~~~Ways to make money taking Photographs~~~

[The_Perfect_Picture_HAHA]

Ok we all love photography...I was just wondering how some of you make a living shooting photography...

Did you go to school for it??
If yes what classes were the most helpful?
Do you have a website?
If yes did you do it or someone else?

How did you struggle when you started?

What do you know now that you wished you knew then?

What customer service problems did you have and how did you solve them?
We are all human and all make mistakes, however I would hate to ruin somebody's memories..

[jwhitten]

I tried for a while, but programming / web development (which is how I make my living) just pays to much better so I do that. I shoot weddings and portraits occasionally, but mostly because I make enough doing that to pay for my gear.

I think that unless you are as good, or maybe better, a salesman than your are photographer, it's a tough business to make a lot of money in.

Joe

[pinkpepper]

Did you go to school for it??
If yes what classes were the most helpful?
Do you have a website?
If yes did you do it or someone else?

How did you struggle when you started?

What do you know now that you wished you knew then?

What customer service problems did you have and how did you solve them?
..

boy howdy, someone needs to take a deep breath

[jwhitten]

:D Good one Pinkpepper

Joe

[The_Perfect_Picture_HAHA]

I tried for a while, but programming / web development (which is how I make my living) just pays to much better so I do that. I shoot weddings and portraits occasionally, but mostly because I make enough doing that to pay for my gear.

I think that unless you are as good, or maybe better, a salesman than your are photographer, it's a tough business to make a lot of money in.

Joe

Weddings are the one way I was thinking of doing it for side money..Basicly getting paid to do something you enjoy...My wife and I have done a few weddings but we have done all of them free of charge..I just don't want the responsibility of accidentaly screwing up someones wedding...I show them my past work and if they like it I do their wedding...I stress to them that I am not a pro and could very easily screw up your wedding photo's.(I never have though) know on wood..lol

[The_Perfect_Picture_HAHA]

boy howdy, someone needs to take a deep breath

I was underwater when I wrote the first part of the message..LMAO!!!

[jwhitten]

Wedding photography is anxiety inducing, risky and it takes a very good photographer to do it correctly. It's not for the timid or insecure. That's why it costs so much to have a really good photographer shoot your wedding.

With Walmart and other cheap, junk stores offering portraits for $10 and the average consumer unable to tell the difference between good and bad photography, you are left with fine art galleries - not a viable alternative for any but the very best; stock photo agencies - some people do very well with that approach and possibly becoming a detective gathering evidence for insurance companies and people filing for divorce.

Photography is very alluring, and it all seems so romantic, but how many peole have you ever known that actually made a good living with it?

Joe

[Hamlet 77]

I thought seriously about it for a while, but gave up the idea for a number of reasons, the main one being that I did not want to give some responsibility to something I enjoy. When you are being paid to do something then sorry you cannot just shoot, hope and play around. Also I enjoy the thanks, gratitude and heck maybe sympathy when I offer a photo for anyone.

Never mind the investment, legal obligations and oh boy the infamous tax man. It is hard enough to run one small business, never mind actually having to do the work......

[Grant]

Oh you want to make money do you?

http://newyorkmetro.com/news/features/16652/index5.html

Can you say paparazzo let alone spell it?

.

[gez]

I have a friend who was trained as a classical painter. He had a decent health care business, but hated the RAT race. Sold the business, got into fine art photography. Traveled the country selling at the top jurried art shows. He got tired of being broke, started painting acrylic abstracts on canvas. His income has tripled.