getting into professional photography

hellbike

So... i'm looking for ways to get into professional photography.
To get experience, or even to get some money.

I hope that someone could provide me with ideas:}

For now i contacted all weddings photograhers in my area, declaring my will to work for free, just to get experience.

I'm not very experienced. In fact, i own dslr for not even a year, and my photography interest boomed about 5 months ago.
However, i feel serious about photography, and since this is what i want to do with my life - i don't see reason to wait.

I'm not looking for instant way into world of full time photographers, this won't concern me until i decide my photographs are good enough.
I just want to get some experience, maybe earn some money.

Right now i got just pentax with 18-55 kit, but i'm going to upgrade to d7000 + 85mm 1.8 + 12-22 4.0 + flash whenever possible.

http://500px.com/hellbike - there are some of my pictures, but this is old stuff, recently i didn't had too much time to post-process/upload my photos, as i was too busy taking pictures :}

btw, i live in UK.

Mark Dickinson

You might be hard upto find photographers that will let you. If you do watch for non compete. What makes a professional is not how you shoot but how you handle yourself and that continued existence in the field rather than a hit and run wow I made 5k extra this year and ditch it. Be yourself and you will find people will find you if you are let people love your work you already do and you will see the trail follow behind it. But you might be better off trying to determine what type of photography you want to go towards.

FedererPhoto

Have you thought about offering the other photographers in your area money?

You would pay at a college for education... why would you expect someone would educate you (as a future competitor) for free?

Just an idea.

(personally, I don't see new people as competition... but I DO charge for 'tagging along' or mentorships. Not because I fear them, but because it's extra work for me...)

deb22

If this is something you want to do GO FOR IT!! Read as much as possible but practice, practice it will be the only way for you to learn all the things you need. Hang out at the justice of the peace [city hall] and offer to take photo's of newlyweds free of charge and offer them 1 8x10. You will learn and no arguments from the couples [free is free][some may even want to purchase if your work is good]. This would be like free advertising for the future [all these people have friends] and you could even get future contact when the kids come along. As you get better and your confidence grows then charge for full weddings etc. Don't worry to much about being "new" everyone was new at some point, some people have it right from the get go others don't. Good luck to you.

SamirD

What's your end goal with being a professional photographer? What genre do you want to be in? Do you have the talent?

These are some very important questions to answer before you dive into it hardcore. Or you'll be another starving artist out there.

johng

You contacted all the wedding photographers in your area? How did you do that? Send them an email? If so, they're in the trash bin.

I'm going to suggest a couple things:

First - no professional is going to want to teach you the basics of photography. You're going to have to be proficient taking portrait style photographs with experience using flash. You need to be comfortable using your camera with manual exposures and understandings of a lot of the technical aspects. Then, put together a portfolio book of 8x10 photos - about 12-20 shots - again this needs to be portrait type work. They don't need an assistant that shoots bugs or landscapes. You and your portfolio needs to demonstrate you understand the basics. If you don't, you're more hindrance than help. If you understand the basics they can help you learn lighting & posing techniques and how to run a shoot. But also pay attention to business aspects. You also should take business classes. More than likely any attempt at running your own business will fail due to poor business skills rather than poor photographic skills.

I'm going to suggest that as an assistant you are more likely to find an unpaid internship for a studio photogrpaher (whether or not they do weddings as well). You just don't have the experience for a wedding photographer second shooter.

r3t1awr3yd

Step 1) Do this (all of it): http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

Step 2) Do this too (all of it): http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/06/lighting-102-introduction.html

Step 3) Eh, by step three, you'll have figured it out

zoomer

Yeah no working photographer wants to make his job even more difficult. If you can't convince them that you are bringing something to the party then your mails are probably deleted. You are not the only person contacting them in this way.