How many people have no aspirations to "go pro" in photography?

[spkerer]

I see a steady stream of posts along the lines of "am I ready to go pro" or "when should I start an official business" and the like. It seems like lots of folks that get into photography want to turn it into their business.

My question is how many of you really have no desire to turn "pro." I know pro has varying descriptions, but I'm talking about wanting to make photography your full-time or primary job.

There are times that I think that being paid would a validation of my skills. At times I also think it would be fun to spend the day taking photos. But then I think of all the other time spent on marketing, bookkeeping, promotion, etc. I also think that I wouldn't be spending the day shooting what I want to shoot, but rather what clients want me to shoot. And finally I don't see any real likelihood of being able to make the money I'm making in my current job - that leaves me with money to fund my hobby.

I'm not against selling photos and maybe some photography services on occasion, but I guess where I draw the line is that it would be something I'd want to do anyway.

Are there many others that feel similarly?

[xoldboy]

I don't think I would turn pro- I know i'm not as skilled as some of the folk on POTN, but I do have a passion for shooting and one day I will eventually be just as good as some pros. I enjoy my job already and enjoy photography even more. But thats just it; I enjoy doing it. People say to do what you love as your job but I enjoy my job already and I wouldn't want to have to shoot photography to live. Some people enjoy shooting photography as a living and I praise them for it. I would just rather shoot for me.

I hope that answers your question lol.

EDIT: when I mean turn "pro", I wouldn't make it my full time career.

[EdBray]

Been there done that and didn't enjoy the selling part of the job, gave up photography for a couplde of years when I stopped, until the bug bit again when I bought a Fuji S602 pro (which I still have). Wouldn't go back to being a pro now.

[nwa2]

What!!! work harder ... and take a pay cut!!

[les_au]

don't have the skill or gear, so nope no plan to turn one of the joys of life into a business or job

[Bighead38]

I have no desire to ever go pro. I just find taking pictures to be relaxing and I enjoy viewing the resuluts. If someone wanted to buy a photo sure they could but I doubt it will ever happen.

[Jethro790]

Twice in my life I have taken a "love of my life" hobby and turned it into a career. Both times it destroyed my love for that activity. I will not make that mistake again.

[RikWriter]

I have sold some of my photos and had some published and would love to do more of that...but I want to sell the photos I want to take for me, I don't want to go out and take photos I think would sell.

[silvrr]

Twice in my life I have taken a "love of my life" hobby and turned it into a career. Both times it destroyed my love for that activity. I will not make that mistake again.

Exactly why I wouldn't want to go pro. I enjoy it right now and think I wouldnt as a job. I would also have to find a new hobby.

[lefturn99]

Twice in my life I have taken a "love of my life" hobby and turned it into a career. Both times it destroyed my love for that activity. I will not make that mistake again.

Well said.

Lord, I hope I never have to go pro. I have a decent job that allows me to pursue this hobby. Just the way I like it.

I feel sorry for pro photogs. The local photographer is in trouble. Just like any profession that technology has made redundant, there will always be some high end pros that do well. However, many of them do well because of their business abilities, not their photographic skill. And even the high end people are leveraging their experience and skill into new ways to make money. Workshops, seminars, DVD, books, etc. Won't be long before the market is flooded with them too.

[jgrussell]

Never ever ever. If I got paid for it, it'd be work, not fun.

[mathogre]

I'm a programmer working in air traffic control R&D. I LOVE my job. Based on how I'm paid and treated, I apparently do very well at it. (My job has its lousy days, but mostly those are few.)

At the beginning of April, my wife and daughter went to San Diego for nearly a week. I took the week off and played. What did I do? I spent time programming on a home project, and one day I took photos of planes landing and taking off at Washington National Airport while listening to the pilots and controllers on a scanner. (I have a photo thread from that day.) That's where my passion lies.

It would be fun to go semi-pro with photography. I could see myself having fun with weddings, with the understanding that it can be hard and challenging work. I'd been away from photography for a long time, mostly because of some former friends who thought of me as their personal photographer. However, I've returned to photography in recent years. In the last couple years I've made 7 or 8 books (one offs via Apple), and have worked to do better with photography. Where I'll go I don't know, but it won't likely be pro. My math and programming come first.

[birdfromboat]

I gave up the professional aspect of photography years ago. when the first whispers were heard about digital cameras, those of us in photo processing ( i ran a darkroom operation for a major professional color lab) knew the writing was on the wall. What has been a surprise is the length of time it is taking for what we considered to be the inevitable total end to film to happen. It now seems like there will always be film, but it will make up an ever smaller portion of the total photography scene.
The other thing that amazes me is that there are still pros doing some of the things we were sure would die and wither away twenty years ago. There are still guys shooting schools and family portraiture on spec. I had a guy come to my door and try to sell me aerial photographs of my property the other day! I hear about people setting up at rapids on local rivers and selling shots of rafters going through, all printed and packaged and ready for the customers when they take their rafts out ten miles downstream- ALL ON SPEC!
Putting a camera in every home has made it tougher to make a living, putting a processing lab in every home has made it tougher to make a living, having so many hobbiests that want to go pro and are willing to venture in so many new (and old) ways has made it tougher, but WOW!, those pros are still hanging in.
I would have never thunk it....no way.


Original question- do I aspire to go pro? No way. I am not nearly tough enough.

[EdBray]

Well I detest my current job, got promoted from a Supervisor to a Manager (not by choice) and the additional work and responsibility ridiculous for the reimbursement received. I would look for another job, but in the current economic climate there is little else availble at the moment.

Photography is my only outlet and partial stress reliever at the moment and I would not dream of spoiling that by becoming a pro again.

[Mosca]

I don't even like taking pictures. I got interested in this more out of the curiosity of how to do it, rather than a desire to capture images.

[spkerer]

I don't even like taking pictures. I got interested in this more out of the curiosity of how to do it, rather than a desire to capture images.

If you're serious, let us know when you've satisfied your curiosity and are selling your gear. :-)

[Slimsphotos]

Go pro, nope, never. Love the job I've been doing for the last 30 years, and it still doesn't get boring (I'm a flight dispatcher) or make me want to change. I've moved airline once or twice, but not the job itself. I like my photography as a hobby, for me. It gets me out, gives me exercise, and can be social to boot. I also haven't got the skill to go pro, plus I hate taking pics of people, too much opportunity for someone to argue over the results. If someday I sell a picture or have something published, then I'll be extremely proud, but it's a hobby I enjoy, don't want to take the fun out of it.

Chris

[oaktree]

Wouldn't think of going pro. Not enough skills and drive. I'd starve! :)

[mikekelley]

Be pro, yes, have it be my sole source of income, no.

Balance is key.

[rdenney]

There are, of course, many pros on this forum and this thread is unlikely to elicit a response from any of them.

As for me, I already have a job.

When I spend time making photos, I want to make the photos that appeal to me, not someone else. "As soon as you do it for money, you can't call it love"

That doesn't mean, of course, that photographers don't generally love their work. It means that they have to do even when they don't love it at that moment.

I've done plenty of commercial work in the past and I may choose to do it again. But generally, no.

Rick "not ruling it out as a retirement gig, assuming I ever get to retire" Denney

[sandpiper]

Twice in my life I have taken a "love of my life" hobby and turned it into a career. Both times it destroyed my love for that activity. I will not make that mistake again.

I agree.

I started down that rocky road in the 1980s. It began with shooting models for fun, then being asked to do portfolio work for other models. I rented premises to turn into a studio (primarily for my own personal use), then started doing an odd portrait shoot for friends, relatives, neighbours kids etc., to help pay the rent on the studio.

This then spread to shooting weddings etc.

I found I was spending less time shooting the things I wanted to shoot.

It got to the point where I had to decide whether to stay as a part timer, or give up my regular job and go full-time as a photographer. I thought about it carefully and realised that the likely result would be that I would spend all week doing photography to pay the bills, then when I had time to shoot the things I wanted to, I would just want to put the camera down and do something different.

I realised that I would be losing a hobby that I loved, and end up doing bread and butter stuff to pay the bills. I kept my day job and let the studio go. I have never regretted giving up the chance to 'go pro', nor am I tempted now. I do feel that I would be interested in lodging images with a stock agency, allowing me to still shoot what I want and hopefully get some sort of income from it. However, I always seem to have shoots waiting for processing and would rather do that than spend ages preparing images to suit the stock agency market, along with keywording etc.

So, no, I don't have any aspiration to go pro. I would be willing to make some money selling the stuff I want to shoot anyway, for pleasure, but don't want to spend time making that into work.

Guess I'll always be an amateur ;):lol:

[Mosca]

If you're serious, let us know when you've satisfied your curiosity and are selling your gear. :-)

Actually, I AM serious! It's strange. I'm not driven to take photographs. Carrying a camera interferes with my enjoyment of an event. But I am intellectually curious about how things work, and I like to learn by doing.

Right now, it is the disconnect between the belief of an object, and the knowledge that I don't actually see the object; I see light reflected off of the object. I've never perceived the world as awash in light, even though it is right there; I've perceived the world as full of things. It's how I roll, as the kids say these days.

There's also the knowledge that in physics there is no fudge factor. There are rules, and they always apply. That is actually comforting, the knowledge that the arithmetic will work every time. I like that.

So, never pro. And I'll probably give my gear to my daughter, she likes taking pictures. Too bad she sets it on the green rectangle and snaps away; she has a really good eye for a photograph. She sees stuff that I have to go looking for.

[YankeeMom]

I don't want to turn pro. I don't want the commitment or the responsibility. I also don't want to make photo-taking a "job." I just want to take great pictures of my kids and around my state, New Hampshire. I will, however, gladly take photos for my friends and I love the idea of doing Senior pictures for my fellow homeschoolers. I've also photographed family reunions, graduations, prom dates, Senior pictures, and a birth -- all for friends; free of charge (except for film, development, etc.)

(Saying all that, it would have been a neat job in another life.)

[Mocows]

When fun becomes work, it stops being fun.
So I'll keep taking shots without restrictions of time or deadlines or quality and without the need for much "extra" work (aka PP). I get enough of that at work haha :)

[DStanic]

Not pro, no.

I'd like to do a few weddings perhaps (or just be a second shooter/assistant) or maybe some portraits but just to make a few bucks on the side. If it helps feed the cost of the gear that would be great.

- I can only stand dealing with people so much, I could never do it full time.
- I hate working weekends, once in a while would be fun but definatly not all the time.
- I don't want to turn my hobby into a JOB, cause then it wouldn't be fun anymore.
- Sometimes I just like to shoot and then leave the pics on my computer. I really don't find any fun in post processing, which would be required for anything you are going to present to people.

[aprofetto]

I've only been in photography for a couple of weeks, but I definitely think it'd never become more than a hobby for me, not that I disagree with people going pro by any means.

I just find it so relaxing and time for myself to think.

[Here and There]

I have zero desire to go pro. This camera thing is my time to get away from it all. I don't want to mess with a good thing. :D

[birdman59]

I'd rather keep on shooting as a hobby. I would like to be able to display at some galleries and state/local competitions and maybe a few contests. But no customers.

[gardengirl13]

Twice in my life I have taken a "love of my life" hobby and turned it into a career. Both times it destroyed my love for that activity. I will not make that mistake again.

exactly! I have never taken anything I love and tried to make it a career for this reason alone.

I love taking photos and don't want people to tell me what and how to shoot. I stink, and I love that I stink! I have won a few awards with my photos, but they're not "great" photos to me. To me they were snap shots taken with a p&s and for some reason people like them. Sure I'd like to sell a few photos just to help pay for printing and framing costs. But I'd never want to do it for purpose of making money.

For me I don't define myself as my job, I would however define myself as a hobby.

[mobileman]

What does going PRO mean? It used to be a person making over 50% of their income in photography sales. There are many photographers who don't meet that criteria but their work is better than a lot of so called professionals. So does PRO equate to sales or people who photograph fulltime without a backup income? Who knows any comments?

[spkerer]

I meant "going pro" as wanting to replace your current primary occupation with that of photographer. So if you have a full-time job, replacing that job with a job of "photographer." Not doing it "on the side."

I don't mean getting the occasional money from photography.

[JudgeDanny]

well then... going pro, for me, would be a big fat NO :)

Getting money occasionally would be great, but I just dont see myself trying to grind out a living doing this.

I enjoy my free time, and I enjoy photography DURING my free time :)

[nicksan]

Nope.

I mean, if I make money on the side, fine. But my day job pays me too much for me to even entertain the thought.

Plus, I am not entirely sure I would continue to enjoy it, if it becomes "work"...

[The Evil One]

Twice in my life I have taken a "love of my life" hobby and turned it into a career. Both times it destroyed my love for that activity. I will not make that mistake again.

Hear ye hear ye, I couldn't have said it any better! I have to totally agree with that. I too have taken two hobbies that I loved and turned them into careers. It took the fun right out of them and now i don't do either of them anymore. Photography is a new passion that I enjoy because it lets me create or try to create the images that I see in my mind. So I am just out to enjoy and have fun!

[brecklundin]

I see a steady stream of posts along the lines of "am I ready to go pro" or "when should I start an official business" and the like. It seems like lots of folks that get into photography want to turn it into their business.

My question is how many of you really have no desire to turn "pro." I know pro has varying descriptions, but I'm talking about wanting to make photography your full-time or primary job.

There are times that I think that being paid would a validation of my skills. At times I also think it would be fun to spend the day taking photos. But then I think of all the other time spent on marketing, bookkeeping, promotion, etc. I also think that I wouldn't be spending the day shooting what I want to shoot, but rather what clients want me to shoot. And finally I don't see any real likelihood of being able to make the money I'm making in my current job - that leaves me with money to fund my hobby.

I'm not against selling photos and maybe some photography services on occasion, but I guess where I draw the line is that it would be something I'd want to do anyway.

Are there many others that feel similarly?

Never looking to earn money from photos...it's called a hobby for a reason, it is supposed to be a distraction from stesses of daily life. "Going Pro" only turns something relaxing into a potential source of stress and anxiety if things get slow, getting to appointments on time, gear failure, breakage, theft, liability insurance......gawds I don't need any more crap to worry about every day...

[tonylong]

I've turned a hobby into a profession a couple of times over the years, and never regretted it, because the jobs (electronics, computer technology/programming) actually fit with my interests in a practical way.

Photography is a bit different, in that most photography "jobs" you hear about are not necessarily what you like to do as a hobbiest. Now, some people do enjoy shooting weddings and so make money doing what they enjoy doing, notwithstanding the pressure they are under, and plenty of people enjoy taking people shots/portraits and have been able to earn good money doing that, but I've never felt moved do dedicate myself to a "hobby" of portraits or weddings, and would be even less interested in being constrained to the responsibilities of doing it for hire.

But, would I accept money for my images? Sure. I've done it. In fact, let's say my skills and photographic vision grew to where enough people were paying me for my photography that I could actually make a living doing it (a good living) would I consider stopping what I'm currently doing for a living and just go out and enjoy taking pictures? Well, why not, as long as I wasn't eaten up with responsibilities and obligations that robbed me of the enjoyment of my hobby.

But, of course, the proportion of photographers who make that kind of money for their work is quite small, as far as I can tell. Even people who I've met and whose work I admire, who are selling their work on weekends at the crafts fair still keep their day jobs. Yeah, there are those who bring in thousands of dollars a month because they are that good, but I have the feeling they are few and far between.

Anyway, I've described the "pro" that I could like to be, and the "pro" I'm not interested in. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

[brecklundin]

tonylong:

perfectly stated...

[rdenney]

What does going PRO mean? It used to be a person making over 50% of their income in photography sales. There are many photographers who don't meet that criteria but their work is better than a lot of so called professionals. So does PRO equate to sales or people who photograph fulltime without a backup income? Who knows any comments?

I like the way the word is spelled: One is a professional if they profess to the public to offer services for money. In that sense, being a professional implies a legal responsibility to reliably deliver what is paid for, and that responsibility often comes as a surprise to amateurs who take the occasional pay gig.

I don't like tying it to how much money one makes or what percentage of income, etc. If I make $10,000 a year from photography and live like a pauper, photography might be 100% of my income. Or, I could keep my engineering job and it might be less than 10% of my income. It's the same amount of paid work either way.

Many professionals may be in the situation currently of finding no customers. The collapse of the market doesn't make one no longer a professional, because the services are still being offered. I merely makes one a professional with no business.

In that sense, the question is wholly appropriate. An amateur might take the occasional pay gig without offering their services to the public for pay. I've had pay gigs that came to me for one reason or another without me professing anything except an unwillingness to say no. But that isn't the same thing as hanging up a shingle and passing our business cards.

If I solicit paid work, then I would be a professional, but if I do that, I have to be willing to live up to the responsibility that entails. I'm not at this stage in my life, and that's why I'm not a professional.

Rick "licensed as a professional engineer irrespective of any business I might do in engineering" Denney

[sjones]

The second someone else's demand and expectations entered the equation, the joy I currently receive from photography would quickly erode.

If someone wanted to pay me a million dollars for an existing photo, that would entail a different type of joy that I would be willing to entertain.

However, I shall continue to approach the hobby as just that, a hobby.

[bric-a-brac]

As the head of post-production at a commercial studio and a freelance photographer, I have to say I can't see living the rest of my life like this.

I'd like to teach photo someday. Other than that, I wouldn't mind just bartending and shooting weddings on the side. I miss getting the jitters when I pick up a camera and walk out the door.

[chopperdave]

I dunno. I would love to be able to shoot a lot of things that being a "pro" would allow me to shoot that I can't now, due to access at motorsports events. I have a book/series I want to do that would probably require me being more of a pro to get the access.

I mean, if I could remain a private only shoot for myself guy and get press passes, sure.

[Kuma]

I never had an inclination to "go pro". I've been enjoying photography for about 30 yrs now. Its a creative release. Its something I hope to continue enjoying.

It might be nice to sell some photos to pay for the hobby. But I haven't really looked into that.