Never accused you of being a know it all, but I find it puzzling why you ask the question only to disagree with half or more of them, having all the answers.
I respect any portrait photographer that can make it today in a market where young people do not see the value of a portrait when a cell phone pic is good enough. Most homes have gone from oil portraits, to photography portraits, to nothing on the walls but modern art.
Jay Fletcher one of Atlanta’s best displaying 8’x10’ huge photos of Donald Trump & Family, Sidney Portier, Yovander Holyfield and other VIPs, was forced to close. The only portrait photographers making it today have a senior portrait feed, weddings and other photography to augment their portrait activity. I would not recommend that somebody go into portrait photography today. The market is shrinking fast. With the movie industry moving to Atlanta from Hollywood and Toronto, that has helped but the photography is fashion, casting, and portfolio work.
And of course, when you can’t make it any longer in the market, you teach.[/quote]
Hey Brent!
I'm sorry to hear that the portrait market in the U.S. has deteriorated to the point where a good portraitist can't make ends meet and earn a decent living. My home city was New York and back in the day there were many successful high end portrait studios and there was enough work for everyone.
Up here in Canada, the senior business is not as much of a mainstay as it is down home. In my own case I do quite a volume of corporate and institutional portraiture. I live and work in Ottawa, the seat of the Federal Government so there is always some campaigning going down and that is a good source of work. Satisfied corporate clients oftentimes bring us their family portrait and wedding work as well. I have not advertised or promote for portraiture in 10 years so most of the work comes in through referrals and some networking with other businesses and vendors. At our last quarterly statement, about 45% of our total volume was in portraiture. The rest is commercial photography in the food and beverage industry and the architectural markets as well as some small produce photography.
True enough, the loewe end market has suffered and given way to "selfies" and amateur work. Nowadays a studio has to diversify or their overhead costs will eat them up in slow season and downturns in the economy.
As far as portrait of celebrities and big shots- surprisingly enough, many of them are not the best customers. They sometimes feel that we should photograph them for prestige rather that money! So...I have done a few Prime Ministers, senators etc, hockey players, the odd movie star etc. It was fun and nice for the display room. Our best paying clients are regular folks, business people, military personnel, local mayors and chiefs of police etc. The Government departments and corporations pay their bills. Ordinary people who just want a good job done are still willing to pay my fees. We still do our share of larger display portraits for board rooms, offices and even private homes- they can hang them right next to their abstract art! There is allot of traditional older homes and estates around here.
I have done a few stills jobs for motion picture productions. Toronto, Montreal, and the Rocky mountains of Alberta and British Columbia are still sought after locations for major filmmakers from the U.S. and we have quite a bit of Canadian production ongoing as well. The government gives them perks and tax advantages. Brings in a bit of interesting stuff for me but certainly not an everyday thing.
Teaching- I do 2 workshop each year, mostly in Canada. Most of my teaching is devoted to training new kids for my own staff. This will be my last year of covering weddings (74 years old) so I am breaking in a crew to take that over.
That's it- that's all, nothing fancy! I like to maintain a positive attitude