Looking to connect with pro photographers

[synapseman]

I've also been shooting causally for more than a decade. I've also had thoughts about going pro. You may be good, but there are also many people out there who are at least as good as you. And don't say competing with fellow pros. Nowadays, with DSLRs and pirated copies of Photoshop CS2, the market is flooded with wannabe freelancers, some of whom can be quite good. They can afford to undercut everybody else without guilt.

How about a transition phase? Keep your dayjob, shoot on the side. Then see how. That's my personal plan anyway. This kind of business thing, a lot of it depends on luck and timing.

This kind of thing, don't anyhow rush. I also damn sick (as in really damn sian) of my job, but in this age of economic uncertainty, I really appreciate the stability. But like someone said, you won't know if you don't try. Then again, you have to be pragmatic also. If you're the sole breadwiner and/or putting food on the table to feed your family is a priority, then sorry, reality bites, keep your dayjob. HOWEVER, If you're young, single and living with your parents and/or you've got a very supportive spouse who's willing to support you financially, then you could give it a go.

All the best in your decision.

 

[smallaperture]

. Nowadays, with DSLRs and pirated copies of Photoshop CS2, the market is flooded with wannabe freelancers, some of whom can be quite good. They can afford to undercut everybody else without guilt.

All the best in your decision.

Yes, it is true that many amateurs in CS can post professional standard pictures in the galleries. And amateurs own professional dSLR, pro lenses and other accessories as well.

Street Festival event coverage - asked for amateur volunteers to cover the event. Under average lighting conditions, just set everything to auto and what you need to do is compose and shoot. I usually get better results that way than to meddle around with all kinds of adjustments and settings.:bsmilie: Sounds not that difficult to be a mediocre photog.

To be a superlative photog is of course a different ballgame.

 

[arty]

May i introduce a difference between a pro photographer and a respected photographer?
Although a lot of people can be viewed as both pro and respected, there is a HUGE difference.

A pro photographer is doing money, trying to survive and able to shoot FOR THE CUSTOMER.
That means that when you go for a wedding you are able to listen to what the customer wants : the families have different expectations, you WOULD LIKE balck and white and THEY want saturated colors... So money talks and visa card ....
The same for agencies they have very strict requirements : some want minimum of size ( 200 MB !!!! ), etc nothing to do sometimes with what YOU imagine or dream.

Now the respected photographer makes photos we are not able to make, is repected by his peers and able to give something NEW to the world of Photography.
Many people here are amateurs but try to give this feeling of beauty and therefore are respected for their work, without being "pro" in the first sense.


VERY RARE are the photographers talented enough to be able to SHOOT for themselves and making money out of that. But they exist. So you have to know what you deeply want.
A pro photographer is not always "free" to do what he deeply wants...

 

[JLee]

Hi Todd,

Maybe you can use me as an example. I only owned my first SLR in 2003 at the age of 35 while I already have 3 young children. I lost my 'normal 9 to 5' job a year later and at 36 and without any paper qualifications, what can I do? So I bite the bullet and took the plunge into full-time photography by trading my SLR for a DSLR. Mind you I have housing loan and car loan to service too. Starting full-time photography at age 36 is no fun at all! Begginers should be teenagers or at least early 20s but NOT at 36! Don't you think so? LOL!

Self taught and with only a year of experience of handling SLR camera, I'm the so called "amateur with a DSLR and CS" running around soliciting jobs and being 'look down' by PROFESSIONAL and the so called PRO-PRO.

Well, June 2006 is just around the corner and I'm still doing photography full-time, still putting bread & butter for my family, still paying bills, still sending all my 3 kids to school but no luxury life and holidays for the last 2 years. Luckily my wife is also working and very supportive to my 'hobby' and passion. I'm still struglling most of the time but when I'm on assignments, I quietly smile to myself because I know I'm living my dream & passion and I wouldn't trade my job for any other job in this world. Good luck to whatever decision you make.

 

[Belle&Sebastain]

Hi Todd,

Maybe you can use me as an example. I only owned my first SLR in 2003 at the age of 35 while I already have 3 young children. I lost my 'normal 9 to 5' job a year later and at 36 and without any paper qualifications, what can I do? So I bite the bullet and took the plunge into full-time photography by trading my SLR for a DSLR. Mind you I have housing loan and car loan to service too. Starting full-time photography at age 36 is no fun at all! Begginers should be teenagers or at least early 20s but NOT at 36! Don't you think so? LOL!

Self taught and with only a year of experience of handling SLR camera, I'm the so called "amateur with a DSLR and CS" running around soliciting jobs and being 'look down' by PROFESSIONAL and the so called PRO-PRO.

Well, June 2006 is just around the corner and I'm still doing photography full-time, still putting bread & butter for my family, still paying bills, still sending all my 3 kids to school but no luxury life and holidays for the last 2 years. Luckily my wife is also working and very supportive to my 'hobby' and passion. I'm still struglling most of the time but when I'm on assignments, I quietly smile to myself because I know I'm living my dream & passion and I wouldn't trade my job for any other job in this world. Good luck to whatever decision you make.

wow! my story is similar to yours, i was driven to photography when i was working in a video production house. With uncertain pay times, i forced myself not to depend only on one income and started freelancing in photography, the last straw for me to turn pro is to see the industry i was trained was sadly out of place in singapore (sunset industry) and the retranchment was my calling.

June 2006, my wife and i are still working hard to make our dreams come thru, we are working on our art and have rejected a few clients that do not fit into our concepts and ideas of photography or we know will not enjoy our work as much as most of our valued clients. Almost all our clients go beyond business and we still keep in touch. Recently one of my client is expecting and she call us to tell us the good news! Its like seeing the coming of families, so powerful and moving.

I love and treasure my work, it has humbled me and to share joy and laughter with my clients makes my job one of the greatest i could ever wish for.:lovegrin: