Tell me like it is

I got into photography in October of 2009 so it’s been about a year and a half. I fell in love with it .One thing led to another and I worked as a second shooter for a wedding in June of 2010. Since then, I have done two paid portrait shoots, paid high school basketball shoot and an engagement shoot for my first paid wedding coming up this April. Lately, I have been wondering if I’m actually good enough at this to eventually be a successful photographer one day. Of course, friends and family are going to say I am great at it but no matter how many times I hear it I wonder what the majority would think. Don’t be afraid to tell me like it is because the truth is really what I’m looking for here. My website link is on my signature along with my flickr account. Thanks for reading!

Also, not that gear matters but for the first 8 months I used a pentax k10d and k20d with old film lenses and the rest were shot with 7D and canon lenses.

Nickc84 wrote in post #11783589
I got into photography in October of 2009 so it’s been about a year and a half. I fell in love with it .One thing led to another and I worked as a second shooter for a wedding in June of 2010. Since then, I have done two paid portrait shoots, paid high school basketball shoot and an engagement shoot for my first paid wedding coming up this April. Lately, I have been wondering if I’m actually good enough at this to eventually be a successful photographer one day. Of course, friends and family are going to say I am great at it but no matter how many times I hear it I wonder what the majority would think. Don’t be afraid to tell me like it is because the truth is really what I’m looking for here. My website link is on my signature along with my flickr account. Thanks for reading!

Also, not that gear matters but for the first 8 months I used a pentax k10d and k20d with old film lenses and the rest were shot with 7D and canon lenses.

you can become a successful photographer!
but a full time professional career ?
that's another story
http://www.nytimes.com …ness/media/30ph​otogs.html

Thanks watt. I don’t expect to quit my job or anything but I would like to make a decent living on it.

The fact is that everyone who gets a camera all a sudden just loves taking photos, they think every darn one of them is a masterpiece when they're usually crap, all their friends and family agree how good they are - usually just being nice, they have no idea what it's like to run a business, they have no idea you go from shooting say 85% of the time to shooting 15% of the time, unlike a hobby. So, they of course do the only logical thing...go into business!?!?! This leads them to fail, and fail miserably.

There's right ways and wrong ways in my opinion, not always set in stone - you'll find people who did everything wrong and somehow still managed to make it through all the mistakes. You'll find people who did everything right and still failed. It happens.

However, if you want to get into this as a business there's some basics...

- RUN IT LIKE A BUSINESS, not a hobby, not a doing it for the hell of it. A BUSINESS, you're looking at bottom line, you're legit, you're not undercutting, you know your cost of running the business and know how to price, you're insured, you have proficiency to offer what you say you can offer, etc. etc. etc.

- Don't go into business until you're ready to be a business. Not saying full time, you can run a part time business as thousands upon thousands of photographers do, but you still need to run it efficiently.

- Know your market, what you want to shoot. I hate these people that put on their websites how they'll shoot everything and anything but are not proficient in one area let alone the six they have listed. I do sports, that's about it, and guess what - it's full time! People think they need to be willing to shoot anything that moves to make any money to start out and it's bull. Should be the other way around, you start off in one area and expand as you grow your business so you can actually learn one before the other. It's rare to find people good at it all, most have strong and weak points.

- Gear does matter, whoever says it doesn't is LYING! These are usually the people who don't have the gear that say this, of course they do because they don't know the difference. Sure if you give a great photographer minimal gear, crappy even, they will come back with quality results...but not what they could do with the best gear. Sorry to burst anyones bubble but gear matters - I need fps in sports for a big play, photojournalists in the field need them as well for a big event happening in front of them. I need the long glass, low light performance, strobe gear, etc. Portraits, OK you can get away with lesser gear but still need the proper lighting equipment. I find it funny when I read "I like to use natural light" on peoples sites because the only thing I hear in the back of my head is that little voice saying "because you don't have lighting equipment or the knowledge to use it". Equipment can hold you back, it's that simple. Doesn't mean you become a gear hog, buying everything and anything just to have it - but you buy what will help you further your career and get the best results.

I think Mike is on to something here

To the OP, your portfolio is off to a great start but I think it needs more work. Many of your images need work on the lighting, posing and framing. Your portrait and wedding gallery also contain several images where it looks like your subject should be looking at the camera but instead, it appears that they are looking just to the side of you at another photographer.

jra wrote in post #11784150
I think Mike is on to something here

To the OP, your portfolio is off to a great start but I think it needs more work. Many of your images need work on the lighting, posing and framing. Your portrait and wedding gallery also contain several images where it looks like your subject should be looking at the camera but instead, it appears that they are looking just to the side of you at another photographer.

Yeah, Unfortunately as a second shooter for that wedding they were mainly looking at the head photographer. Thanks for the advice though. I do need improvement in the those areas.

The photos look good.

knaufism wrote in post #11784648
The photos look good.

Thanks, I apreciate it.

Your retouching is way too heavy.

Go from 4-5 categories/genres to one.

Excel at that one genre. Don't water down 5 types of photography, just do one, and do it damn well.

And your title bar says "portfoliositez, photography websites and blogsite templates"

Can't have that!

mikekelley wrote in post #11785009
Go from 4-5 categories/genres to one.

Excel at that one genre. Don't water down 5 types of photography, just do one, and do it damn well.

Mike, I somewhat disagree with this statement. While most of my income comes from youth sports sales (action & T&I) I also do an occasional wedding, engagement senior portaraits and other types of events. However I rarely post them, as I more and more do not post my sports events either, buy them onsite or dont buy them.
I still like to do other types of photography when I get a chance, wether it be landscapes, product, or city and travel.
As to the OP you have some nice work here that you can be proud of and build on.
Just my .2 worth.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11784063
- RUN IT LIKE A BUSINESS, not a hobby, not a doing it for the hell of it. A BUSINESS, you're looking at bottom line, you're legit, you're not undercutting, you know your cost of running the business and know how to price, you're insured, you have proficiency to offer what you say you can offer, etc. etc. etc.

How true is this. I have been saying to anyone that asks that if you want to be a business you have to act like one. There are far too many that love this as a hobby and do some side jobs to pay for gear but are out there with a fancy website portraying themselves as a full time business. I have no problem with that but again, if you are going to portray it, act like. Sometimes it takes money to make money. I don't know a business in existence that hasn't had to invest money to establish themselves and hold onto market share.

The rest of Mike's comments are excellent advice.

Also you need to learn how to market yourself, you need to show your customers what can you bring to the table that's different from photographer x,y and z. That you're not another person with a camera. Build an amazing portfolio to stand out. When I first started weddings, it was hard to get jobs, but after a while couple's that I photograph their wedding referral other couples to me.

Alright here it is.
My opinion.
There's nothing in your portfolio that is unique.
Anyone who picks up a rebel and a kit lens is making those images.
(Not that great images can't be made with that set up)
You need to set yourself apart. Be unique. Do something that hasn't been done.

And yes, like the previous people mentioned, it's a business.
If you shoot a bunch for free, you'll always just be the "guy who shoots for free".

IMHO.. It’s hard to take you seriously after looking at your website. Sorry man, just the way I feel. Your images are flat and unflattering and look like they could have been taken on a point and shoot. I kind of need advice from a professional. I know I am probably going to start a war here but I disagree with this...... "There's nothing in your portfolio that is unique.
Anyone who picks up a rebel and a kit lens is making those images."