Time after time, I’ve seen the following happen:
Someone gets a fancy DSLR.
Said someone proceeds to take oodles of photos with new camera, and receives many compliments from friends and family and much encouragement to take photographs professionally.
Same someone decides on a business name, designs a cute little logo, signs up for a free blog site, gets the free VistaPrint business cards and VOILA! They are in business.
No. No. No.
Did you hear me?
I said “NO!”
If the above pretty much sums up your journey so far, go stand in the corner. NOW. You are grounded and you’re staying after class.
For crying out loud, slow down. Please.
Take a good while to learn the art of photography before you try to sell it to others.
Remember yesterday, when we talked about startup money? I described the process that I used. Yes, I bought a camera and 2 lenses initially as a birthday gift to myself, but all other purchases after that were from the $100 per pay (every two weeks) allowance. Slowly, but surely I saved up for other camera bodies and lenses. While I was saving, I learned my equipment inside and out. Sometimes several months passed before I had enough for the next piece of equipment, so I read my manuals and practiced with the settings on my camera and learned how to use the lenses I had. I read every book I could get my hands on and researched the internet for information. Eventually, I received more formalized instruction, but that, too, costs money and needed saved for.
So, please. Slow down and pace yourself. You will thank me later when you have increased your skill set to the point where you feel confident in what you are doing instead of starting “OMG I have a shoot tomorrow and I am clueless!” threads on photography forums.
I decided to do exactly what you have described above, (before I even found your blog) and now I know I am on the right track! So I felt I could skip the standing in the corner part. Laughed out loud as I read this and compared it to my “dream” of becoming a photographer! I totally blame the camera companies though for all of this “Prosumer- Photographers Coming Out of the Woodwork” syndrome. They make these cameras, with their awesome Auto settings and we take a couple of the best pics we have ever taken in our entire lives, our friends and family agree with our new found Talent and Awesomeness, and we are hooked! Just like that, we wonder why on earth you “professionals” ever bothered with all that training and stuff when all you had to do was just ask Canon, or Nikon, for one of these incredible cameras! (We are obviously sooo… much smarter than all of you!) And they just keep coming out with newer, better, ones! Shame on them…
I am a bit slow, but finally I had to admit to myself that giving away free sessions, advertising on facebook, wringing the life out of my poor PSE 8 in a desperate attempt to create better photos, spending money, that I wasn’t making on cute props, calling myself a “natural light photographer” and handing out those horrible Vista Print business cards, did not make me a professional photographer! Sigh, how sad for me…
So I offered myself two choices, quit and sell it all in a desperate attempt to recover part of what I’d spent, or just put it all away, get a “real” job to make some money so that I could save up for equipment and pay for classes, and actually invest the time, (big shudder here) to LEARN about photography! I tried the first option, really I did. I even put my stuff on Craigs List and when the first call came I stammered and stuttered. I went on for 20 minutes about just how incredible this camera is. When he asked where did I want to meet him so he could buy it, I panicked! It felt like I was making a deal to sell one of my children! I was a traitor, when all this Canon had ever done was perform for me, now I was willing to hand it over to a complete stranger? One who might never appreciate it and love it like I did? Ha, no way buddy! (Poor man, must have thought I was crazy) As soon as I got off the phone I beelined to the computer and removed my ad!
So my long, drawn out story, comes to an end here. I recently found a job, got my first check the other day and immediately though, “Ooh, this is 1/2 of what I need to sign up for a class at Better Photo!” So, I am happy to say that, finally, I’m on the right track.
Thank you allowing me to vent and get that whole story off my chest. No one else seems to understand why I’m doing this. All of my “Prosumer-Photographer” friends think I’ve really lost my mind, I mean if you are making $75.00 for every shoot you do, why change things? I don’t even know how to explain the pit of fear that lives in my stomach and that voice in my head that whispers before each session, “Don’t really have a clue what you’re doing do you?” These things must be conquered, by me. The only way I can do that is to arm myself with knowledge and understanding of things like exposure, aperture, shutter speeds, and manuel camera settings. My journey begins today!
Hi Lisa – there’s nothing I can add to this – you’ve got it figured out – WOOTNESS!
Oh Christine, this is exactly how I got started…. I’ve been in business for over a year and I’ve learned a ton, but after reading this I’m now wondering if I should close the doors and start over in a couple of years. I have a wonderful client base built up, but I’m a pretty lousy business woman and get screwed (for lack of a better word) on a regular basis. I definitely need to wear my big girl panties on a more solid schedule! Man….I’m now questioning everything I’ve done up to this point :/
Time to get a backbone girly! Take some business classes and get going in the right direction. My goal isn’t to keep people from going into business or encourage them to go out of business, but to kick their butts into gear after turning them in the proper direction. You can do it. GO!
hahahahahahaha….ok, i dont have the biz cards, logo, and i share a site with a friend…..but you are cracking me up…thinking i am staying after class.
loving your tough love, i am far from pro and dont charge but kind hearted souls having no clue how much strobes and backdrops and props cost give me checks for 25.00 or so…and are also clueless about the countless hrs i spend cloning out little timmys baby acne or their seniors latest pimples….to say nothing of the wrinkles! but alas, its my fault….no balls….time to go iron the sheets!
Hi Denise – glad you like the site – don’t burn yourself on the iron 😉