I am looking to do weddings and pictures of familys either in or outdoors. A lot of my family and friends want portraits done for themselves or for christmas cards. I own a DJ business and would love to do the photography and DJ to save people money. I looked at a few cameras..I dont need it to do video but want nice solid pictures. Looking to spend no more than 500$ am I out of luck or is there a VERY nice digital camera for under 500$?
I have a few plain muslins. I have the 20′ by 10′ muslin scaffold. I am looking to do weddings and pictures of familys either in or outdoors. A lot of my family and friends want portraits done for themselves or for christmas cards. I own a DJ business and would love to do the photography and DJ to save people money. I looked at a few cameras..I dont need it to do video but want nice solid pictures. Looking to spend no more than 500$ am I out of luck or is there a VERY nice digital camera for under 500$?

*NOTE I assumed that taking classes and getting some experience was a given ..but I do plan on doing these things. I am looking for a decent starter camera..I have seen cameras for over 5K but I am not looking to be a prfesional over night..and for those who are going to say "another photographer..great" comment somewhere else ..I am serious about the craft and looking for advice. I dont plan on being the worlds greatest tomorrow.. I have a DJ comp. with no exp & one of the best

You may be in for a rude awakening. A $500 camera is not going to make you a wedding photographer. Neither will a $5000 camera, nor any combination of equipment, no matter how much it costs. It doesn’t sound like you are ready to shoot weddings. First you need know how and experience, and from your question it appears you have neither. The fact is, you cannot get set up to professionally photograph weddings for $500, at least not in digital. Shooting weddings is not like taking snapshots, or even doing portraits for Christmas cards. Also if you are the DJ, it would be impossible to do the photography and keep the music going.

If you are interested in the photography of weddings, ask a wedding pro if you can shadow them for a wedding or two, maybe carry gear or set up light stands. You will need a solid foundation in the basics of photography, either through school or from shooting for several years as a serious hobbiest. You will need to plan to apprentice with an established photographer for a season or two. Then you will need equipment, at a bare minimum two bodies, two flashes, several fast (expensive) lenses covering a focal range from wide angle to telephoto, and the brackets, cords, diffusers etc etc that go along with all that stuff. Not to mention a fast computer, Adobe Photoshop, and the post processing skill to go along with it.

Shooting weddings ain’t brain surgery, but it requires more skill and experience to do well than many people realize. Not to mention a hefty investment in equipment. Do some research into the business, read Steve Sint’s book "Wedding Photography: Art, Business and Style" before you decide to go any further.

I’m thinking I may want to start a home-based photography business in the next couple years – weddings, senior pictures, things like that. I was wondering if anyone had any advice/recommendations. I know I’ll need a professional quality digital camera, an office in my home, good photo editing software, and maybe some set ups for pictures. I’m kind of confused, when you use a digital camera, and edit online, where do you get the prints from? Do you order them online? Do you order them from a photolab? Any advice/recommendations will be greatly appreciated, thanks!
Some of you can be VERY condescending. I am planning on taking some photography classes when I get the time. I know I’m not a professional. I just wanted some information on it. And people telling me that I have a lot to learn turns out to not be so helpful. Some people are so snotty….By the way I live in a small midwestern town, I am by no means intending on becoming a "professional".

I actually do this. I set up a website advertising my services and for the first two months, I did free portrait sessions for people- to build up a solid portfolio and get my name out.

I never have appointments in my home unless my husband is here and I only do away portraits in public places like parks, etc. Too dangerous these days.

I use Adobe Photoshop CS to do minor touch ups. I have a professional quality Konica Minolta.

It’s a fun business, but the business fluctuates. I get a lot of people around Christmas and senior portrait time- the rest of the year, it’s pretty slow. Not a good idea for a way to pay bills, but it definitely pays off for "extra" or "fun" money.

I do my prints through PE Photos online. THey have software you can download to your computer that will allow you to put together a package and then order prints and they’re CHEAP- between $0.06 and $10.00 a print up to a 20×30, which is the largest anyone ever orders, depending on the size.

Good luck!

Hi. I’d like to start a pet and event photography business and I have a question about internet photo purchasing software. I’d like to know if there is a software out there which would let me post thumbnails of photos-for-purchase on a website. I envision a gallery of thumbnails- much the same as free photo websites such as flickr or facebook.

These thumbnails, however, would be protected by a digital "Sample" watermark. Clients could view them freely and then choose which ones to purchase. Clients then pay either full price and I would mail them the prints, or pay half price for the watermark to be removed so that they could print the photos at home.

Obviously, clients would have to be able to enter credit and debit card numbers on this website, so it would have to be a software which is https compatible.

Does software of this type exist? Thanks.

This will do what you want http://www.backprint.com/faq.asp?PID=bp%1A

Hey guys, I am starting a self run photography business where I go to local businesses (store fronts, tables, bars ect inside and out) shoot images for their promotional use, what ever that may be.

Basically I am going to go shoot the business for 30 minutes to 1 hour and present them with a water marked CD with the images(20-30 best images). I am shooting for free and will only charge should the owner want any images.

Heres my question. Should I sell by the image or for the whole CD of the best images (20-30)? And depending on the answer how much? Should I sell both options? I will not be printing anything, just digital images on a disc.

I am not a pro but have been into photography for a while and have interned at a top tear studio as an editor. Thank you!
Oh and is JPEG the best format to give a business?

You charge what the market will bear… don’t sell yourself cheap! You will get the reputation of being the guy that works for nothing, and that is what you will be offered in the future.

Don’t give the client RAW files.

If you want them to have high quality images, you process the RAW files, and save the edited result as TIFF for the client. May want to save each image twice, actually, a "display" folder with JPG and a TIFF folder with the images ready for whatever the client wants to do with them. That gives them the option of using whichever will best meet their needs, while you maintain the "negative" in the RAW file.

Also, most RAW formats require proprietary viewers, or at least Photoshop, to see. The local bakery probably can’t *see* the RAW format files.

i have an ok job but not a "career". I will be in my early 40’s when i obtain this degree if all goes well. I would like to hear from a real life photographer or someone in the business to inform me whether or not getting a degree in digital photography would be a waste of time instead of pursing a more traditional degree such as in business? i have no type of degree now but i desparately want to obtain one. i know that i would gain a lot of knowledge and have a lot of fun at the same time in taking the course because i have a passion for photography, but in the end, would it be worthwhile? how competitive is the business of photography? is there money to be made especially to help pay off my school loans when i’m done? i could really use a older person’s opinion and soon. I begin registration in a couple of days. thanks all. and please, no stupid answers. this is my future i’m asking for help on.

As stated before, age isn’t a limitation. If this is something you want to do, then do it. However…

Photography is a widely growing industry. Unfortunately every schmuck out there believes they can be a photographer even when they truly suck. So not only are you competing with professionals you are competing with people who put less effor and time into the business.

Location is another thing to concider. What’s the market like in your area? Do you have 10 other photographers who’ve been established in that area for years? If so, then you are going to have a hard time getting into the market in that area. Even if you are cheaper, people will 90% of the time pay more to go with the bigger names.

Also, not everyone can be a photographer. You can only learn so much. A lot of it is natural ability. Some people just can’t see light or composition no matter how hard they try. To test yourself, take some photos with a disposable camera that you think are good and post them to get a professional opinion. It’s a start.

Also, photography does involve a start up cost. A good DSLR will cost you at least $800. Additional DSLR lenses will start at $400 and go up as you decide to purchase better lenses. An additional flash (that is of good quality) will cost you a minimum of $150 which you will need because the on camera flash won’t work. Next you need media cards for your camera. It’s always good to have at least 2. You don’t want the generic Wal-Mart brand as they are 75% more likely to have problems then a pro grade media card. a 1GB media card starts at $79.99. Those costs alone bring you close to $1000.

Also, depending on the type of photography you get into, there is insurance, albums, cost of printing, organization membership, frames, mattes, sprays, framing supplies, album supplies and much more depding on the route you go. Again, all of that costs money.

Photography can be a very rewarding career to get into. It can also be a very, very slow startup as you first get your feet wet. However, once all that is past, it’s quite fun.

I have a photography business currently but my name is a mouthful (Dimension Digital Imaging) and the word Dimension doesn’t really have anything to do with what I do. I want to somehow incorporate my name, first or last or even both, and what I do… but I want the name to be short and easy to say.

I do portraits, weddings, restoration/hand coloring/retouching.

The only idea I have so far is Crystal Photographics or Crystal Images.
Umm forgot to put in my last name, it is Chalmers. Not a very great name so I think my business name might end up only using my first name.

Shutter Priority

I own business in my country ( in car field). However, I am photographer so i plan to start photography business ( Digital and video photography). I have been in Los Angeles for 2 months to study filmmaker but it takes long time. I can’t leave my business for long time.
also i found so many photography workshops but i don’t know what should i start
please advise me

Pick one or the other: understand that both are very hard to succeed in. You won’t have time for both.

Photography and motion pictures share a few expendables, and the resemblance ends there. Don’t think a film is just "24 still frames per second"- there is ever so much more involved – and actually getting one made is about as difficult as going to the moon.

I’m starting a photography business. An old friend wants some photos of her band and for me to design the album cover. I thought about giving her the digital files so she can have them for whatever else. How much should I charge for everything or give me a price for the digital files of the photos (yes, will be high resolution).

Your photographs have worth if your friend wants to use them for her CD cover. The idea posed by others to do it for free is, in my opinion, bad business and bad for the friendship. Is your friend giving the CD away for free? I doubt it. So why should you give your work away for free? With that said, you should charge an hourly rate for designing her CD cover and a usage fee (based on how many CD’s she is going to produce) for the actual image. Personally I wouldn’t give her the high resolution shots for other uses unless she paid for that as well. What you charge, though, should be based on the uniqueness of the image and what the market is willing to pay. For bands that don’t earn a lot of money I don’t go overboard on my fees. I do, though, take into account how much they are going to sell the CD for and base my usage fee on a percentage of the first run using 1,000 CD’s as a starting point. If they do a first run of less then 1,000 CD’s I still use the 1,000 run point and will give them the license to cover that amount. If they do future runs (over 1,000) then the band will owe additional usage but it is still based on the initial percentage. Keep in mind that due to anti-trust laws I, nor should anyone else, give you actual rates in such a public forum. It gives the idea of price fixing which is against the law. Charge what you feel comfortable charging and by all means don’t give your work away. If you are serious about photography and want to be a professional then be one and charge for your work. If you charge pennies then you are telling others that your work is worth pennies.

You should go to the ASMP website for help on writing your terms and conditions. http://asmp.org/commerce/legal/terms_conditions/back.php
They also have info on model releases here:

http://asmp.org/commerce/legal/releases/

and a copyright tutorial here:

http://asmp.org/commerce/legal/copyright/

You might want to also consider joining ASMP’s Pro Advice forum on yahoo. It is open to members and non members and dedicated to helping emerging professional photographers. You can join by going here http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ASMPproAdvice/.
Keep in mind that they, too, won’t give you actual pricing info but you can respond or call someone directly if you have a specific question.

Hope that helps. And by all means, Do NOT give your work away.