to people who tried to make a living as a photographer

i keep hearing that most of photographers fails at making their hobby into bussiness; That only 1% success.

My personal theory is that most of people that say such things are people who simply didn't even tried.

I want to examine my theory by this pool and check how many people actually tried and failed.

I'm not sure this is the place to get a good survey sample.

No theory needed. It is a fact.
And to be honest, I have always believed that the 1% success rate, is pretty generous. It's lower than that.

Starting any business is going to be a gamble. And most small businesses (of any kind) do not succeed. Some fields are tougher than others, and photography is about as tough as it gets.

i heard a lot of stories about people who didn't really tried that hard and got into photography business somehow.

Stories about people who tried and failed - seen maybe 2 of them. All i see is people who didnt tried telling how hard photography business is.

hb, I believe that's a bit of cognitive dissonance in people used to protect them from failure. They tell themselves they're probably going to fail anyway and that it's impossible for everyone but a very small percentage of people just to prove to themselves it's not even worth trying. I'm the opposite, I have not yet tried but I'd like to someday and I strongly believe that if you have talent and gumption you can do it (or anything for that matter). [/sappyspeech]

hellbike wrote in post #12961752
i keep hearing that most of photographers fails at making their hobby into bussiness; That only 1% success.

That's just small business in general due to a lack of planning. Most people aren't business minded. That's why they work for those who are.

spider87 wrote in post #12962220
hb, I believe that's a bit of cognitive dissonance in people used to protect them from failure...]

What are these fancy college words you speak of?

You need to add an option of:

No, but I'll charge like a pro and deliver like a pro, but I'll make 6 figures in another occupation.

Thats where I would fit in.

2DP wrote in post #12962266
What are these fancy college words you speak of?

Haha, dissonance is basically conflict or a clash. The theory of cognitive dissonance is the theory that someone will actively try to reduce dissonance in their lives. It's used to explain a lot of rationalizations and excuses.

This story has helped me understand it in the past:
In the story, a fox sees some high-hanging grapes and wishes to eat them. When the fox is unable to think of a way to reach them, he surmises that the grapes are probably not worth eating, as they must not be ripe or that they are sour.

Here's a wiki page on the subject (Source of the story): http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Cognitive_disso​nance

My thought is that people see making a living off of photography as the grapes and since they believe they can't reach them and won't try, due to fear of failure, they create reasons that it wouldn't have worked out and it's not worth trying anyway. In a lot of cases, I may be wrong. However, I believe that fits most of the "want to but didn't and won't try" crowd.

Should have yes and photography is my only job.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #12962385
Should have yes and photography is my only job.

I can assume OP thought that would be too granular since "primary" can include "only".

I've been lucky since going full time in that things have worked out very well for me but it was not without some hard work and initial investment. I think that is where allot of those that want to go full-time fail. Many seem to feel that you throw up a website and let the bookings roll in. It doesn't quite work that way. I've seen several that I know personally fail for this very reason coupled with the fact that they didn't want to out up any more money to market and promote themselves What business starts up and is immediately busy if they don't promote.

I changed directions or focus a couple of times and now I concentrate on one basic sector but will shoot anything that comes my way. I'm not sure if 1% is the right number but it wouldn't be far off.

I have been fortunate to have a FT gig as a photographer and have also done pretty well freelancing on the side.

I think the failure rate is so high because many never really try to make it an honest business. I can't tell you how many people I run into that state they tried and failed, but when we go deeper and talk about marketing, start up funding, research, target markets, branding, etc, I get a blank stare. Most bought a camera, couple of lenses, printed some business cards, and setup a portfolio and website, and limited marketing. Very few did any real work to make it successful. For the most part, it was a hobby they were trying to make money on the side, and never approached it as a real business.

Of the half dozen or so that actually approached it as a business, I know two that are still in business and seem to be doing well. I don't pry into their financials, but they are growing, have studios, and been at it for quite a while. Not sure about the others, as we've lost touch over time.

I gave up a cushy corporate job, and have no regrets. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but sooner than I had originally knowing what I know now.

sfaust wrote in post #12964659
I think the failure rate is so high because many never really try to make it an honest business. I can't tell you how many people I run into that state they tried and failed, but when we go deeper and talk about marketing, start up funding, research, target markets, branding, etc, I get a blank stare. Most bought a camera, couple of lenses, printed some business cards, and setup a portfolio and website, and limited marketing. Very few did any real work to make it successful. For the most part, it was a hobby they were trying to make money on the side, and never approached it as a real business.

Of the half dozen or so that actually approached it as a business, I know two that are still in business and seem to be doing well. I don't pry into their financials, but they are growing, have studios, and been at it for quite a while. Not sure about the others, as we've lost touch over time.

I gave up a cushy corporate job, and have no regrets. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but sooner than I had originally knowing what I know now.

this is the most perfect post I've seen in months. agreed on all counts. making a facebook page and taking wedding pics for a friend shouldn't count as an earnest attempt at 'starting a business'