Needing advice!

<p>Hey guys. I am new to this site. I have another forum that i have tried but they havent been much help at all. Looking around on this site, It looks like you guys are interested in actually helping others! I have always had a passion for photography! I just bought a Nikon DSLR 3400. I am figuring out the settings pretty quickly! Since i need to practice (and this is something i would like to make my career one day) I set up some photoshoots for Valentines day with some friends. My question is... should i set up a facebook page now and get my name out there, or should i wait until i have a porfolio? Thanks in advance guys and im really excited to hear all of your advice! Also, Where can i find a good editing software? What would you guys suggest ?</p>

<p>Since you're just starting out, I would put the portfolio together first and then go public. As for editing software, Lightroom and Photoshop CC are the professional standards, although there are others. You might start out with Photoshop Elements which is Adobe's amateur version of Photoshop CC, but is very capable and can do most of the things that most photographers need. Good luck!</p>

<p>Thank you so much! Also something I forgot to ask. When do I have to worry about putting a copyright in my pictures and how would I go about doing so? I honestly do not think it will take me long( not being cocky) Like i said i just have a Passion for taking pictures and have always been pretty good. But also asking for advice and critique is always welcomed by me. I understand that there is alot more to it then just taking a pretty picture!</p>

<p>On the D3200, and probably the D3400 as well, there is no specific copyright space in the EXIF, but there is a line for information, into which you can put your name and a "©." Look in the Setup menu for "Image Comment." </p>

<p>I definitely agree with Andrew: wait until you have a portfolio that is of above average quality. I'm quite brutal so you can run a few past me if you like via email. I will be ruthless but not personal. Some of your friends might be just as critical but a bit less brutal, so you might want to ask them instead. ;-)</p>

<p>As far as editing software is concerned, I mainly use DxO Optics Pro, one of several RAW converters. Sometimes I use Capture One. DxO occasionally gives away previous versions of its software. Otherwise, you can get their latest version, fully featured, under a 30-day trial.</p>

<p>I can't tell you much about compositing software such as Photoshop or whatever. Don't worry too much about that sort of thing for now. Concentrate on the photographs - try and get it right in-camera. Exposure and white balance are essential things to understand.<br /><br /><br /> As far as making it your career, you can get there. Just be patient. Don't waste time and money on a photography degree. Use your time and money improving your photography instead. Travel, experiment, have fun, and learn as much as you can. Try and look up some old photo magazines online. Sometimes, the classical perspectives can teach you things that you might not expect.</p>

<p>Watermarks - if that is what you are asking - can be added in many ways. I use an app called PhotoScape X (free version, available on the Mac App Store). I just use it for image combining (collages) but it can do a lot. The pro version even more.</p>

<p>All IMHO. And best of all, my opinions are free. :-)</p>

<p>Thank you Karim! Ive been taking pictures as a passion for, forever and i just got the means to buy an actual(good) camera. So why not do what i love for a career. Thank you for all of the tips guys! Im sure ill get pretty annoying to you with all the questions! I just want to make sure I learn everything there is to learn! </p>

<p>I'll jump in on the career part of the question. Obviously the creativity, timeliness, quality of output and technical knowledge of the tools and how to use them is important. But a good head for business and marketing is an asset which shouldn't be overlooked. The more you know about business the better you can manage and direct your love into a full time career instead of just a hobby.</p>

<p>Stephen, So you suggest I should take business classes? I am in the process of applying for college. I have already applied but im in the final application process. All i need to do now is figure out what i want to actually go for. what classes would i take? Is there a specific class i would take for business in photography, or would it just be a normal business class?</p>

<p>If you think that photography is going to be your career, Stephen's advice about taking business classes is excellent. Basic business principles are going to be similar for any type of business, and it is important to be realistic about what your real costs are as well as legal and accounting issues that can blindside you if you're not familiar with them. Photography, like most small businesses, is hard work most of the time. If you can, you should also explore internships or employment with a photographer whose work you admire. That would be a great way to link the principles you will learn in business classes with the specifics of photography.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"I am in the process of applying for college. . . Is there a specific class i would take for business in photography, or would it just be a normal business class?"</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>What Subjects that are on offer at your College, is dependent upon what that particular college offers - I expect that no one here would have specific knowledge of their curricula. I expect that by "college" you are in the USA and preparing to begin an undergraduate degree. I think that much will depend upon what other Subjects you take - and what is the content of those particular Subjects: I think you need to look carefully at the Course's and then the individual Subject's CONTENT. Perhaps there is a support network at the College to advise new Students.</p>

<p>My experience was (at 18) when I left High School and began Technical College, training as a Photographer, the Photography Course contained two or three weeks of "small business skills": basic accounting practice; bank practice; budgeting and cost projection; basic tax law and the like. These topics were very much <strong>practically directed</strong>, much about <strong>"how to"</strong> and very light on the theory of Commerce and Economics - we were given practical scenarios to work through as if in real-life and own own fledgling business. This three weeks was common to most of the "trade courses" that were provided at the time - so we got the same "small business skills" three weeks as did a plumber, motor mechanic and etc... </p>

<p>Those three weeks and also having studied Commerce at High School, (which contained both general Commerce theory and practical Book-keeping) were the most useful courses for me, when I started my first business.</p>

<p>I think any "business course" will be useful to you, but the most useful will be one that is slanted to the practical and nuts and bolts of planning and running a (any) small business: one that contains an overview of tax, insurance and legal considerations; budget projection; costing; marketing and basic book-keeping principles.</p>

<p>What has happened where I live, is that "Photography" has majorly taken on a "degree" status and Students who have matriculated (aka 'graduated') from High School, enroll in a University undergraduate degree course such as "Bachelor of Fine Arts, Majoring in Photography and Digital Media" or "Bachelor of Applied Media Arts, (Photog.)". These media undergraduate degree courses are scant on business studies within their own faculty and whilst Students may be able to take a Subject from the Faculty of Business, even the basic 1st Year Subjects in the Faculty of Business have little practical and applied content which directly addresses the question <em>"How do I plan, start and run my small business?"</em> </p>

<p>What I suggest to High School Leavers here, if they have a passion to start up a small business, is to seek out education facilities which specialize in exactly that. Here we have several Private and also Government facilities which offer such courses and typically those courses run from 8 to 24 weeks, part time; some accredit the successful Student with a nationally recognized Diploma, which is nice, but not really useful if you own the business which employs you. I would be fairly certain that such courses are available to you, that is, if your College does not offer a basic subject/semester/short course which addresses the question: <em>"How do I plan, set up and operate my small business?</em><br>

<em><br /></em>WW</p>

<p>Well, you've been given some excellent advice, and I would closely heed it if I were in your shoes.</p>

<p>With regard to photo editing software, I find that, if you're shooting in RAW mode (and trust me, you want to be shooting in RAW mode), Photoshops raw converter is the best I've ever come across. So I'm a big fan of Photoshop because of this. I also use Corel's Paintshop Pro, which is very reasonably priced and quite powerful. I use it mostly because I started out using it some 20 years ago for editing photos, and I've just stuck with it. I find it easier to use than Photoshop, almost as powerful, and that it even offers some very useful routines that Photoshop does not have.</p>

<p>As a practical matter, however, I think you need to pay close attention to your own skill set. What area of photography are you best at? Portraiture? Street photography? Outdoor and scenic subjects? Sports? Photojournalism? You should decide which area is your specialty, and then take it upon yourself to be the best there is in that field. So what if you may not become the "best there is," but by working diligently toward that goal, you will definitely have become one of the best. So good luck and now get busy!</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Totally amateur response based on no particular experience, but I would think that, if you want to make a career out of the very competitive business of photography, then you would want a good education in marketing. I see small businesses fail around here all the time, and one thing they generally have in common is that I've rarely if ever seen them advertise. With all of the folks taking pictures these days, photography cannot be an easy field to earn a living in (I don't think it ever was), but it is going to be nearly impossible if no one knows who you are or what you do. If you're interested in doing it as 'Fine Art,' then you probably need to make people think you're a bit unstable ;). Best of luck to you.</p>

<p><a href="/photodb/user?user_id=5236034">Michael</a> . I have joined multiple fourms and this is by far my favorite. You guys actually care about helping others and seem to enjoy it. I have spent alot of time since i joined reading all the comments and researching everything. Its really helping me with pretty much everything. I am also talking back and forth with my advisor. She thinks i should do a visual arts program. Im just not sure yet because alot of people have told me not to waste my time on classes like that because that is something that i will eventually figure out on my own with lots of practice. They are telling me that i should go for a business degree. So right now im just trying to figure out the right path for me. I am interested in portrait photography. There is ALOT out there that i need to learn to make this more than a hobby, and im starting to get really excited.</p>

<p>Kaylee - I'm an engineer, but I work at a design company. The people at my company, who do photography, do it as a part of a larger career. They're all graduates of Art or Design schools (Parsons, Art Institute, Mass Art and RISD keep coming up), sometimes with a Masters' in something else. Photography is always a part of the curriculum, but there is much more.<br /> I would suggest that you keep enjoying photography, but you'll most likely find it very difficult to make a living as a photographer. Look into a broader field, like Graphic Design, Architecture or Product Design. Photography will be a part of it, for sure, but you'll have a wider range of expertise and thus be much more marketable.<br /> As to taking a course, I have a couple of friends who are very talented photographers (much more so than I) who have taken several night courses here in Boston. They are doing quite well building their portfolios, one guy even sold a photo to the news media, but all of them have "day jobs" which don't involve photography.</p>

<p>For editing, I like Lightroom. The book "Light: Science and Magic" is very useful in understanding how to get good lighting on your pictures, and some Googling will get you numerous pages with information on how bets to light portraits.</p>

<p>Who is your "advisor"? Is she a professional (e.g. a teacher) does she have a relationship with the college and an understanding of your needs, skills and the college courses? If so then she probably is in a good position to assess the situation.</p>

<p>Similar to Peter's comments - many people who have been Photographers for a long time or trained specifically in Photography a while ago, have diversified their skills set and also their jobs. It is not many who make a living from pure 'photography' only.</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Nothing wrong with visual arts or fine arts programs. Just don't waste your time with photography courses. A business degree does have weight and practicality, and is looked upon favourably by a variety of employers.</p>

<p>There are lots of worthwhile workshops that one can do. They usually last a day or a weekend and are focused on on thing, such as portraiture, better use of flash, landscape, the zone system, etc.</p>

<p>I definitely agree with Andrew: wait until you have a portfolio that is of above average quality. I'm quite brutal so you can run a few past me if you like via email. I will be ruthless but not personal. Some of your friends might be just as critical but a bit less brutal, so you might want to ask them instead. ;-)</p>

<p>As far as editing software is concerned, I mainly use DxO Optics Pro, one of several RAW converters. Sometimes I use Capture One. DxO occasionally gives away previous versions of its software. Otherwise, you can get their latest version, fully featured, under a 30-day trial.</p>

<p>I can't tell you much about compositing software such as Photoshop or whatever. Don't worry too much about that sort of thing for now. Concentrate on the photographs - try and get it right in-camera. Exposure and white balance are essential things to understand.<br /><br /><br /> As far as making it your career, you can get there. Just be patient. Don't waste time and money on a photography degree. Use your time and money improving your photography instead. Travel, experiment, have fun, and learn as much as you can. Try and look up some old photo magazines online. Sometimes, the classical perspectives can teach you things that you might not expect.</p>

<p>Watermarks - if that is what you are asking - can be added in many ways. I use an app called PhotoScape X (free version, available on the Mac App Store). I just use it for image combining (collages) but it can do a lot. The pro version even more.</p>

<p>All IMHO. And best of all, my opinions are free. :)</p>

 

 

 

 

is there a way on here i can send some to just you? Still trying to figure out this forum

Kaylee, you are right that there are many here who will offer you their help. This has generally been the spirit here at P.net 'forever', to quote you. My suggestion to you is to really search the archives here for answers and you will be rewarded with more advice on this topic than you will believe. Every few months a new member here asks exactly the same questions and the best responses might already be recorded here by other members who might have missed your question this time around. Many of us here have made photography our careers for decades and the wealth of information here is probably not equalled anywhere online. Good Luck with your venture and my advice is to 'walk before you run'. As mentioned here already, get a job working with an established professional as a second shooter (for free if need be), take business and marketing courses and get some good insurance protection.

A few thoughts

 

1 - Are you SURE you want to make your hobby (photography) into your career? For some people, turning a hobby into a business, destroys the fun of the hobby. That is why I did not go into photography as a business.

<BR>2 - As for your portfolio, get it GOOD before you put it up. If people don't like your work, they won't come back, so get it good before you put it up. Remember, everyone has a camera in their phone, so you have to be that much better, so that they have a reason to hire you. Your portfolio should relate to your marketing plan.

<BR>3 - I second the recommendation to find courses in small business management; accounting/bookkeeping, taxes, insurance, business law, etc, etc. Or a composite class of business management for the small business. I've seen some of these composite courses before, look for them. You don't have to do it all yourself, but you need to understand the problem, so that when you talk with your bookkeeper, insurance agent, lawyer, etc, you understand them.

<BR>4 - There is an old guideline, that a new business will loose money for the fist 3 to 5 years. So you need to have enough money set aside to pay the rent and buy food during that startup period. And once you start making a profit, you are recovering the losses of the first few years. So you have to be prepared for a long haul. There are ways to shorten this period, like working out of your home rather than paying $$$$ rent for a studio.

<BR>5 - I second the recommendation to REALLY work on marketing and a marketing plan. If people don't know you are there, they won't contact you. Marketing also means you have to think about a target audience, and direct your marketing effort towards them. I've seen several people fail, because they got too wrapped up in the business to look for and cultivate new customers/clients. You always need new customer/clients to keep your business pipe full, or the customer pipe will dry up and you will go under.

<BR>6 - Look up making a business plan. If you make a proper business plan, if will force you to think about many of the things you need to address.

<BR>6a - Be REALISTIC when you work on your business plan. Think and work the numbers for: optimistic, most likely and pessimistic. The important numbers will be most likely and pessimistic.

<BR>7 - Do your homework first. The stats are that most small business FAIL. The better you do your homework and prepare yourself, the better you make your chance of success.<BR><BR>

 

gud luk

Edited February 13, 2017 by James G. Dainis