Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

[ash]

I was going to go into some indepth long winded lecture here but I think I will let the title decide how you interpret your own response!
Your opinion's, experiences and advice will be a good thread/subject to help up and coming photographers on the forum, maybe even me included
Its tuff out there as a tographer earning your bread as I do no and have experienced in the reccesion of spend!
Ash.

[Ian]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

I was going to go into some indepth long winded lecture here but I think I will let the title decide how you interpret your own response!
Your opinion's, experiences and advice will be a good thread/subject to help up and coming photographers on the forum, maybe even me included
Its tuff out there as a tographer earning your bread as I do no and have experienced in the reccesion of spend!
Ash.

It's not impossible, but it's harder than ever. You need to do your research very carefully and not see things through rose-tinted specs.

Identify the business you want to compete in. Weigh up the commercial potential. Do lots of calculations and costings.

I would assume you may not earn anything for 3-4 months. Remember that you will need to market yourself.

And all of that is on top of the other question you need to ask yourself - are you good enough?

Ian

[Fast Eddie]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

While I'd love to do something I enjoy rather than accounts, certainly with photography there's too much competition these days. As I've seen others say; how can you compete with free? You need to be better than ever to compete with those who would give away an image just to see it in print.

Having said that I've seen a featured photographer story in one of the magazines who was shocking and some wedding photos from a colleague where I can't believe they paid for them so maybe you just need to be lucky!

Ed

[Ian]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

While I'd love to do something I enjoy rather than accounts, certainly with photography there's too much competition these days. As I've seen others say; how can you compete with free? You need to be better than ever to compete with those who would give away an image just to see it in print.

Having said that I've seen a featured photographer story in one of the magazines who was shocking and some wedding photos from a colleague where I can't believe they paid for them so maybe you just need to be lucky!

Ed

Half the trick is marketing yourself. The power of persuasion will apparently work even for photographers who are rubbish (although I think with the story you are referring to the ex-paparazzi photographer who set up a wedding photography business would often send someone else to actually do the weddings).

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

Half the trick is marketing yourself. The power of persuasion will apparently work even for photographers who are rubbish (although I think with the story you are referring to the ex-paparazzi photographer who set up a wedding photography business would often send someone else to actually do the weddings).

Ian

I would say beware of spoiling your hobby. Back in my film days I photographed weddings at weekends, and was reasonably successful if my clients were anything to go by, they were very happy with their pictures.
But it diverted my attention photographically from what I really wanted to do, and I stopped enjoying it.
The last straw came one day when a flash sync problem of the signing the register didn't come out as it should. It was beginning to experiment digitally by scanning negatives at the time, this was around 1997-8, so I scanned the very thin negative and managed to retrieve something of a picture, not perfect by any means but a least a record of the signing. I would probably do a better job now with more knowledge and better software.

Never done a wedding since, have done the odd commercial shoot of wedding dresses.

Wedding would be easier now and less stressed, being able to check the results as you go.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

I would say beware of spoiling your hobby. Back in my film days I photographed weddings at weekends, and was reasonably successful if my clients were anything to go by, they were very happy with their pictures.
But it diverted my attention photographically from what I really wanted to do, and I stopped enjoying it.
The last straw came one day when a flash sync problem of the signing the register didn't come out as it should. It was beginning to experiment digitally by scanning negatives at the time, this was around 1997-8, so I scanned the very thin negative and managed to retrieve something of a picture, not perfect by any means but a least a record of the signing. I would probably do a better job now with more knowledge and better software.

Never done a wedding since, have done the odd commercial shoot of wedding dresses.

Wedding would be easier now and less stressed, being able to check the results as you go.

Patrick

Yes, it's rather ironic that life should be easier for pros now because there is less risk with digital and the workflow can, if you are properly prepared, be faster and more productive. But there is more competition from other photographers desperate to make living and from photographers who are not!

Ian

[Fast Eddie]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

Half the trick is marketing yourself. The power of persuasion will apparently work even for photographers who are rubbish (although I think with the story you are referring to the ex-paparazzi photographer who set up a wedding photography business would often send someone else to actually do the weddings).

Ian

[Ian]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

OK, sorry for the confusion. The BBC did a story recently about a photographer who used to be (by all accounts) quite successful paparrazi photographer. He then set up a wedding photography business, probably marketing himself off the back of his pap work, but dozens and dozens of couples complained of the quality of the pictures they received, he was often late to the events, and sometimes a different photographer would turn up on the day, and they would be rubbish too.

The point being that although his reputation was rubbish (lots of people complaining about his service) he still got lots of gigs...

Ian

[ash]

[Ian]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

Maybe taking the plunge will focus your energies into getting the business side of it going!

Ian

[OlyPaul]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

Many mediocre photographers have made a good living out of photography and many brilliant photographers have gone bust.

The thing that divided them was business and marketing skills not photography skills, without these you are dead in the water, sad to say word of mouth does not cut it in this day and age.

[ash]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

Sorry I disagree there, you can market all you like if word gets round your crap then you aint gunna get business!
Im not saying no marketing, but the best marketing is recomendation.
The top photographers do not need to market themselves as they are well known to be good, so is this not word of mouth?
Yes the facebuktwiterinternet thing has altered the goalposts a little but it does not alter your quality as a photographer!

[OlyPaul]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

Ash I did not say crap but mediocre or if you like competent, I know quite a few who thought their great photography skills would ensure a successful business (some of them friends who are far better photographers than I) and found out different, I also have a pro friend who makes a good living out of it and has freely said I am a better photographer than he ( I have 0% business skills).

I still think 40% talent and 60% business skills will win over 90% talent and 10% business skills, so we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

[Pol]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

Sorry I disagree there, you can market all you like if word gets round your crap then you aint gunna get business!
Im not saying no marketing, but the best marketing is recomendation.
The top photographers do not need to market themselves as they are well known to be good, so is this not word of mouth?
Yes the facebuktwiterinternet thing has altered the goalposts a little but it does not alter your quality as a photographer!

Ash,

You have a mortgage and a family to support and there's a recession that is going to continue to get worse befor it starts to get better. So - if you have secure day job I urge you to stick with that for the moment. In the meantime you can still continue to do some photography work in your free time.

You can also look into the possibility of doing an accredited business and marketing course and qualification. Have a look at what courses are available at your local Colleges of Further Education.

Don't do anything that would destabilise your financial situation, certainly not whilst Thomas and Emily are so young.

Sorry to have gone into 'Mumsy Mode', you can smack me later. I just had to say it - financial survival is crucial when you have a young family to support.

Pol

[ash]

Re: Go Pro or stay safe with the day job?

Thank's Pol for being concerned, good advice, I like mumsy mode, makes me feel special