I have a passion for photography... the art side of photography... how do i go a

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Question:

before i decide to take this path as a profession i am wanting to go to school and get a professional eye for the work!. i KNOW i already have a eye for it, but its the small details!.
well when entering into school they will want to know which direction i am wanting to take photography!. as of right now i'd have to stray away from the art side of it, because i just don't see a way to make money in it!. i am hoping someone says!.!.!. NOPE YOUR WRONG, and gives me confidence to go for it!.!.!.!. please tell me how to make money in the art side of photography!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Maybe I can be of some help to you here as this is my primary field of photography!.!.!. though it was not always so!.

First of all, ever heard the words, "!.!.!. to thy own self be true"!. I can say for sure that if your heart is truly into the artistic side of photography and you try to pursue other fields just for money!.!.!. you will soon begin to hate photography!.!.!. hate your clients!.!.!. and worse of all, hate yourself!.

People for many, many years always would say to me how "I should be in business" blah blah blah because I was so good with a camera!. Well, I never did it because I just do not have the personality for it and know what pricks so many of the general public can be!. But, not being true to myself, I tried it anyway!. I did weddings and studio portraits of kids and such for a few years, and finally about a year ago washed my hands of the whole thing!. I hated what I was doing, and soon hated to even have my hands on my camera!. I knew that if I had to take one more session of photos of people stuffing cake in each other's mouths, or of shoes, or of goofy reception dancing I was going to go screaming into the woods!. Likewise with waiting for no show studio appointments or having my arm breaking trying for 3 hours to get a few decent shots of a snot nosed kid!. Just not my thing!.

So I killed the "normal" business and now concentrate on ONLY what *I* want to shoot!.!.!. when I want to shoot it!. Do I make big bucks!.!.!.!. no!. Fortunately, I do not have to rely on a photography income to live!. In your case, if you do HAVE to have income from photography, you may have to try to balance your desire for your art with the more common, everyday photography!. Weddings pay best, but even that is competitive and so many people are just letting a friend or relative do the photos with their own cameras!. Personally, just take me out and kill me rather than force me to ever have to shoot another wedding!. If a Hell is waiting for me!.!.!. a wedding would be it!.

Now, as far as trying to get into some of the art cliques, there is just really no cut and fast rules!. I have photos on display and for sale at one of our local art galleries, and I am proud to say that many have sold!. I also submit many photos all over the country, and have been selected by a few to display pieces!. Just go to Google and put in "call for entries"!. You will find plenty of galleries / magazines wanting photo submissions!. My goal is to get into a gallery in New York but I have not made it yet!.

I have also had two photos published, one in a Photowork Shop series "Photos That Inspire"
http://www!.photoworkshop!.com/books/inspi!.!.!.

and a photo in "Light Leaks" magazine:
http://www!.lightleaks!.org/

Here is the local art gallery I call "home":
http://www!.dicksongallery!.com/

My website:
http://www!.LightAnon!.com

and my link to photos for sell on Fine Art America:
http://steve-parrott!.fineartamerica!.com/

!.!. ok!.!. I know that is a lot of stuff, but it is just the direction in which *I* went!.!.!. yours may be totally different!.

Bottom line!.!.!. follow your passion as much as possible!. Get a job that has NOTHING to do with photography if you have to for money, then keep your love of photography in the realm where you want it!. You will be happier doing that rather than "selling out" using a camera as just a tool of your job!.!.!. which, if you are like me, you would soon hate!.

Best of luck to you,
steveWww@QuestionHome@Com

Well, join clubs at school, like yearbook and possibly the newspaper courses, so when you graduate you'll have those two to back you up, go to a college that's THE BEST for you, and just follow through :]Www@QuestionHome@Com

magazines!.!.!.lots of fashion photography is artistic

or you could be a photography teacherWww@QuestionHome@Com

maybe what you cold do is go around to some local cafes and things and ask if they would let you hang your pictures, this way you could get an income from it, and also people would be able to see your work to help establish a name!. assuming your doing digital!?!? if that is the case i did some pictures on A1 printed on canvas and they looked fantastic!.

there is very little money in photography and many people do it just as a side job!. there are a lot of photographers out there so it is rather competitive, you have to have something to offer that others don't!. if it is your true passion you will do well at it and i wish you all the best with it!.

have a good one and good luck with all that you do!!Www@QuestionHome@Com