Photography as a profession

[GeckoZ]

dun like that say..... u pro leh. ur camera bigger den mine... i newbie onli... still learning wads shuttle spid and aperature...... . hmmmm... what does shuttle have to do with aperature ??

someone in CS teach me use F22 and ISO1200 can get sharp pics leh... i dunno also.. i newbie.. :bsmilie:

The smaller the aperture, the sharper the photo mah! the higher the ISO, the brighter oso mah! :sticktong

Anyway, to everyone who replied my question in the 1st post, thanks a lot ar! I can see the difference between a professional and a hobbist now already. I'm still wondering how I should get a DSLR cos that time i begged my parents for a camera, I made the wrong decision and got myself a PowerShot S2, and it was only like 3 months ago? I bought it for $900+ and I guess it would be too absurd to get a DSLR so soon.. I wish I tio toto.

 

[_espn_]

Save up and get it. You'll treasure it more.

 

[glennyong]

The smaller the aperture, the sharper the photo mah! the higher the ISO, the brighter oso mah! :sticktong

Anyway, to everyone who replied my question in the 1st post, thanks a lot ar! I can see the difference between a professional and a hobbist now already. I'm still wondering how I should get a DSLR cos that time i begged my parents for a camera, I made the wrong decision and got myself a PowerShot S2, and it was only like 3 months ago? I bought it for $900+ and I guess it would be too absurd to get a DSLR so soon.. I wish I tio toto.

wahh... pro !! i see ....... i see.. ESPN u should learn this man..... smaller the aperature the sharper the photo, the higher the iso the brighter leh...... i seeee i seeeeee..... :thumbsup:

 

[_espn_]

wahh... pro !! i see ....... i see.. ESPN u should learn this man..... smaller the aperature the sharper the photo, the higher the iso the brighter leh...... i seeee i seeeeee..... :thumbsup:

I newbie.. I haven't even got my camera :cry:

 

[Canonised]

If you want to making a living as a photographer, you need to put in a lot of hard works, tears and sweats.

The first three years is very tough, long and erratic working hours, constantly working under great stress, unstable source of income, no person life, etc. If you want to stay in business, you have to endure the first three years, after which, life is not really getting any much better, it just show that you are getting use to it.

Haha .... which profession is not like that? ..... :bsmilie:

 

[glennyong]

I newbie.. I haven't even got my camera :cry:

learn first la... next time u can learn from him liao.......

 

[glennyong]

Haha .... which profession is not like that? ..... :bsmilie:

gigolo lo lo lo lo ... :bsmilie:

 

[_espn_]

learn first la... next time u can learn from him liao.......

*_espn_ jots down.

 

[GeckoZ]

_ESPN_ and Glenn really newbie meh?i tot i saw ESPN appearing in one of the TNP big walk comics also? dun bully me newbie leh? :bsmilie:

 

[_espn_]

_ESPN_ and Glenn really newbie meh?i tot i saw ESPN appearing in one of the TNP big walk comics also? dun bully me newbie leh? :bsmilie:

_espn_ is _espn_, there's another espn around I think, you got us mixed up liao

 

[shuee88]

Wah.. e pros calling themselves noobs.. then me and e others real noobs, no place to stand liao... =( - (OoPs.. Sorry 4 e OT here....)

 

[synapseman]

How serious you want to be?

Have this as your rice-bowl for the rest of your life?

Go to school. Take up a full-time course in photography from an established arts school. You may need to go overseas for this because as far as I can tell, local institutions like NAFA only offer photography modules, and not a full-certified course. Although people may say the portfolio is the most important, many big time pros have have certification from well known international institutions. Russel Wong did mention this as a key point for anyone wishing to turn pro. No matter how much you think you know, you don't realise how much you don't until you get back to basics.

 

[GeckoZ]

How serious you want to be?

Have this as your rice-bowl for the rest of your life?

Go to school. Take up a full-time course in photography from an established arts school. You may need to go overseas for this because as far as I can tell, local institutions like NAFA only offer photography modules, and not a full-certified course. Although people may say the portfolio is the most important, many big time pros have have certification from well known international institutions. Russel Wong did mention this as a key point for anyone wishing to turn pro. No matter how much you think you know, you don't realise how much you don't until you get back to basics.

I don't actually know what I am good at and had no idea which industry I wants to work in. I'm a Life science student in poly but I'm doing bad academically. My only interest is photography so I thought perhaps I should step into this line. But true enough, being a professional would take the passion away.

I need to know what kind of jobs are related to photography, and at the same time, can keep that passion, how about photojournalist?

 

[emetzlaff]

I would be afraid of changing my hobby to a profession. I enjoy photography too much. I feel that I would loose that feeling that i get when i shoot something that i like. For me its what i like and not for the paying customer who is expecting the best.

 

[synapseman]

I don't actually know what I am good at and had no idea which industry I wants to work in. I'm a Life science student in poly but I'm doing bad academically. My only interest is photography so I thought perhaps I should step into this line. But true enough, being a professional would take the passion away.

I need to know what kind of jobs are related to photography, and at the same time, can keep that passion, how about photojournalist?

Well, as this stage, keep persevering in your studies. Minimum also must pass. Don't think of photography as a way out w/o any backup papers. It's like suicide in S'pore, man. Remember, hobby is one thing. Hobby is always fun and interesting. But when it becomes a job/profession, your outlook may certainly change. Right now, you shoot the things you want to shoot, your way. When you work for people, you may be tasked to shoot damn sian subjects over and over and over again.

Read books, practice, take courses, build a portfolio, try out freelance work. Start out with charity organisations or CCs and volunteer to help them cover events. For photojournalists, from what I hear from some friends in the press, they tend to have very few full-time pros, and the rest are on contract basis. And even then, they're quite choosy who they want to hire. The way I see it, the only ways in are either 1) You're damn good, and/or 2) You got strings to pull.

Really, concentrate on getting your diploma first. Take your time to think. Some people may have a "go for it! Seize the day! You'll never know until you try!" attitude. Maybe it'll work for them. Maybe it'll work for you also, since you're quite young. For me, I'm a bit more pragmatic because I'm already past 30. I'm stuck in a job I'm not sure I like, but it's stable. Need money for family, and of course, for gear. No money, no gear, no talk.

This is not advice. This is merely opinion. Maybe it's because of my overly-cautious thinking that will forever condemn me to nothing more than a casual pro-wannabe? Whatever it is, all the best in your future, man.

 

[GeckoZ]

I would be afraid of changing my hobby to a profession. I enjoy photography too much. I feel that I would loose that feeling that i get when i shoot something that i like. For me its what i like and not for the paying customer who is expecting the best.

ya~ i kind of agrees with your point of view too.. but tt would left me with no job in the future, i'm afraid. Would free-lance photog be more suitable? :dunno:

 

[synapseman]

I would be afraid of changing my hobby to a profession. I enjoy photography too much. I feel that I would loose that feeling that i get when i shoot something that i like. For me its what i like and not for the paying customer who is expecting the best.

True. At work, I always kena arrow become photographer for whatever event they hold. Sooner or later, it tends to get a bit sian.

But then again, maybe if they actually PAID me I'd be less sian.

 

[GeckoZ]

True. At work, I always kena arrow become photographer for whatever event they hold. Sooner or later, it tends to get a bit sian.

But then again, maybe if they actually PAID me I'd be less sian.

I take photographs for my sch's blogging club and i'm enjoying it. atleast, i get the handle the SLR. :bsmilie: but too bad i'm graduating soon. and i haven't work b4 -> no money -> no SLR -> no life... =(

 

[niki]

True. At work, I always kena arrow become photographer for whatever event they hold. Sooner or later, it tends to get a bit sian.

hhmm.. u sound like a military man.. :think:

 

[synapseman]

ya~ i kind of agrees with your point of view too.. but tt would left me with no job in the future, i'm afraid. Would free-lance photog be more suitable? :dunno:

Assess your abilities. Be true to yourself. Are you good enough to hang out with the best out there? Nowadays, any average Joe with a DSLR and a pirated copy of Photoshop can claim to be a "freelancer". If you want photography to be a main source of income (i.e. your ricebowl), I think it may be better to go fully pro. A freelancer's life is a bitch. Your clients don't respect you, will try to bargain because someone else offered cheaper, and then they can anytime pull the plug on you. Everybody is trying to undercut everybody else. And it's not necessarily that cheap is no good. Some of these cheap freelancers can be actually damn good. How to compete like that? That's exactly what I experience, but it doesn't bother me that much because I know I'm not depending on this as a main source of income. If I were, I sure sweat, one.

Not trying to put a damper on your dreams, man. I harbour dreams of turning pro, too. But if you can see yourself through all these potential pitfalls and heartaches, there's no reason why you can't go pro.