Is this you? You enjoy taking pictures, lot's of pictures. It probable
stated with a few snapshots here and there at social occasions, friendly
get-togethers, etc.. These days, you find yourself snapping pictures
from early in the day, and late into the night, sometimes for no real
reason. Now your thinking of turning your new skill into a profession.
Most of us become serious photographers for the same reason that some
people become anything, simply because we like it, and the knowledge
that talented professional photographers are always in demand.
Of course, some people are content to remain casual shutterbugs, happy
with taking occasional snapshots of friends and family or those dreaded
pictures of summer vacations. Yet, most of those who get serious enough
about photography, sooner or later become advanced amateurs or working
professionals.
Anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary skills can
set up a home business, marketing photography. You need only to convert
a room of your house into an office, and then you can work immediately.
With modern technology in the form of SLR digital cameras, you do not
even need the room for a dark room. You need only to have a personal
computer and a photo-editing program. The standard is Adobe Photoshop.
When I first thought of getting into the travel photography business,
just about everyone already in the business said the same thing: you
must be mad. "The field is saturated," "there's no money to be
made," "it's very competitive," and the obvious statement, "there's a
huge amount of really good material already out there."
In short, the advice was a resounding, "you don't have a chance." Not
one bit of encouragement from anyone. I soon discovered why. It has
nothing to do with photography. Success in this business depends on one
and only one thing: good business sense.
If all people were equal, the advice I got would have been right.
It'd be just like a lottery, where your chances of success are equal to
everyone else's. In the photo business, there are so many players—in
fact, more people in the world take pictures than ever play the
lottery—your chances of success are worse.
Thing is, not all people are equal. What's more, there are huge numbers
of very skilled photographers who aren't successful. Is success
distributed only to those who are skilled? I probably don't need to tell
you the answer to that one—we have all seen pretty awful images in
everything from ads, to magazine stories about travel, to brochures. The
point of differentiation is not skill, nor how many people are in it, or
any of the typical explanations.
The one factor to success is how smart you are. Sure, you need to be
"good enough" with your photography for people to really take you
seriously, but that standard is sufficiently low that just about anyone
serious about getting into the business of photography, is probably a
good enough photographer.
It is not necessary to clutter yourself with equipment you do not
need. You can hire equipment on and when you need it basis, today you
have the freedom to work part time for a while until you can devote
yourself full time to photography.
There are two types of photographers that makes their living from
photography, the serious photographer and the very serious photographer.
You can always bookmark this link and then you can quickly access just
about all you'll ever need from here.
Whilst the technical skills needed to make a successful photographer
have never been easier, other aspects have changed the business. The
market for photographs of virtually every type has widened, the world
seems to have an insatiable appetite for photographs. However the price
has fallen as the marketing net has broadened. Photographers are needed
in many more fields.
It is now easier than ever to turn your dream into reality and create
a worthwhile business out of an engrossing hobby. However in today’s
modern world there is more to it than simply pointing a camera, and
shooting a picture.
You need to be aware of marketing techniques, and here marketing
simply means transferring ownership of a product, in this case an image
from a buyer to seller. You also need to be aware of any local gaps in
the market in your local area.
You should also try to be on top of your competitor’s prices, to
undercut an existing photographer is one choice, but to neglect to value
your skills and not charge enough to cover your overheads is another
matter entirely. Remember this, its an important point. Use your skills
to the best advantage of the business and define what you want from it.
Only you can determine if you really have the desire and
self-confidence to follow a path to a money making photo venture, and to
what end. Because people's objectives in life vary, there is no
"correct" path into the photo business as the end goal may not always be
the same. "first, believe in yourself, and then follow your dreams."
Lennie Lenze
Lennie Lenze is not only a successful photographer, but publisher and
author of the best selling
"How-To
Start A Profitable Home-Based Photography Business."
Remember, your future is up to
you, 
