facebook photographers

[jmcder53]

i keep noticing it seems like more and more people are photographers on facebook. i want to be a photographer, seems the market is flooded with photographers.
not that this is a bad thing, perhaps there have always been lots of photographers and just facebook and the internet have allowed us to see just how many there really are.

i'm probably just looking for a reason to give up before i even try to start.

[Karl Johnston]

zoom out...
auto mechanics in mississippi (auto mechanics in mississippi)

i'm probably just looking for a reason to give up before i even try to start.
now get a grip and dive in :D

if coca cola can sell water, sugar and color with a pretty red label for a buck or two a piece and prosper into a multi billion $ industry I'm sure we can too !
In seriousness (not that the above wasn't serious !); though the competition is fierce the right marketing and branding is an essential tool to making yourself stand out. Find what you're good at and do something the other guy/gal isn't doing in a better looking, or more appealing package...or invent your own way of doing it, delivering it, presenting it, producing it. Photo is a very personal career path - people who become your clients develop a similar relationship to you like a family doctor would.

One thing's for sure, the minute you group yourself in with the crowd of bottom feeding commodity photographers it is there you will stay, indefinitely. Price is not an option for a sales point, or at least it's not where you want to be...value is.

[capturephotography]

yeah catch a CLEAN grip! you dont get no where by sitting in the back seat!. yeah there may be loads out there but its your roll to rise above and be better!! stand out!!!!! ;P

[Thunderbird33]

Interesting post.

I was very (very) much thinking the same way for a loooong time....completely discouraged.....every city has a lot of great photographers, but you have to remember there were many before them as they were getting established too. I was getting even more discouraged because I am working full time at a steady job for 15 years while trying to make the big leap full time, so shooting and learning was even more limited at the same time watching those already in the game moving .

Thinking in a discouraged way will hold you back and make you think you were right in being that way in the end when nothing good happens.

But if you really want, focus all the energy you can on it and be positive...I (finally) woke up a few weeks ago and said "Eff this, no more Mr. Nice Guy! I'm doing this NOW" It's never been better.

Good luck!

[ggalluppi]

This is so true. The worst part is, 80% of them are horrible at photography. At least the ones I know are anyway...haha. It just seems like ok, I have a camera and photoshop elements and I can do vinettes ans super contrasty images so let me start a facebook fanpage and have all of my friends become my fan...

[Tarzanman]

You don't need to be good at a particular skill to go into business. Especially if your customers are clueless!

[burntpixel]

One thing's for sure, the minute you group yourself in with the crowd of bottom feeding commodity photographers it is there you will stay, indefinitely. Price is not an option for a sales point, or at least it's not where you want to be...value is.

...smilie with thumbs up goes here...

To the op,
make a top ten list of advice given within this thead. Put the above in the top 3 (if not at the very top). Do not under sale yourself!

I'm currently in the position very similiar to Thunderbird. I have been on my current job, in aviation, for 12 years. Management has deemed to now all of sudden make it a better place for me to work :cry:

What I've done thus far, middle of last year went through legal zoom and established an LLC. Very nice return this year on taxes and was able to write of a bunch of new Canon gear. I also keep mileage, receipts for everything, etc. I figured if I was going to do this, might as well do it and enjoy some tax relief.

Do what you do! What type of photography are you "good" at. Children can be very difficult, but, I have a three old and one on the way next month. So, I've put myself in that market. I also do virtual tour photography, I started in that area back in 2005. Again, choose the area where your skills shine.

Business class, marketing class, etc. ggalluppi is so right about that 80% number! But, they know how to market and sale themselves.
I read once where owning your own photography co. is like 90 - 10 or 85 - 15 business to actually releasing the shutter.
Also, if you are putting forth a quality product, folks will notice it over the soccer mom with the Rebel that has a fb page. (this is exaggerated sarcasm, please do not be offended if you are a soccer mom with a Rebel.)

I've rambled, sorry!
Dont under sale your product or yourself.

[zelseman]

I saw a facebook "photographer" the other day that used piknik to edit their pictures. I almost cried I was laughing so hard. But people still gave the "this is a great picture" comments.

[Andrushka]

But people still gave the "this is a great picture" comments.

Exactly - its all about marketing and making your audience/customer happy - if the audience wants selective colored pictures of kittens in a box, and you post those you can get good comments... is that for me - no. But i am aware that I may not get as many "ooh ahh" comments from my Facebook friends if i post an street photo of some old Soviet lady. But if that is what makes me happy - then i wont take the lack of comments personally.

Content is what captures most people's attention, (and subsequently their comments on FB) not what program you used to edit or what lens you used - unfortunate as that may be to those of us who care about the technicalities.

[ggalluppi]

You don't need to be good at a particular skill to go into business. Especially if your customers are clueless!

Exactly! That's what's scary... In some ways that's great, but on the other hand you have people picking up a camera and a month down the road they are trying to open up shop. I have a few friends that are "fb photographers" and the work they put out is just aweful! All of their pics are over processed (like they just got photoshop and are running every filter on their pic) but they still get though, "This pic is amazing" comments because people just don't know any better.

[Karl Johnston]

I saw a facebook "photographer" the other day that used piknik to edit their pictures. I almost cried I was laughing so hard. But people still gave the "this is a great picture" comments.
Shooting business meetings and desktops, office equipment and immobile objects sounds lame too but for stock photographers it's $$$. :D

[Shockey]

There are a lot of people who call themselves photographers that really are not very good at it.
It doesn't take much work and effort to get better than 80% of what is out there...then you just have to make sure people find you.

[focus.pocus]

I am not nor do I want to be a pro at photography but I am an avid enthusiast and I have found that my friends think I am pretty good but they are only commenting on the subject matter... they don't care if the sky is blownout or any other technical flaw... I find the only ones who care about these issues are photographers themselves...lol so someone said earlier most of these facebook photogs customers are clueless and he is so right... I have a friend with an xs and a 18-55 kit lens who just shot a wedding... I know in the right hands it would be ok but it wasn't... they photographs I viewed were horrible but the bride and her family loved them... and they got off cheap... lol what I am trying to say is most people don't care or even know what a blown out sky is...

[wamguy89]

I just have a facebook photography page so that I can appeal to a wider audience than just flickr. Also, my friends (who are not photographers) can look at my photos on there without having to click links, etc. In the portrait/band/model/fashion photography world, Facebook is also great for networking purposes... It's not a bad idea to have one...

[obnoxiousmom]

I am not nor do I want to be a pro at photography but I am an avid enthusiast and I have found that my friends think I am pretty good but they are only commenting on the subject matter... they don't care if the sky is blownout or any other technical flaw... I find the only ones who care about these issues are photographers themselves...lol so someone said earlier most of these facebook photogs customers are clueless and he is so right... I have a friend with an xs and a 18-55 kit lens who just shot a wedding... I know in the right hands it would be ok but it wasn't... they photographs I viewed were horrible but the bride and her family loved them... and they got off cheap... lol what I am trying to say is most people don't care or even know what a blown out sky is...

THIS!!! I know my images are not "professional" standards to some "professional" photographers but I see images all the time on facebook that were taken by other supposed "Professional" photogs and Im thinking ugh... I can point out 10 things wrong with that photo right off the top of my head! But everyone always says "Awe, those are such great pics!" when I really want to say, please, next time come to me... dont use who ever did that stuff!

So the images are in the eyes of the beholder and if some one doesnt have a photographers eye, they see perfection

Im just as discouraged as you :( But being a stay at home mom, I have nothing else to do but take care of my daughter si I have the time to be patient and hope for clients

[mzondeki]

"Professional"ism doesn't come from product alone. Service plays bigger part. There are lots of photographer who can take outstanding images, however shy away from saying them "professionals". Simply because they may not have bandwidth to provide the service. They may have a full time job and picked up 'Photography' as a hobby / passion. They take outstanding images because their heart is in photography.

[obnoxiousmom]

Im a hobby/passion photographer with no people skills trying to get better at what I do and make a work from home business out of it so I can still be with my daughter. Thats how I picked up the nickname obnoxiousmom lol

[frankwite]

they don't care if the sky is blownout or any other technical flaw... I find the only ones who care about these issues are photographers themselves...lol what I am trying to say is most people don't care or even know what a blown out sky is...

+1
It's like me watching a pro ice skater, if they don't fall then they've done a great job to me. Heck I don't know all the technical stuff because it's not my thing and most of all I could really care less.

In the real world most common people could care less about proper exposure. As long as they can see themselves it's considered a great shot. They don't visit photo forums everyday either so how would they know what quality is.

Some photog's have let others convince them that they are "pro's & rockstars." To be perfectly honest it's not just facebook it's here as well and other photo forums. I figured out year's ago to be considered a "rockstar" all you have to do is post a mediocre photo at best daily and you're considered a rockstar.

If you are beginner you will "think" that since they post everyday they must know what they are doing. Wrong!!! That's the furthest from the truth. As long as people keep convincing them that they are rockstar's they will keep posting their mediocre photos with orange skin saying "oh I gelled my flash for that effect."

I'm guilty of not commenting on bad photos, but here's the reason. You will find that every photo forum has a pack of fanboy's and if you step on either of their toes you will be flamed & considered an outcast.

You know some photog's flame facebook photog's, (I'm not a fb photog)however their are a lot of so called rockstars right here that would be ripped to pieces on other forums that have higher level photographers. So I'm sure that fb photographers are pointing fingers at the craigslist and the uncle bob photographers as well. Ego thing I guess.

So if this is your hobby for now just keep shooting but don't let people convince you that you're rockstar after you've been shooting for a month or so. The time will come and you will know for yourself. You can't change a person's mind even if you try to explain to them how bad a photo really is.

[HappySnapper90]

I saw a facebook "photographer" the other day that used piknik to edit their pictures. I almost cried I was laughing so hard. But people still gave the "this is a great picture" comments.

It's surprising what many people will call a "great" or "lovely" photo. :rolleyes:

[soonerjh]

I saw a facebook "photographer" the other day that used piknik to edit their pictures. I almost cried I was laughing so hard. But people still gave the "this is a great picture" comments.

the same with Model Mayhem, there are some fuzzy, OOF bad shots on there yet people will comment "great shot" on them!

[C_Riv]

So what? people like to compliment theirs friends photographs. I agree that there is a lot of mediocre photography, but who are we to pass so much judgement. Let people enjoy taking pictures.

[Karl Johnston]

A lot of people take outstanding images, a lot of people fix cars a lot better than certified mechanics, a lot of airbrush artists really kick ass at creating airbrushed art but that doesn't mean they want to run a business doing it.

One thing I've learned is: Not everyone wants or needs to be a pro to enjoy _________________.

Stop comparing yourself to other people, just take pictures that you like...and well, that goes along with whether or not you're into wanting to make money or you not (you can do both, but really there isn't much money in any type of photography business at all, so you may as well chalk that up to whether making profit is your goal, or is it having fun doing what you enjoy).

And if you're in the business to make money..well..I would think you would want to find a different, more profitable business! :lol: Photographers don't make a lot of money, you'd be hell bent to find more than a handful making a living in any state. A real living, not a student's living, or just getting by. That's just the reality of it, unless you are someone exceptional doing something exceptional you'll find it very very tough to hold yourself up at first, or if at all.

There's a lot of people out there doing photography. Same with any other career; there's a lot of people who have an office administration cert. A lot of people can work on the computer, operate word, do some excel, write memos...just gotta find the business, the client, that needs your services. Stand out, do more, provide better service, more qualification, more experience, better productivity, be really fast and good at what you need to do as an office admin...etc

Same with photo; gotta find your niche. Your client. The people who will hire you to do (whatever you do that's so exceptional they don't need to find john smith).

Even if you have competition, maybe they aren't doing anything, or a PITA for people to work with, or maybe they don't really know what they're doing, or smell weird, or show up late, or don't show up at all. Just never know. Now go out there and follow your passion! Or whatever.

[frankwite]

the same with Model Mayhem, there are some fuzzy, OOF bad shots on there yet people will comment "great shot" on them!
+1
The comments blow me away every time

[bentcountershaft]

From what I can tell through my limited experience is that being a successful pro has more to do with good marketing than actual talent. If you are a natural born salesman and can manage to produce mediocre but consistent results you have a much better chance of making it than someone with a lot of talent but no business or marketing skills whatsoever. Does that mean that truly talented but perhaps shy or less socially confident shooters should give up? Not necessarily. I've seen husband/wife teams that work extremely well. One is the artist the other is the salesperson. Sadly I'm not blessed with exceptional talent or marketing skills. I'm thankful I have enough self awareness to realize that though. Not everyone does.

[cdifoto]

I'm a fb photographer.

It's really easy to be awesome when you have all year to play with one photo. Produce 350+ that the bride thanks you for, loves, and create them while making it fun for everyone concerned then get back to me.

[digitalphotocandy]

WOW there's lots of great stuff I this thread. DITTO Karl Johnston. Nothing worth doing is easy. So commit and go after what you want in life. Are there a ton of photogs out there? Hell to the YES! But instead of focusing your attention and energy on the negative, start over and think about what you really excell at, what makes you most happy and then find a way to make it make you $.

Commit right now to doing whatever it takes to make this happen. Do the work and you will be blown away where you are in 2-5 years. Good Luck!