Pros and cons of photography as a career (your experiences)

[skywalkerbeth]

Hi everyone,

I am just an amateur hobbyist. I enjoy taking photos and I'm sure (like everyone starting out) thinks "boy, this is more fun than a job, wouldn't it be great to do this full time". (I've no plans to do more than dabble anytime soon...)

I'm friends with a professional photographer and I think that he's burnt out - while he makes very good money from it (too much to walk away from) he's sick of the lifestyle (lack thereof?) and after achieving his success he's finding it isn't all what it's cracked up to be. I get the sense from him that it's a very isolated lifestyle but it may be the type of photography he's chosen and the fact that he is doing it solo, no partners.

So, it got me wondering:

If you are a pro photographer, is it working out the way you expected - I don't mean monetarily only, I mean satisfaction?

How did you choose your path - is it a second career, is it all you've ever wanted to do, is it part time? Is it as fun as you expected it to be?

What kind of photography do you do? Do you see yourself doing this long term, or after a number of years are you planning to dial back and just make it a hobby?

It seems to me that it is a great deal of work and if you plan to survive on it, your business skills need to be at least as good as your photography skills and maybe even better - and that you may end up spending more time on the business aspect than the photography itself.

Anyway, just curious what others' experiences are. Thanks!

[videochicke]

My biggest concern will be my old age. Health benefits, pension, social security etc. How do we prepare for an income for when we retire?

[scotteisenphotography]

My biggest concern will be my old age. Health benefits, pension, social security etc. How do we prepare for an income for when we retire?

make a retirement fund!

[ExeSight]

Most photographers are terrible at marketing themselves, and this is their greatest downfall. You're right that marketing is as important as skill if the business is to succeed.

Exesight Photography formed this year, as a department within a successful IT firm in Exeter. Previously, the photography had been a side-line, providing photography to our web design clients (such as http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk). We mostly do studio-based work, portraiture and glamour being our most popular areas.

I have found that being a professional photographer is a very rewarding experience, in ways that I hadn't expected. We've met a wide variety of different people, and have been able to undertake work that has had a big impact on people's lives. It's almost never dull.

I can imagine it would be different working alone - we are a team of photographers that normally work with an assistant, which makes it a bit easier to get a rapport with our customers (imo) - but I think as with so many things, the job is what you make it.

I'm in it long term - the money is fine, but the job itself is great.

[Scott McLoud]

I got my first SLR back in teh 70's and loved it - used it for a while, and when attending a wedding, i got talking with the photographer there. From that moment on, i decided to do it professionally. Went to college and studdied, got my qualifications, and joined a company. Mid 80's i left (company had to lay off staff so i was made redundant) - used that money to set up my own company and that was 25 years ago. Ive never looked back.

Money is good if you are, but if you are anything other than good, you wont get that money.

I will say, it is not glamerous. I do studio work as my primary income but i also do weddings. Alot of the time, (as i live in the UK) it is raining, so i am working in heavy winds, rain, etc.... but i have to do it. If i dont, i spoil the big day. Then there is the fact that if you DO mess up, you are the one who is going to be hung by the B&G. But, the main thing is the initial outlay costs.

As for money when you retire - exactly what was said above. I take 10% of my money and put it aside for retirement. You also have pension funds which help too.

[cdifoto]

You can get burnt out doing anything. Photography isn't unique in that respect.

Me, I'll never get burnt out. I'm in it for the bridesmaids. Bridemaids are hot. You just have to get past the ugly dresses.

[Patrick]

Me, I'll never get burnt out. I'm in it for the bridesmaids. Bridemaids are hot. You just have to get past the ugly dresses.

Sure beats the heck out of the free cheeseburgers you get from working at McDonalds!

I'd love to do photography full time. It's working quite well as a second job now, both monetarily and enjoyment.

[_aravena]

^Lol...so true if I weren't already married. Darn. ;)

I love photography and will consider it to always be a part of my income but never my sole income unless I had a lot of contacts in which I could use to advertise with or an actual job with a company. I plan on teaching so anything photography related will be done on the side. Best of both worlds without the worrying of the future.

[Alleh]

Actually taking photos aside it is just like running any other business and if you don't love it to death it will be just like any other job.

[amfoto1]

Well, this turned into sort of "chain of consciousness" response! Just a bunch of points to consider, in no particular order...

Being a professional, independent photographer is like any other form of self-employment. As soon as you finish a particular job and send the invoice to the client, you are basically out of work until the next job comes along. Think of it as a pipeline... You need to have a continuous series of projects in various stages of development and moving toward completion in the future, and you'd better be good at juggling too.

The business side of it is where most wannabes fail. It's usually not for lack of talent.

By Christmas/News Years I bet there will be one million people in the world thinking exactly what you are... They just got their first DSLR & kit lens and are saying to themselves, "Gee, this is fun. I can see doing this for a living!" Many will all be your competition. There will probably be more next year.

In part this is because the camera equipment available today is so good and so highly automated. If you can get past the initial purchase price barrier for digital, which has steadily dropped over the years but still remains moderately high, there's a very common misperception that "digital is free". This supposes you just set the camera to high speed capture an hold the shutter button down. Bound to get some keepers that way, right?

Actually, digital is anything but free. But, it's costs aren't nearly as obvious as having to get 75 rolls of film, each of which cost $5, developed after a job.

And, there are a lot of responsibilities and obligations that go with most any form of photography (client/vendor relationships), you need to be constantly updating and reinventing yourself, you will need to wear a number of hats to succeed, and competition is massive at a time when what you can charge is being steadily driven down (after all, customers also think "digital is free").

Food for thought. Your pro friend sounds to be overdue to make some changes. There's a lot to be said for working with a mentor for a while, rather than just jumping in and taking your chances solo, learning through your own mistakes. And a fresh face on the scene with enthusiasm and new ideas can sometimes rejuvenate a tired old pro. That might be worth pursuing.

For me, photography was a lifelong avocation, decades before it became a vocation. I turned to photography when I got burnt out on my other, 21 year long career.

My timing was terrible. I quit my "day job" on Sept. 1, 2001 and I'm sure everyone recalls how the world changed 10 days later. But so far I 've managed to hang in there and found ways to make it work.

There will be a lot of tough decisions and challenges. At times you will need to do things that, at least initially, don't enthuse you very much. You need to be able to find a way to get your creativity flowing even in those situations.

If you don't have more ideas for ways to build and grow your business than time and energy to pursue them, you areprobably in the wrong business.

You have to be very focused on your work... There are a thousand possible distractions every day.

I'd advise most wannabes to take a number of classes and read all the books they can find pertaining to running a small business. You need to know something about marketing, the law, accounting and much more.... All unrelated to photography. These will occupy most of your time, you'll actually be taking and processing photos probably 20% of the time or less.

Even if you hire an accountant or an attorney, for example, you need to know a little about these things yourself in order to communicate well with them and accomplish whatever is needed.

Whoever is around you - family, spouse, even friends - need to be committed to your decision as well, to some degree or another. Their support is essential. You will have to sacrifice some things in order to do this, such as vacation time with family or paid health care or even moving to a smaller home or not spending as much time on the golf course with friends.

Wedding and event photographers largely give up their weekends to work and take any time off in mid week, just the opposite of most friends and family.

And, it's not going to be a 40 hour work week. It's probably more like a 80 hour work week. Or, perhaps it's more like a way of life, than an hourly or salaried work career ever was.

If just starting out and going it alone, you need at least three years' financial resources in the bank, or you are unlikely to make it. Most businesses run in the red for the first few years. This is no different. This is in addition to the cost of setting up a proper kit and/or studio/location rig.

You will no longer be buying the "latest and greatest" gear. You will be using whatever is adequate to get the job done well and holding off on upgrades until any new products are fully proven and trustworthy. Purchases become business decisions and capital investments, instead of fun gear to play with.

Increasingly in many types of photography, "moms and dads with SLRs" or "friends/amateurs with cameras" are becoming a major source of competition. This is due to the ease of use and high automation of much equipment on the market today. This is happening at events, weddings and more.

Most newspapers and many magazines now actively solicit reader/amateur photo submissions... At the same time they are reducing their staffing and usage of freelancers.

The stock photography market has been radically reshaped due to microstock, which is based upon amateur photography and people willing to accept pennies for unlimited usage of their images, or too uninformed to know better.

The Internet has revolutionized distribution of images and buyer access. Take travel/assignment photography as an example. Why hire and go to the expense of hiring a photographer to travel to the other side of the world and take photos for you? Now you can now quite easily locate a photographer at the location who can provide you with high quality images quickly and for far, far less cost.

Leveraging in important. This means finding ways to work smarter, rather than harder. For example, when doing a job for a client, also be thinking of other, past clients who might be able to use some of the images from the shoot. Also think of stock usage possibilities.

[bubbawillums]

You can get burnt out doing anything. Photography isn't unique in that respect.

Me, I'll never get burnt out. I'm in it for the bridesmaids. Bridemaids are hot. You just have to get past the ugly dresses.

Love it!!!! Can i quote you on that on my website ;) On the flipside there is also ugly bridesmaids with hot dresses!

[tim]

Pros: it's fun
Cons: it's a LOT of hard work, like any business. It's not always a reliable income. With technology advancing it's going to become more difficult to make a living taking photos. You NEED another profession to fall back on IMHO.

[PhotosGuy]

"How did you get started" (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=174508)

What has the evolution of your photography cycle been like? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=420938)

Advertising - how to Start (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=357487)

See the .pdf link: Some Ideas for Creating Work and Getting Clients for Your New Photography Business (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=4947428&postcount=15)

How did you become a pro (or semi-pro)? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=41194)

So you want to be a photographer? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=544289)

[skywalkerbeth]

Hi everyone

Thank you for the replies - what an interesting thread. It's interesting how the grass is always greener - something that is so much fun as a hobby could get old after a while- just like any endeavor.

This pro friend of mine advised me to just keep it as a hobby or a "vanity career", meaning: go ahead and sell things once in a while, even show off/sell photos at art fairs, but don't change gears unless/until my regular income is self-perpetuating.