habsphoto Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 <p>I thought I’d post about ‘Going Pro" and see what the general feeling was. I get the sense that since everyone has a camera in their pocket it has become much more common for people to consider commercial photography as a career choice.<br /> I’ve been a pro for over 25 years and I get comments like “I wish I could have your job.” All the while I wish I could create photos without a shot list, bride, art director or demanding client and have a day job getting paid every two weeks. I guess we all want what we don’t have. The barriers to becoming a photographer have gotten so low that everyone can take a terrific picture with their phone and at about the same time the public’s standards for what makes an acceptable image have been reduced to an 800 pixel wide over sharpened, oversaturated snapshot on Facebook. <br /> I decided to write a book called <em>DON’T SHOOT | 66 Reasons NOT to become a Professional Photographer</em>, because I remember it not being that easy. That’s not to say that there aren’t some very talented photographers emerging out of the Phone+Photoshop generation. I just felt that people should go into photography as a career with their eyes open ... easy it is not. If anyone here on Photo.net wants to see a review copy of my book just send me a note with your email and I’ll send you a PDF of the review copy. I’d lve your feedback before it goes to print.<br /> Thanks<br /> -Schaf</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve m smith Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 <p>I think the same thing applies to most trades. People in them suggest other people do something else.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsphoto Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 <p>Wow that’s so concise. My father told me not to be a mechanic like him. So true.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vrankin Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 <p>Any worthy profession done well over the long haul requires great sacrifice, and is probably only for the strong of heart. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike dixon Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 If I were considering a career in professional photography, I probably -wouldn't- be interested in a book about NOT doing it. People going into professional photography with unrealistic expectations are likely the ones who are not doing any research (including not reading about it). People who are doing their research are going to be looking for positive, helpful advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnw436 Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 <p>I think there is great value in a book like this. Many people going into a profession are kids in love with an idea, and absolutely no life experience to guide them. They've been given such sage advice as "do something you love" by people who don't depend on doing what they love to make a living. Every vocation seems exciting when a person is fixated on the fun part of it. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald_miller5 Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 <p>That is the difference between pro and amateur in a sense. It is about freedom and control of your life. As a hobby it is something you do when you want to, how you want to and you can invest your time when you want to. As a pro you loose that control. It is more complicated than just that such as what you would want to do as a job and everyone wants to enjoy their work etc but this is a very basic facet.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanKlein Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Pre-HDTV, once people learned I was into electronics, they would ask me to fix their tube-operating TV's. Flickr gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanklein2000/albums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjmurray Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 <p>I started doing some commercial photography in the 80's. I had a portfolio, 4x5 and medium format cameras, and big speedotron lighting kit with softboxes and umbrellas. I found I just didn't like working for art directors and doing other people's ideas. I sold most of the gear, went to grad school in psychology (another interest) and have had a great time just photographing whatever I want to. Wouldn't want it any other way. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim_Lookingbill Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 <blockquote> <p>People going into professional photography with unrealistic expectations are likely the ones who are not doing any research (including not reading about it). People who are doing their research are going to be looking for positive, helpful advice.</p> </blockquote> <p>A book about how a person made mistakes entering any profession and still became a success I would consider helpful information IMO. The more detailed the recounting of those mistakes the more helpful especially if delivered with a bit of tongue in cheek to soften the blow. At least the humor will make all the information more memorable.</p> <p>I wish you all the success on your Kickstarter book project, Steve Schafer.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanKlein Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 <p>Before I went into business decades ago, I read a book written by a guy who ran a service company similar to the one I wanted to start. The thing that I remember still was that he said the most important worry will not be how you accomplish the technical portion. (mine was electronic service but you can apply getting pictures in photography for the trade at hand). </p> <p>He pointed out that the hardest parts would be how to get and keep clients, find and pay for cash flow, salaries and other expenses, bank credit lines, taxes, the government, and how to deal with all the other business aspects of the company. He was right. We were always able to get the technical completed satisfactorily in twenty years. All the hard-ache was in the other areas, all financial and running-the-business related. If you want to be financially successful, you actually have to be more creative in these other areas than photography, electronic service, or whatever field you've chosen. </p> Flickr gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanklein2000/albums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny_rane Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>It has already been said, but yeah.....nothing about this is unique to becoming a photographer.<br> Try:<br> Guitar Player<br> Lawyer<br> Dentist<br> Restaurant OWNER<br> With the advent of digital technology, photography is just one of the latest things we have way more of than we need. If you REALLY want to do it professionally, you can probably find a way. But you might be much happier (and wealthier) joining the Teamsters Union and enjoying cameras as a hobby.<br> best</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsphoto Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>Denny, you’re right about the guitar player and the restaurant owner (and writer, painter, architect) It looks so cool when you see/hear a really epic finished product. Lawyer and dentist I don’t know though. Those look a little daunting and time consuming to learn (unlike camera-pointing), and there’s not a bunch of lawyers and dentists saying they are “self taught” like photographers.<br /> In response to some of the comments on the thread, it’s not a book for everyone. I don’t respond well to “empowerment” and wishful encouragement, so it was inevitable that I would write a funny HOW-NOT-TO book for people who learn like I do. The moral of the book in the end is:<em> If you read all the cautionary tales and downsides about being a photographer and you still MUST be one, then give it a try, GOOD LUCK, but chances are you won’t be a rich superstar.</em> Hopefully I open people’s eyes to some of the things that nobody told me when I opened my studio. And most of the people my age who read it just get a kick out of my bone-head mistakes.<br /> The truth is some weeks I click my stapler more than my Nikon.<br /> <img src="https://66reasons.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/dont_shoot_book-on-kickstarter-800-wide.jpg" alt="" /></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wouter Willemse Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>Steve, I like this cover. Draws attention, simple, clear, a dash of humour to itself. I hope it will help sales; also because the number of posts I've read here "<em>I've been shooting photos for 3 months, my mom loves my photos so I think about going pro</em>" - it sometimes just simply hurt. Not because of the question, but because of the imminent delusion that sits right behind it. Plus the paying customers that may regret playing guinea pig.</p> <p>I'm no pro - nor any desire to become one. A few friends asked me to cover their wedding, and after doing that, I realised I was really happy to have the job I have, and keep photography strictly a hobby. Free to do whatever I feel like doing with a camera. So I'd make a pretty bad proofreader for your book probably ;-) But yeah, it seems too many people feel it's an easy way to make some extra money wihout understanding that good quality images require a touch more effort than getting some DSLR somewhere. And in this sense, it's not equal to many other job-options (though restaurant owner comes close).</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Taylor Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>IMO, I can't see there is any market for this book. It's just too negative. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_rochkind Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>Sounds like excellent advice. On the other hand, as a computer programmer, I can highly recommend that as a profession. ;-)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Smith Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>Got to agree with Ian: not sure why someone would pay good money to be told not to do something. I agree people have ridiculous fantasies about professional photography. I would rephrase/rewrite the book much more positively i.e. "66 ways to become a successful professional photographer" etc.</p> Robin Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim_Lookingbill Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>Negativity does seem to get more attention though. And the bright red book cover assures it. Well designed book.</p> <p>I'ld say for those that can read between the "advertising" lines within the self publish presentation, it indicates an intelligent and experienced person is at the helm and probably has a pretty good yarn to tell about the profession be it a rose garden or not.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Taylor Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>It's a blog post not a book.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsphoto Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>On the last page of the book I write this:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>You remind me of me when I was young and clueless. ... The one thing that most influenced my path as a photographer ... was a face-to face conversation I had with David Lyman of the Maine Photographic Workshops while he was in Ojai around 1987. (I’m sure he has no recollection.) An acquaintance set up a portfolio review for me and I pulled together my best prints and made a few new ones in my garage darkroom. I bought a new 8x10 black-leatherette box at the crafts store and drove to see him, ready. We met and chatted and then we sat down at a folding table, he opened the box and looked at my glossy prints – one at a time – not long, I remember he didn’t critique any of the images or offer tips on how to make them better. He put them back in the box, looked across the table at me and said the one bombshell that I’ll remember forever … </em><br /> <strong><em>“Maybe you should just do photography as a hobby.” </em></strong><br /> <em>David’s advice may have been a sh* tty thing to say to a Gung-ho 18 year old, but it was the kick in the teeth I needed. F that, I thought. </em><br /> <em>To paraphrase posts from the internet: “I wish someone would have told me _________ before I decided to pursue photography.” That’s why I wrote this book. It’s definitely not a book for everyone, but the hard truth worked for me. I didn’t respond well to empowerment and wishful thinking, so it’s no surprise I couldn’t honestly write that kind of book. Now you’ve read my sh* tty little kick-in-the-teeth, how-not-to book with all those uninspiring messages: You suk – get a real job – you can’t handle the truth – it’s a good hobby – etc., etc. … You’ve probably figured out by now that I really wrote this book as a guide. The lovers (amateurs) of photography will realize disappointment if they think this business is as easy as it looks, and the students won’t last a minute in the real world if they’re not 202% committed. There are photographers of every age who CAN’T NOT do this extraordinary thing called photography. If you’re one of those determined souls, become a pro and prove me wrong. Drop me a line when you’re famous (or just happy and average like me), but don’t say David and I didn’t warn you</em>.</p> </blockquote> <p>So since it worked for me and there are other books that are more “positive” I believe in the quote: <br /> “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”<br> -Schaf</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsphoto Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 <p>Send me a PM email to dirk@west.net and I’ll send you a PDF attachment of the book to read. It’s 160 pages and the quotes I found from famous artists and photographers are great even if you hate my style.<br />-Schaf</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald_miller5 Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 When all is said and done, why are you writing this book? Is it a statement about yourself or advice to others? Is it for profit or some sought of catharthis? Most importantly will you feel better afterwards regardless of how it is accepted or interpreted? There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. The only important answer is the one to the last question. The "general feeling" is of no consequence. After certain events in my life I have learned not to give a damn about general feeling when it came to decisions like this. If you want to write a book then write it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsphoto Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 <p>Thanks Donald,<br> Done, written, edited, designed, proofed, ready for printing which happens in December after the Kickstarter. (So much easier with no photos to color correct and obsess about) But until the ink hits the paper, I'm always open to thoughts and constructive criticism (and new ideas for book 2: 66 MORE reasons NOT to become a pro photographer). HA!<br> I’ll apologize for whoreing my book out on forums that I have participated in over the years: Photo.net, ASMP-architecture, Large Format Photography Forum, and DPReview. But that’s where my peers reside and I have gotten some real gems out of the discussions and thoughts posted therein, whether negative or positive.<br> You’re right I do "feel better."<br> -Schaf</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_rochkind Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 <p>Thanks for the book, Steve.</p> <p>However, the way it's laid out, I can't read it on my laptop. I'll have to read it on my desktop, with its larger screen. Very inconvenient.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny_rane Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 <p>OK...I just finished Steve's book.<br> It is quite good. Not because there is anything groundbreaking or Earth Shakingly new in it, but because he simply tells The Truth. Which may indeed be new and Earth Shaking.<br> In a time where everybody is special and talented, he exhales a breath of fresh air. Anybody can take very good pictures. THAT is not what will dictate a persons success as a professional photographer, or guitar player, or painter, or dress shop owner, etc etc<br> I would highly recommend that any, young, or aspiring, want to be pro read this. It really is Not About Not Becoming a pro at all. It is designed to Help a young photographer ease their way into photography for a living.<br> I have other hobbies, so I have heard all this "stuff" before, but for example.......Your kid is an excellent guitar player, he wants to be a pro, and you want him to be also, right.?<br> Pros go to Nashville because there is a lot of Music/Work there. Do you guys know the old joke about a guitar player going to Nashville.?<br> "When you are about 10 miles outside of town, stop for gas. If YOU cannot play better than the guy pumping gas into your tank, just give up right then and there, turn around, and go home".<br> good luck :)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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