I've been told by a lot of friends lately that I should become a pro photographer. Are there any pros/cons to becoming pro? Thanks in advance for the input!
What do you mean pro? Pro as in taking good pictures or getting paid for work. Only way i see you can be making money is if you take top of the line photos that are uniqe... everyone is taking good pictures these days.
well the difference I see is that you need to market yourself alot more, your work NEEDS to be unique and top of the line, you NEED to get your tax issues in order because if you are selling you better collect some taxes, you NEED to do more than just take pictures at car shows. Those are the differences I saw from amateur to pro. Other than that, not really a difference just what you call yourself. Mike
Wait, why are you taking advice from "friends" who don't actually work in photography... Taking pictures better than them doesn't make you ready for PRO life. Anyway have a read of this http://www.photographers.co.uk/html/professional-photography.cfm
Thanks for that article! I guess after reading that I'm not quite ready for the Pro life yet.. Oh well. I might be upgrading to an SLR soon, whch should help with my pictures.
From my experience, it is SUPER easy to test the waters with "going pro" as far as photography is concerned. Keep your day job and try to book gigs on the side. If you are able to get enough of them and they start paying the bills, you can transition away from the day job. I've been paid for my work and could market myself more heavily if I wanted to, but I prefer to keep photography as more of a hobby. You might as well go for it though, you have nothing to lose but some time.
Day job? I'm still only a school student! Thanks for the words and advice! I already have several "clients", but They've never payed me for pictures. I don't know if this'll help, but here's my Flickr if you want to take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lambo472/
If you are just starting out be very careful of the "freebie" people who like to take advantage of fresh grads and young people looking to get in the door. They are the ones who tempt you with the promise of big jobs and big connections in the future if you do them a few "favors" now. Run away fast because they are the ones that get amnesia and disappear the moment you start charging them for your time. Never, ever work for free. Never apologize for charging a fair rate for your time and energy. Don't make excuses for yourself to others and sell yourself short by telling them you are a rookie. If you don't consider yourself a pro and act accordingly why should anyone else? Just a few things I learned the hard way out of school. P.S. Your work looks good but I would suggest really studying some of the industry's leading photogs to see what sets them apart. You need to find some key element or technique that really makes your shots stand out from the rest. Keep shooting and good luck.
........I Now just found out what my friends meant by Pro...... Flickr Pro............. So I guess this thread was worthless....But thanks everyone for your help!
