which photography job pays good wages?

[picard]

which photography job pays good wages? Is it runaway fashion photography, news paper photographer, photojournalist, nature photographer for national geographic magazine?

[Jemmind]

I don't know which pays more, but I consider photog for National Geographic to be the best job in the world. If I could be ANYTHING that is what I would be.

[Blue Deuce]

I would be willing to bet its being a well published papirazzi.

[cjm]

Hmm none and all. It all depends on if you are a photographer or a picturetaker. Too me there is a difference. Everyone can take a picture yet not everyone is a photographer. If you are a picturetaker then any wage is good, if you are a photographer then its not really about the money, that's just a bonus. So its none and all.

[picard]

Hmm none and all. It all depends on if you are a photographer or a picturetaker. Too me there is a difference. Everyone can take a picture yet not everyone is a photographer. If you are a picturetaker then any wage is good, if you are a photographer then its not really about the money, that's just a bonus. So its none and all.

It is nice to say that money is just a bonus. However, everyone has bills to pay, mortgage payments, tuition payments for kids, car payments. Money is crittical nowadays. These photography equipments are really expensive. I wouldn't want to do charity job when the cost out weight the benefits of the job.

[Wazza]

To me a good photography job, would be something which interests me also. (in fact that is most subjects). The pay would be a bonus, but as long as it was enough to cover the bills, and more L lens, then I don't really mind. :D

[cjm]

It is nice to say that money is just a bonus. However, everyone has bills to pay, mortgage payments, tuition payments for kids, car payments. Money is crittical nowadays. These photography equipments are really expensive. I wouldn't want to do charity job when the cost out weight the benefits of the job.

If you want a job that pays good consistant money for "bills to pay, mortgage payments, tuition payments for kids, car payments" then it is best to get employment with a business that isn't photography, aka a Day Job like bus driver, carpenter, nurse, mail man, truck driver, sales person, etc.

Because unless you are absolutely in love with photography you shouldn't pursue it as just a "day job" because to most photographers its more then that, its a passion!

All the professional photographers I know, met and have read about all have a very consistant story, it took them years to get to the point where they could do photography for a living and not have to work another job.

[TheBlindOne]

when it comes to pay here is the break down. all numbers aprox. and before tax or other deductions.

press:
staff: starting 25K or less, average after 15 years is about 45K, top 1% is about 100K.
freelance: starting can be as low as 14k working fullish time up to as much as 150K in the top 1%.
forigne corrospondant: starts at about 35k a year and goes up from there to some poeple making some realitivily decent money (natchwey, et. al.).

stock: doesn't make much money unless your really good

portrature: small town shops doing family photos and senior portrates can make as much as 80K, Karsh made as much as 5K per sitting, figure on starting 17-30k depending on how good you are and how good at buisness you are.

papirazzi: average is about 30k but you need to live in LA or NY, there are papirazzi that make as much as 250K a year so ther is money to be made.

wedding: most wedding guys I know make less than 40k a year but Fong (of lightsphere fame) made more than 400k a year in the years before he "retired".

event photographers: generally make between 20k and 60k a year depending on whare they go.

This being said these are just the numbers that I have found by talking to working photogs in these fields, and remember generally the more stress and the longer the hours the more money you'll make. I know a war photog that makes about 105k a year but his job is very dangerious and very risky.

peace,
Riaz