canon Lee

Bridie... Wishes take effort and thought.... Of course you can do it!!!!!

traderjohn Loc: New York City

"wedding photographers giving it away for $500 and DVD" My daughter was married last year. Your $500.00 and a DVD are WAY off the mark. I wish that were the case.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

I make some money off of photographers, does that count? Being a graphic designer by trade, I've had about 15 or so aspiring or already professional photographers contact me to design their logo/watermarks.

canon Lee

Sounds to me that its more "graphic arts" to me... I use LR and photoshop and consider that Graphics....

slfox

Love working with people and hope to be able to grow a stable photography business. I have a lot to learn and I work at it every day. I'm investigating local classes and workshops. I've been making myself visible in the community by just being there, shooting a few hours a day and talking to shop owners, and anyone else who is willing to engage! I am no where near ready on the business side, but I'm working on it!

Brent Rowlett Loc: Atlanta, GA

You should go to the wedding and bride exhibits at the large hotels. I am RIGHT on the mark my friend. There are also bidding sights like "Send Me" (I may have the name wrong where you pay for credits to use to bid on jobs) and several others where prices are give away. Look at all the Craig's List advertisers...everybody is a photographer. As of March 15 Craig's List is charging a fee for advertising jobs and services for some categories. That may clear out the rift raft of rookies thinking they are wedding photographers. Don't believe me? Check out Atlanta and search Wedding Photographers.

Some photographers have been in the business for some time with a reputation and can command some decent prices. However, I got tired of negotiating with Mothers of the bride against these "fly-bys" and when I could make $500.00 per food shot and $5000 per advertising project taking 3 days, the BS and all the work to put together wedding albums for less just was not worth it. And I like my weekends with my family.

And you may be in a small city where competition is not present. Photographers charging less than a $1000 in Atlanta are a dime a dozen and starving. $500 and a DVD is very common. Good fluff and extra money to pay for a vacation here and there, but paying the bills in this profession? NOT!

canon Lee

Slfox I sense that you have the eagerness to be an independent business owner.. May I suggest that you find a successful, "out of your area", photographer as a "mentor", and offer your time to work for free in order to learn not only photography from a business aspect but how to run a successful business.... I did that... I have been in my own full time photography business for over a decade... There are those that will settle for a guaranteed pay check at the end of the week, and those that will be independent and start their own business. You many have only a few clients at first, making your business "part time".... Eventually you will find your market and be busy with new clients....
Earning money in photography takes time... It has little to do with good skills but more about business and getting clients.... Turning "Pro" is a decision you have to make... Keep your day job, don't make money an issue for the first few yrs.. It takes time to build a business that will earn you enough to match or exceed your guaranteed pay check...
Being in business, search for new

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

I have seen wedding photographers out there doing just that. Mediocre wedding shots. Especially since digital showed up every one thinks they are a photographer and they are just point and shoot people. If you understand the tech that goes into a good shot and the people skills needed to get the poses right then you can conceivably use point and shoot. I trained under the masters of wedding photography here in Cincinnati and the nation.

canon Lee

I too have heard complaints about other wedding photographers... I have this belief that mediocre or flat out bad wedding photographers dont last long and eventually, if they dont improve, run out of referrals or weddings.... For weddings, it has been my experience that its mostly referrals and little Craigs list.... If you are good then you last .... For me I started out doing weddings, and eventually weddings didnt pay much...So I did some marketing and found a very lucrative market... Its been yrs since I have done a lot of weddings, and I now have a full time business doing a much different type of photography.... I have found that it has little to do with good skills with a camera and more marketing myself....

Brent Rowlett Loc: Atlanta, GA

Smart. In addition to declining prices, what did it for me was trying to get quality pictures without 15 other cell phones in the view. I know one wedding I had to compete with a disposable camera placed on every table. And then a couple of bozos took pics of me. Oh what frickin fun :)

canon Lee

Disposable cameras, should be the writing on the wall to look for another market....

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Does that include disposable digital cameras? I have one that I put in that category, and I try very hard not to dispose of it, it isn't great, but it functions quite well, and if taken caving (spelunking) , or canoeing in a water proof Otter box is small enough not to get in the way, and if damaged wouldn't really be too much of an issue since I didn't pay for it.

All of these terms have differing interpretations.

OneShotOne18

I think there are some important requirements first to get started selling. A person can pick them up as they go but that can be very time consuming. I think if a person could get some formal training and have a mentor to go with them on field trips, it would be a great benefit. I ain't git'n younger ( 74 ) but I'm somewhere between a beginner and intermediate photographer. It's kinda like the saying - I know enuf to be dangerous. I want to break into selling stock photos and found out that stock agencies are really picky over what's submitted to them. I used to have a simple Fuji Point n Shoot and I took some really good photos. I have had many compliments. But, the are framed on 8.5 x 10 and while there are OK, They will not meet the standard for being a stock photo. My newest camera is a Nikon 3300 DSLR. So the predicament I'm in now is that all the photos I took with the Fuji don't count and it's a start over with the Nikon. Oh, got off the SUBJECT. I do not personally know any photographer to ask advise. That's why I joined this forum. I found a website and by all searching to try to find some dirt on them - it seems like a legit company. They teach people how to earn money by taking photographs while they travel ( or not travel ) and writing stories to submit them to magazines, stock agencies etc. Of course they do not teach for free but even then I invested a small amount ( $35 ) just to get some information about how to sell ONLY stock photos. There are other programs they try to get people to buy into....I'm not too interested in writing. Anyway here's is what I need someone to check on: They are saying that to process a photo properly, one should use Adobe Lightroom ( what about others ) and when you buy it from them they will be your tutor on what, why and how to use it to achieve a desirable photo for submitting to a stock agency. Here's the website>> www.greatescapepublishing.com. Please reply either here OR at akcepted@yahoo.com Blessings!

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

Why are the Fuji made images o longer acceptable?

KK

tdekany Loc: Oregon

P&S camera. Lacks the quality