How do you know when you're "good enough"?

[RinkRat]

How did you know you were good enough to make the leap into selling your work?

Is it after a few friends & relatives said, "Wow, (insert name here)!! You should really look into getting paid for this stuff!"

Or, did you just wake up one day, and say, "Let's see, I think I'll become a professional photographer now..."?

Maybe, there was one photo that you took, and at that moment, you just knew?

Was it accidental? You enjoyed your photography as a hobby, and maybe someone said, "Sir/Ma'am, I'd like to buy those picture thingys for one billion dollars"?


I have no aspirations of being a pro. I'm way too critical of myself, which is why i'm in the computer field. I look at my photos, and can always find some reason that they "suck". Computers are pretty cut & dry, and they do EXACTLY as you tell them.

I'm just real curious on what some of your stories are...

[DwightMcCann]

Rink ... yes, computers do what you tell them instead of what you want! As for leaping ... I think that's the wrong question. But, to answer your last sentence ... http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=63580

[blinking8s]

i think its what you want it to be...if you want to make yourself good enough you can, if you want to never think about it and just wake up one day with 2000 bad ass photos youve taken on your wall and you realize you should try to sell the stuff, you can...if you want to show everyone on the planet your work for critique until there is no room for error and you get regular freelance work because everyone in your town has seen your work and knows you are good as it is, you can...

[jaypie77]

You'll be "good enough" when one day you come to a realization that your customers aren't pixel peepers and have relatively low standards compared to you.

[rent]

you are making the intrinsic assumption that you have to be good enough in your own eyes in order to leap into selling your work. you work has (only) to be good enough in your buyer's eyes for the amount of money they are forking over. :)

if you friends and family say "wow! you should really look into getting paid for this stuff!", then ask them if they are willing to pay for your stuff. if they are, viola, you are definately good enough!

-alex

[lostdoggy]

There was an episode of 20/20 or Primetime where Art experts were brought in to evaluate a few paintings and give comments on them. These so call art experts are from well respected Art houses and they gave rave reviews on the art work and gave complimentary comments about the use of colors, flow, and composition. At the end they were told that one of the artwork was done by a 6 year old and they were told to pick the one that they believe was done by A 6 YEAR OLD. None of these expert was able to identify the one that was done by the 6 year old.

The moral of the story is if you can sell it then sell it no one except the buyer will appreciate it as much as the buyer. The expert are just a bunch of FAUX no better then you and me. They just have a larger learned vocabulary to impress the snobs.

[CyberPet]

At least when it comes to us women, we're never good enough. Regardless what other thinks, we're our worst critiques. So I guess it's when you feel that you'll do fine yourself, that you're good enough.

[blue_max]

If you try to sell it and nobody buys it, you jumped too soon!

Truth is, it's probably down to your self-confidence.

Graham

[RinkRat]

Well, thank you for the replies.

I was kind of looking for stories like Dwight's, though. Great story, and glad you found your niche. Although, 37 years seems like quite a bit of time for most people to wait.

None the less, I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply.

thanks.

RinkRat

[sugar_babygirli]

Well, I tend to be the type of girl who is not very very confident in my work. I showed a few of my photos to a friend who is also in the business of entertainment, graphics, etc, and after seeing a certain photo he said, "Wow. This is an AMAZING image." I was like, "that's cool." He basically told me to start getting that image around, and gave me my first job, and many jobs after that (just had 2 from him this month actually).

Glad he has confidence in me to get me started, cause I have no idea how to start. I'm starting to get alot more confident about my work, but always find something that could be fixed too. :rolleyes:

[DwightMcCann]

Aam is starting some threads in the "Talk About Photography" forum where you can ask people with experience how they do what they do or what they did to get started, etc. I am currently answering questions about Live Performance shooting. You could suggest a topic on which you like a chance to ask someone who does it profitably.

[Rob612]

Personally (I am not a pro) I think that I will good enough to go pro when I feel really good with my results. In other words, never by my own choice.

Time and opportuninies will tell if that's the way to go but I know that I will never "feel" pro.

[Ben Nevis]

A local photographer advertised for someone to help out with Proms, Balls and such like so I applied. What opened my eyes was the simplicity of it all - Find a corner, Set up 1 flash head, take a reading with flashmeter, Set camera, Pose gentleman on the left,lady on right, compose shot in the middle of the frame then charge a fiver per shot.That first night he took in almost £1000!! After working along side him at weddings for a couple of years, he trusted me to work for him on my own while he was on another shoot. That was when I thought It was time to branch out on my own as he must have had confidence in my work. Now I do occasional portrait sittings and weddings on my own. I'm never totally satisfied with my work but if a customer sees their child smiling pretty you've made a sale. The money I make promptly goes on equipment as I only run the photo business part-time outwith my "real" job. I don't know if I could run it full-time as I think my hobby would then become a chore and all the fun would go out of it. Plus I'm too lazy