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I need money .
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Oct 16, 2017 10:49:08   #
Ellen101 Loc: Manhattan NY ..now Spring Hill, Fl
 
Plain and simple photography is turning out to be a very expensive interest.
When I do not have my camera with me I feel lost. I need to keep shooting away.
I shoot close ups of people but I have found that most people in Florid do not have
culturally interesting faces of different ethnicity.

I am trying to emulate National Geographic photography without having to travel far.

Any suggestions for person on a fixed income living in Tampa Bay, Florida?

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Oct 16, 2017 11:00:21   #
Rongnongno Loc: FL
 
Panhandle.

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Oct 16, 2017 11:03:05   #
67skylark27 Loc: Fort Atkinson, WI
 
Rongnongno wrote:
Panhandle.


I see what you did there.

Reply
 
 
Oct 16, 2017 11:04:28   #
terry44 Loc: Tuolumne County California, Maui Hawaii
 
It is an expensive hobby to get started in if you buy new, a used/refurbished camera and lenses still cost a bit depending on what you are willing to buy. There are also the bridge cameras that have a fixed lens with a full range a used one of those is not a bad cost and if it is a hobby you may wish to start out with one of those offerings you will be able to get to know the controls and settings. Hey though here's a thought if you smoke and quit you can buy a camera used the first month and a half, and used lenses each month until you have the equipment you want, and if you drink and quit well you can probably get a good used setup the first month.
Hope you are able to figure out how to do it photography is fun and fulfilling.
Ellen101 wrote:
Plain and simple photography is turning out to be a very expensive interest.
When I do not have my camera with me I feel lost. I need to keep shooting away.
I shoot close ups of people but I have found that most people in Florid do not have
culturally interesting faces of different ethnicity.

I am trying to emulate National Geographic photography without having to travel far.

Any suggestions for person on a fixed income living in Tampa Bay, Florida?

Reply
Oct 16, 2017 11:05:43   #
terry44 Loc: Tuolumne County California, Maui Hawaii
 
ohh never thought of that those folks score quite a bit a day if they hit up the right spot.
67skylark27 wrote:
I see what you did there.



Reply
Oct 16, 2017 11:07:47   #
Jim Plogger Loc: East Tennessee
 
Rongnongno wrote:
Panhandle.



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Oct 16, 2017 11:17:11   #
Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida
 
Ellen, I would think Tampa would be a great location to find ethnicity. Have you considered Ybor City (Cuban) or perhaps Tarpon Springs (Greek). Also, watch for local ethnic festivals and events. Florida is a melting pot and a lot of the opportunities are free!

Reply
 
 
Oct 16, 2017 12:03:33   #
Ellen101 Loc: Manhattan NY ..now Spring Hill, Fl
 
Thanks for the reminder.

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Oct 16, 2017 12:04:16   #
Ellen101 Loc: Manhattan NY ..now Spring Hill, Fl
 
Thanks but no thanks.

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Oct 16, 2017 12:47:16   #
Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
 
Ellen101 wrote:
Plain and simple photography is turning out to be a very expensive interest.
When I do not have my camera with me I feel lost. I need to keep shooting away.
I shoot close ups of people but I have found that most people in Florid do not have
culturally interesting faces of different ethnicity.

I am trying to emulate National Geographic photography without having to travel far.

Any suggestions for person on a fixed income living in Tampa Bay, Florida?


Did you ever get your lens to focus?

Reply
Oct 16, 2017 13:08:18   #
Jim Bob
 
Ellen101 wrote:
Plain and simple photography is turning out to be a very expensive interest.
When I do not have my camera with me I feel lost. I need to keep shooting away.
I shoot close ups of people but I have found that most people in Florid do not have
culturally interesting faces of different ethnicity.

I am trying to emulate National Geographic photography without having to travel far.

Any suggestions for person on a fixed income living in Tampa Bay, Florida?


"...that's what I want."

Reply
 
 
Oct 16, 2017 13:20:19   #
SharpShooter Loc: NorCal
 
Ellen101 wrote:


I am trying to emulate National Geographic photography without having to travel far.

Any suggestions for person on a fixed income living in Tampa Bay, Florida?


Ellen, why don't you find your MOST favorite Nat Geo location then simply move there.
You'll always be there without ever having to travel far!!! LoL
SS

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Oct 16, 2017 13:26:31   #
Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
 
Ellen101 wrote:
Plain and simple photography is turning out to be a very expensive interest.
When I do not have my camera with me I feel lost. I need to keep shooting away.
I shoot close ups of people but I have found that most people in Florid do not have
culturally interesting faces of different ethnicity.

I am trying to emulate National Geographic photography without having to travel far.

Any suggestions for person on a fixed income living in Tampa Bay, Florida?


Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa is one of my favorite places for wildlife, it has a great boardwalk.
Another really good place is the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park in Citrus County. It's on US-19, on the left going north.
Further north on US-19 in Levy County is Cedar Key, a fishing village. And near by are a number of National and State reserves and preserves as well as the Suwannee River which is the Swanee River that Stephan Foster wrote about.
Just off US-19 south of Spring Hill is Tarpon Springs.
There are many Nature and Wildlife areas near Spring Hill, and many more in Florida if you want to venture a little farther.

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Oct 16, 2017 14:08:25   #
BB4A
 
Ellen101 wrote:
Plain and simple photography is turning out to be a very expensive interest.
When I do not have my camera with me I feel lost. I need to keep shooting away.
I shoot close ups of people but I have found that most people in Florid do not have
culturally interesting faces of different ethnicity.

I am trying to emulate National Geographic photography without having to travel far.

Any suggestions for person on a fixed income living in Tampa Bay, Florida?


I'm always reluctant to make suggestions without seeing your work and what you enjoy working at; my guess is that many of us feel the same way? In spite of this reluctance, I'm going to try and offer some very generic advice... please don't worry if some or none of this works for you.

40 years ago I purchased my first "proper' camera... after saving for what seemed an eternity. I was just embarking on my "day job" career, had limited mobility and no spare cash, but wanted to take pictures of what I saw around me. My first good camera allowed me to snap away at everything & everything... just like you, I felt a little less than myself when it wasn't with me.

I was surprised and disappointed when no-one else seemed to like my favorite pics. Why? Probably because I was missing the Concept that they had about what a picture should be. So, my first piece of advice about earning money with a camera is "Develop Your Own Concept; based on what others want you to shoot... but including a little bit of YOU in those images". Why? Well, if you don't have your own Concept, that also intrigues/fascinates/hooks others to believe in your images... you will never sell anything more than snaps, selfies, and basic records of events... and there is lots of competition & no money in that game.

I can't help you with your Concept, other than to advise you to push yourself and your boundaries, but never be intrusive of others. Maybe pushing yourself is taking everyday street scenes... but at night, using only the available lighting, and lots of trial & error with manual focus? Maybe it's wandering a certain expensive housing area and taking architectural shots from crazy angles in the heat of the day, using the sun and shadows and your over/under exposure prowess, to deliver some wildly artistic interpretations of people's houses? So long as it doesn't land you in jail, doesn't invade someone's privacy, and yet takes their fancy... you will develop your own Concept.

Then, when you have a Concept or two you'd like to take further, move on to Initiate. I won't go into all the business startup stuff here (available everywhere on the web these days); the key is to trial your Concept with people who might pay for your work. Initiate a buying response by showing the subject or the art dealer what you just did, with that boring street scene, or that night time portrait of herons flying out to roost, or whatever the Concept is, that shows you adding YOUR SPECIAL SAUCE. Ask the question of the model subject, "would you like an original print of this picture, and what would you be willing to pay?" Ask the Art Dealer, "what would be your costs and commission for printing & showing this in your window, and what do you think you would ask for this?" Initiate is all about doing your homework, understanding tasks like printing costs (as you have limited means, you will need to outsource printing, so get comfortable with giving up some tasks, and be very certain how you will quality control the tasks you will retain), and roughing out (a) what you need to make as an income from this Concept, in order to (b) be able to actually deliver it.

If the Initiate answers you get are agreeable (you have buyers for this Concept, and the revenue will easily cover your anticipated costs), now it's time to Plan. How many days in a week, or month, or quarter, are you going to spend, executing and closing on this Concept, to deliver enough new artwork to keep your Customers happy and hopefully grow a few new Customers? You will have some work flow, even if it's only supplying the files to the printer, and then checking the work when it returns. You will have down time if you have limited means & are working outside, in the weather. How many commissions (work prepaid for a Customer) can you take, is it 0, 1 or more, each Month? If you don't Plan reasonably well, your Execution will suffer.

Execution is simply living your Plan, and controlling & managing your Plan, when things change. If you are anything like most of us, Commissions can intrude as unplanned activities into your "day job" of executing enough of your Concept work to keep your regulars happy. Only a Plan will save you from yourself... otherwise you will end up promising too much and not delivering on time. Some ask, "why take Commissions at all?" Answer - because they guarantee a Close.

The Close is how, when, and where you get paid, but it's also how you set yourself up for repeat business, referrals, and references. Commissions are great, because you can get a prepaid feel to cover 100%+ of all your likely costs, before you plan, execute, and close on the work. And... that's why you need a Plan, because that planning expertise will help you get and deliver on more commissions, and get & deliver on more referrals business. I'm not going into details here, but be sure to make the Customer Scorecard a distinct part of your bill, and ALWAYS reference that back to your Concept; "Did I please my Customer by delivering my work with my Concept?" That way, asking for payment is never an issue, asking for a reference is never embarrassing, and you get to do what you most enjoy doing, knowing that your Customer also enjoys your art.

Concept
Initiate
Plan
Execute
Close

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Oct 16, 2017 15:25:33   #
MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI
 
Rongnongno wrote:
Panhandle.

67skylark27 wrote:
I see what you did there.

It took me a moment after seeing 67skylark27's post. Well done with very few words!!! I like this version of Ron.

Not that I don't like the other incarnations - so no offense meant.

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