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I hate work!
#1

I'm so sick of going to work and spending all day dreaming about photos!!
Argh!
I sent my resume into a schmick photographer near me, if I'm doing admin for someone, it might as well be INTERESTING admin!!

I'm dreaming of the day I work from home.
Does anyone else share my vision? I just feel totally held back by the thought that I'm not good enough :/

Canon 350D with Speedlight 580EX flash
EFS 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 II, EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM, EF 50mm f/1.8

http://www.inspired-images.com.au
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#2

I hear exactly what you are saying. While I will never be a prof. photographer, but I can still dream.

I been busting my guts at work lately (even though I've been sick as a dog) because I've been snowed under with paper work (never ends in my "line of work")... I decided yesterday I had had more than enough and took yesterday and today off sick.

This sums up how I feel...

[Image: snailnegativesmall.jpg]

Canon 50D.
Redbubble
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#3

I hear you so ..... in the last few days I have been getting myself organised so that I can do more with my Photography Business.

I have a batch of prints to be sent off this month and also another set of cards for printing off.

I await the day that I can work for myself Smile

Canon EOS 350D Digital Camera , 2gig Scandisk Ultra II CF Card, EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens, EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 Lens, EF 28mm f2.8 Lens Wide Angle, Macro 58mm Lens kit (1+ 2+ 4+ 10+), Hoya 58mm PL-CIR Polariser, Optek PT3900 Pro Series Tripod

Kerridwyn's Photography Gallery
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#4

smarti77 Wrote:I hear exactly what you are saying. While I will never be a prof. photographer, but I can still dream.
Qhy dream, if you want something so much you can have it in your life

Canon EOS 350D Digital Camera , 2gig Scandisk Ultra II CF Card, EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens, EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 Lens, EF 28mm f2.8 Lens Wide Angle, Macro 58mm Lens kit (1+ 2+ 4+ 10+), Hoya 58mm PL-CIR Polariser, Optek PT3900 Pro Series Tripod

Kerridwyn's Photography Gallery
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#5

Smarti, I was thinking the same as Kerridwyn. Why not pro? If thats what you want, you can make it happen. Every photo you take gets you closer to the dream.

Thanks for listening to me whine...I'll get there one day, I know it.

Canon 350D with Speedlight 580EX flash
EFS 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 II, EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM, EF 50mm f/1.8

http://www.inspired-images.com.au
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#6

Wow, beautiful photo, smarti.. did you take it?

I get to work from home once in a while... and I find that I can never get any work done! I wonder why? Big Grin
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#7

Now, excuse me for being less than excited, but in my limited, semi, semi, psuedo pro experience, this is what you need:

Exceptional pictures. Not good, not reasonable, but extraordinarily great pictures.

A total knowledge of your gear.

People skills.

Marketing skills to equal your photography skills.

Connections.

Perseverance, patience and the ability to take pressure.

Good post processing / darkroom knowledge.

A hard business head.

A dash of the ruthless.

A large degree of confidence.

Batteries.

Cave canem
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#8

As R's wife I can vouch for all the above as essential if you want to make a living from photography. And we're both agreed at the moment that some of those factors are missing (some can not be changed by him either)

Exceptional pictures. Not good, not reasonable, but extraordinarily great pictures .....I think some of R's photos are terrific, as do many friends and acquaintances, but he and I are agreed that "extraordinarily great" hasn't happened yet...and even if it does it's not likely to be replicable on a daily basis

Marketing skills to equal your photography skills.

Connections.

A hard business head.

A dash of the ruthless. Glad that's not in his nature!!!

A large degree of confidence


I'll add to the list that to actually make enough to support yourself, run the business, invest in new updated equipment etc most good photographers end up doing very mundane, bread and butter work which is in no way as pleasurable as taking the photos you want to take - weddings, school photos etc and even in those "don't really want it, but it pays the bills" areas there's massive and increasing competition. The advent of digital has opened up this dream of working for yourself as a photographer to far more people than ever before, and the more there are, the less work there is to go round. That's why R put this at the top of the list: "Exceptional pictures. Not good, not reasonable, but extraordinarily great pictures", beacuse there are literally thousands of people out there now that can take good, competent photos. To do well you need to be able to consistently take those "WOW" pictures, and they need to produce that effect in people that are truly objective - total strangers who are ready to put their money where their mouth is and buy the pictures. And if you're going to live on this you need to repeat it every day!

However, it's not all doom and gloom :-) If you have all the qualities in R's list you'll probably do well and maybe even make money taking the kind of pictures you really want to take. And even if a few of those qualities are missing you can make a little part time to fund the real passion of taking the pictures you want to take.
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#9

It's true..............Sad I wish it were n't Sad

Make cash where you can, bask in a moments glory, have fun, but if your partner isnt already earning 100000's elsewhere, be prepared for tears. LOTS of 'em.


Mr Happy. :|

Cave canem
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#10

shuttertalk Wrote:Wow, beautiful photo, smarti.. did you take it?:
Yes, my photo. Its actually a negative through post processing, I just like the way it looked - it matched my mood at the time.

This has been an interesting thread. Its great to see much inspired and motivated people with high aspirations, but its hard to ingnore the major hurdles...

I see paid photography work becoming more and more competitive and harder to make a living from unless you are already well established. I would love to be able to spend money on more than my very basic kit but I've got other priorities and responsibilites.

At this stage I'm happy to call it a - preoccupying "hobby".

Without the cash or the connections I'm just another kid playing with his fancy 'guitar' thinking he's going to be a 'rock star'...

Canon 50D.
Redbubble
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#11

mmm, interesting. I guess the good thing for me is, being a mother I'm only working part-time anyway, so it would only ever be a part time thing, which eases the monetary pressure alot.
I mainly want to do portraits, babies, families, etc. I'm not going to be doing weddings. Would you call that area of interest bread and butter work NN?

What are the photos you would want to take? (this question is open to everyone).

One of the main reasons I want to start going pro is because I'm running out of willing subjects. If they want to pay me to have their photo taken, they must be willing to sit for me Big Grin

I'm not daunted by hard work or competition, not if it means I get to do something I love, and get to see my work 'out there'. Maybe my ego is overinflated and I will fall flat on my face. But at least I'll know I tried, rather than always wondering 'what if...'

Canon 350D with Speedlight 580EX flash
EFS 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 II, EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM, EF 50mm f/1.8

http://www.inspired-images.com.au
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#12

Schellamo Wrote:I mainly want to do portraits, babies, families, etc. I'm not going to be doing weddings. Would you call that area of interest bread and butter work NN?
Yes, absolutely that's bread and butter work.....If that kind of photography is also the kind you enjoy then you're off to a very good start. But for those whose photographic heart is far removed from the bread and butter it can be tough photographing subjects that don't appeal.....the work can end up destroying the passion! In your case though, as the kind of photography that brings home the bacon is ALSO your passion, that's the best way to make money and still enjoy your hobby. Plus if you don't need to make more than a part-time income from it you'll also find things easier.....less financial pressure is always better when trying to make a business work Smile

Quote:What are the photos you would want to take? (this question is open to everyone).
Ah, now that's the question.....For me that changes all the time. I like to take whatever takes my fancy in any given moment, but have a preference for nature - animals, birds, flowers, sunsets and landscapes, moon and stars - basically all the stuff everyone does that it'd be very hard to make a living from even if I was good enough (which I'm not). But absolutely NOT anything with humans in it as I'm a very shy, nervous type of person and even get embarrassed if I'm taking photos at a touristy place if there are other people about Big Grin I could NEVER deal with what I call the bread and butter, which is one of the reasons I have no ambitions whatsoever in the professional direction myself! Smile

I think it's great that you want to give it a go, and with the extra details about the type of work you want to do (and love doing) you have a lot of what it needs to succeed. I wish you luck!
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#13

As for Rufus............

If someone asks me, "are you a professional?" I can honestly answer, "I used to be......"

However, it may not have been as a photographer!!

"So, what do you do now, Rufus?"

"Well, I'm a bum with a camera"

That's about it really.

Cave canem
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#14

HMMMM , i think that i " opend this can of worms before ". Big Grin.
I ll try this. http://www.shuttertalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3192. Maybe that will work . And a lot of that has changed that i said except for 1 main thing . I still want to go pro!!! I hate every moment of my job . And ot be honest i am making more money than i ever had before . So that tells you that money dosent make a man ( or woman ) happy in life.

What has changed for me ? I still love taking pics in the outdoors , do i think that i can make money in that ? NOT ENOUGH !!

Portraits ... i love taking pics of people but i found that your confidence has to be high , and right now mine is not . I found out that i still have so much to learn , but if done right you can make some money . but there is a catch , you have to be a good salesperson ( which i am not ) . I find to many faults in my pictures . So i have to work on that part .

I have figured this much out ( i think LOL ) , People take better pictures of what they love ( i . e . wildlife , people , landscapes , etc. ) i for one love the outdoors , and really like people ( not all of them ) , so i want to stick to what i like .

Oh yea i forgot i really like woman too LOL ...

thanks for reading ......... Shawn

Canon 20d and a few cheap lenses ..

It is our job as photographers to show people what they saw but didnt realize they saw it ......
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#15

...........................and really like people ( not all of them ) , so i want to stick to what i like .

Oh yea i forgot i really like women too LOL ...


Smile

Same here!!!

Cave canem
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