Photo careers in the 21st century?

[BradS]

Is photography a viable career path today?

if so, in what areas of specialization?

It appears that weddings, advertising and glamour are still viable areas for example.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Support a hobby or have a tax write off for the IRS?

 

[AgX]

Some fields have not existed (over here) decades ago. As wedding photography in the meaning of covering the whole wedding and not just some portraits in the studio or at the town hall or church.
Also portrait photography was more formalized in the past. Now there even is such as glamour or nude photography.
Real estate was much less developed in the past, now even added by homestaging.

Still the majority of older photographers, once very successful in advertising/editorial, I meet, speak of financial problems, or even stating to be happy to have left the photographic field for good.
I have not yet met young photographers whining.

 

[blockend]

If I wanted to make a living from photography now, I'd to diversify into videography.

 

[BradS]

Some fields have not existed (over here) decades ago. As wedding photography in the meaning of covering the whole wedding and not just some portraits in the studio or at the town hall or church.
Also portrait photography was more formalized in the past. Now there even is such as glamour or nude photography.
Real estate was much less developed in the past, now even added by homestaging.

Still the majority of older photographers, once very successful in advertising/editorial, I meet, speak of financial problems, or even stating to be happy to have left the photographic field for good.
I have not yet met young photographers whining.

Where exactly is, over here?

I’m not sure I understand. Are you saying that people do not hire a professional to photograph their wedding? Or perhaps, so few people get married that, wedding photographer is not a viable career/ business?

Anyway, I’m interested in what is viable not in what is not viable.

looking for examples that contradict the hypothesis that photography is not a viable career option.

 

[mshchem]

Being a photographer isn't enough. People need to be charismatic sellers, entertaining, good looking etc. It's not enough to be a technical and creative wizard, it's a business. Like everything else you start making real money, when you can hire people, who can make you money.

 

[BradS]

Being a photographer isn't enough. People need to be charismatic sellers, entertaining, good looking etc. It's not enough to be a technical and creative wizard, it's a business. Like everything else you start making real money, when you can hire people, who can make you money.

Yes, obviously.

that has always been the case.

 

[MattKing]

good looking etc.

I don't know, at least some of the successful photographers I have known haven't been good looking at all!

 

[George Mann]

If your photos are good enough to hang on someone's wall, you can sell them.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I don't know, at least some of the successful photographers I have known haven't been good looking at all!

Well gee, thank you very much, Matt. That really hurt...

 

[MattKing]

Well gee, thank you very much, Matt. That really hurt...

Kind of sensitive there Andrew.
I don't know whether I should say this, but I wasn't thinking of you when the subject came up!

 

[MattKing]

If your photos are good enough to hang on someone's wall, you can sell them.

Or nowadays, unfortunately, if they are good enough to spend more than a moment on someone's screen .

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Kind of sensitive there Andrew.
I don't know whether I should say this, but I wasn't thinking of you when the subject came up!

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Looking at what is widely considered these days a "good or great photograph" it's tough to imagine competing with it. HDR has taken over the world of "successful" photography, shiny crap is the game to own or else.

When I see so-called TOP fashion photographers, at least one of them being Polish, I cringe, my brain swells, I see smoke escaping through my ears. How has the World ever made it t to this stage of visual "appreciation". The successful garbage is what it is and to be successful, one needs to compete with it. Sadly some great photographs, and photographers along with them, are drowned by the fake sameness.

I don't doubt there are still those who managed to break through the standardized wisdom of visual evaluation, make a name for themselves, and found a way to make a living. There is some interest in film based weddings, although that is just a bleep rather than a viable business option in a sustainable way (shooting the rich aside).

All in all, it never hurts to try, but I feel most who want to enter photography as a business, need to be either true believers in what sells, or lower own aesthetic values in order to make it.

In all of above I am not referring to those who don't know the difference, are mediocre in every way, and somehow make money in photography.

 

[AgX]

Where exactly is, over here?

I’m not sure I understand. Are you saying that people do not hire a professional to photograph their wedding? Or perhaps, so few people get married that, wedding photographer is not a viable career/ business?

-) over here at my location: Germany

-) in the past as I indicated a couple either went at their wedding day in their costumes to a portrait photographer's studio, or the photographer made some photos after the ceremony at the town hall or the church.
Today for many couples their wedding became a great event with much more guests than in the past, with more money involved by magnitude and up to a photographer taking photoas the whole day.

 

[AgX]

There is some interest in film based weddings,...

First time I hear of such.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

First time I hear of such.

There is, it actually never went away completely, but it is not a market to make money on, unless a rich snob wants to pay a premium. Usually it is just an add on for standard "digitized" memories.

 

[juan]

I know a couple of photographers who made a living shooting weddings, family photos, and what I would call active children photos with Speed Graphics. Their customers liked the “old” look.

I’m experimenting with volume sales through an online print on demand company. Like many things, it requires more work on marketing than actual photography. But at least I don’t have to deal with brides and their mothers.

 

[Helge]

Branding and self marketing of your person as a photographer is far, far more important than the actual quality of the product you supply.
Slightly above average product will sell like hotcakes with the right kind of sales pitch and aura.

That’s the bad news for anyone who has honed their skill and is hopeful, but who has the charisma of Chuck Norris and is a terrible dresser.

The good news is that with above average intelligence and natural aesthetic instinct and good sense of timing, you can forge ahead quite quickly.
Dublicating others success template will only take you so far, and there only with luck too.

Doing what few saw coming in a way no one thought of, is what will bring you success.

Also learning to be economical with your time and resources is paramount.

Having a large buffer of time and money to ride on is also not an option. Desperation has a way of projecting in ways you are not aware of.

 

[foc]

The only photography I know of,( I am retired from this field) where money can be made is wedding & portrait. BUT you need to know your market and clientele very well.
This can vary from country to country, continent to continent. As in all businesses you have to give what the customer wants. Sometimes they don't know what they want, so you guide them along.

For example wedding photography is 79% logistics, 20% stroking egos, and 1% photographic knowledge. Customers buying wedding photography aren't buying an album or frames print, they are buying captured emotions and memories.
Do it to the customer's satisfaction and you will be rewarded financially.
Do it and exceed the customer's expectations and you will be handsomely rewarded.

You will hear a lot of negativity from some photographers about covering weddings. In my opinion, they weren't cut out for it so they bitch about it instead. Ii doesn't suit everyone and is not as easy as it seems.

The only other photographic field I know a little about is photojournalism/newspaper photography. In my opinion, there is little or no financial reward here. The camera phone is ubiquitous and so is there for every news story, be it print media, online or TV.

If I wanted to make a living from photography now, I'd to diversify into videography.

How very true, this is where most of the future lies, IMO.

 

[BradS]

-) over here at my location: Germany

-) in the past as I indicated a couple either went at their wedding day in their costumes to a portrait photographer's studio, or the photographer made some photos after the ceremony at the town hall or the church.
Today for many couples their wedding became a great event with much more guests than in the past, with more money involved by magnitude and up to a photographer taking photoas the whole day.

ah, yes...I understand. Thank you for the clarification. It is the same here...except that the time scale is probably quite different.

 

[Luckless]

My experience in dealing with professional photographers running successful businesses, and exceptionally skilled hobby photographers who try to sell a bit as a side business:

There is no real viable career in photography.


There are excellent careers in marketing and networking supported by photographic arts, but photography on its own is a road to a very thin wallet.

If the idea of talking with people, managing projects, and collaborating on projects interests you, and you have some skill with a camera, then a photo-related career may be for you.

If you dread talking to people, dealing with accounts and paperwork, and other non-photography related tasks, then you're probably not going to have a great time trying to make a go of things with a photo career.

 

[BradS]

The only photography I know of,( I am retired from this field) where money can be made is wedding & portrait. BUT you need to know your market and clientele very well.
This can vary from country to country, continent to continent. As in all businesses you have to give what the customer wants. Sometimes they don't know what they want, so you guide them along.

For example wedding photography is 79% logistics, 20% stroking egos, and 1% photographic knowledge. Customers buying wedding photography aren't buying an album or frames print, they are buying captured emotions and memories.
Do it to the customer's satisfaction and you will be rewarded financially.
Do it and exceed the customer's expectations and you will be handsomely rewarded.

You will hear a lot of negativity from some photographers about covering weddings. In my opinion, they weren't cut out for it so they bitch about it instead. Ii doesn't suit everyone and is not as easy as it seems.

The only other photographic field I know a little about is photojournalism/newspaper photography. In my opinion, there is little or no financial reward here. The camera phone is ubiquitous and so is there for every news story, be it print media, online or TV.

I’ve assisted several wedding photographers so have some familiarity with that business (but it was 15~20 years ago now). I, obviously, only saw what went on the day of and occasionally during preparations and planning so, I'm not going to pretend that I know the business. I'd guess that all of the wedding photographers that I've assisted were fairly successful. My observations are something like this: It is very definitely all about interacting with people, communication and planning. There were even times when the assistant was called upon to "please, go talk to the mother of the bride". I would not discount the photographic skill of any of the photographers I've assisted though. On the contrary, it seems that they were all so exceptionally good at the technical and artistic parts of the job that one could be deceived into believing that those aspects were instinctive. They knew their gear, they knew lighting, they knew composition and they knew these things so well that it might have appeared that they were not even thinking about it. I'll also observe to that they all had grit, worked hard and hustled. I never saw any of them loose their self control...well, not in front of a customer anyway. I cannot remember ny of them ever complaining about the business either. They all seemed to absolutely love the work. I do remember at least one who struggled to make the transition to digital imaging but he eventually made it.

I'm glad you mentioned photojournalism. It is one of the professions that seems to have evaporated - which really is a shame. Thanks for your post.

 

[BradS]

I know a couple of photographers who made a living shooting weddings, family photos, and what I would call active children photos with Speed Graphics. Their customers liked the “old” look.

I’m experimenting with volume sales through an online print on demand company. Like many things, it requires more work on marketing than actual photography. But at least I don’t have to deal with brides and their mothers.

Interesting. I know one wedding photographer who also decided to specialize in doing only traditional B&W film photos for weddings and formal studio portraits. I've not kept in touch with her but she survived and seemed to be thriving well after the business went digital. She didn't get as many weddings but charged at least 3x to 5x what others were charging. She said once that every job was word of mouth referral. She also did not do any of her own lab work. It was all sent out...The lab she used closed years ago. The printer she used may be still in business but if he is only barely...he got a real estate license and has been hustling real estate pretty much full time sine about 2009.

 

[btaylor]

Is commercial photography dead? Product, PR, advertising- I mean someone is doing it, right? My son and I both run small businesses and hire pros mainly for PR/advertising purposes. I like to think I am good enough to do my own work but frankly that area is not where my interests lie, nor do I have the time. In about 5 hours we had a dozen portraits, group shots and environmental shots all perfectly lit, great expressions and compositions. Photographer and one assistant, found them through an internet freelancer source. Bids ran from 1200 to $1500.
I don’t really know the landscape but someone has to making all those commercial images I am bombarded with every waking hour. Hopefully they are getting paid!