Comments on: From Amateur Photographer to Professional Photographer in 4 Easy Steps

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:00:10 +0000

Nice article and incredibly supportive and constructive if this is what you are trying to do. What needs to be emphasised is how long it takes to get a strong client base and the incredible value that they can offer in terms of referral and repeat business

By: pogomcl

pogomcl — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:46:59 +0000

why bother with microstock when you can do editorially controlled RM/RF stock at a reputable agency that will give you much greater respect. Sure it's probably harder, but when you see your work in a very tightly controlled collection, it makes you smile and offers good reference point.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:39:42 +0000

Correction, #4:
"I'd never try a profession or venture WITHOUT having calculated possible income and expenses."

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:38:24 +0000

Hmm. Outright disappointed with this post, way too general.

Let's see:
1. Practise? Yes, whatever you aim to work with professionally, you'll need to practise.

2. Clients. Yes, you need to network with peers to be successful. Who wants to be a professional photographer with no contact with other photographers, no feedback on their portfolio, no means of access into new publications via contacts/clients...?

3. Diversify. Adding more revenue streams. Okay, this I agree with. More to the point. More info could be added though..

4. Checking figures. Budget. Well yes, I'd never try a profession or venture with having calculated possible income and expenses.

I usually really enjoy your posts here! This one however, not so much.

By: Life with Kaishon

Life with Kaishon — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 16:00:48 +0000

Really, really great post. Thanks for this wisdom!

By: Eric P. Martin

Eric P. Martin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 23:45:22 +0000

I've decided to take the plunge to being an amateur to professional. I came across your blog post doing my research on the subject. My question is, does uploading your pictures to Flickr really have any benefit other than getting feedback?

By: Denver Photographer

Denver Photographer — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:36:19 +0000

I think moving into "professional photography" takes a lot more than preparation. Of course you need that too, but I think few photographers realize how much they are going to have to "sell out" and create images that appeal to the larger audience. That's something I think everyone who wants to get into pro photography should be ready for as well.

By: cathy nelson

cathy nelson — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:07:56 +0000

In case destiny brings anyone to this thread, I only made $100 shooting to sell in 1986 and it was for four cat pictures in Cats Magazine, which does not exist anymore. But all my expenses were tax-deductible in 1986 and still are to the present time. START!

By: cathy nelson

cathy nelson — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:02:37 +0000

National Geographic, sorry. Always proof your own stuff, haha.

By: cathy nelson

cathy nelson — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:01:13 +0000

I have done this and it took a lot of grunge work making dupe slides and typing labels before computers were invented. I had hundreds of pictures in New Mexico Magazine just because I got off my couch and traveled all over the state shooting. I got one assignment from the NY Times, one from the Dallas paper and one from the Denver paper. I had the same shot (Taos Pueblo Woman) in a book published three times overseas by National Geograpic. Dreams come true, you just have to START! What are you afraid of? JUST START. Digital cameras and websites/email make it a million times easier than it was in 1986. JUST START. Take the first step of the marathon. It is fun to be successful.

By: Jason Grubb

Jason Grubb — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:59:43 +0000

Great post! -Build Clients: My 2 Cents... you build clients by building relationships with referral sources.

By: Rahul Pathak

Rahul Pathak — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:45:57 +0000

Great post sir. I think #3 about diversifying revenue streams applies at all levels of the market, not just for photographers who are starting their journeys.

By: Erick @ DSLRBlog Photo Business Blog

Erick @ DSLRBlog Photo Business Blog — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:41:20 +0000

Alex, this is great post. My only thought is that "Step 2: Build Clients" is often the most difficult (seemingly insurmountable) for most would-be professionals. It's less like a step and more like a long, grueling process comprised of dozens or hundreds of steps. Getting clients is kind of like getting credit - if you don't have them, you can't get them; if you've got a lot, they're easy to get .

We recently posted a similar post on DSLRBlog,
9 Steps to Start (or Jumpstart) Your Photography Business. In my view, it's the finding of clients and making of sales that ultimately makes an enthusiast into a professional.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:38:55 +0000

Since you mentioned National Geographic, I'll add something. Historically, all of their photographers are university educated photojournalists, with years of award winning newspaper photography under their belts. The likelihood of working for them without some form of higher education is slim to none, and this is direct from their photo department (their website gives lots of info). If they didn't study photojournalism, they studied Biology, or Sociology, etc. Many have Master's degrees in their discipline. The reason for this, I was told, is because people who can commit to higher education are also more likely to have the discipline necessary to commit to a long term project (several weeks to sometimes months) and the ability to stay focused (no pun intended). Many people have this dream that the National Geographic photo department is going to cruies by their flickr site one day and offer them a job, giving them and endless budget, plane tickets, and a feature article. It ain't going to happen. One photographer I spoke with said it's actually easier to find work as an actor or musician than a photographer for National Geographic.

By: seattle wedding photographer

seattle wedding photographer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:03:09 +0000

This is one of the most truthful and realistic blogs out there. I would like to second what Gary Crab says about value you time and work. that is almost always the first mistake people make when they start to do photography for money. they undervalue themselves and wind up bring the whole field down too.

By: Hameem

Hameem — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:43:17 +0000

hi there

thanks for sharing the points with us. really helpful.

By: Gary Crabbe / Enlightened Images

Gary Crabbe / Enlightened Images — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:06:08 +0000

I am a professional photographer, and I'll say only two things to support this post.

First, Be Professional. That mean how you show your work, how you communicate with people, how you handle invoices and billings. It also means keeping your commitments, and if you make a mistake, own up to it and correct it.

Second, value your work, and value your time. If you don't value it, no one else will. Don't worry about trying to be the cheapest on the block, or giving stuff away for free all the time. If people like and want your work, be confident enough to ask for real money that you can take to the bank. Credit lines in magazines and on web sites don't pay for food, gas, or the electric bill.

By: genaro

genaro — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:25:12 +0000

Nice post.Lately, more than ever, I have wanted to venture into professional photography. Your posts have always been a great resource for me to consider on this trip to making money from my hobby.

By: HDex

HDex — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:34:34 +0000

Nice and to the point. It is fun dipping your feet into the industry, but while I am learning, you couldn't be more right. Stick with the day job and continue to improve your craft while building depth and breadth of the client list.

By: bygbaby

bygbaby — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:42:56 +0000

Great article! And I am happy to know that I am not the only one who has fantasies of being in exotic locations doing dangerous things for the love of photography.

Your number one really spoke to me because I am constantly challenging myself to do better & work harder. Practicing & learning from my mistakes has really helped me develop.

Tafari