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ohsouthlondon

ohsouthlondon

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Having investigated the site a little further since joining earlier today, I realise that perhaps I may get a little more joy in an area such as this rather than the hello bit.

Soooo, I was after some advice, which I am reliably informed is in abundance when looked for in the right places.

I've tried to include as much info as possible, so as to avoid the 'stupid/vague question' label, however please feel free to correct/prompt me where necessary.

I am 29 years old and a rank amateur. My experience so far is with a 7D and me playing with the manual settings. I will admit to being a bit of a tech tart, and already have a beady eye on the 5D mark iii.

I'm looking to get more involved in photography as I have enjoyed it immensely and have been lucky enough to have done several events through family and friends. Whilst my shots are above 'snap' standard, I am painfullly aware that I know pretty much nothing about the subject, with my better shots being the result of trial and error rather than a sound underpinning knowledge.

Ideally I would like to reach a level of photgraphy at which I am paid £500k per year for a maximum of 100 days work in the same period.

Realistically, I would like to reach a point where I can give up my day job and subsist entirely on the profits from photography.

My long term plans are to travel the world and if I could earn from photography whilst doing so then that would just be gravy.

Subject-wise I'm a nature guy, I do alot of hiking and exploring and love the wildlife stuff, although to my dismay I seem to have natural ability in the portrait field, and struggle in the wildlife one.

I'm not really down with joining a local club. I don't have enough consistent time to devote to something like that. I'm all over the shop with work and whilst spare time is plentiful, it's not regularly spaced.

I will be grateful for any and all advice, and will hopefully be able to repay the favour throughout the course of my membership to this site.

Tank you all.
 
I can't see an actual question ? :) However I can tell you that nature and travel photogrpahy are two of the hardest areas to earn a living from... Given the rest of your information I would say your on a hiding to nothing.. Sorry but you need to put a heck of a lot more time and effort into your dream than you currently seem able to..

Just my opinion :)
 
Realistic or not, what you have mentioned is your 'dream'. I have big dreams too with my photography ;)

Why not post a few photos for critique, maybe this will help you understand what standard you are at :)
 
500k from a 100 days work and you are a rank amateur who has played around with the manual settings ! Hey nothing wrong with aiming high but you have to be realistic I'm afraid. There are many full time Pros on here who, I am sure, will be better placed to give you an idea of the hard work and hours they put in and I doubt very few if any are in that earning/time scale bracket and these are Guys and Gals who have spent years slavishly perfecting there craft.

Have to admire your ambition though and I am not saying its impossible just very very unlikely. Also I agree with Ben, you need to let us know what level you are at currently.

Just as an afterthought.. what market is it that you believe will spend £5000 per day buying your shots ? or to put it another way, earnings of £1367 EVERY day in a year including weekends !
 
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There's an easy way to make a small fortune from travel and nature photography and for a mere £2,000 I am willing to share my secret...
 
I believe the £500k part was sarcasm... hence the later "realistically"

;)
 
I'm not really sure what the point of this post was, but I'd change;

"Ideally I would like to reach a level of photgraphy at which I am paid £500k per year for a maximum of 100 days work in the same period.

Realistically, I would like to reach a point where I can give up my day job and subsist entirely on the profits from photography."

To "ideally reach a point where I can give up my day job" and "realistically earn a few quid from my shots".

It sounds like you aren't very career focused, if your long term plan is to travel. It's all well and good saying what you want to do, but without a plan of how you're going to do it, you won't fair very well. You can't walk into an interview and tell them why you want a job so badly and how it will benefit you - you need to convince them that they need you.

How will people know about your work?
How will you sell it?
Why will people want to buy it?
 
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I believe that they still sell spam?

£5k per day for 100 days work- you had better look at the weddings threads for inspiration
 
Durbs said:
I believe the £500k part was sarcasm... hence the later "realistically"

;)
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Thats how I read it.. the content alone should tell everyone that bit was tounge in cheek :)
 
Woah, put the pitchforks away people lol!

I don't really think that I could ever earn half a mill for 100 days work. That was (evidently) a rather poor attempt at humor.

As for my level, as explained I am a complete beginner. No real knowledge other than passion, enthusiasm and a basic idea of how to adjust the various settings on manual.

With regards to my actual question, I was just after advice (from people who may have already done it) on the next steps that will enable me to take my photography from the level of keen interest to professional.

Time wise, I wasn't saying that I don't have time or the will to dedicate my time. Was saying I don't have consistent time so dedicating long term to a club would be pointless.

Finally, I get the logic behind questioning how I would market my images whilst travelling around the world, but surely in these days of t'internet that wouldn't be impossible?

Oh and :p to the emoticon junkies ;)
 
Welcome aboard 'me' ;)
I just said hello in your welcome thread and popped along here to see if you were finding your way around.
We really are a friendly bunch, just give some of the rabble a chance to get to know you first . . . humour doesn't always come across well on Internet forums and you'd be surprised at some of the characters we've had joining up with new accounts, so people can get a bit cynical at times.

As for the rest of you - I thought Marcel had confiscated the pitchforks and locked them in the naughty cupboard :bat:

Let's all take a step back and see if we can start again in here.
 
Well realistically before giving up the day job I would concentrate on getting to know your equipment to the point where using it in manual will be second nature. Then start posting up on TP for some honest C&C, it is possible to combine travelling and wildlife photography but I am sure it is not easy, a lot of people now are either doing workshops such as Alan who you can find HERE or Glenn who does similar but organises trips abroad, you can find his work HERE
 
SarahLee said:
Welcome aboard 'me' ;)
I just said hello in your welcome thread and popped along here to see if you were finding your way around.
We really are a friendly bunch, just give some of the rabble a chance to get to know you first . . . humour doesn't always come across well on Internet forums and you'd be surprised at some of the characters we've had joining up with new accounts, so people can get a bit cynical at times.

As for the rest of you - I thought Marcel had confiscated the pitchforks and locked them in the naughty cupboard :bat:

Let's all take a step back and see if we can start again in here.
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Thanks and hello! Advice heeded :)
 
u8myufo said:
Well realistically before giving up the day job I would concentrate on getting to know your equipment to the point where using it in manual will be second nature. Then start posting up on TP for some honest C&C, it is possible to combine travelling and wildlife photography but I am sure it is not easy, a lot of people now are either doing workshops such as Alan who you can find HERE or Glenn who does similar but organises trips abroad, you can find his work HERE
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Ah a fellow vapor!

Thank you for the sound advice. I shall set to work immediately, and check out the links :cool:
 
Kinda what Ben said, having a dream will get you nowhere and fast too.

You need to plan to succeed, if you really want to travel the world with a camera, then work out the most realistic way you could pay for it?

Are there opportunities in your current career, where some hard work and commitment (and a bit of butt kissing) could get you enough earnings? Is there a way your current employer will allow you enough flexibility to set up a photographic sideline that'll afford you your dreams.

Or have you got some romantic notion that someone will just pay you to travel (jobs like this exist, are getting rarer by the minute and aren't half as much fun as they look from the outside).

My plan is to semi retire into a half decent photography business, but I already know it's not half as much fun as it looks from the outside.
 
If I believed everyone who told me I could not do stuff, I would have done nothing in my life. I've not achieved my goals or dreams, but my dreaming big I've done pretty well for myself. Don't believe the people who can't do stuff - you probably can't, but only losers actually accept that.
 
Gazamonk said:
500k from a 100 days work and you are a rank amateur who has played around with the manual settings ! Hey nothing wrong with aiming high but you have to be realistic I'm afraid. There are many full time Pros on here who, I am sure, will be better placed to give you an idea of the hard work and hours they put in and I doubt very few if any are in that earning/time scale bracket and these are Guys and Gals who have spent years slavishly perfecting there craft.

Have to admire your ambition though and I am not saying its impossible just very very unlikely. Also I agree with Ben, you need to let us know what level you are at currently.

Just as an afterthought.. what market is it that you believe will spend £5000 per day buying your shots ? or to put it another way, earnings of £1367 EVERY day in a year including weekends !
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I guess you missed the sarcasm in the OP..................:D
 
Getting to know how to use your kit and taking great shots is one thing, starting and running a successful business is another. Set out a plan of action, put some some dates against each step, then work towards your goal in achievable bites. Good luck.
 
fracster said:
I guess you missed the sarcasm in the OP..................:D
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Lol, evidently so, however see my next post re. The emoticons. They really are there for a reason, you cannot always convey emotion/mood/meaning within posts (yes I know authors manage it fine) :naughty: but how many times on these and other forums have arguments and downright nastiness erupted between members because the intention meant wasn't conveyed. In this case it doesn't really matter but the use of emoticons can really make a difference. :thumbs: see Im not taking this reply too seriously. Lol
 
Gazamonk said:
Lol, evidently so, however see my next post re. The emoticons. They really are there for a reason, you cannot always convey emotion/mood/meaning within posts (yes I know authors manage it fine) :naughty: but how many times on these and other forums have arguments and downright nastiness erupted between members because the intention meant wasn't conveyed. In this case it doesn't really matter but the use of emoticons can really make a difference. :thumbs: see Im not taking this reply too seriously. Lol
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I get what you're saying and I've taken the advice on board. Believe me i'll not be forgetting emoticons again in a hurry. Virtual crucifixion is something i've decided I don't like :D
 
Welcome to the site.

It may also be worth while looking through the business section. There are a lot of threads in there from members asking similar questions.

If you want it bad enough, you will get there somehow.

I often read that running a photo business is 10% photography and the rest of the time marketing and self promotion.

Good luck and I wish you well
 
Gazamonk said:
Lol, evidently so, however see my next post re. The emoticons. They really are there for a reason, you cannot always convey emotion/mood/meaning within posts (yes I know authors manage it fine) :naughty: but how many times on these and other forums have arguments and downright nastiness erupted between members because the intention meant wasn't conveyed. In this case it doesn't really matter but the use of emoticons can really make a difference. :thumbs: see Im not taking this reply too seriously. Lol
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Yeah, it is easy to read things the wrong way,as easy as it is to write things that can easily be misconstrued.

Hell, i`m a master at it................:D
 
Amongst the confusion, some of you have actually given some very useful advice. So thank you to those people, it is very much appreciated and I intend to put a lot of it into practice immediately.

There does seems to be huge volumes of information available on this site so I shall continue to lurk and learn. Amazing to think that when I was a kid, the internet wasn’t publicly available and such information would have had to be obtained via an apprenticeship or experience. Does make me wonder if that (plus the significant leaps in technology) hasn’t in some way shortened the path to becoming a professional, or whether that has been counter-balanced by the volume of people achieving such a status thus making it more difficult to really stand out and earn decent money.

Either way I’m extremely grateful to those who have taken the time to impart some of their wisdom and although the road to owning a photography business appears to be hard one, I would still like to pursue it as photography is one of the very few things I been consistently passionate about, even in the dark days of my compact camera, before I understood the sheer scale of the subject.
 
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The "Photography Discussion" sections of the forum have lots of useful info but it can be difficult to pin point exactly what you are looking for and sometimes requires a little trawling.

The "Feedback and Critique" section is probably the most useful because you can initially evaluate others photos for yourself at the start of a post and may think " Hey that looks good don't see anything wrong with that" then when you read the critiques you can see how other people evaluated it. You then get a feel for how a picture can be perceived by others and whether in your mind there opinion is right or wrong (remember its all very personal and subjective).
The main point is that it has made you look at each photo in more than just one way and that imo is a valuable lesson.
For instance in your post you say that your best shots are more from trial and error, well thats a good starting point. Pour over the critique section. Get a feel for how others evaluate then go back to your own shots that you didn't like and reappraise them. You will be amazed how you see them second time around and say "ah thats where I went wrong"

There are also lots of good tutorials submitted by members in the "Tutorials and Reviews" section but like the "Photography Discussion" section it can require a little trawling.

If you initially just want to get your head found the basics 'exposure','depth of field', 'white balance' etc (and i strongly recommend you do) then a great place to start is http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/learn-photography-concepts.htm least of all because it is all in one place and easily navigated. A really good resource.

Whichever method you employ you should still get in to the habit of checking in to the forum on a daily basis and reading the New/Latest Posts.
 
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Gazamonk said:
The "Photography Discussion" sections of the forum have lots of useful info but it can be difficult to pin point exactly what you are looking for and sometimes requires a little trawling.

The "Feedback and Critique" section is probably the most useful because you can initially evaluate others photos for yourself at the start of a post and may think " Hey that looks good don't see anything wrong with that" then when you read the critiques you can see how other people evaluated it. You then get a feel for how a picture can be perceived by others and whether in your mind there opinion is right or wrong (remember its all very personal and subjective).
The main point is that it has made you look at each photo in more than just one way and that imo is a valuable lesson.
For instance in your post you say that your best shots are more from trial and error, well thats a good starting point. Pour over the critique section. Get a feel for how others evaluate then go back to your own shots that you didn't like and reappraise them. You will be amazed how you see them second time around and say "ah thats where I went wrong"

There are also lots of good tutorials submitted by members in the "Tutorials and Reviews" section but like the "Photography Discussion" section it can require a little trawling.

If you initially just want to get your head found the basics 'exposure','depth of field', 'white balance' etc (and i strongly recommend you do) then a great place to start is http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/learn-photography-concepts.htm least of all because it is all in one place and easily navigated. A really good resource.

Whichever method you employ you should still get in to the habit of checking in to the forum on a daily basis and reading the New/Latest Posts.
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That's actually a pretty good idea, and simple too. I'm starting to realise that one of the most important things is to learn to think for myself without trying to second guess everything.
 
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