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steve
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In life we all follow a path that leads us to be doing what we are doing now.
What i would like to know is what path did you professional photographers take that led you to become a pro photographer ?
was it just natural progression or was it something you trained for?.
 
after 20 years doing crappy jobs i just felt it was time to work more hours than i could sleep and to take a massive pay cut.......but i wouldnt change a thing......LOVIN IT!
 
archangel said:
after 20 years doing crappy jobs i just felt it was time to work more hours than i could sleep and to take a massive pay cut.......but i wouldnt change a thing......LOVIN IT!
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LOL that sounds about right. You don't do it for the money unless you are one of the lucky few who seem to be 'rock star' photographers, but even then there is often more to the story and you find they put in a lot of time before they were really successful.
 
lensflair said:
LOL that sounds about right. You don't do it for the money unless you are one of the lucky few who seem to be 'rock star' photographers, but even then there is often more to the story and you find they put in a lot of time before they were really successful.
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and guess how you become a 'rock star' photographer...

you take a lot of pictures. and work at your craft and your business. but mostly, take a lot of pictures.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
and guess how you become a 'rock star' photographer...

you take a lot of pictures. and work at your craft and your business. but mostly, take a lot of pictures.
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Yep. Have you read the stuff about the 10,000 hour rule, in the book outliers I think. Haven't read the book myself but the author apparently examines a lot of people who are very successful in all different fields and it turns out they usually spent about 10,000 hours getting really good at whatever it is that they do. So any newbies out there who want to know the secret to being a really good photographer? About 10,000 hours should do it, and no I don't think chatting on forums counts ;)
 
It's in the book 'Bounce' by Mathew Syed. Well worth reading, but it's not just 10000 hours, it's a minimum of 10000 hours proper practice with high quality instruction and guidance. It's not aimed at photography specifically, but using examples across pursuits such as sports, music, chess, etc.
 
Look at it another way, whatever you do for your work life, what is it that led you there?

Photography isn't a magical mythical profession, its the same as all the others in so far as there's no shortcut to the top, only a hard slog requiring continued effort, persistence and maybe fuelled with the odd lucky break if you network enough.

Possibly the only unusual aspect, although not unique to photography, is that the "bottom" of the ladder involves b****r all money, the middle is chicken feed and the top is ????
 
I would have thought taking lots of pictures is just the table stakes and will not make you a 'rock star'. Surely what makes a rock star is networking, business skills, and perhaps a dose of luck (being in the right time at the right place).
 
Its also a bit vague as to where "the top" actually is.

When people have asked about "success in photography" I've always turned that around and asked them to define what they see as "success".

What are the steps on the ladder and are they arranged only in financial order?
 
Its also a bit vague as to where "the top" actually is.
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There's a lot of 'tops'

There's the owner of venture studios, who (up til recently, anyway) has almost certainly been raking in money from the family portrait business.

There's advertising photographers that you won't have heard of who are regularly pulling the $100,000 + jobs.

There's the famous photographers, Leibonitz and Bailey

There's the Magnum photographers, some of whom whose work is largely based more in the art or niche editorial circles.

There's the top war photographers, the Tim Hetheringtons of the world...

there's a hell of a lot of niches in photography, and each has their own 'top' - and the 'top' is not always financial. But they ALL got there...by taking lots of pictures.
 
Started in photo shop,then my city & guild,later a photo assitant,then freelance, but have given up now,but still take lots of photos,but now its for me :)
 
I got a job in local hospital, working in medical records. One of my first pay packets I bought my first film SLR. Trainee medical photographer was advertised, I applied and have doing this type of thing for 33 years now!

Its still as much a hobby as an income.
 
archangel said:
after 20 years doing crappy jobs i just felt it was time to work more hours than i could sleep and to take a massive pay cut.......but i wouldnt change a thing......LOVIN IT!
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Haha this sounds about right :lol:

For me its a passion, not to be rich or famous but to be good at what I do.

To create images that I am proud of and happy with.

I think if you set high enough standards and work hard enough the rewards will come.

10,000 hours is definately a minimum figure :'(
 
mine was enjoying looking at photos and tinkering with a point and shoot,
then thinking try for a photopass for a gig would make the gig better,
then got work as band photographer, got annoyed with unsigned bands attitudes
then went to college to study it,
lost interest in it for a tiny bit,
then got back into it via shooting sports and back loving it and the money doesn't matter!
 
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