[Summerleft]

Starting out Part 1.


I’ve been asking questions like a woman possessed on this forum relating to starting out as a professional photographer

Dabhand16 (Ill blame him 100%!) thought that (and I agree) some of you might find how I’m getting on useful, the following is just my personal experience. I’ve tried to write this from my beginner’s perspective and hopefully not treading on the toes of Gary’s excellent guide.


So here goes I’ll start part one and if it gets enough interest then I’ll add a few more

Quick background:

Like most starting out I always had a bit of an interest in photography, from using my dads camera (whatever his fetish was at the time) to the old throw aways and later on my own DSLR’s .

Getting the canon 350D for my birthday started things rolling 2 years ago but had to sell due to loosing my job and it felt like the worst thing in the world.
Luckily months later dad upgraded and gave me my current E300 Olympus complete with 50 million page manual (I kid you not, well maybe a little) 14-45mm and 40-150mm lenses (but apparently and I didn’t know this at the time Olympus is 2x so the lense gives the effect of 300mm) velbon tripod, quickly outgrowing the swordfish bag, and some filters 1x to 10x nothing else fancy or special just the basics, and as we are always told on Pixalo you don’t always need fantastically expensive or complicated equipment.

Anyhow as animals are my thing I started to take pictures, at first they weren’t all that but finding forums such as pixalo and being able to get critique was a god send, without sites like this I think I would still be fumbling in the dark.

Deciding to attempt a career

I love it there’s no question so trying it as a career was the natural step, but how?

Well first off start building a good portfolio with only the pictures I and others think are the best, I show everyone my pic’s, I post on all forums I’m a member of, get them printed take them to work , everywhere - after all they are the people who are eventually going to buy, talk about thus spreading your reputation.

I think the best thing that has happened to date was after having some prints done and taking them to my then job, I didn’t say I had taken them just to get an unbiased opinion and the comment ‘ did you have these done professionally’ will stay with me forever *beam*

Secondly I owe a fair bit to our own pixalo resident Les Meehan his advice short and simple,’ be annoying!’ Well that was my interpretation, Les your free to add …. Before you go running for the hills….


So that was the idea ask everyone , everywhere and then wait…….

Thirdly be confident, a colleague once said to me ‘be confident and everyone will believe you’ I’m not saying go out and lie but if your starting out and know you can do the job don’t tell people your new.

They wont know what you need to do to get a good picture so why tell them you’ve never done it /only done it a few times before either? That goes for contacting people too if your going pro that’s what you are no questions asked, just make sure you keep up the good piccy taking .


What do I need

I have the equipment (enough for now) so what else

I needed something to show or did I?

Well I got my self a website, nothing fancy and added some gallery and space for a lot more also a checkout for people to purchase prints later on and as I mentioned earlier photobox give you 30 free prints 6x4.5 when you register so I took advantage of this and use those as examples as well.

Business cards are a must and with your web address on it’s a worth while cost and you will use them, even if you just hand them to friends at first.


So I’m half armed and feeling brave

Firstly advertising my site, it won’t do it on its own, friends, family, guy in internet café to gauge opinion,

that went well so time to enquire

Now this is the bit where it depends which path you want to take but I contacted every company I thought might be interested in my style and within a month I had request from a well known animal magazine, an equestrian society (I’m now their area tog), and a few folks for general family portraits and covering their track days.

All the above wont pay hugely but will add to my portfolio and reputation (this is the point where you start quivering and hope that something doesn’t go belly up on the day) and as we are always told HAVE A BACKUP CAMERA! *ahem*

All though this all seems great it doesn’t yet feel real, so I decided to ask around about an assistant position, mostly met with no’s but persistence paid off and I got put on one local tog’s list to help with weddings so that will be good experience.

Anyway enough from me for now I will add a part two if there’s enough interest and anything I might have missed please feel free to ask or throw eggs.

[fionaB]

it all sounds great apart form the "be annoying~" bit.......... i cannot approach folk with my work, if someone asks to see them thats fine, but i just cannot cope with the thought of pestering people......... it terrifies me and no amount of persuasion can make me annoy folks.
its really hard to put into words but i cringe at the thought of trying to show someone my work when they just are not interested.

I am shy!
Fi

[Charlotte]

Originally Posted by fionaB

I am shy!Fi

Interesting stuff Summer, I'd be interested to hear the rest of your story

I want to make photography my career eventually ... it's taking a long time to get there because I don't have much time to devote to photography (which I love + am determined to make it my livelihood) but am ploddng on + WILL get there

[P-E]

Nice one ........look forward to part 2

[rivanprincess]

Great to hear

It's something i would love to do, get out of my office job (which is giving me bad posture!) and start doing something i enjoy!!


Look forward t o hearing more....

[Whipspeed]

Fiona, it does get easier, I am really quite bad at talking to new people and especially pushing myself, I blame it on being bullied at school from juniors right through to senior school, but I've tried to keep doing it and I now chat to anyone I meet. In fact at cycle races, I'm usually taking people round the course if their other half is racing & they don't know anyone or the course, or picking up cyclists & broken bikes at races, handing out cards & chatting. I only ever used to go with my husband and stick with him, but I'm out at alot on my own now.
I find that taking photographs at an event is a good way of introducing yourself. I'm alot more confident with a camera in my hand.

[fionaB]

like everything else i guess it does get easier..... its the starting off that i cant do. the down side is that the photography that i love doesnt really include other folk. taking shots of old ruined buildings works better when there is no one about! lol

it is really immaterial as far as i am concerned cos i think i am far from good enough to be able to go out there and make money, and im not 100% sure i would want to make it my full time profession.
I woiuld like to assist on some shoots tho, that actually interests me more than doing something on my own at the mo.

Fi

[stupot]

Originally Posted by fionaB

it all sounds great apart form the "be annoying~" bit.......... i cannot approach folk with my work, if someone asks to see them thats fineits really hard to put into words but i cringe at the thought of trying to show someone my work when they just are not interested.

I am shy!
Fi

I totally get where your coming from Fi and here's the but you dont necessary have to approach them face to face. Why not get a handfull of the small booklets done (through pixalo of course) and just leave them lying around, tea rooms, your desk or where ever and i bet you'd be supprised just how many come to you, you play darts, hand a few out to team members or pub regulars or get hubby to leave a few lying around at his work!

I recently got the freebie booklet done and showed a few people (ok anyone i could get to look at it, i'm not that shy ) at work and the response was amazing leading to 3 sales including one 4ft x 2ft canvas something i just wasn't expecting. I have someone wanting me to take some portraits of him and his gf (which scares the pants of me as i've never done anything like that before) I only did it to see what some of my shots would look like in a booklet.

You've got some great stuff in your gallery and people would really like your work! Whats the worst that could happen?

Sorry Summerleft for hijacking your thread, your story is an interesting read and look forward to part 2, keep us informed!

[Ali]

Originally Posted by stupot

your story is an interesting read and look forward to part 2, keep us informed!

Absolutely agree, looking forward to the 2nd part of your story and ongoing adventures.

As a matter of interest are you looking to (longer term) specialise in equestrian photography or widening into pet/anaimal photography? Or continue to cover a wider variety of subjects?

[Summerleft]

Ideally i would love to stick with the animal/equestrian theme but honestly i doubt that would be enough to solely pay the bills. At the minute Im just trying to get my name noticed locally and Im taking on anything that gets thrown at me or I ask for lol.

[pwrbkdude]

what's this freebie booklet people are talking about??