So You Wanna Be a Photographer?

[bakubo]

This is pretty good. A friend posted a link to this cartoon story on Facebook.

http://www.fotoseeds.com/create-sustainably/

When I was a teenager in high school I thought for awhile that I wanted to become a professional photographer, but when I was about 18 or 19 I figured out on my own much of what is amusingly shown in the link and decided I preferred photography as a rather serious hobby and not as a way to make a living. There are just so many aspects of doing photography for money that are very important and totally unrelated to photography itself. Not my cup of tea. It seems from what I have read and heard that making a living with photography has gotten more difficult in the intervening years.

For those of you making money from photography what do you think about what is said in the link? Agree? Disagree?

[bfitzgerald]

I agree mostly with the cartoon, it is fairly close to reality.
On some points it's a bit over simplistic too though.

The business side is where most of the problems come from, finding effective ways of reaching your audience (marketing), not overspending on equipment (ie making a profit), the accounts side is dealt with fairly easily with an accountant (but this is a business cost too). That tends to go by the wayside for many in this game. And you can't afford to ignore it. It conveyed that part well.

Many would summarise the problems facing photography as 2 major ones:
1: There are too many photographers chasing not enough work, ie over subscribed
2: Photographers don't get the remuneration/higher prices they used to, or they get less work (either way it's less profit)

Problem with that idea is, whilst it might be correct it's hardly unique to photography. Maybe there are "too many" hairdressers, builders, shops, taxi drivers etc etc in my local region too. I don't see this issue as just a photography business problem.

Traditionally it has been considered a business mistake to "price your product/service" too cheaply. On the other hand again I see discount retail shops seemingly doing quite well in my area, despite a bad economic climate in Eire (and it is pretty bad right now no question)
I've some doubts as to if the high street shops can survive in ways they used to in the past, many people order online and don't even go to shops bar for food/grocery shopping.

I can't even remember the last time I bought a newspaper, that industry is facing decline in the long term and not just a Chicago paper laying off photographers. The industry as a whole is suffering, the internet is hurting them (ie why pay for a paper when you get all the news you want online?)
Even the normal broadcast industry is under pressure from subscription based services like Netflix, I have that...barely watch normal terrestrial TV. Why would I watch what they tell me to watch at the times they broadcast when I can pick when and what I watch myself? (just commenting on my own view here)

In the same way the print re-sales from photographers is just not what it used to be. The way people share and use media is changing and we have to accept that or face extinction.

My point is whilst the cartoon is fine and pretty close to the mark. I could make a cartoon about Journalists, shop keepers, people who work in any media field just the same as the photography article. We're not alone here, as for the solution my only advice is keep going, never give up and become the most stubborn, tenacious photographer you can imagine. Eventually you will get there..others will fail, but they will give up.

There is still a market for photography, you just have to adapt to it. And sure everyone has a camera, but they did 20-30 years ago too. Most people take bad photos, that's your advantage in this game.

[pakodominguez]

This is a little bit to "new age" approach to reality -but it is true.

I never dream to become a photographer. I didn't really know what to study after high school and one day I had the chance to work at a PhotoLab, back in 1987 when I was living in Buenos Aires. I liked it and I learn a lot quite fast. So I stayed in the same field, learning more and more about the lab process and of course, I bought a camera, I met professional photographers, really good ones, and I start working with them also.

I've never been an amateur photographer, even if I love photography, and there is no other activity that make me happier than take photographs, specially now that I cannot play Futbol (Soccer). But I need to force myself to take family pictures -my own family I mean. Because photography for me is primarily my job. I do take photographs for myself, I try to develop essays or work by theme. I love to do Macro photography but I never have enough time for play with that.

And I love to see my photographs printed. And that is the only gripe that I have with this new digital world that had kill many photography business (try to find a photolab became hard work lately): people are happy with their pictures on a screen (PC, phone, tablet) and for me, a photograph still is a piece of paper.

[bakubo]

Barry, Pako: Thanks for the comments.

Barry, your point about there being many vocations that are in the midst of big changes is right on. It isn't just photography. Since entering the Industrial Age it has always been thus, but it is accelerating (as is almost everything). Here are just a couple of interesting articles I have read since yesterday:

Iterations: Man Vs. (The Government) Machine

http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/16/iterat ... t-machine/

Andy Puzder: Of Burgers, Bikinis and ObamaCare
Andy Puzder, the man who revived Carl's Jr., explains why he's not expanding in California and how the Affordable Care Act is hurting employment. Expect to order with an iPad.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... on_LEADTop

[bakubo]

I just now happened to see this new article. Quite good, I think. As I said, as a job it is definitely not for me though. Love it as a hobby though.

How to Go Pro

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/go-pro.htm

[bakubo]

By the way, I usually don't post KR stuff, but the article I posted is really quite good. I just finished reading it. Well worth a read for people who think they want to make money from photography.

[bakubo]

Another good article that I just read.

I keep hearing about the demise of our industry. What's the deal?

http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/20 ... f-our.html

[Birma]

I've been reading Kirk's blog since you first pointed to it from here, Henry. He has a writing style that I really like and I like his commentary on the professional photography business as it impacts him. He also has interesting real world 'gear' reviews, which are more about his experience than setting out to review every new gadget. This is another interesting article. I'm glad that photography is just a hobby for me. I can see that it is going through a rapid cultural and technological change, and paying the bills with a camera looks tough right now.

On a side note, is there some reason that Texas produces so many photographers? I haven't don't a scientific study but of the Americans that I know, and know of, on the web a disproportionate number seem to come from that Lone Star state. Was it a mandatory part of the state's High School curriculum ?

[bakubo]

On a side note, is there some reason that Texas produces so many photographers? I haven't don't a scientific study but of the Americans that I know, and know of, on the web a disproportionate number seem to come from that Lone Star state. Was it a mandatory part of the state's High School curriculum ?

I didn't know there were a particularly large number of photographers from Texas. Texas has the second largest state population in the U.S. (California is first). So, probably if there are a lot of photographers from Texas one might expect that they are the second largest group and California probably produces the most. Wyoming has the smallest population so there is a good chance that the fewest photographers come from Wyoming.

When I was in high school there were no photography classes. In fact, in my case I have not studied photography except on my own. And what I studied from books when I was a teenager was just learning the basics of exposure, dof, etc.

[Birma]

Hi Henry - I suspected it was might be something to do with the size of the population of Texas. Makes sense, but not as exciting as a clandestine plot for Texas to take over the photography business in the USA . I'm amazed that California and Texas have the highest state populations - I always imagined that it would be somewhere on the East coast where they are packed in more!

[bakubo]

New York is #3, Florida is #4, and Illinois is #5:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U. ... population

I didn't realize that there were so many Texan photographers. I only have one Texas friend who shoots. Coincidentally he shoots Sony (and Minolta before that). Last time he mentioned what he is using he had a NEX 7 and A900, but that was over a year ago.

[UrsaMajor]

I'm amazed that California and Texas have the highest state populations - I always imagined that it would be somewhere on the East coast where they are packed in more!

Up until about 50 years ago the East Coast was the area with the states that had the largest populations. There has been a very large change in the relative populations of the various states that started right after World War II.

During the 1960-70 era, I remember reading that an average of 1100 more people per day were moving into California than were moving out. I can certainly attest that this agrees with my personal experience - The city in which I live had a population of 11,000 people in the 1960 census, and a population of 140,000 in the 1970 census. That is typical of Southern California.

With best wishes,
- Tom -

[bakubo]

In Praise of Amateurs

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/colum ... eurs.shtml