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09/09/2007 12:27:42 AM · #1 |
Hey guys! So I'm a high schooler looking to get some experience/make some money with my photography. I'll currently take photos for the school yearbook and newspaper but I was thinking about widening my possibilities. I have thought about emailing or going to businesses (any ideas for what?)and asking them if they would like any photography services for advertising or decoration or something else (ideas?) I̢۪ve also thought about asking any local event if they need anything. Another thing I have no idea about is pricing.
So basically I̢۪m just trying to get a start and see how it works out so any pointers at all would help a lot! Thanks!
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09/09/2007 01:22:53 AM · #2 |
First of all, welcome to DPC. There's plenty of good info here, especially if you can find the threads that  Skip created back in the day. He has a lot of the posts on his website too.
Photography is a pretty hard business to get started in... well, I guess it's not any harder than certain others, but it still takes quite a bit of work. I think you'll have to decide what exactly you want to shoot for the time being, and figure out what you want to do from there.
I decided I wanted to do photography full time, as opposed to as a hobby, about 5-6 months ago. Right then I wanted to shoot architecture, but the more I learned the more I realized that's not really a good choice as an entry level facet of the biz. If you like shooting portraits, it's a piece of cake (well, relatively) - scrounge together some lighting gear, hunt down victi... subjects, and practice until you've got a really nice portfolio. Then just pass the word around, make a site, business cards, etc.
To me, portraits are pretty boring, at least the typical studio portraits or kids playing in the park shots (not that I won't shoot those occasionally, but it would get old fast).
I like shooting nature, but I'm not a hardcore nature guy nor do I have the funds to go on trips to shoot photos that will sell, so there's not much money in it. Some matted 8x10's at local art shows are about the extent of what I've been able to do for print sales. To make a living at that, you have to be extremely dedicated, plus having a good eye and at least decent equipment.
I decided that in the long run, I wanted to do photojournalism. For the mean time, it's mostly sports, but eventually I want to do big projects that take me all over the place and let me show people things they'd never see otherwise. I contacted the only daily paper in the area, explained my situation, and asked if they could use an intern. They didn't go for it right away, but said that I could submit photos if I thought they could use them, and they might be able to give me some freelance assignments.
I've shot three assignments on my own so far - a swimming practice, a go kart race, and a library used book sale (yeah...). They've also run photos from two motocross races that I shot for practice and fun. Last night was my first day of being an actual intern, and I got to meet most of the staff, watch them work in the office and go along to shoot a football game. Of course, it's unpaid for now but the experience and ability to build up a portfolio of standard newspaper shots is what I need to get out of it. I did actually get paid for the first few things I shot, since I was a freelancer at that point.
I think if you're just wanting to make some money but not pursue it as a career, your best bet would be portraits and 'sportraits' of kids at school games. I'm in the process of setting up to sell prints at the BMX races around here, which I hope will do pretty well since it's a pretty tough sport to get printable images with a cell phone camera (which all the parents try to do). Parents like to have good prints to stick up on their walls of their kids playing sports, so get aquainted with all of the local stuff like that where you are and get a feel for whether or not it'd be profitable.
You've got some cool stuff in your portfolio now, I think you'll be able to do alright whichever way you choose to go. Being 16 will make it harder, you're younger than I am and sometimes you can just tell people have preconcieved notions about people our age. Just how it is, you have to prove them wrong.
If you want to talk some more shoot me a PM, I don't want to write pages of crap in a thread :p
Good luck! |
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09/09/2007 11:45:14 AM · #3 |
What kind of photography do you want to do, or don't want to do? Each is quite different...
Landscapes (could be Yosemite but also you own house or town) - lots of trips to get it with different light, seasons, weather. Lots of PP usually. The good thing is an image can be sold over and over again. Sell at art shows, stock photos, as wall art in local businesses. A lone job, but that may be a good thing. You work on spec (speculation), meaning you have no paying client.
Wildlife - (zoo, insects, africa) - again, multiple trips and often very long and expensive lenses needed. Similar to landscapes - solitary, work on spec, but often more outlets for the images (cards, calendars, etc).
News/PJ - low paying unless you're one of the lucky few. $35 a photo is about average from what I've seen and heard, and you have to cover all your own expenses. You get access to places you'd never get otherwise, are the first to know/see things at times, and when you photos are published it's really cool. Deadlines matter, and some interaction with people is necessary.
Sports - could be for news or a league of little leaguers or soccer players - for the latter there is money in it IF you can get a league, and you will need help. Average package sales is around $18/kid (more with younger kids, less with older ones) 300 kids in a league and 4 or 5 hours on a saturday to shoot them...and you're not working on spec. Boring though it can pay the bills.
Schools - from 10 kid daycares to full districts with 2500 kids there is a great deal of competition for schools. Some beacuse of HS senior ports, but also because it gives a studio a base of income to work with year to year. Again, can be boring (shoot 600 'little heads' and tell me youu find it creative and interesting and you;re a liar :D)
A prom or other dances, the band or other club-type photos, etc are school related.
Weddings - this is a very popular place to start. It's where I started. to make a living at it it's a BUSINESS just like the grocery store or dry cleaner - accounting, advertising, insurance, etc. To make good money at it takes a while and expensive gear (an 85 1.2 can get images no other lens can get giving your images a special look, and you can charge more for that,etc. It's an $1800 lens). You NEED backup gear. It is stressful as their are no do-overs and it's a very emotional day for the family and couple. It's also a lot of work - 8 or 9 hours shooting and at least that in PP and album design. if you don't do albums then you're not making the money you should be (2/3 of the profit is in the album). The good thing is clients are easy to find, you can book a year in advance so you have income predictibility, and every wedding at 150-250 folks to market to. Does require interaction with people, knowlege of posing (1 to 30 people) and still life (details) and be able to keep things on schedule too. TO get started in this find wedding photogs in your area and offer to intern/assist and work up from there.
Portraits - VERY much an interactive choice and 1 on 1 often with a distracting parent or something there too. You have to think and talk at the same time while being creative and entertaining! To give people what they want you should have studio lighting and space (backgrounds, etc). To make money at this you have to have a sales system, etc. You can make $1200 a senior but it's not easy. $250 is easy but not nearly as profitable. The photos are not really any different - the packaging, pricing and how it's sold are though. HS seniors is the most lucrative, but there is also pets, babies, kids, families, corportate and more. You MUST know posing or your images will look amateur and you won't go far. Again, find a studio and start working as an intern.
A lot of entry level jobs are shooting the little heads or toting gear, etc. that's just life. But you learn a lot of real practical knowledge you won't get in books.
There are other oddball jobs too - HS reunions, county fairs, college yearbooks, small commercial/web for local businesses.
Architectureal...I know a guy in teh field and it's a LOT of work to get it right - he shoots hotels rooms for ads in magazines, lobbies, thigns for architecture digest, etc. $2000 for a day or even 1/2 a day is normal pay but to get 6 images in a whole day is normal too. Local real estate agents won't pay that! again, you need knowledge to get teh results the top guys get, but digital has made it easier.
I like shooting people - each on is different, they often come to me, they pay money (never had a tiger or tree or house pay me for a photo) reality is only 25% of the time is spent photographing, the rest is marketing, sales, accounting.
Message edited by author 2007-09-09 11:45:39.
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