How does one get into photography?

[DocFrankenstein]

I'm just curious. What do you have to do to... I dunno... put your picture into a magazine?

What's the way you guys did it?

[PhotosGuy]

It was a lot easier a seventeen hundred years ago whan they used the "Camera Obscura". You could just walk into it & you were "In" photography!

Simple answer is, take pics that someone wants to see, or will buy.

Why don't you give us some info to work with?
Like, what type of photography? Professional? Do you live in a small town, or big city? Do you even own a camera? If so, what kind? Can you post some of your best pics so we can gauge your level of experience? Do you know how to 'sell' yourself & your talent? Etc...

Get the "picture"?

[DocFrankenstein]

I don't know what I want. The thing is that I'm 18, just finished first year of the uni for a science degree and as the summer goes, I want to "experience different aspects of life" or try out different jobs.

So far, I've tried factory, landscaping, window washing, newspaper carry, acting, kitchen, politics and lab science. I wanna try journalism, marketing/sales, barman and some others...

I have the S1 IS camera, with a few filters and will soon buy a tele and wide angle attachments.

All the equipment cost me about 1300 canadian bucks. I like photography by itself.

So I figure out that I can try doing something to sell the pics, it would be an interesting experience, even if I won't make a penny. If I would sell a pic or two for a few bucks, then great.

I am in Toronto... so lots of events to photograph I guess.

I have no idea what "kind" of photography I wanna do.

Let's say I made a goal for myself: "to make 100 bucks by next month, by selling pictures"

What should I do? Go to Toronto sun? Compose a binder with samples of my work? (not that I have them) :( Go out at hight asking hookers to pose nude? :?

This is just an idea, of what to do... cause I'm working 6 days a week now. I would just wanna try out what it's like to be a "photographer" and what you have to deal with in the process.

[Jesper]

I've never had a photo published, but I've also never tried to get a photo published. However, one way I can imagine would be to make photos at some event happening in your neighbourhood, and contacting local newspapers or magazines and try to get them interested in publishing your photos. Ofcourse you'll need to make some really good photos first.... :roll: :wink: I also know a guy who is crazy with cars, he goes to a lot of shows with Ferrari's etc. and makes photos, and finally managed to sell some photos to magazines about automobiles, but he had to be really persistent before he sold some - probably there's a lot of competition in that field.

My mother came across one of her photos once in a holiday catalogue. :shock: The company had stolen her photo off of a website. She contacted them and got a letter with excuses and € 25 (US$ 30) or so, and they promised to put her name next to the photo next time.

[robertwgross]

I've been a wilderness traveler for a long time, and I've used one or the other kinds of cameras through the years. I had led nordic ski trips to one unique wilderness hut structure, and I had plenty of good slides (back in the film days). One time a writer was writing an article about these huts and contacted the organizing agency. Then the agency sent the writer to me for a telephone interview. At the end of the interview, the writer asked if I had any photos!

Geez, I had been waiting for that question for a while. Sure, I do. I sent them three of my best slides of the hut for publishing in their magazine article. Then about a month later, they sent me the slides back... all disassembled and in pieces. Then a month after that, the magazine hit the news stands, and my photo was on the title page of the article.

Everybody's got to start somewhere.

---Bob Gross---

[tungsten]

I am in Toronto... so lots of events to photograph I guess.

I have no idea what "kind" of photography I wanna do.

Let's say I made a goal for myself: "to make 100 bucks by next month, by selling pictures"

What should I do? Go to Toronto sun? Compose a binder with samples of my work? (not that I have them) Go out at hight asking hookers to pose nude?

Sounds like you need to fire up some passion. Whatever it is that motivates you, go and shoot that. And then shoot some more. The rest should fall into place easily once you know better what you want.

BTW, the way most people start is to become an assistant. I guarantee if you're willing to work for cheap/free you'll have no shortage of photographers who will take you on...