Why do a lot of people have this desperate need to make money from photography?

Griffew wrote in post #15662013
Some people cannot just take a compliment when people say "you take great pictures, you should be a pro!" and not let it go to their heads. People say that to me at times and I just say "thank you" and realize that I am NOWHERE near as good as "the pros". Most people will compliment just about anything. Its just like anything else, you can be a scratch golfer but that doesnt mean you could make it on the pro tour. Those guys are on a completely different level than great amateurs.

Yeah but there's also people making money off photography, meeting the strict definition of pro, who aren't as good as some dedicated, talented, amateurs. Its not a hard line between pro=great and amateur=mediocre.

I've sold two prints in the 7 months i've been doing it, and I've taken over 10k shots in that time. I was lucky, but I know who you are meaning. People who take up photography, buy a camera, ask a whole load of advice on here, create a website, get feedback on it, then say they are a 'time served' photographer.

I wouldn't dream of going down that route, because you get found out very quickly in this game. Owning your craft as a free person, with no pressure is the best way to learn. If you sell a few things down the line, its not to be frowned upon.

Your sample is too small, then.

I know quite a few hobby woodturners and other craftspeople, though, who do sell the results of their pastimes. Craft fairs are full of such people, as are eBay and Etsy.

fotoworx wrote in post #14250487
Why do a lot of people have this desperate need to make money from photography? Not talking about professionals of course who make a living from photography, just the hobbiests that seem to have an almost desperate need to get back something monetarily from photography.

For myself it was a sense of acheivement, as in a small step from amatuer to pro.

Plus at the time photography for me was a non-paying sideline, a hobby if you will and discovering how to market my work put some really needed extra cash in my rather thin wallet.

Wayne

never thought about getting any monetary gain from my photography, I shoot because I enjoy it.
I've had people and friends ask me to take portraits for them and I usually do it for free, they just either gave me $100 to say thanks or a gift-card.
Sold some prints to some people and friends and only charged them for the cost of print.

Seeing them happy about their pictures or people enjoying my work is priceless

fotoworx wrote in post #14250487
Why do a lot of people have this desperate need to make money from photography? Not talking about professionals of course who make a living from photography, just the hobbiests that seem to have an almost desperate need to get back something monetarily from photography.

I ponder this often when reading a lot of people threads on different photography forums worldwide, this 'need' to make money from photography. Why do so many people have this drive to make money from their hobby? Why do so many people see photography (their hobby) as some sort of cash cow?

Don't say it's a way to recoup monies spent on pricey equipment. There's many many costlier hobbies and pursuits than photography and people don't see the need to charge (even family members!) others to get some money back on their expenditure like many photographers seem to do.

Because they've 'produced' something? Honestly, you've pushed a button on an electronic handheld computer and it's captured an image......good for you () (ok I've taken some liberty there, but you get the idea).

I've given away so many framed prints of images to people who have commented that they liked a photo of mine. I was tickled pink to do this. I didn't start adding up the cost of the equipment used to capture the image, the cost of the software to manipulate it, the cost of the paper to print it, the cost of the ink to print it, the cost of the printer that was printing it. I was just happy being generous to a family member or a friend.

One of my other hobbies is woodturning. XXXXX amount of dollars tied up in machinery, tools and exotic wood blanks. When you've spent hours and sometimes days making something from a rough piece of wood into a beautiful and functional piece of 'art' you can really say you 'made it'. I've made hundreds of pieces and given every single one of them away. I'm not unusual here, in my group of "woodies" they all give their 'art' away for free. They don't see the need to recoup on their outlay of machinery and wood, nor make money from their 'art'.

Another pastime is water skiing and wakeboarding. My boat is worth XXXXXX the thought has never crossed my mind when family, friends and friends of friends are being towed behind me to ask them for a cheque or better yet have a credit card point of sale device on board so that after their go they can pay me for the privilege.......so that I can recoup some of my outlay.

The examples of hobbies and pastimes that cost a lot of money to do could go on and on.

So what is this inexplicable (at least to me) need for lots of people to charge money for photography? What stops people from being generous, even with their own family members when it comes to taking photos and giving images away?

What is it that overcomes some people as soon as they purchase a camera, unbox it and think "I'm going to make some money from this"?

When it comes to photography, some of us do seem a little precious.

Generosity doesn't give food on my plate. Every bit of money that enters my wallet is welcome. And if it is doing something i like, the better.

SOK wrote in post #14250753
1. Buy rebel kit
2. Set up Facebook business
3.
4. Profit

Griffew wrote in post #15661975
This made me laugh out loud.

Unfortunately its true.
http://youtu.be/4Lz-07D5KoE

I'm kinda screwed if they don't pay me. 3 years of university studies kinda leads you into the narrow path of life.

SOK wrote in post #14250771
Seriously though, this is probably the crux of it.

Along with the fact that it's so stupidly easy to make money* from photography.

Other hobbies have significant barriers between the "starting out" and a "making money" phase (think music, sport, fishing, auto, or wood work as per the OP's example), whereas photography doesn't.

*doesn't necessarily mean lots of money, and often doesn't equate to profit.

Oddly, few people would walk up to a professional Chinese chef and ask him to make a great German meal or Greek meal, yet folks walk up to anyone with a camera and ask them to shoot their wedding or product shots. Similarly most folks would not ask their mom to drive a semi tractor-trailer or bus, yet they ask someone to shoot their interior of nightclub, etc.

The realization of some degree of specialization of skills or knowledge, even having generic skills in photography, escapes so many...automatic cameras make it so that any unknowledgeable person can capture an image, so that must be part of the problem.

JDeluis wrote in post #15671939
Unfortunately its true.
http://youtu.be/4Lz-07D5KoE

Thats why I laughted. I love step 3...

fotoworx wrote in post #14250487
Why do a lot of people have this desperate need to make money from photography? Not talking about professionals of course who make a living from photography, just the hobbiests that seem to have an almost desperate need to get back something monetarily from photography.

Simple. Cause it's easy to start, doesn't take much of an investment, requires no professional training, there are always people willing to pay for your stuff, etc etc. The list goes on and on.

Let's compare it to any other hobby. If I could get paid to play golf, I would. If I could get paid to play video games, I would. The same goes for photography. If I could get paid to take pictures, I would. And that's the reasoning of many people. Their thinking is "why not? I like taking pictures, and I like extra cash. And if people are willing to pay me, I will take their money and give them pictures."

I don't want to make money from my photography. I have a normal 9-5 job that puts food on the table for my family. Why do I charge? Because I have to pay for the gear, if I don't , someone else down the road will charge. It also comes down to the fact that people have changed now that anyone and everyone will try to get as much FREE services from as many people as they can just so they don't have to spend a cent. I had a local business come to me recently saying that my work was amazing and awesome and............having an event can u photograph it for free? Chef, band, wait staff, drinks, food all were getting paid for but the photographer was asked to work for free. This maybe why some people feel compelled to want payment.

There are weekend warriors who do purchase a camera and watch a couple of YouTube videos and call themselves professional. Hell, I did. What's different is that I persisted to the point that I created a body of solid work that is proven with my clients. Some weekend warriors take jobs, botch them up and put a downer on the photography business as a whole.

My 2 cents

I like the way you think, snapshot.

And I know I have a lot to learn, still, before even calling myself a weekend warrior.

the guilt of having an expensive hobby and feeling that you should be able to justify it to others or yourself.

how can i make a question??? help