I want to be a photographer. Tell me everything! Please! Thx

amother

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 10:54 am

I'm looking to change careers and need something very flexible so I've been thinking of becoming a photographer.

Here are some questions I have, and I'm sure there's more that I need to know that I haven't thought of yet!

1. Can I learn photography on my own through lynda.com and other online courses or do I need to take a live course?

2. What kind of camera and lens would you recommend I start with, assuming my total investment to start this business is $2,000? Would you buy a used camera?

3. How much do you charge to take family pictures? Sitting fee, prints, cd's? What do you charge for simchos like upsherins, bar mitzvas?

4. How much photoshop do I need to know to edit the photos? (I know some but not a lot)

5. Do I need a studio? If you don't have a studio and the weather is bad, where do you take the pics?

6. Do I need lots of props, like little baskets for newborns, etc? What are the most important props that you use?

7. What else should I know about being a photographer before I pursue this profession?

Thank you dear imamothers!

chocolate moose

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 11:38 am

dd wanted to do that. there's not much demand for it anymore. and it means being out nights and other times when your dh and dc are home.

she did something else instead. it's a nice hobby. but not a full time income.

amother

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 1:42 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

OP here. CM, that doesn't seem to make sense. I see so many photographers who are booked solid and always posting their shoots on FB. And virtually every simcha needs a photographer and there are tons of those!

Maybe it's different in different cities. Let's assume there's a demand in my town.

amother

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 2:14 pm

I also want to start doing kids portraits I am waiting for some answers to ur questions... Hope they come.... Wishing u lots of luck

cbsmommy

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 3:24 pm

I'm going to take this apart. I've got some hard things to say that you will not appreciate, but this comes from years of hard work.

amother wrote:

I'm looking to change careers and need something very flexible

Ok. I hear that.

amother wrote:

so I've been thinking of becoming a photographer.

(Scratch's head)...I'm not sure why you think photography is a "flexible" career. You have to be available on weekends (Motzei Shabbos and Sunday's) and for events that take place in the afternoon and early evening. This can mean being "not home" on Motzei Shabbos for a bar mitzvah, Sunday morning for a bris, Sunday afternoon - 1 am for a wedding, and then again on Monday afternoon for a graduation.

amother wrote:

Here are some questions I have, and I'm sure there's more that I need to know that I haven't thought of yet!

1. Can I learn photography on my own through lynda.com and other online courses or do I need to take a live course?

2. What kind of camera and lens would you recommend I start with, assuming my total investment to start this business is $2,000? Would you buy a used camera?

I can't answer this, but I CAN tell you that 1 course does not an instant photographer make. You are also going to need more capital than $2,000. You are completely forgetting the cost of:
1) lighting (if you want to do a simcha, you need lights)
2) backdrops
3) advertising
4) business license. Depending on where you are DBA, you have to pay money
5) insurance. This is for your protection and your clients. If G-d forbid you are robbed blind, insurance can recoup fees lost from materials. Alternatively, if you fall off a ladder onto a dance floor, insurance will cover your trip to the ER.
6) computer hardware. You're going to need a license for photoshop, a fast computer, additional drives, etc.
7) gas $/travel expenses. You WILL need a car if you choose to do photography at simchas
8) website creation and maintenance - how are you going to get new clients? You need to show off your gallery and display your pricing. It may seem like people "always" need photographers, but people hire businesses that have excellent referrals. People tend not to hire the "newbie"

amother wrote:

3. How much do you charge to take family pictures? Sitting fee, prints, cd's? What do you charge for simchos like upsherins, bar mitzvas?

This is all dependent on your talent, education, amount of time that the job will take, and the going rate for your area. Nobody hear can answer this question for you.

amother wrote:

4. How much photoshop do I need to know to edit the photos? (I know some but not a lot)

You need to learn how to properly use photoshop. End sentence.

amother wrote:

5. Do I need a studio? If you don't have a studio and the weather is bad, where do you take the pics?

6. Do I need lots of props, like little baskets for newborns, etc? What are the most important props that you use?

This all depends on how you want to market yourself. If you only want to do portraits on location or simchas, then you can get away with no studio. On the other hand, if you only want to do kids portraits, recognize that when it is 2 below outside, you will not be able to do any newborn pictures.

amother wrote:

7. What else should I know about being a photographer before I pursue this profession?

You need to decide if you really want to do this. This is not a get-rich-quick industry. Do NOT think that this is just a $2,000 investment. When you start up a business you are looking at experiencing a LOSS for the first 3-5 years. Not only that, but at the same time you won't be getting your previous income. Can you sustain that type of income loss? From the sounds of it, you've never photographed a wedding or a bris. You may enjoy photography, but enjoying handling stress and dealing with clients are two major requirements for a photographer.

You need to break into an industry - this will require time and money. Even if you currently have friends clamoring to have you take their newborn baby photos that is not enough to sustain your photographer business. You need a way of recruiting clients (and social media like Facebook is NOT sufficient advertising), a portfolio showing your capabilities (it's the age old adage that you need experience in order to be experienced).

So the real questions for you to think about are:
1) Do you want to be a photographer because this is a hobby that you are extremely passionate about? Or are you hoping to strike it "rich" with a "flexible job" (self-employment is neither of those two things).
2) Do you have the money to invest in the education required?
3) Do you have the money to invest in the creation of the business?
4) Do you have the time to invest in the above two questions?
5) Are you in a location that you plan to stay in for awhile? You do NOT want to become successful in one community and that move 3 hours away to a different community. It will require restarting from the top (meeting your competition, assessing your prices and services, advertising in the new community, etc)
6) Do you have a backup plan for if this fails?

If you can answer the above honestly, you are in for a possibly incredibly rewarding job. If not, think about what you might be passionate doing.
Good luck!

amother

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 3:39 pm

Thanks for that post, cbsmommy. It always facinates (and truthfully, annoys) me when people assume that thinks like photography and graphic design can just be learned online and are one of those "well, I'm kind if creative, and it looks easy, and I can learn it online and do it from home!" Nope. Just like any other profession, it takes training, time and money. OP, it sounds like your not really prepared at all for the realities of this profession. You can know the technicalities - for example, knowing how your camera works and/or learning photoshop online - but there's experience and talent, too. And people won't hire you if you're not good at what you do.

I think the OP might be inaundated with photo session offers on Facebook from her news feed - I know I am - and she assumes that it's something easy because so many people in the community are doing it. In reality, most of those women are hobbyists and not very successful.

amother

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 3:39 pm

amother

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 3:55 pm

cbsmommy, thank you for your honest response, I really appreciate it.

Are you open to a PM with more detailed questions and ideas that I can bounce off of you?

oliveoil

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 5:26 pm

OP - I would say get a decent DSLR camera (in the $500 range usually) and spend a couple of months taking tons of pictures. Use your kids, if you have. Use other peoples kids. Use anyone you can. Start outdoors since natural light is the easiest. Play around with the settings on your camera. See if you have an eye for it. A lot of the photographers you see on facebook are doing this type of thing. Outdoor shoots with a good DSLR. It reduces costs significantly. But it's always interesting to see, that some people obviously ahve the eye for it, and some don't. Courses and software can't replace that.

Then you can consider all the things on this list.

nechami1

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 5:50 pm

I think if you are that desperate start off with a bridge camera- this is similar to a dslr in the fact that it has a manual mode- meaning you will learn from the beginning all there is to know about the different settings that can be used, but the camera has a fixed lens so you won't need to fiddle around with lenses.
The thing is, Photography needs real talent and a creative mind- before you get to actually take the photograph there is so much to learn about the WAY to take the photograph, rule of thirds, colour, positioning etc. And that is before you even start to think about your lighting options!!
I started practising photography at the age of 14 in school when I bought my first SLR - manual film one- and took loads of photographs from then on. Yes, I did buy books to help me, but these were on the side- I did not learn from the books- they gave me fresh tips.
I then moved on to do portraits with a standard slr but in my city there was not such a demand, so I became a wedding ladies photographer. This is when I first bought a digital slr. But the hours were difficult especially as I have young children, so I took less and less bookings.
5 years on- about 6 months ago, I decided to sell all my lenses and my dslr, and I have bought a bridge camera just to keep in the creative loop. I actually studied further since then to become a graphic designer which is what I have been doing for a year now. But my heart still yearns to do photography properly especially as now in the digital age there is so much more scope!
So please don't think this can all be learnt in a course and you can become a photographer overnight- good luck if you decide to go down that route anyway!

amother

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 5:51 pm

oliveoil wrote:

thanks, Oliveoil, very good points.

cbsmommy

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 6:48 pm

To OP or whomever -
I'm always open to getting PMs from anyone on imamother. That's why I joined Tongue Out

greenfire

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 7:26 pm

photography is an art ~ you have to understand it naturally in order to pursue it as a career - only then should you educate yourself further and/or invest in any equipment

Simple1

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 9:45 pm

I agree with a lot of what CBS mommy posted. I do photography, and I don't have the time right now to advertise and build a business. And, like others mentioned, the hours are very inconvenient - nobody wants to pull their kids out of school to take pictures. So I'm happy to earn some pocket money, but rely on dh's income to live.

The problem is, there is a lot of competition from chains who offer loss leaders. If you try to compete with their prices, you'll be working very hard for very little money and will burn out. OTOH, if you charge what it's really worth, a lot of people won't be able to afford your services, and those who can, will only come once you've gained a very good reputation, which takes a lot of effort.

How to learn it? It's not a regulated profession, so you can learn how you want to - through courses, tutorials or books - and lots and lots of practice. An entry level SLR is good - But one thing is for sure - you should really know what you are doing before you start charging money. You will need to practice on family and friends first.

amother

Wed, Jul 24 2013, 10:41 am

OP here.

Thank you all for contributing to this discussion. Some of you may get pm's from me!

racz

Wed, Jul 24 2013, 11:45 am

I agree with what alot of the comments.
Photography has always been a passion and a hobby. I have recently starting doing photography on the side (I do have a full time job) ( I do mainly family sessions, indoor/outdoor and small simchas, bar/bat mitzvas/ upsherins)

A couple of suggestions-
A DSLR camera, I always a had a SLR even when it was film, there is a big difference shotting on a DSLR and non-DSLR. Take a course on how to use the camera.
The camera itself can run between 500 - 2500, you can always get a new lens later on.
Start off offering to take pictures of your friends kids, see how it goes and critic yourself.
As far as props go see what you have around the house- I use a kiddie rocking chair that we have had for years, a radio flyer wagon.

Newborn photography takes talent, and lots of patients and needs more props, a good photography bean bag.

Look on ebay for props.

If you are going to do indoor photography you need a good flash.
Are you doing studio sessions, I bought a backdrop stand and a few backdrops and floor panels.
THe backdrop stand folds into a storage bag that I keep in the truck of my car.
check out backdropoutlet.com

You need a good editting software, Photoshop or Jasc paint shop pro.
I took a course years ago and I have self taught myself, editting is a very important part of Photography.

The next simcha you go to take your own camera shoot away candid shots and learn from your mistakes. For years I have been taking pictures at weddings and sending them to the family right after the wedding since it takes time to get the professional ones. A lot of times I get different shots then the photographer and there were a few times I got better shots.

I know I rambled let me know if you have questions.

Bored

Wed, Jul 24 2013, 2:46 pm

For starters, ilovephotography.com is a great website with TONS of info. its $30 for 6 months. worth every penny. "understanding exposure" by brian pheterson is a good book to read to help you understand your camera. once you get a camera, read the manual til you know it by heart.

Outdoor photography is NOT easy. there is so much to go into it to make it look nice. how to find proper shade, with proper lighting, etc. Its an art. Also, you dont have to do simchos. Though I agree with ppl that you shouldnt do it just cuz, you have to love it and love what you are doing and love working with kids. I come home from a photo shoot invigorated, on a high. I hope that lasts for me...

amother

Thu, Jul 25 2013, 9:26 am

THANK YOU Oliveoil, nachami, simple1, cbsmommy, bored, and racz!

What do you think about setting up a spare room in my house as a studio and doing loss leaders like the department stores do? For example, $25 for a sitting fee and 2 prints. If you want more prints or want the whole CD, then I'll charge more money.

I was bouncing this off a friend, and she asked me, "if there were no barriers, what career would you love?" and I answered something that I only daydream about: Being an arts and crafts counselor for teens! I can spend all day wandering around Michael's and dreaming about projects. (not that I do many projects now as a mom, but I did when I was younger.)

Which led me to think - what if I offered beautiful and creative collages and photo books of my photos? Is there a demand for this? It's so easy to do it yourself on any of the photo sites, but most of my friends are so behind in printing and compiling their photos for print. One of my friends made a bar mitzvah 2 years ago and still didn't print out a collage for the wall or a photo book because she just hasn't gotten to it and wants to do it well.

racz

Thu, Jul 25 2013, 12:46 pm

My suggestion would be to do some free photoshoots, for friends/relatives to build up a portfolio, as bored mentioned outside photography has it own challenges with lighting but you would not have to invest in backdrops, lighting, props etc.

See how that goes and then start advertising a good deal.

Others can respond - but if you are charging for every proof, or only printing from you -that can get expensive after the inital amount for the photoshoot. There are those that offer all teh proofs for $X or include it in there price.

The photo books are an interesting idea but you would have to have a set price per how many page photo book.

TranquilityAndPeace

Mon, Dec 12 2016, 10:33 pm

Hi Imamother friends!

Firstly, I'm the OP of this thread, and I decided to become a photographer!

Secondly, I miss you all! It's nice to have a virtual social life Smile

Thirdly, I still read Imamother, but I hardly post, as I'm so incredibly busy! I can find a minute to post, but if I post something controversial, I want to be able to follow the thread and defend my position -- and I just don't have the time!

I abandoned my friends, cooking, and cleaning (well, not completely!), studied hard, and practiced harder!

Here are a few recent photos. Look for me on Instagram for more Smile

My daughter:

Clients: