Stay at home mums (and others) and photography as a profession

[jasevk]

Maybe JUST MAYBE I should remove my posts and leave the forum if that is how you all think.

I have seen PLENTY of SAHM"S become great photographers....

I was hoping that this would be a supportive place for people wanting to do better photography but maybe I was wrong.....

This thread was started by Rick, who has probably seen several hundred threads like yours... I wouldn't take offense.

This is a place where you'll get support and good advice, yes you will get crap advice too but you'll soon learn to decipher the good from the bad... But can I suggest you get right to reading the manual of your camera and lenses, and get stuck into some theory on the science of photography... And worry about the business side of things a few years down the track when you'll hopefully know what your doing with your gear.

Enjoy the journey

Jase

[ricktas]

You see a person with stethoscope around there neck & you are having trouble with your heart.
Are you going to question their qualifications or do you just need their opinion if you are going to live
Col

No cause any decent surgeon will introduce themselves with a "Hi I am Mr xxxx, a cardiologist and I am here to check you out, what exactly are your symptoms"

[colinbm]

No cause any decent surgeon will introduce themselves with a "Hi I am Mr xxxx, a cardiologist and I am here to check you out, what exactly are your symptoms"

Doctor XXXXX

No the person is having trouble & sees your stethoscope & wants an opinion, NOW.

You have a DSLR & I want you to take my picture Please ?

See what I mean ?

[WannaBe]

This thread was started by Rick, who has probably seen several hundred threads like yours... I wouldn't take offense.

This is a place where you'll get support and good advice, yes you will get crap advice too but you'll soon learn to decipher the good from the bad... But can I suggest you get right to reading the manual of your camera and lenses, and get stuck into some theory on the science of photography... And worry about the business side of things a few years down the track when you'll hopefully know what your doing with your gear.

Enjoy the journey

Jase

Well you see I am doing the research before I buy the new camera... my last one I sold....
I am wanting to learn lots.
I DO NOT want top take photos of babies/kids/brides

I hope I'll get the support.
I know I'll get good and bad advice.
I don't expect to be photographer of the century in just a few days!!

Yes I know it is hard.... but in all honesty I don't give a rats really as it is for my enjoyment and I will probably share the photos with others. They'll either like them or hate them.

CHEERS

[Kym]

Yes I know it is hard.... but in all honesty I don't give a rats really as it is for my enjoyment and I will probably share the photos with others. They'll either like them or hate them.

That's spot on!! As long as you have fun and enjoy it - all goodness!!

[colinbm]

This baby sounds like one truely binky di tassie devil
Get ya guns Rickie, cause ya gunna need em
Col

[Kafter244]

Hey Col, if you haven't already read 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert Pirsig...I reckon you might like it lol.

Sorry a little off topic but still, a great book that delves into the meaning of Quality, can it be defined and can it be sought? Important, I think, to pro togs...one needs Quality work, technical work won't get you a career.

Anyway, off topic, sorry Rick. I still think the reason it is perceived as 'easy' is because it is an 'art' most arts subjects are perceived that way, and often because they do not require years of proven academic study (who sees the years of hard work if there's no certificate at the end of it?!) and most pro's people may see rarely have a brow beaten face in the rat race; they're travelers, people who love their work and work with a smile...the rest is overlooked by most.

[Kym]

For clarity... WannaBe said "I want to be a Photographer" never said pro!

So let that one go. Also this thread is about the generic topic.

Warning: Please keep on topic and do not get personal!

[jgknight]

When I first left school (in the early 60's) I was hired as a trainee photographer/darkroom assistant. The majority of work was in Black and White and a lot of studio photos were hand coloured. Colour photography (for amateurs) was just in its infancy. I did my training time and moved into stills photography at Channel 10 in Sydney after which I went into Advertising and Fashion Photography. TTL exposure metering was still fairly rare but starting to evolve so exposure meters such as Weston Master 5 or Lunasix were a necessary tools to get a correct exposure. Silver film was never as forgiving as digital is, so absolute accuracy in exposure was mandatory. Black and White portraits had to be retouched on the negatives using a soft, sharp pencil on an oscillating light board. Colour portraits relied on make-up to remove major blemishes. As a freelance photographer, it was a very demanding lifestyle. One month would yield more work than could be handled, next month looking for more. I did it for 12 years before calling it quits.

Things have changed considerably since that time. Digital has made photography so easy in many ways. Auto focus, auto exposure, ISO flexibility just to name a few. After the initial purchase of the camera and lens, there is no film to buy and get developed, and you can go out and take 1000 photos, download them on the computer and view the images for free. It was the processing charges for film and prints that made experimentation very costly.

Digital has made photography accessible to everyone from infants to pensioners. Computer control in cameras can make anyone a photographer. But only someone with a lot of skill and technique can make a successful professional photographer.

I am very proud to say that now I am an amateur photographer. I take photos where I want, what I want, and when I want. There is no pressure to deliver the goods. I can take photos as I see them, not how others expect them and it feels good.
As for being a professional photographer..... expect to put in a lot of time and very, hard work if you want to earn a living out of it.

[colinbm]

WannaBe
Just sit on a big folded up towel when reading my posts
Col

[dbax]

wo wo wo setttle people, In Ricks post he was talking as a generalisation( my interpretation) WannaBe you seem to have taken this post personally and no I haven't reread every post, but the same day you posted your intro some one else posted an intro and I quote " I have just purchased a Cannon 550D twin lens kit and am very interested in doing a photography course as I would like to one day become a professional photographer" so you might see were some confusion might come in. The responses to this post were to point the person to the NTP learning plan(free) and local, to them( a simple google search by them would have found the same information)photography courses. I presume that this happens many times a day on a site this size . If you looking for guidance , accurate information, honest CC, and honest opinions then AP is the place to be.

[jasevk]

Yes I know it is hard.... but in all honesty I don't give a rats really as it is for my enjoyment and I will probably share the photos with others. They'll either like them or hate them.

OK, I'll try this again...

I noticed in your intro thread that you mentioned you want to be a professional photographer. If this is true, I can offer 2 pieces of valuable advice.

1. As an artist, other people's opinions are irrelevant.
2. As a professional photographer running a business, how you respond to other people's opinions and criticisms are your livelihood.

[Kym]

Warning: I've removed some posts. So we all get back on topic. This thread is about the general topic, not any particular new member (or older one for that matter).

If you feel that you have been personally attacked, DO NOT RESPOND, simply report the post and the mods will work it out.

In the mean time let me try to get the system performance issue fixed !!

[dbax]

For clarity... WannaBe said "I want to be a Photographer" never said pro!

So let that one go. Also this thread is about the generic topic.

Warning: Please keep on topic and do not get personal!

As Kym say above " WannaBe said "I want to be a Photographer" never said pro!" in the original post only mentioned Pro in the tread after following a link provided !
Id like to be a pro Tog but skill, equipment, time, family and economics don't allow me to persue that dream........................at present

[jasevk]

As Kym say above " WannaBe said "I want to be a Photographer" never said pro!" in the original post only mentioned Pro in the tread after following a link provided !
Id like to be a pro Tog but skill, equipment, time, family and economics don't allow me to persue that dream........................at present

I'm referring to the post in the same thread where the OP mentioned they would like to be a professional, therefore my comments still stand as valid and very relevant to the topic of SAHM's wanting to become professionals!

[ricstew]

I also 'blame' the camera companies.............Buy this PRO camera! You will take PRO photos! Be a PRO with this camera! yada yada yada.......

[I @ M]

I also 'blame' the camera companies.............Buy this PRO camera! You will take PRO photos! Be a PRO with this camera! yada yada yada.......

Sorry, doesn't wash with me.
Do people suddenly open a catering business because they bought the "pro" whizzing blender thingy after a hard day / night watching demtel advertisements and decided that they had suddenly become a chef.
Do people start a cleaning business because they bought a "pro" steam cleaner after ----
Do people start a fashion label because they bought a sewing machine with 356,000 stitch patterns and a bonus button hole attachment after ----

Oh hang on, maybe they do.

[Bear Dale]

Maybe a lot of people are maybe missing the point of just how little some people are happy to 'make' from photography. Some people doing it as a hobby/job would be tickled pink to make a $100 a month from it for a couple of tanks of petrol for the family chariot to help out the budget.

Other people running a large studio with massive wage/overhead costs may need to gross $350k to make a profit.

I think there's a lot of snobbery in photography, the 'professional' moniker, much to the chagrin of many, means squat. Anybody can use the prefix before their name, on their business card or on the shingle over their door. And lets face it, using a DSLR isn't the same as building a deep space rocket is it? Social media websites such as facebook and their ilk have changed greatly the need (or want) for framed photos, many people will never see one of their photos printed - ever.

In a nutshell the "profession" is not a closed shop, there's no formal training and no formal recognition thats needed before labelling ones self 'Joe Blow Professional Photographer at large'.

[James T]

[...]
Oh hang on, maybe they do.

Exactly, as I said in my first post. This isn't unique to photography, I don't think 'The Public' see it as an easy career choice any more than a number of other jobs. It's just that photographers seem to have a lot of time to sit on the net complaining about things.

Anyway, even if they did, does it matter? Not to me.

[Longshots]

I also 'blame' the camera companies.............Buy this PRO camera! You will take PRO photos! Be a PRO with this camera! yada yada yada.......

I have to completely agree with this comment. In fact its been a big complaint of mine for many years. Its only within the last 10-15 years where camera manufacturers have felt the need to do this type of marketing.

I was in Photocontinental just last week buying a Fuji100x, and was amazed as I listened to the customer in front of me demand to buy a "professional" camera, because he was going to be a "professional" Sadly it became very clear that this was the customers first ever camera and clearly deluded. Another victim of that type of marketing.

And as for your examples - maybe they do !