Advice - how did/would you do it?

[melody1]

Alright, I feel I'm in a bit of a conundrum.

I'm passionate about photography, loved shooting the (first and only) wedding

I was about to shoot as a second shooter. I'm studying fine art photo at an art

college in Washington D.C. I want to have as much experience shooting

weddings as possible by the time I graduate (another three years).

My conundrum? I'm a full time student and part time waitress. I'm in school all

day four days a week, and I work the other three days to pay the bills. All

assistant/second shooter offers I've recieved have been for less money/hour

than I can make at my restaurant (averages 35/hour). So here I am at the

crossroads. Taking off at work is hard, and we have set schedules (me, Wed,

Sat, Sun).

I'm growing leaps and bounds in school (it's a new world to me, and a huge

change from the three years of majoring in chemistry at a small state

university in the middle of nowhere), and I feel like the experience would be

extremely useful shooting weddings.

So, I ask for your advice. Keep making the money for now and worry about

experience a little later down the line, or try to fit some experince in and take a

blow to the wallet...

Thanks ahead of time for your help.

 

Oh. And if you would like to see that one wedding I shot: http://

www.photo.net/photos/melodysmall

They're quite dark - edited on a laptop screen that I can't seem to calibrate

(cringe) so viewing them on anything else, they're too dark, and the colors are

off.

[jon_austin]

Melody:

 

Where there's a will, there's a way. If you want it badly enough, you'll figure out how to get there!

 

Have you considered looking for a another job with different / more flexible hours, that will meet your financial needs and still allow you to engage in the photography?

 

When I was in college, my first job was 40 hours a week, 11pm-7am, Sunday-Thursday, as a night auditor for a hotel. (And I was taking a full course load.) The pay wasn't great, but after taking care of the late check-ins and doing the daily books, I had a good four-five hours each night to study and/or doze on the lobby sofa. After doing this for a couple of semesters, I eventually found another job that was afternoons/evenings, part-time, with flexible hours and better pay, so I could make more money working fewer hours (about 25/week), schedule my work hours around classes and other activities, and sleep at night like "normal people."

 

Good luck!

[david_schilling___chicago_]

You've got three years at a state college and you need another three for your photography degree??? Hmmmmmm....

 

Welcome to adulthood, lots of decisions, lots of trade-offs....what are your vocational goals? Are you looking to become a full-time photo pro or are you thinking of something in the graphics-design or publishing world? Real world experience is important. Academics can give you alot of the basics but can also prepare you to learn how to learn, which applies to whatever you do.

 

I remember your wedding images, very nice, & there is likely a bright future for you ahead.

[conraderb]

melody - seems to me that your waitressing job is going to pay better than photography will unless you start to shoot as a second well, and do it consistently enough for someone to pay you. it's a tradeoff, right? when i was in school, I always needed money, and despite my love of photography, I would have taken $35/hour for busting my butt being a waiter compared with shooting weddings (and even right now, with everything that I do to shoot a wedding, I'm not making $35/hour).

 

if you have a good eye, it will probably still be there if you only shoot every three or four months, right? just a thought. I would say to wait until you graduate. don't kill the hobby too early...

[rich_dutchman1]

Melody -- Your Corcoran education alone will convince brides to book you. Degrees mean a lot to people in this overeducated town.

 

Your first wedding examples looked pretty solid. I had an assistant in a similar situation who advertised on Craigslist as a student shooter, got loads of work, and plenty of satisfied clients. She's constantly growing, and I'm really impressed how far she has come. Show them what you have, be honest, and you might find a way around your situation.

 

I need a paid asssistant for a November wedding, so e-mail me if you're interested.

[pete w]

Melody

 

I had a young lady in the same situation as you who wanted to work with us but couldn't

afford the time from work.

I suggested to her to find a friend with a wedding dress and play dress up to give her

practice. She did this indoors and out whenever possible and within 3 month's was

producing some very good images.

 

I then hired her to help on a shoot when she could make it and she did a wonderful job

and was confident.

Hope this might help you and remember shoot on the best and worst days in terms of

weather and light as you will for sure when doing weddings for real.

 

Take Care, Pete

[Jerry_]

Does your school have a campus newspaper? Or a yearbook staff? You might try getting a photographer spot on either (or both) and see if that gives you a chance to use the school's equipment (darkroom, computer, camera, expense account.) If the school has such a opportunity, you may even have time to shoot a wedding or two over the three years remaining on your work towards a degree.

 

 

 

...but I can only guess the D.C. area would garner more than $35/hour for covering a wedding.

[blakley]

Melody

 

You're good. You'll get better, faster if you dedicate the time.

 

I think the choice is not between the job and assisting - it's between school and assisting. If you're still learning a lot in school, stay there and keep the job. When you stop learning in school, assist and drop out.

 

If you want to make it in photography of any kind, you do NOT want to stop worrying about how to feed yourself. It's the critical skill. If you can do it while photographing, you'll succeed as a professional. If not, you won't.

[jaimie blue]

I honestly believe you have to give up "everything" for your art and passion. Money is the least sacrifice, you have to do it off the middle road of comfort and safety and go all the way. If you can still pay bills and it is just a cut in pay, then I say do it. Your passion should win over your wallet for your photography work.

[mark_jacoby___raleigh__nc]

Perhaps what you need are several little jobs on Sundays & evenings that would free you up to be a second shooter or an assistant for Sat weddings. My daughter did something like this. She worked as a waitress one meal a day, worked in a hair solon and also worked for a caterer on weekends. 3 little jobs paid the same as one big one.

 

I would never recommend you ditch your studies until you get that degree. Even if your first love is wedding work, a degree might open doors for you in the future.

[klm]

perserverance -- dont give up, do what you gotta do. Cant rush things.

[35mmdelux]

If you love your art you'll have to make a sacrific somewhere - either now or later. Later will be more difficult.

 

If I were you I would not be a second shooter long. I would get my name out there and take on less pricey shoots. Be careful, study your requirements, plan the shoot carefully. Do it.

 

Say $500 for a 5 hour shoot. You should be able to pocket $50 per/hr after expenses.

[hugh_jaramillo]

Melody,

 

Rule number one to be in business is to bring in the cash, if you are doing that with your restaurant job more power to you. As far as your photographic endeavors, you said that you have a three year plan since photography is one of those jobs in which you can actually plan ahead, what you want to do is hook up with a local photography studio or photographer from which you can learn a lot.

 

And plan to be there as either an assistant or second shooter one wedding per month and juggle your other schedule accordingly up until you can get a secure money stream from your photo gigs.

 

As far as your college work, cut down on the photo and design and look into accounting and business courses, 90% of your job will be that if you decide it to do photography for a living.

 

I don't have anything right now but I will keep you in mind, since we are both in the same geographical area. Send an email when you get a chance.

 

Cheers

 

Hugh

[melody1]

Thanks for all of the advice!

[eric merrill]

Melody:

 

If you have to choose between a non-photo job that will allow you to live somewhat comfortably vs. a photo one where you struggle to make ends meet, I'd suggest the non-photo one. You can always take the extra money and use it create photos on your own. You can then be selective about what jobs you take. If you're struggling to make ends meet while your main source of income is photography, it might become less enjoyable and more like a job you dread.

 

 

Eric