Career Move

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GerryD

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Gerald Davies
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I'm looking to take photography on a more serious level and looking to become professional.

I understand that there a great deal of investment in both time and money to get to this standard.

To make the first steps I either need to get some qualification or a portfolio setup, preferably both.

For those of you who do this for a living, when looking for jobs, where perspective employers looking for qualifications, a portfolio showing what you are capable of or a combination of both?

What qualifications would you recommend to follow a career in photography if any?


Thanks for your advise in advance
 
What area of photography are you interested in moving into ?
 
I know a few freelancers that have no qualifications, just happen to have a good eye, or where in the right place at the right time. But as above, it rather depends on which area of photography your interested in.
 
manly into landscape at the moment, but would like to get into portrait. Not to sure about weddings as they can be a lot of stress
 
I can only really speak with any authority on weddings, although I do several portrait commissions a year. I've never once in several hundred meetings had a client ask me about, or want to see any qualifications.

I don't have any to show if they did ...

Three things are important to bringing home the bacon :

1) Your portfolio

2) ... which is displayed lovingly on your eye-catching website and materials you have to show them.

3) Whether they want to work with you as a person - your people skills are incredibly important in the areas you want to move into.

And of course when you get the job, your ability to not cock it up. Referal will become your best form of marketing, give each job 110% and make sure they know it.

All this of course is assuming that you have the skills to carry it off. There are no real qualifications in photography that will mean didly to the client - your portfolio shows them what you're capable of. If you think you need more skills to put a decent portfolio together, then it's training and practice you need, not qualifications.
 
Imo, Wedding Hack forgot point 4: references. I would never commission a (wedding) photographer without checking with at least 2 former clients. So they had better be the contented kind.
 
Im not sure about checking with former customers-giving out their details is against the data protection act isnt it.

Whats more if your just starting out you wouldnt have any blooming previous customers.

Ive seen dozens of so called pro photographers make a complete balls up of wedding photography-one guy had a hassleblad-wonderful-but he didnt know how to use it dark images.

get a bloody good website-first thing. If you wanna do portraits first get shooting anyone and everyone who will allow and get em on website.

but portraits only may find it hard to make a wage from it.
 
digitalmaniac said:
Im not sure about checking with former customers-giving out their details is against the data protection act isnt it.
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Unless those former clients have given permission in advance, which they do, contractually, when they receive and accept their photos.

Whats more if your just starting out you wouldnt have any blooming previous customers.
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Ain't life a bitch!

Ive seen dozens of so called pro photographers make a complete balls up of wedding photography-one guy had a hassleblad-wonderful-but he didnt know how to use it dark images.
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The best reason I can think of to insist on a couple good references! Any bull**** artist can buy a Hasselblad.
 
W.Smith said:
Imo, Wedding Hack forgot point 4: references. I would never commission a (wedding) photographer without checking with at least 2 former clients. So they had better be the contented kind.
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I've never been asked for references.

But I do show 20 images from every wedding I shoot on my blog, which clients often leave comments against. Consistency in performace is more important to clients that being wowwed by a handful of killer shots.
 
Qualifications are going to be almost meaningless and even the worlds greatest portfolio won't bring in the clients unless enough people get to see it AND want to put their confidence in you.

When you start up, at best you're 20% photographer and 80% sales/marketing/admin/bookeeping/cold calling monkey. It's tough, often not alot of fun and you need to keep on doing it month after month after month.

Can be very worthwile though when you get enough customers comming in to spend most of your time behind the camera. :D
 
Thanks for you comments and input everyone.

The general consensus seem to be that a portfolio showing your work is more important than any qualification. In the photographic profession you must demonstrate your apply, using a portfolio, as opposed to showing your understand with a qualification, although on route to a qualification you would/should develop a quality portfolio.

The portfolio you develop should then be aimed at the market you are trying to capture. i.e. cute kiddies pics if your after getting mam and dad to spent their money.

But I do show 20 images from every wedding I shoot on my blog, which clients often leave comments against. Consistency in performace is more important to clients that being wowwed by a handful of killer shots.
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WeddingHack that does make sense and is very powerful marketing tool to have the customer references. I've just looked at you website and find the layout of your website excellent and the quality of the photos are outstanding. Hopefully one day I can produce photos that good.

If you don't mind me asking how long have you been taking photos?

Starting up a business is always going to be time consuming and that you will never spent 100% of your time behind a camera and you have to be very motivated to do this and once running successfully it is time and money well spent.

I need to home my skills in the short term before I can go any further, but your input has been invaluable :thumbs:
 
Yes weddinghack-have looked at your site. Very nice shots indeed. You have a definite style there.

Hope I also can compare to such work. :clap:
 
WeddingHack said:
Consistency in performace is more important to clients that being wowwed by a handful of killer shots.
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Agreed. I lot of wedding sites say people should ask to see a complete album which is just daft. Any tog is going to show their best work so it's not representative. Samples from lots of different work gives a more rounded idea of what a tog will do for you. I've not been asked for references either, I guess because I usually get contacted via a referral.

Heading back to the topic, landscapes is a pretty tough area to start with if you want to make a living. The living, at least for me and I suspect most pros, comes from less exciting jobs but that does give you the chance to work on more interesting jobs occasionally.
 
Weddnighack - you have my business if I ever get hitched. Your photos are spectacular and I love the preparation shots they give a great timeline for the day.:clap:
 
taxi said:
If you don't mind me asking how long have you been taking photos?
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I start my fourth year in business ... today ! Hurrah for me :)

Shot my first wedding on October 30th 2004.

Previous to that it was a hobby for a couple of years, I got made redundant from my previous job and shot the wedding above the day after I left.
 
weddinghack, well done on making such a success of your business. If you don't mind me asking what kit would you take on a wedding suit/do you use?
 
Could be morning coat during daylight hours. And Tenue de Ville (dark suit), or Black Tie in the evening. Take your cue from the bridal party's attire.
 
Damn have to read what I write before I post :Bang:
 
taxi said:
weddinghack, well done on making such a success of your business. If you don't mind me asking what kit would you take on a wedding suit/do you use?
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I don't wear a suit lol.

Equipment - 2 x MKii, 5D, 15 fish, 16-35 2.8, 24 1.4, 35 1.4, 50 1.2, 85 1.2, 70-200 2.8, 24-105 4, 2 x 580EX, CP-E4, tripod (but it stays in the car)
 
taxi said:
weddinghack, well done on making such a success of your business. If you don't mind me asking what kit would you take on a wedding suit/do you use?
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Should have said shoot :bonk:

Weddinghack you seem to use a lot of lenses. Do you change lenses as you need to or say do you go into the church and only use one lens and change that for the group shots outside?
 
I switch lenses about all day, I always have two bodies on me - one with a short lens, one with a long one. But which lenses depends on the situation.
 
now I didn't think yopu may have to cameras which would make thinks easier, makes sense
 
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