Hi all. Just wanted to ask, are there any professional photographers here or atleast do comission every now and then? My gf wants to get into it and perhaps work as a photogapher, but she believes its very hard to get into and the pays not constant. Any tips and recommendations? Shes done here resreach, but im just doing my bit to help LOL. Just a query. thanks.

mattson should be able to help

i sometimes feel guilty labelling myself a freelancer, so i'm not much use, haha

Cheers. I seen a bit of your photos from your thread. Awesome work! Why arent you a pro LOL. What is it you do instead J/ks. Cheers

ah, security guard at the moment, i work a certain amount of hours, i get paid a certain amount every 2 weeks. - couldn't be simpler

but back on topic, we'll await mattsons reply!

Ask justdave what he thinks, then you will get the real picture


from what i herd, it aint as fun as a freelancer, you have deadlines to meet, if the photos are shit, they throw back at ya, yadda yadda yadda. but hey, if she enjoys it, fuck it then

Photography is a closed door industry, you have to jam your foot in the door when it is open...... You are only around when this happens if you make sure of it. Assist in studios, assist at weddings etc etc. One day it is thrown over to you make sure you know how to do it.

All my work comes through referals, the key to consistant money is making sure when someone is refered they will be a repeat customer. Except developers you just bill them like you will never see them again (i was told this buy a developer after he thought i under charged)

Dont bother with uni, it is more history of photography, on site experience is where it is learnt. If you look at it as setting up a business then it is relativly cheap, LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FILM.

Working for newspapers, magazines blows as there is always someone who will work for less. A friend of mine shoots for a big syd newspaper, she works fucked hours, get average pay and abused about deadlines, but she loves her job, she meets new people, gets front row seats to heaps of action an makes heaps of contacts.

REMEMBER PHOTOGRAPHY IS DIFFERENT TO BEING A PHOTOSHOP GURU.

Brenno is somewhat correct - it is a bit of a funny industry to crack into - particularly with so many new budding photographers popping up everywhere (hey i'm only new to it myself).

My primary income stream is wedding photography - I book at worst 3 a month and 90% of them come from referrals. Word of mouth in the wedding game is pretty powerful. I think it pays pretty well, I charge between $1000-$2000 for a basic package, which includes all photography, post-work, development etc. It's picking up enough that I've had to take on a 2nd pro to cover the weekends where I've been double-booked!! My wife is also now running a small on the side wedding planning business including all stationery and invitaitons and stuff, which we hope will cover her primary income when she goes on maternity leave when we start a family but that's another story

In QLD alone I think the statistic is over 200 weddings each week!

I've done a little bit of Freelance work, but I'm not too partial to it personally, because as others have said - it's sparatic and you certainly have to hunt it down, but that said get in with the right crowd - say Getty Images and you'll get more work then you can poke a stick at (and international travel too)

I also do private shoots for both models, cars, parties, events etc... but all word of mouth

If that's the sort of lifestyle you want to lead then the repurcussions are you could potentially be away from your family and friends for long periods of time, work odd hours and meet strange/fascinating new people

I would like to get to a point where I can setup a professional studio and also get portraiture clients etc and professional studio shoots as well as having a visible point for customers.

Anyway's that's my blurb.

Although Brennos comment about photography being different to photoshop is correct, I find being adept in photoshop allows me to offer clients effects and themed photos that I couldn't otherwise capture or would have to outsource to someone else... so keeps the money in house

Cheers,

Matt

hoorah mattson, even i learnt something new

do you have a web folio? (think i've already asked lol)

i'm doing my 3rd wedding mid next year, yay

Nope nothing yet - I'm channeling all funds I earn into paying off my personal loan on my camera gear.

at the rate I'm going though, I hope to have it paid off in the next two months and at that point I will look to launch my businesses website and it will include a full portfolio gallery etc.

Matt

Nice work, send me pm when it is up and running. I cant stand weddings, i have about 7 booked for the rest of the year and am not looking forward to any of them. Where are you based? Dont suppose your in sydney?

Setting up a studio is a great money spinner, be it in a spare room or garage, there is some many options then, protrature including mothers to be (then repeat customer with baby photos), formal photos, ie estate agents, product shots and the general modelling shoots.

A guy i studied with started by shooting baby photos, the next year he found all the same people booked for 1 year photos , he now runs a seccesful port business, i said to him do you enjoy shooting the same thing over and over and over, he replied with, "YES, as it means i can work when i want, and have the money to do what i want when i want, i love my job" Something i never thought off.

I agree, word of mouth is the definitely the strongest channel of getting work. I'm a wedding photographer as well, on my own and also with another pro photographer. An example of how good word of mouth is, we just got a deal with a wedding planner to be their exclusive photographer which will throw us at least 40 weddings a year, and he was told about us through a bride who's wedding we photographed.
So the best advice is to get out there, take photos, show them to photographers in whatever industry you want to get into, and cross your fingers.
Good luck!
Anna

Yeah - my second pro is a baby photographer by trade - and we're working around packages now too provide family portraits, new born shots, mothers to be etc etc etc...

We were looking at purchasing all this kick-arse Alien Bee portable flash equipment, until the australian supplier pulled the plug and f*cked off back to america... and now they don't sell internationally to Australia with warranties.

No Brenno - unfortunately I'm based on the Gold Coast...

No worries, was worth a go

haha.. what do they pay - my off-sider has family in sydney and loves a trip down there..

I'm sure if the money's right and doesn't conflict with our schedule we could work something out

wheelin and dealin

should be worth about 1200-1400 each after expenses, but one of them is to late to palm off