try to understand this,
a backup photographer is a replacement photographer,
if the main photographer think the backup photographer is competent for the job scope,
he will be hired.
Financial advice .
- Thread starter loozhengyuan
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a backup photographer is a replacement photographer,
if the main photographer think the backup photographer is competent for the job scope,
he will be hired.
So there is still a possibility being hired right ? Thats so cool .
And that do most event coverers shoot in RAW ?
my suggestion is to brush up your skills until you can be proud enough of your images.
otherwise providing a half-past-six photography service, unless you have little work pride and don't mind taking money and fleecing people and giving them crap in return....
that, in my opinion, deserves a whole load of contempt.
let me be more direct,
I can only speak for myself but not other photographers,
I will be very carefully about hiring a backup photographer,
will look at his works, attitude, characters,
only hire the right people to the job right,
as I tie my reputation to the backup photographer.
While being an assistant photographer does help you gain a little experience, I wouldn't advise you to do that since photography would be more of a job than an art for you to enjoy. Most of the time, you would be helping your main photographer with carrying things like lighting equipment etc. I would personally suggest you go and enjoy the more fun side of photography for the time being... The June hols are coming soon, go out and shoot 
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Much agreeed . So its still not easy , i would say .
While being an assistant photographer does help you gain a little experience, I wouldn't advise you to do that since photography would be more of a job than an art for you to enjoy. Most of the time, you would be helping your main photographer with carrying things like lighting equipment etc. I would personally suggest you go and enjoy the more fun side of photography for the time being... The June hols are coming soon, go out and shoot
I need the money i earn to fund my equipments . Money dont come as easy for me than you , sadly . I still believe its an art . But if my parents bought this camera , the least i could do i make something out of it . I can see from your profile you own more than a 1D . 1D is like , what OMG ! Our age gap also not say very wide , but 1D ! *Faints*
for me, there is a basic level of service that any photographer should provide to clients.
if you charge $3 per job and deliver overexposed photos, blur photos that the client does not want.. then it doesn't matter. it's just a job done badly.
even if you work for free, you should have some amount of work pride. never start what you can't finish properly.. or at least try your best to do so. if you know that you can't, then brush up first.
starting off as a backup will help, but more importantly, having a firm grounding in the technicalities will help you adapt to situations better instead of fumbling with that as well.
Just like you, I am also a student. I started out photography just like you, mainly constrained by budget issues. I ended up buying about half of my equipment second-hand to cut expenditure.
Your set-up is already pretty decent enough so don't worry too much about equipment, just go and enjoy photography!
BTW, stock photography is a nice way to earn a little cash from your photography without you having to do events. It does take quite awhile for you to start earning though... On the other hand, I never bothered with stock photography since it was pretty troublesome to wait for images to be reviewed and accepted. I ended up setting up a small "business" to earn a little cash last december selling prints of my work, donating the profits to charity (Red Cross) and earning a little to buy some equipment.
Your set-up is already pretty decent enough so don't worry too much about equipment, just go and enjoy photography!
BTW, stock photography is a nice way to earn a little cash from your photography without you having to do events. It does take quite awhile for you to start earning though... On the other hand, I never bothered with stock photography since it was pretty troublesome to wait for images to be reviewed and accepted. I ended up setting up a small "business" to earn a little cash last december selling prints of my work, donating the profits to charity (Red Cross) and earning a little to buy some equipment.
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Oh that was awhile ago when I bought my old 1D Mk2 from my cousin for about $1.5k. Trust me... It was extremely well used and probably does not cost much more than your D90. Try to buy second hand to get the most value for your money
Im very interested by the idea of the business . I heard that stock is a long investment . But its too long for me . Can you elaborate on your business ?
But there are some instances by which the equipment has hidden faults . You're lucky that its your cousin . For me , its the mutual trust between me and another CS-er .
Yes that is a possibility. That is a chance you have to take. But you need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of buying second hand stuff, whether it is bought from someone you know. As a rule of thumb I keep, I never buy second-hand digital cameras, bags and memory cards. Most other things such as lenses are okay since there is a lower chance of them having problems.
A second hand is hard for me to believe in . I am still very inspired by your business . Kindly elaborate in detail . Thanks ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT !
TS could always find a non-photography part time job ...if you are more concerned about funding your own equipment at the moment, you do not have to restrict yourself to photog related jobs. Of course there is the learning value that you wanna use to build on in the long term, but you are still young, got plenty of time to learn and gain experience...
As what others have mentioned, could spend the time getting better with what you have first..once you can show others how good you are, it would be easier to land hands on paying jobs.
Assistant / 2nd photog jobs are hard to come by, not high in frequency, i dun think you would be able to find many to fill up your holiday unless u are really really lucky.
As what others have mentioned, could spend the time getting better with what you have first..once you can show others how good you are, it would be easier to land hands on paying jobs.
Assistant / 2nd photog jobs are hard to come by, not high in frequency, i dun think you would be able to find many to fill up your holiday unless u are really really lucky.
What you say is very true . I try to find photog jobs because they pay better than mac's 4.50/hr . And that my june hols are semi-filled . I want to look for something thats freelance , something that pay when i have nothing better to do . I played with what i have until im hungry to fish for a prime and a flash . I must agree with others who believe that what i said is an excuse , and that photography is a freedom and you can always find something nice to shoot . So now that im trying to earn some bucks to filter out my expense , while getting more experience in photography . yeah .
guys. anyone missing a point?
he is under 16 years old. legally i dun think u can hire him to work for u. even as part time on holidays.
then again it could be 14. and he would be allowed. but i dun think anyone will wanna risk it.
i'll give u an advice. focus on ur studies. dun try and go out and shoot as a so called "professional" photographer.
i tried myself and i am not going back again. there will always be ppl who try to fleece u, by saying help me shoot 100 apparels as product photography and they say give u nil dollars, not even coffee money, asks u to give up all the rights and will spare 2-3 photos for ur port folio. if tats wad u want so be it. i'm just speaking from my own experience.
even when i tried to run a sch mini studio shoot, i only ran 2 hours long, and total revenue was abt... wad. 200 bucks? i had to deliver the photos so its stressful, and i charged cheaply (which i regretted), and all proceeds go to charity. its not easy to do as work. i rather be doing macdonals or construction work (which i do as part time), than try out photography.
u need a portfolio first. and u dun build portfolios by shooting for ppl. u shoot them urself.
then u have to understand creative directions, lights, etc.
and point to note. sometimes charging cheaply isnt helping matters. product photography eg u charge 1 pic 5 bucks. think abt the other stuff. ur own equipment time etc. is it worth it? charging cheaper dun mean u produce sub quality work. if u do i rather u dun shoot at all. pay peanuts get monkeys. but ur client will never return to u again.
what i suggest: try approach ur sch's cca. and try see if u can run some events for the sch. dun think so far out, start small.
tats my 2 cents. hope it helps.
he is under 16 years old. legally i dun think u can hire him to work for u. even as part time on holidays.
then again it could be 14. and he would be allowed. but i dun think anyone will wanna risk it.
i'll give u an advice. focus on ur studies. dun try and go out and shoot as a so called "professional" photographer.
i tried myself and i am not going back again. there will always be ppl who try to fleece u, by saying help me shoot 100 apparels as product photography and they say give u nil dollars, not even coffee money, asks u to give up all the rights and will spare 2-3 photos for ur port folio. if tats wad u want so be it. i'm just speaking from my own experience.
even when i tried to run a sch mini studio shoot, i only ran 2 hours long, and total revenue was abt... wad. 200 bucks? i had to deliver the photos so its stressful, and i charged cheaply (which i regretted), and all proceeds go to charity. its not easy to do as work. i rather be doing macdonals or construction work (which i do as part time), than try out photography.
u need a portfolio first. and u dun build portfolios by shooting for ppl. u shoot them urself.
then u have to understand creative directions, lights, etc.
and point to note. sometimes charging cheaply isnt helping matters. product photography eg u charge 1 pic 5 bucks. think abt the other stuff. ur own equipment time etc. is it worth it? charging cheaper dun mean u produce sub quality work. if u do i rather u dun shoot at all. pay peanuts get monkeys. but ur client will never return to u again.
what i suggest: try approach ur sch's cca. and try see if u can run some events for the sch. dun think so far out, start small.
tats my 2 cents. hope it helps.
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