Camera Labs

I am wondering if I do go into making this a full time career, will I be able to live off the money, how do I find a job, and what would I do? I know I am really young to be thinking about this, but I think you can never be to young.

This is really what I want to do in life, nothing is more exciting or fun to me then take pictures and going to new places to see the culture and people. This is truely the one thing I want to do and I hope you can help with what I am asking.Thanks.

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Canon EOS 5D + 50mm f/1.8

http://flickr.com/photos/nathan_ward

Hi Nathan, that's a life balance only you can answer! I personally feel there's massive benefits to doing a job you are passionate about, but sadly most of these jobs have poor pay. So it depends on how much you want to live on, or how much you're willing to compromise enjoyment at work...

Of course a handful of photographers make really decent money, but I wouldn't suggest getting into it to become rich as very few do. And remember doing your hobby as a profession may also spoil it a little as you'll inevitably have to take the photos other people want - as oppose to the ones you personally want to take...

If you can make enough money taking the photos you want to take though, that can be a pretty sweet life. And who knows, you may end up being one of the people who actually makes decent money from it...

As for a course though, how many of your favourite artists formally studied the subject? Courses are useful and fun, but I think the best qualification for this is just doing it. So keep taking loads of photos, hone your technique, try and find your style and try and also get your work seen by others - either by putting on free exhibitions in local cafes or offering to work for local papers. These are what turn into paid gigs and a profession...

I thought about that too, taking the picuters others want and that was an aspect I didn't really want to have to do. Thanks for the advice though.

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Canon EOS 5D + 50mm f/1.8

http://flickr.com/photos/nathan_ward

are there any full-time photographers on here, if so is it a job you can live on?

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Canon EOS 5D + 50mm f/1.8

http://flickr.com/photos/nathan_ward

I was wonderring about this. I'm the type that would "sell out" by doing cliche photographs that people buy and doing my passionate, esoteric, depressing projects on the side where only a small number of people truly enjoy. I write a number of short stories like that--not for everyone types--but it's worth it.

From what I gathered and talked to other people online, the ones that sell their work have day jobs. I believe the bottom line was, if you can sell enough prints to pay off your equipment, consider yourself successful. Good luck to everyone who wants to do it for a living.

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Sorry, mate, I believe I just ate your pudding cup.

for me anyways, I have a side job from this job, I manage a restaurant) I do music photography mainly for AP Magazine, and it pays alright, I also do photojournalism for a local newspaper, pays okay not great, but its some nice camera funding, and weddings really bring the money in, you can defiantly do weddings full time, and I also do sports, so the field is so broad, you can defiantly make it full time if you want!

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Back Window Productions
I can't sing, and I can't write, so the only thing I have to express myself is Photography.
www.backwindowproductions.com (UP!!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_lucas/

Hi backwindow, welcome to the Cameralabs forums!

I'm sure lots of folk here would find it useful to hear how you landed some of these photographic positions - such as contributing to a local paper. Any tips?

Gordon

Well I am not too sure how I got to that, but I know and this pretty much goes for just about anything today, I started with film (video) and I always used P&S and for some reason I became very interested in still photography, so I went out and bought a rebel film camera, then first digital was the 350D with its kit lens, and I just started showing up to any event where it was 'okay' to take photos at, such as football games or sports at a high school, ext, and soon enough after repeatly going to this events I had a few approach me and ask me to send the photos, so I did, then I landed an internship then moved onto a photojournalism field, and just within these two past years I started taking professional concert photography and major international artist such as U2, or Ben Folds, I pretty much used the bull **** theory to get into that, a paintball sports photographer told me, b.s is a skill, and its a great one to learn! and wow, i don't know if i would be here today, pretty much i lied a little to get the photo passes, but then with my freelancing i made decent money then I was offered a position to AP Magazine, and some local free zines, I can't say I am proud of my lying but if you want to do it, i felt that it was the only way to climb up to the people that will actually see you. there is my life story in a nut shell, I do everything from weddings, professional paintball (which I shot in October the world cup, and broke a very pricey lens =[ ) Major touring bands, band promo shoots, modeling, sports of all kinds, and any event u can think of, I did go to school for photography at a community college for a few years and got a lot out of it, I'm not a huge photoshop person, once I take that picture not much happens in post production, and I think some zines like that "real" look to my photos,

Also, even if it doesn't pay offer photos to your local newspapers, they won't pay you, some might, but if you do it often and they like your work, you will probably become a photographer with a nice paycheck every week.

sorry I dragged this on forever, but if anyone is interested this video is from two years ago at the world cup PSP, I broke FIVE uv filters, just an example how dangerous it is to even be out there.
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseacti ... id=3991306

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Back Window Productions
I can't sing, and I can't write, so the only thing I have to express myself is Photography.
www.backwindowproductions.com (UP!!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_lucas/

Thanks for that - it's useful to hear how different people got into this sort of thing...