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Question: Some Questions about Professional Photography!.!.!.!?
Photography is my passion!. I have been struggling for so long to find something to do as a career and I really think i have picked something that i can do the rest of my life!. I know it would be a very good idea to go to school for it and learn all that i can!. BUT the school is an hour away and costs a lot of money!. Do you have to go to school and have a certificate to do professional photography!? or can i just take classes online!? I have seen some classes online that aren't that expensive that I would be able to afford!. Approx how much money does it take to get started with photography and how do you go about getting a photography job!? I'm not sure what kind of photography i would specialize in yet!.!. Any Suggestions at all or advice would be much appreciated!!!
thank you~!!
Here are some of my pictures!.!.!.
Please Feel free to rate, comment or suggest ideas:)
http://www!.flickr!.com/photos/wild_frog20!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Schooling is not necessary as already mentioned!. I would recommend some kind of classes however!. Here's the deal!.!.!.!.you have to compete with the millions of photos currently on line and strive to make yours the best possible!. Not only do you have on line photos to compete against but you have to compete against all the other aspiring photographers out there as well as the technology!. Case in point - I was out at a local park the other day scouting out some spots to do some specialized portraits at!. Along comes soccer mom with 3 kids in tow and a rather nice EXPENSIVE dslr - I watched from a distance and over heard her say to her husband (who was also in tow) about how much nicer and cheaper it was to take their own portraits and print them off at home for the family instead of going to an "expensive" portrait photographer!. So, technolog took a job away from a local studio!. Isolated incident!? I don't think so!.
People complain about how expensive it is to hire a photographer yet they fail to realize the fact that the photographer has had to purchase their equipment, rent a studio, get training of some kind, etc!. etc!. etc!.
It is hitting the pro world as well!. If your photo is on line and not watermarked some thief will come along and steal the image!. Worse yet, the pay for photos has dropped to next to nothing!. I used to sell stock photos!. Before the internet I could sell an image for $50 - $200 per single use!. Today!.!.!.let's see!. I sold a pic about a month ago online and made $1!.20 - One dollar and 20 cents!. Gee, now I can retire!. And that was through an upscale online stock photo agency!. My digital camera cost $450!. Only $449 to go to pay it off!.
Not to mention the fact I have a degree in photography, roughly 30 years experience in the biz and have worked for several newspapers, a couple of studios, did custom darkroom work, and freelanced and I made a whole dollar!.
So, if you want to make it you will need additional schooling!. Heck, learn to write!. I made more money if I could supply an article to go with the photos I sold!.
Your second page of pictures show promise!. The others are so so!. Nothing to distinguish them from the million of others photos out there!. That is the key - make yours different!.
Good luck!.
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You dont have to goto school but it helps alot!. Some classes at least are needed really!. Did you teach yourself 2 + 2 !?
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School or a degree is not necessary, but a huge amount of knowledge is! It's important to understand how to sell and create a market for what you do; 'getting a photography job' is not really how it's done!. The majority of working photographers either have their own studio, do weddings and events, shoot for stock, or freelance until they build a client base of publishers who buy from them!. And so in these scenarios, it's your results and reliability, not your formal training, that will land you repeat business!.
You will want to start working to improve your shots by studying composition- rule of thirds, leading lines, foreground elements and perspective, depth of field, etc!. Make sure your shots are 'about' something, taken for a reason, not just a picture of a forest- there needs to be a focal point in a good photo!. A few of the shots on your second page are stronger than the first page for these reasons!. You will naturally develop a style and a niche over time!.
good luck, take a million photos, and have fun!Www@QuestionHome@Com
You'll make a lot more money doing studio work or event photography than you will making art and selling it!. Although you can do that on the side!. It takes a considerable budget to acquire all the necessary equipment, but you'll build up a collection over time!.
You might want a digital SLR for studio work!. If you're going to do architecture or landscape work, a large format camera will be better, if you have the money for it!. You could also use a 4x5 or 8x10 monorail for studio work, if you indeed require that much versatility!.
As for schooling, it isn't required, as people have mentioned!. It certainly helps, though!. Whether going to school or teaching yourself, it helps a lot to use film as well!. I don't know what you're using now!. Full-manual is the way to go!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
No you do not have to go to school!. You do not need a certificate or anything!. Most photographers are self employed!. I took a correspondence course(New York Institute of Photography) it was $1000!.00 and took about a year to complete!. The equipment you will need is a dlsr of film slr, tripod, off camera flash, studio lights (at least 2 but 3 is best) a computer, and some type of editing software such photo shop or Elements(a lot cheaper) and memory cards!. The lens that comes with the camera and at least a medium telephoto lens!.(70-300mm)
Read everything you can about photography, books, magazines, on line articles!. And practice lighting and posing techniques!. The things a pro photographs are weddings,portraits, pets, events, banquets, products, and maybe even some fashion and glamor shots!. More important than photography skills are business skills and people skills!.
Business skills in marketing and sales and you have to enjoy being around and dealing with people!. Www@QuestionHome@Com