How many hours every day you devote to photography?

darkosaric · Jul 31, 2015

I was thinking about this for some time: I know couple of pros, and many amateurs.

One pro is working 10-12 hours a day (including weekends) - but in promoting and selling his already created body of work, and he makes good money. Shoot one film per month, sometimes not even one.
Other pro is working also like crazy - but shoots like 50 films per month, and also promote and sell stuff, then from profit goes on a trip and make new project, then again sell, looking for a sponsors... true workhorse.
Amateurs that I know spend much time photographing, thinking, reading, discussing on forums , post editing on computer ... but almost no time in self promoting and selling (or trying to sell) - even if they say that they would like to sell stuff.

I am curious - how much time you spend every day for photography: and what are you doing beside taking photos and developing the films and prints?

Thanks!

Trail Images · Jul 31, 2015

I am curious - how much time you spend every day for photography: and what are you doing beside taking photos and developing the films and prints?

I would think I average about 5 to 6 hours a day. Mostly on line, but a full day in the field each week as I'm retired now. I'm active on 5 web sites and sell through 2. My self promotion in my later years is nil. Basically, if a sale happens it just happens a bit automatic on the sites. I do not pursue sales beyond adding to the sell sites a few of the better images taken each month. I do usually post images for a bit of review by others to help fine tune before mounting on sale sites. That too takes time in the overall process. I do not do dark room work at all. That to me is an art in itself I do not have time for any longer.

ToddB · Jul 31, 2015

I work as a photographer for the Feds at a Air Force base. 8 hours day 40 HR week. Plus my film shooting on weekends. I would say it's an addiction.

Todd

Nodda Duma · Jul 31, 2015

Can I count my lens design hours? About 12-15 hrs a weekday. None on the weekends

pentaxuser · Jul 31, 2015

darkosaric said:
I was thinking about this for some time: I know couple of pros, and many amateurs.

One pro is working 10-12 hours a day (including weekends) - but in promoting and selling his already created body of work, and he makes good money. Shoot one film per month, sometimes not even one.

So that pro can make a good living shooting only 1 film(36 frames max or less if 120 film ) but stemming from his one film he needs to work 30/31 x10 hours per month

It would be interesting to know what good money is defined as and wonder how he divides his time between shooting, darkroom, promoting and selling.

pentaxuser

Ko.Fe. · Jul 31, 2015

If nothing special goes on:
Ten hours per week on photography at least per week.
Plus, about twenty hours on Internet per week to find answers, check photos and spend sometime on threads like this.

Sirius Glass · Jul 31, 2015

Duplicate

Sirius Glass · Jul 31, 2015

Ko.Fe. said:
If nothing special goes on:
Ten hours per week on photography at least per week.
Plus, about twenty hours on Internet per week to find answers, check photos and spend sometime on threads like this.

About the same.

RalphLambrecht · Jul 31, 2015

24/7 and doing nothing but;still loving it

Pioneer · Jul 31, 2015

I spend too much time forum cruising. If I could break that addiction and spend that time printing I would certainly be better served.

Hmmm...

Sirius Glass · Jul 31, 2015

RalphLambrecht said:
24/7 and doing nothing but;still loving it

I timeshare with other interests and hobbies. Oh yes, eating, breathing, living and sleeping.

David Brown · Jul 31, 2015

0-12. Depends ...

Jeff Bradford · Aug 1, 2015

On average, about four hours per day.

removed account4 · Aug 1, 2015

it depends on the day

pdeeh · Aug 7, 2015

pentaxuser said:
darkosaric said:

It would be interesting to know what good money is defined as and wonder how he divides his time between shooting, darkroom, promoting and selling.

Click to expand...

Or how he fits in wife/husband/gf/bf/family/shopping/eating/friendships/ ...

marciofs · Sep 17, 2015

If I didn't had to work elsewhere to pay the bills it would be 24/7.

I gave up spending much time promoting myself after spending one year hard on it with no return. I just do the basic blogging and social media stuff.

darkosaric · Sep 17, 2015

Promoting is hard - results are not visible as good print , and sometime it is also about getting lucky, not just hard work.

hudson · Sep 25, 2015

Personal experience (not with photography, though) is when you start to promote you stop working on your product. So maybe it is good to make sure you have a very nice product first before trying to promote. For myself, at least, I'm either doing one or the other, but not both at the same time. And, if I start promoting too early without having a finished product, I think that leads to trouble!

How many hours every day you devote to photography?

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