I Am A Craigslist Photographer

SunnyOctopus wrote in post #11099621
I don't know. $300 for Canon DSLR body + kit lens + 1.8 50 mm prime lens with filter and hood. Nothing. I don't know what that is. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. I don't pay taxes. Nothing. Nothing. I don't have any. I have none of this, either.

D;

What happens if you take on a wedding and your camera fails? Can you afford the lawsuit? What happens if you do damage during the wedding? Can you cover it?

Your kit lens cannot help you in a dark venues without flashes. EventuLly you will need better gear. Not trying to be pessimistic, but you have a lot to learn. Start diving into the threads here. A lot of smart people.

ImCBParker wrote in post #11099672
What happens if you take on a wedding and your camera fails? Can you afford the lawsuit? What happens if you do damage during the wedding? Can you cover it?

Your kit lens cannot help you in a dark venues without flashes. EventuLly you will need better gear. Not trying to be pessimistic, but you have a lot to learn. Start diving into the threads here. A lot of smart people.

There are no contracts involved. I'd offer a full refund and my sincerest apologies, though that is a concern still...

My camera has a built in flash. 8 D

What is the minimum gear you would suggest I have?

You're sort of raining my parade, but I appreciate the input, and I will look look into threads here.

SunnyOctopus wrote in post #11099653
I am not legally required to pay any taxes.

Everyone is legally required to pay taxes, unless you are of certain native American tribes and reside and earn your money on their land.

How do you have 0.0 expenses, "are not required to pay taxes?"

ImCBParker wrote in post #11099697
Everyone is legally required to pay taxes, unless you are of certain native American tribes and reside and earn your money on their land.

How do you have 0.0 expenses, "are not required to pay taxes?"

I am a minor.

SunnyOctopus wrote in post #11099559
Thanks! I'll try and improve the wording on my ad.

I don't see how I'm losing money. After costs of transportation and printing, I still make over $100. I read that post just recently.

Thanks for the comment. I'll reread it and process it again.

What about equipment costs, upkeep, and insurance? Now how much are you making?

Look, your young, and I think it is great that you want to be a professional photographer. However, your business model is not sustainable and it is creating expectations for actual professionals who try to make a living at an almost impossible career as it is. You need to take a serious look at what you are doing and see if it is really worth the possible problems.

I suggest you to take a serious look into how you can answer these questions:

1. Your camera breaks, you have no insurance, what do you do?
2. Due to some unexpected situation, you can no longer cover a wedding that you have already been expected to do, What do you do? What does your contract say? Do you even have a contract?
3. How are you making a profit after considering all variables?


Again, youre young, don't grow up too fast. Get a real portfolio going without shooting for free, and undercutting REAL professionals, and you will be on your way.

SunnyOctopus wrote in post #11099689
There are no contracts involved. I'd offer a full refund and my sincerest apologies, though that is a concern still...

My camera has a built in flash. 8 D

What is the minimum gear you would suggest I have?

You're sort of raining my parade, but I appreciate the input, and I will look look into threads here.

No contracts = wide open for lawsuits. No protection personally or professionally from lawsuits.

Built in flash will actuall ruin shots in most cases.

There are countless threads on gear, and they vary depending on assignment. For weddings, essentially wide aperture glass, a couple nice lights, etc.

SunnyOctopus wrote in post #11099698
I am a minor.

Worse. Minors still pay taxes. If you are sued, your parents have to pay and could lose a lot as a result, up to and including home. Comfortable with that?

Hmm...I've already paid off equipment costs with earnings. I'm not sure what upkeep is, and I have no insurance.

I plan on getting better gear in the future.

/I don't think anyone'd be able to successfully sue me.

SunnyOctopus wrote in post #11099698
I am a minor.

I don't know if this just got scary, funny, or sad...

Minor means nothing, income means everything. Get your invoices ready and have your accountant look at everything. Lemme guess, no invoices, no accountant.

Hope your parents have a good umbrella policy when you get sued.

-F

Keep shooting everything, friends, etc and have fun, but worry about the business aspect later. You are off to a good start, but you are over your head on the business side and could get in a lot of trouble.

SunnyOctopus wrote in post #11099728
Hmm...I've already paid off equipment costs with earnings. I'm not sure what upkeep is, and I have no insurance.

I plan on getting better gear in the future.

again, you are not a real business... /of story.

reasons for that statement:
1. no insurance
2. not paying taxes
3. No idea of how to run a business
4. no appropriate gear/know how
5. not of legal age.

and most important:

6. LACK OF COMMON SENSE.

Again, thanks for all the comments! I am in the process of building a website. I will also be looking more into legal risks I may face.

It is not important to me if there are some who do not consider what I do "real business" as long as I make people happy/money which I have been doing so far and will continue to try my hardest to do.

Dave, you seem like a nice enough kid, but avoiding taxes, and putting your family's livelihood at stake is dangerous. I say this with full sicerity, you are being reckless if you pursue weddings and events for all the reasons already mentioned.

If you do not understand, read up more on those topics.

SunnyOctopus wrote in post #11099751
Again, thanks for all the comments! I am in the process of building a website. I will also be looking more into legal risks I may face.

It is not important to me if there are some who do not consider what I do "real business" as long as I make people happy/money which I have been doing so far and will continue to try my hardest to do.

I'm personally not saying I don't consider what you're doing a business. I truly believe you consider it such and WANT it to be. More power to you.

What I'm saying is that you need to get some basic information about things as basic as accounting and liability.

In my line of work I see people all the time who are self-employed businesspeople who do their own taxes (as you should be doing) and ask their buddies for legal advice because they don't want to pay an attorney (or don't want to).

You know what I end up calling a lot of those people?

Bankrupt.

Maybe not a huge issue in your mind but while you may be judgment-resistant (not going to judgment-proof) if you jack up something people WILL go after your parents.

-F

Thanks for the warnings. I will definitely heed them to an extent. I'll be 18 in less than 18 days, so any troubles I face will be my own, and they are risks I'm willing to take.

However if it possible, I'd rather not take them. How is that you all would recommend changing my business dynamic?