This is directed to the people that do photography as their sole source of income.
Do you work for someone (newspaper, magazine, etc or have your own business?
If you own your own business, how many 'private shoots' do you do a month and do you freelance on top of that?
Do you rent a studio or have your own, maybe in your home, shoot in someone else's home, etc?
the world is my studio, i shoot for anyone who will hire me, i shoot whatever i want when i'm not on assignment. sometimes i get paid by the job, sometimes i get paid by the hour, sometimes i just sell prints, and sometimes i license my images. i own my own business (i've been self-employed since '87). i've been shooting for nearly 25 years, but only working full-time for just over a year, and, i'd have to say, it's been pretty good so far ;-)
Yup, pretty good so far is right. I don't know how I missed that post. I also read your NASCAR story...incredible. If I could take photos 1/2 as good, I'll be happy. Thx for sharing.
Skip you always amaze me. I will read that thread later but let me just say now I think you are the best asset DPC has and ever will have. You always seem very friendly and helpful in more ways than you will ever know. It is always a joy to go to your profile and just browse.
as much as i appreciate all your kind words, please don't let that sidetrack others from chipping in...i know there are more than a few working shooters in this bunch.
as for myself, i'll admit i get my share of decent shots--just know, though, that it is not automatic. i know i'm not the best photographer, but i work REALLY hard at this stuff. anyone who wants to work in photography can, if they are willing to commit. there are tons of things to try and do--you just have to make a conscious effort to find the intersection of what you like and what your capable of. beyond that, it's just practice, practice, practice, practice. honestly, it would be pretty damn hard to shoot 100,000 images a year without getting a few good ones ;-)
This is directed to the people that do photography as their sole source of income.
Do you work for someone (newspaper, magazine, etc or have your own business?
If you own your own business, how many 'private shoots' do you do a month and do you freelance on top of that?
Do you rent a studio or have your own, maybe in your home, shoot in someone else's home, etc?
I don't do it anymore (I'm retired now) but for most of my life I was a professional photographer, mostly an architectural photographer but with a smattering of commercial and editorial photography thrown in.
1. I had my own business (Robt. Ward & Associates) and was also on staff at San Diego Magazine, San Diego Home/Garden magazine, and for a little while with the now-defunct LA Times Home Magazine.
2. I don't understand your distinction between "private shooting" and "freelancing" for someone who owns his own business. FWIW, practically everything I earned money from was commissioned work, "assignments" if you will.
3. We had our own studio, about 2,500 square feet, in an industrial building in what is now the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego.
I'd be happy to answer any other questions I can. My working experience is poles apart from Skip's :-)
