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How to work out being a photographer?
Ok, so I want to be a landscape photographer when I grow up. I know I don't have to be planning this out right now, but why not think about it at least, so ya. So I just want to know the different kinds of jobs and things to do for a landscape photographer and all of the requirements and such. Like about housing plans: Would I travel or actually have a house? I heard about like taking pictures, then a magazine using them if it was like a nature magazine, or just having a business and getting your photos out there and selling them. I'm just confussed on all that there is. But just to be clear, landscape photographer, not wedding photographer or anything other than that. Any help is apprectiated! Thanks!!!
1 Answer
- ?Lv 59 years agoFavourite answer
You have the right approach to this. You are asking the right questions. And it's never too early to plan. We'll go through one at a time:
1) Requirements to make a living as a landscape photographer: patience and practice and start-up capital. That means lots of money to invest in developing the skill.
And risk. 1% of amateur photographers become professional photographers. But the percentage is higher for you because you seem to be rather wise, and aren't just coming in here wanting to be a photographer because you just bought a digital camera of some sort.
2) travel or house? Both. Or apartment.
3) You have to convince people to pay you for your photos, to buy them, etc. you have to advertise and sell yourself. It is very, very, very hard to do this with landscape. Part of why there are so many wedding photographers and so many less landscape photographers is that there are a lot more people willing to pay a lot more money to have you take photos that don't exist yet at their specifications, then there are people willing to buy a photo you've already taken, no matter how good it is. And by people I include magazines. Fierce competition.
4) Just to be clear, being a professional photographer is very hard. Just about the only thing I enjoy in life is photography, but I'd never go professional(I'd never quit my job to pursue just photography).
Study being self-employed and running a business if this is your wish, because it is a business, and running it well as a business is more important than the quality of your photos. Much more important!
Photography College is only of help if it actually makes your photos better, because people are only paying you for your photos, not for you having a degree in anything.
I recommend you goto college, but major in a field that will allow you to have a good 9-5 non-photography day-job. This will get you the money you need to pursue your dream of being a landscape photographer. Even if you make enough money to break even on your photograpy equipment(unlikely), it's even more unlikely you can make a living at it, but if you can, it will still be years before you do, so that day-job will be what keeps you going until you get there.
I think it sucks too, but anytime people want to make a living doing what others do for fun, they should have a day-job to have money to live off of until they are stupendously good enough to make a living doing their fun thing.
