how did you get started?

[shaman]

Based on reading a article in a magazine I am wondering about doing photography on the side for some extra cash. If you do it professionally/on the side how did you get started(please be specific and highly detailed). What equipment did you start with/what kind of pictures did you take/how did you build a clientile/ect..
pm's/emails are fine if you preferr. I will most likely have many more questions based of any replys I get. :not-worthy Thank you for any help/suggestions.

 

[Lan-Lord]

I'm curious what article you were reading.

I have made some spare change with photos. Not alot, but enough to pay for my camera and accessories over the last few years. I dont think I could make it doing it for a living. The photographers that usually do pretty good are photographers that shoot family portraits and wedding photographers. I personally don't consider that much fun and would rather shoot wildlife and landscapes. Unfortunately there is not alot of money for those, and their are alot of people shooting wildlife/landscapes for money.

I have gotten a lot of "freebies" and extras for photos.. And that is pretty cool. I shot a pool portfolio for a $600 gift certificate to their pool store. They were going to use the photos for advertising and web graphics.

here is one of the pool pics:

Post up some of your pics, I wont pay you for them, but I'll probably give ya a big

I was asking the same question that you are asking about a year ago. This is a good topic, glad you brought it up.

 

[shaman]

lan-lord
A magazine called start your own bussiness mentions photography in a couple of different places. What you describe sounds about like what I was thinking of(not looking to live off of my stuff). I am currently working on a role of film that will have numerous different types of pics. I will attempt to post them when they are developed.

I currently have a ae-1 with a 70/200 zoom, and a sony mavica(.3 megapixels(yes point three)).

I will look forward to more posts from you some others(by the way, nice pool)

 

[shaman]

Just posted a few shots in the gallery(shaman). Thanks for any input.

 

[tonka]

Some years back my wife and I opened a 1 hour foto. We lived in a small town in the mountains and there was not enough bus. to keep us afloat. One day I put up an ad for pet pictures. It really went crazy. That was just the start. I shot real estate fotos for the realitors, and that ended up in renting a chopper for 2 hrs. at a wack and doing areial shots of the mountain homes. It cost a bunch for the chopper but I picked up $300 per home from the realitors. I could do around 12 homes in the 2 hr. time up. The next adventure was doing foto layouts for my sons first band. You know cd jackets and tape covers as well as just promo shots. He now records with Sting, The Bear Naked Ladies, and is the drummer for Ani Defranco, and will go back on tour with the EEls in the fall. I have done shots for all these groups. You can set up with about any group and shoot fotos for them at the venue they are at in your town. It just takes talking to the venue owners to give you a chance, and of corse you give them free pictures to put up on their walls. They love that. When he comes to Colorado on his US tours I still shot their promo shots. I got a million things I have tried, and some work, most of my work is done in med. format, 645. I do use a dig alot in the air however. To make money you will need to develop your own pictures. Take alot of stock fotos, and have them ready to show whoever you are going after. Any questioms let me know. Good luck. One long paragraph wasn't it? Spelling too.

 

[foulshot]

This is a great Topic! I have been seriously thinking of getting into some more meaningful photography. I'd love to make it a part-time gig that pays, even if it's just a little. I do love photography almost as much as hunting. I've been building up a portfolio, mainly for myself but you never know. I'm going to call my high school alma mater and see if I can take some sports photos, and if they want any they can have them.

Tonka, very cool about your son!

Shaman, nice shots.

Lan-lord, as always you gallery is first class.

 

[shaman]

O.K. let the questons begin.

)How do you decide how much to charge

)Do you speculate(take pictures and then offer them to the subjects)

)Do you need to have any kind of legal protection(waivers, ect.)

I'm sure I'll come up with more later.

 

[Lan-Lord]

1.)
charging depends on how much someone is willing to pay. My neighbor next door I might charge $15. A law firm down the street I would sell the same print for $750. The difference?? my neighbor and his family will be enjoying it verses a company's customers and clients.

2.)
Absolutely. I have a decent collection of whitetail photographs. I believe that they will probably sell/trade/publish to various people. As time has gone by, I have been contacted for some of them. I have even been asked to photograph for a ranch because of photos in my portfolio. Typically you will need some good proof of your ability to show someone, so I think you should definitly specialize in an area and have something to show/offer. AND always show your BEST work. Not mediocre. Only your best.

3.)
Also there are rights. You can sell someone one time rights, (eg cover shot for a brochure of 1000 prints.) you can totally sell out the photo (big bucks) and they can do whatever they want with it and make as much money as they want with it. and there are other situations, someone else (tonka?? Eric Mayer? Skippy?)can probably give better real world experience.

you will probably come to realize that successful ($$) photographers are probably just as good at marketing and sales as they are at photography.. Getting visibility is just as important as having the goods.

 

[tonka]

I myself need someone else (my wife) to help me work out the price etc. I am so right brained and into the actual picture taking and how to set up, lighting and so on that I suck on the real life things. I know that was a real

answer. One piece of advice. Always look for the picture in the picture. No matter what your shooting. If you understand what I just said, you are on your way.
My Best, Jess

 

[tonka]

Here's an idea I will give you for free LOL. I live in a mountain town called Evergreen in Colorado. One day I shot this picture of the town while I was up shooting house pictures. I had a few 16x24 posters made up and put them in the shops in town. That took off so fast on me I almost couldn't keep up with the demand for it. I even went to a 20x30 at twice the price and still couldn't keep up. This was taken over 20 years ago and I still have a demand for them, from post cards on up in size. Remember I said look for the picture in the picture? In this one it is the chopper strut I was standing on in the lower right corner. People love the feeling they get when they look at the foto. Holy Crap you got me started now.

 

[tonka]

I'm having problems with my picture host.

 

[Lan-Lord]

I think you are copying the dynamic photo link..

Yeah you are.. I just read imageshacks faqs. they indicate that they provide an img string for you to copy and paste for hotlinking

http://www.imageshack.us/faq.php#doesnotwork

Nice pic. You are right, the perspective makes you feel like you are riding the copter.