How did you start selling yourself?

1.Did you go to school for photography?

Not specifically. I took photography in high school and had a couple of semesters of photography during my graphic design degree.

2. Where did you acquire your photography skills?

Almost everything I know about photography has come from self-driven research and trial. I read as many books, magazines and articles as I can and try to absorb as much of the information as possible.

3. Where did you acquire your business skills?

I have never studied business management but I have spent time being a PA to a business owner which has helped a lot. My father is a business consultant and he guides me through anything I need help with.

4. Where did you get yourself noticed?

Surprisingly through the vehicle dealership that I do accounts/admin for. We sold a car to the owner of a social media agency who happened to see some of my photos on Facebook. She now provides me with the majority of my clients.

5. What were your first sales?

My very first sale was a shoot with the owner of a construction firm. I remember being very nervous and I felt completely out of my comfort zone. For my first few jobs, I didn't charge much at all. $125 for 12 images shot on location. Everyone told me it was too low but I wasn't comfortable charging more because of my lack of experience. Now that I am more experienced I have no trouble charging higher prices. I haven't had a dissatisfied client yet (hopefully that continues!!)

The best advice I have received so far is to be confident. If you aren't confident in your abilities, your client won't be either. (That being said, stay humble too!)

Majored in photography B/A and had a full time job the day I finished classes.

I'm still learning but I acquired a good deal of my my skills from school and from working with some outstanding photographers. The technical part is the really easy part of all of this. The visual part is infinitely difficult.

I had some marketing and business classes that really prepared me to work in corporations like IBM but did little to prepare me for a photography business. That I learned from the photographers I worked for. What was the most valuable lessons I learned was you will never be able to do it all so do what you do well and love and get help in those areas you don't do well and don't like. #1 is a good accountant.

Noticed? I worked wit ha couple of the best for a combined 5 years or so then I got a job as a staff photographer for a large hospital system. Without the education I would have never been able to get the job at the hospital. I was there full time for 10 years. I made a lot of connections and it's those personal relationships that have been beyond valuable. And it would be the connections I made while in school and in the business world that have helped in my success.

I shoot all commercial/advertising so my sales are day rates, usage and all expenses.

Thats my professional work. I sell my personal work by getting exhibits at galleries and selling the work in that fashion but because I have been able to make a good living professionally I don't have the pressure to have to sell my personal work.

1.Did you go to school for photography?
I "emphasized" photography in my BFA / graphic design degree program.

2. Where did you acquire your photography skills?
Aside from buying a Canon Digital Rebel one day and teaching myself, I took classes with a bunch of different professors who had very unique styles and perspectives on photography. They always seemed way less concerned with "sharpness" and "bokeh" and more about setting up meaningful and conceptual photos and bodies of work. By taking B&W film classes and being less able to "spray and pray," I was able to learn to put a lot of thought into how I wanted my photo to look and the technical details really became hammered in.

3. Where did you acquire your business skills?
Over the course of my graphic design education, we learned a lot about billing, freelance rates, self-promotion, etc. My brother is an SEO expert and has taught me that side of things, and friends who own small businesses have helped with the tax end.

4. Where did you get yourself noticed?
I think school, at first, since I participated in many heavily-attended gallery showings.

5. What were your first sales?
My FIRST sale was a painting my senior year of high school! Photo-wise, my landscape prints went pretty swimmingly while I had them for sale, probably a year or two after I got serious about photography. Need to get that up again!

I could speak all day on the subject of sales, but my path was a very hands on and learn by doing and practicing kind of way.

I recommend looking up The Sales Bible to really learn some rudimentary sales

It helped me a lot, starting out, but beyond that..practicing and actually getting on the floor, pounding the pavement is the real way you learn. It's also a nice review and shows you how everything goes hand in hand

http://www.amazon.ca …te-Resource/dp/0471456292

1.Did you go to school for photography?
No. Learned from my uncle who was a professional photographer and attended workshops from Nikon and Canon.

2. Where did you acquire your photography skills?
Taking pictures for high school year books.

3. Where did you acquire your business skills?
People in the business.

4. Where did you get yourself noticed?
Trade shows and consulting gaming community.

5. What were your first sales?
Photos of product for US Patent office.

1.Did you go to school for photography?
Nope - creative writing major

2. Where did you acquire your photography skills?
When I got caught the bug, I did a lot of free apprenticing to anyone I could find that would take me.

3. Where did you acquire your business skills?
Was a recruiter for 5 years, then owned a recruiting firm for 10. Sold it to become a photographer

4. Where did you get yourself noticed?
Cold calls, pounding the pavement, partnerships with local businesses, Trade shows

5. What were your first sales?
I jumped right in, put an ad out in the atmosphere and shot a wedding. It's been all uphill from there

1.Did you go to school for photography?

Photography was about the only class that I showed up for in high school. But I've been learning it always, ever since I was born with a darkroom in the house

2. Where did you acquire your photography skills?

studying what worked for my favorite photogs, and reading books and mags. Oh and practicing.

3. Where did you acquire your business skills?

I have none, which is why I haven't sold as much as I could have
.

4. Where did you get yourself noticed?

I first got myself seen when I did a solo show at a coffee shop. I'm not sure anyone noticed. I had one of my darkroom prints accepted for a fairly high profile juried regional exhibit, so I guess that one got noticed a little.


5. What were your first sales?

I've sold darkroom prints to friends and digital images with articles I've written to 2 magazines, one local and one international.

This is a cool thread. ok Ill play

1.Did you go to school for photography?
No formal photography school. But I train constantly and will take a class at the local college when I can

2. Where did you acquire your photography skills?
Online seminars, other photographers, this forum, Utube, trial and error, lots and lots of books, owners manuals (yes I actually read them) striving to learn everything about my camera and my equipment, what it does and more importantly why it does it, listening to good advise, lots of mistakes, recognizing when I got something right.

3. Where did you acquire your business skills?
Not sure I have yet. I'm learning as I go. This is truly the hill to climb in this business

4. Where did you get yourself noticed?
After I retired from bull riding, I did a few rodeo shoots. Few guys wanted some work done for sponsorships, then their girlfriends wanted some sessions, then I worked a few weddings, then.... I got a website lol

5. What were your first sales?
I took a paid job as a second shooter for a wedding.

I was a sailor, and one night I met this really drunk young man down near the docks . . .

But seriously:
1. Did you go to school for photography?
No. I have a BA in American History

2. Where did you acquire your photography skills?
Learned most from my dad. He had a dark room in our basement. Also took a course in high school. Have attended several courses at local camera shop.

3. Where did you acquire your business skills?
From my former boss. He taught me a lot about running a business.

4. Where did you get yourself noticed?
Exhibit at Dick Blick Art Supplies store. Photos for sale at local Wild Birds Unlimited store. Set up at some trade shows.

5. What were your first sales?
At a fund raising trade show at Lehigh Valley Zoo. Sold 7 photographs that day - my first time out.

1. No I have not but studied online
2. Used to do wedding photography part-time
3. Have been studying business Management
4. Facebook, Blogging, Classified ads
5. A photo which i took of a tornado

1- No. I am actually a Surgeon (Military)
2- While deploied, If I had no patients,then shoot a lot of photos.
3- I also have an MBA
4- Lots of Air shows and portraits, Also online activity.
5- I sold a landscape, B&W, and it is hanging in someones living room.

Well ,here goes

1.The odd evening class in the 1980's for still life photography.
2. A lifetime of having one sort of camera or another in my hand on & off for the past 50+ years.
3. I have been selling B2B since 1980
4. I have been told for years by family & friend "how good my photographs were..." so not so much a case of get myself noticed...........but I submitted to be included in a Gallery in Feb 2013 and the exhibition was this April 2014 NB the Gallery was in the local District General Hospital.
5. Various framed prints including some reprints from the exhibition in #4 above including two prints I had to send to Australia as the buyer had to go home earlier than planned. I hope make that my 'acorn moment' so to speak.......just never know how big the tree might grow to help me in my future retirement???