I need help big time

DJMorgan

DJMorgan

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Daniel
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I recently started getting into photography a lot, so much iv started to want to make a profession out of it, Now i need help and ideas how to get on my way if anyone could please help me id be very grateful. :):D
 
Welcome. It's a big topic and I don't think you'll get chapter and verse on your first post. Have a read of the business forum - there's lots of good information there.
 
I have`nt yet lol but i will in a second, Im currently using a 7.2 mp camera but im hoping to get a semi pro camera soon, i mean i get told by my friends and family etc my photos are good n tbh they would tell me if they are crap lol but they aint too bad.
Personally i do a lot of photo`s in greyscale but im going to try and go more color soon
 
Hey, im in the same boat and will be really interested in this thread!! how about you upload some pics so people can give you pointers on where to go from here?
 
Lol I`m not good with forums, could you tell me how to upload them lol
 
what type of photography will you be offering the public through your business? portrait? sports?
 
Tbh atm im looking into maybe landscape but tbh i talked to this women who is a photogropaher round here and she said a lot of people do land scape and tbh it don`t sound like much of a challenge, But what i want to do is close objects mayb do some of my friends *** i have a lot of pretty girly mates ( no im not gay lol) but tbh like i said iv just started out so im kinda like woah where should i start.
 
the most useful advice i can give you is that if you want to make decent money out of it then it might not be for you.

the reality is that its a bit like pop stardom. there are lots of people that want to do it and only a very very few get to make any money out of it. Most end up spending a lot of money.

If you've got imagination, gift of the gab, good networking skills, tenacity and some photography skills then you may, just may, make some money out of it.

but if that doesnt put you off, then you are as stubborn as me, and good luck to you :)
plenty of good people on this forum will help you out and give you all the advice you need. But you may need to be a little more specific when asking for advice... best of luck :)
 
Exactly what Gary said.. But I would add.. your first step is to decide what sort of photography you want to get into...A portrait photographer will have different advice to a news , wedding or sports photographer for example.

No point asking advice on what area of photogrpahy to get into.. thats something only you can decide based on what you enjoy and what your good at.

Personally I dont think you have any real idea of whats ahead. The chances of making a living out of it are slim. Some of us do.. But I put in a hell of a lot more than 40 hrs and over the next few months I will spend many a cold evening sat in the rain and freezing weather hoping to make a weeks wage... My point being.. Its not a case of take good pics so start a business :)
 
My best advice would be to not jump in to anything.

Practice, practice and practice some more. Post shots here for feedback etc.

Jumping in to a business is not something that should be taken lightly.
 
to be honest landscape capture is one of the hardest selling subjects in photography wise...and its all down to the luck of the draw to get noticed and recognise in a specialist subject like landscape!All i can say is you need the patient of a saint to make inroad`s in this industry..personally just do it for your own pleasure and then if someone picks up on your style then wooo hooo you can build on it AND hopefully improve on it to keep people interested to buy of you!;)
 
There is a lot to learn, even with landscapes like rule of thirds- perspective-points of interest- subject matter-angle of view- checking out different camera positions for same subject-filters- time of day - just to name but a few.The best tip I can give is study successfully published landscapes in photo magazines/and ones like country life, and the different ways of editing to produce interesting results.

There is a world of difference between point and shoot and a structured landscape, its even down to what camera you use and how it is set up combined with what lens, which can produce different results. What looks easy is usually the hardest to achieve.

For example taking a picture of a stream within a landscape, a fast shutter speed can freeze the motion of the water whereas a longer shutter speed can blur the water, same picture with completely different results. Then again a 50mm lens will produce a different picture to a 300mm lens. You may start to see there is a little more in it than originally thought, and that is without different filters -UV-polarized-coloured-Neutral Density to add to the confusion.

link on filters http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-lens-filters.htm


As others have said professional photos are a world away from what friend/family may conceive as a good photo and joining a camera club may help in your quest.

Realspeed
 
I think it was in Amateur Photography recently, one successful landscape artist claims that the subject of a landscape is not really important, its the lighting that really makes it :)
 
DJMorgan said:
...i mean i get told by my friends and family etc my photos are good n tbh they would tell me if they are crap lol but they aint too bad....
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Welcome :)

Re above - be warned, all friends and family will say that and I doubt many would ever say they didn't like something. You'll get a much more balanced and valid opinion on here.

Agree with others, you need to get yourself a decent camera and get out there and practice.
 
DDP said:
Welcome :)

Re above - be warned, all friends and family will say that and I doubt many would ever say they didn't like something. You'll get a much more balanced and valid opinion on here.

Agree with others, you need to get yourself a decent camera and get out there and practice.
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+1 from me with regards to this comment, i've been into photography for a few years now and have been steadily improving my technique as well as my processing abilities and the none photographers i know who see my shots have been making the same compliments since i first started taking photography seriously.
I (like everyone else on here) don't want to put you off photography but really you need to stick at it as a hobby and make sure it's something that really suits you.
 
DJMorgan, I don't want to sound like a party pooper, but from the sound of it you are pretty much a beginner and jumping straight into the pro world is masssive and really, really needs to be thought out. Just because you have a prop camera doesn't make you a pro....

That said, if you get a good business plan together, work out the financial implications to the penny, and really research the area of photography you aim to get into and the area of the country that you aim to serve, then it is do-able.

There are lots of pros out there and even more photographers who want to earn money from their hobby. A salaried photography position is always going to be as safe as houses but they are usually hard to come by and you have to convince an employer, rather than a customer, that your skills are required and good enough.

Weddings and portraiture are obvious starting points; there never seems to be an end to the number of toggers who take it up - it's up to them to make themselves successful after that.

Also, never rely on family and friends to give you a kick start into the professional world. F+F want discounts and freebies, which doesn't do you any good when you have bills to pay. Plus, they're usually not constructively critical, which is something you need when you have a service that must excel in a highly competetive market.

Like I said, don't wan to pee on your parade, but for now I'd stick at it as a keen amateur and see where it takes you in years to come. Don't rush these things :)
 
specialman said:
DJMorgan, I don't want to sound like a party pooper, but from the sound of it you are pretty much a beginner and jumping straight into the pro world is masssive and really, really needs to be thought out. Just because you have a prop camera doesn't make you a pro....

That said, if you get a good business plan together, work out the financial implications to the penny, and really research the area of photography you aim to get into and the area of the country that you aim to serve, then it is do-able.

There are lots of pros out there and even more photographers who want to earn money from their hobby. A salaried photography position is always going to be as safe as houses but they are usually hard to come by and you have to convince an employer, rather than a customer, that your skills are required and good enough.

Weddings and portraiture are obvious starting points; there never seems to be an end to the number of toggers who take it up - it's up to them to make themselves successful after that.

Also, never rely on family and friends to give you a kick start into the professional world. F+F want discounts and freebies, which doesn't do you any good when you have bills to pay. Plus, they're usually not constructively critical, which is something you need when you have a service that must excel in a highly competetive market.

Like I said, don't wan to pee on your parade, but for now I'd stick at it as a keen amateur and see where it takes you in years to come. Don't rush these things :)
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:plusone:
 
Thanks a lot for the advice guys, i mean atm yeh im just beginning, I mean im not looking to jump into a business atm i mean i may do in time IF i feel i am good enough, i mean none of you have put me down or anything lol so dont worry.

I mean like i said atm im using a normal 7.2mp camera and tbh it does some good jobs but tbh its like taking it with a Polaroid camera you know the £1.20 ones you buy from shops lol
But tbh it gets some good images, Could someone PM how to upload some photos onto here so i can go from there,

I really appreciate your thoughts and opinions thank you.
 
What type of camera is it?

I'm guessing that since you're referring to it only by it's mp (which has really got nothing to do with the quality of the photos you can take with it) you are at the start of a quite a steep learning curve with regard to the technical aspect of photography as well as the business side?
 
DJMorgan said:
I mean like i said atm im using a normal 7.2mp camera and tbh it does some good jobs but tbh its like taking it with a Polaroid camera you know the £1.20 ones you buy from shops lol
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7.2mp ... I know quite a lot of profesional sports photographers using 1DMKII cameras..They are not cheap and they are 8mp .. I wouldn't fixate on the amount of mp as it's not really all that important.
 
DJMorgan said:
Thanks a lot for the advice guys, i mean atm yeh im just beginning, I mean im not looking to jump into a business atm i mean i may do in time IF i feel i am good enough, i mean none of you have put me down or anything lol so dont worry.

I mean like i said atm im using a normal 7.2mp camera and tbh it does some good jobs but tbh its like taking it with a Polaroid camera you know the £1.20 ones you buy from shops lol
But tbh it gets some good images, Could someone PM how to upload some photos onto here so i can go from there,
Click to expand...
I know what you mean :lol:

Have you thought about being a professional footballer?
 
jontucker said:
What type of camera is it?

I'm guessing that since you're referring to it only by it's mp (which has really got nothing to do with the quality of the photos you can take with it) you are at the start of a quite a steep learning curve with regard to the technical aspect of photography as well as the business side?
Click to expand...




Like a lot of people have said, I`m kinda jumping the deep end here, I aint i just need to look for advice on what direction i should take like how other people have gone about it because to be honest i get very nervous with a lot of stuff and judgment like "is this good" "am i doing this right" "should i be doing this"

I aint having a go at you btw :'(
 
Lol Did you highlight i said "I mean" a lot then? lol Sorry :(
 
DJMorgan: Pick up a photography magazine or two (Amateur Photographer, Digital SLR etc) and have a read through, take note of some of the terminology etc and settings people use for different photos.

You'll likely want to get yourself an entry level DSLR such as the Canon 450D, then get a separate manual for it and a copy of "understanding exposure". From that point you have a steep learning curve but you should enjoy it. Try and use the DSLR in manual and experiment a lot, eventually all the information will click and make sense to you.

It wouldn't hurt to attend an evening college class or something as well. First thing is to understand the camera and photography in general, then you can find your style, what sort of photos you like to take and business/career wise take it from there.
 
<grandad mode on>
Judging from the OP writing I guess he's a teenager/young photographer. That style of writing is very popular with the youth of today
<grandad mode off>



DJMorgan said:
Tbh this is the only way i can figure out how you can see an image of mine

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43534300@N03/
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Right click the pic, copy location, then post the url with '
' at the end i.e.

4010456355_91c945776d_o.jpg



OK criticism. It doesn't really do anything for me - sorry. B&W works in landscapes when you've got snow etc but most of the time people expect to see a nice colour picture. Have you got this in colour?
 
No i havent but that would of been a good idea, Could of edited it B&W couldnt i lol, i dont live far from the location so i could possibly get another one soon enough, But thanks btw i just saw my picture there then i was like WOAH! lol ty
 
No, i should of took it in colour come to think of it. I`m able to get another shot of it though in colour if i go back! its bout 5 mile down road really. Its called dunham massey if anyones been to it?
 
I`m 20 years old and i have been into it for about a year now, just only had a 5 MP camera on my phone for earlier photo`s. I`m currently using a

Sony Cyber-Shot 7.2 x3 Optical zoom, High sensitivity ISO 1000
 
DJMorgan said:
Like a lot of people have said, I`m kinda jumping the deep end here, I aint i just need to look for advice on what direction i should take like how other people have gone about it because to be honest i get very nervous with a lot of stuff and judgment like "is this good" "am i doing this right" "should i be doing this"

I aint having a go at you btw :'(
Click to expand...

I know, and like wise.

I am a VERY firm believer in making what you want out of your own life and following your dreams BUT they have to be realistic and you have to have both your eyes and ears open at all times, listen to everyone's advice, do all the research you can and then make your own decision.

Like others have said it seems like you are quite young and if you want to make photography your profession then you go for it, that is your decision and no one else's but like I said you have to be realistic... I for example, am unlikely to become a professional ballet dancer, no matter how much I want it!
 
Byker28i said:
...B&W works in landscapes when you've got snow etc but most of the time people expect to see a nice colour picture.
Click to expand...

Not quite sure I agree with that tbh... after all BnW worked quite well for that Ansel Adams bloke :lol:

There's plenty of decent advice in this thread, and masses of information scattered over the entire forum, along with lots of helpful people who can answer the more specific questions that you'll have along the way.

Only other advice i'd chip in is this - there's only one sure way to make money out of Photography, and thats to sell your camera. :lol:
 
What camera have you got? If you shoot in raw then you can have it in colour, B&W, anything you want.
There's times when I set the image to B&W on the camera to help with the highlights etc, but being raw format means I'll always have the colour option.

Doesn't mean to say that B&W doesn't work sometimes, but usually with smow because you've got the huge amounts of white, i.e.

109098531.jpg

107628310.jpg
 
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