Getting into professional photography

[autograff]

Hi to All!
I have a question and I hope I'll be able to find an answer here.
I have a great experience and education in fine arts and currently trying to get into photography business. I'm at the point where I feel very strong about making it happen and I really, really need some professional guidance and advice. And also there is a "catch 22" where you need and experience and exposure. Any ideas
I truly appreciate any advice you might have for me guys.
Thanks!

[tim]

Do you have any photography experience? Do you have a portfolio? Can you take good photos? All of those would be good places to start... :)

[autograff]

I hope I can take good picutes :)
As far as portfolio goes, I'm not really sure how to go about it, but I'll appriciate any helpful advice.

[tim]

What I mean is are you confident that your photos are consistently good enough and professional enough that people will happily pay for them? Once you are breaking into the industry can be tough, it sounds like it's a process of getting in at the bottom, building up a reputation, and working your way forward. I'm not a professional, so i'm probably not the right person to be giving advice... hopefully i'm just offering common sense.

[autograff]

Tim
I do appreciate your advice. I am sure it's not exactly an easy process and it requires some dedication. And I was hoping to find some advice among professionals.
also if you intersted I have some work on www.arthauz.com

[kawter2]

Tim
I do appreciate your advice. I am sure it's not exactly an easy process and it requires some dedication. And I was hoping to find some advice among professionals.
also if you intersted I have some work on www.arthauz.com



PROFESSONAL is not defined by "how good you are" but "your ability to make $$ @ photography"


Do you want tips on exposure, lighting etc, or do you want advice on how to make money from photography?????

[tim]

You seem to be pretty good at taking photos anyway :) Did you get a lot of odd looks taking photos of people on the subway? I'll leave further comments to the professionals, and read with interest myself.

[autograff]

Kawter2
I completely agree with your statement above. And I would appreciate your input on how to make money from your photography.

[autograff]

Tim
Thanks.
Once in a while I did, but overall people were pretty nice about it.

[tim]

I would also like to know how to make money off your photography ;) Sorry, i'll stop cracking jokes and try to let people with serious suggestions post. I'll end by saying word of mouth is possibly the most powerful and effective marketing tool you have.

[12345Michael54321]

I have a great experience and education in fine arts and currently trying to get into photography business.
Bear in mind that the photography business is just that - a business.

So while it'd be nice to be the most gifted photographer in the world, if you want to enhance your likelihood of success in the photography business, make sure you have a solid business background, and not just talent as a photographer. That means taking classes in accounting, business law, marketing, writing, etc.

I've known two highly talented chefs who went out and started their own restaurants, only to have the places fold within 16 months. Great food, btw. Absolutely delicious. But these guys seemed to think that the restaurant business was simply about preparing food, and not about running a business. Their mistake.

I'm not a professional photographer, but I'm pretty sure photography businesses are a lot like restaurants, in that all too often someone who is a heck of a photographer fails to appreciate that 70% of his time had better be spent on the business end of things, and only 30% on the photography part of the job.

[epeace]

assuming you have done some serious introspection and self assessment and have come to the conclusion that you truly can make it in this business (or are at least dedicated to making it work) . . . i would recommend first putting together a solid portfolio that is composed of the kind of photogrpahy you wish to shoot. the work you get will be the work that is in your portfolio. you may want to have it evaluated by a professional at that point.

second you might want to take a few business courses. from what i have gathered from pros i know and reading, the photography business is 15% actual shooting. the rest is business administration so you want to build those skills as strong as you can afford.

third and probably most important to the business end is marketing. you have to have a solid plan and approach if you want to stand a chance.

best advice here is READ READ READ . . and when you're done . . read some more . . .

[autograff]

epeace,

thanks for your advice. it's pretty helpul and there is never too much information.

[PhotosGuy]

... I have some work on www.arthauz.com (http://www.arthauz.com/)Nice site! "Arty" stuff that would probably work well for magazine PJ. A bit of fine-tuning wouldn't hurt. Don't know where you're from, but have you thought of working as an assisstant for a local commercial/advertising photographer for a 6-month to a year? second you might want to take a few business courses. from what i have gathered from pros i know and reading, the photography business is 15% actual shooting. the rest is business administration so you want to build those skills as strong as you can afford. YES, YES, YES!

[autograff]

PhotosGuy
Thank you. I'm in NC and I'm not sure exactly exactly how to take that route, but like the idea. Should I just try to locate the the photographer/agency and aproach him or them with what I have? How do you usually go about that? Thank you for your valuable input.

[PhotosGuy]

Should I just try to locate the the photographer/agency and aproach him or them with what I have? To be an assistant? Not the agency, unless you use them as a source for who's work they respect, which isn't a bad idea. Don't expect to be paid much, only professional assistants are, but if you don't learn 95% of what he knows in 6-months then you should probably keep your day job! ;-(
For PJ work? I've seen your work published, so you probably have some "ins" with some mags now, don't you? Talk to the photo editor & ask for his input. Maybe they could use a free-lancer/stringer? Then try others.
I once knew a guy who worked for the State Tourist Bureau & all he did was travel the State taking pics. These days, they probably use free-lancers.
Tourist season in NC - I'll bet you could sell a lot of framed prints of your stuff at local art fairs.
Advice I was once given, don't show on expert his type of work unless you want him to pick it apart. Show a car guy one great car shot, & a lot of people stuff & landscapes. ;-)

[autograff]

PhotosGuy,
Thank you agiain. All this info is very helpul to me. Like I said, I'm not even sure where to begin, so I really appreciate it.