I receive many emails through my website(s) and I love helping whenever I can. One popular theme is career advice sought by high school students, some college students and people switching careers.
The photographer’s job
The single most common question asked, relates to “the job” of being a photographer.
Although I make money with photography, it does not qualify as a job. I have no superiors to answer to, I work whenever I wish and I can sell pictures in my absence through my automated store. I could be taking photographs in some remote place and sell pictures at the same time.
How am I different
Many professional photographers work on assignments as magazine, newspaper or wedding photographers. The rates sound juicy, but if you consider the amount of work spent in post editing, the preparation, the equipment and notoriously unhappy clients, you will soon realize that this is hard work for small rewards. Time is limiting all contract photographers. How many gigs can we accept before we burn out? This model is not scalable.
I am trying to be completely independent. I do all my business online and I do not attend art shows to sell my work. I keep everything simple and self adjusting.
Why am I different
I started photography as a hobby and I started selling as a hobby. I still do not depend on the income from my photography and that gives me a certain freedom. I can choose what to photograph and have fun in the process. Instead of having to chase after dollars and clients, I can let them come to me. I can spend as much or as little time on it as I wish.
Obviously, I need to perform other duties to carve out a living, but that also means I automated my photography store from the start, which is a good thing. Now it is fully scalable. I can sell one piece or one hundred pieces with the same effort.
How do I earn my bucks
This is going to be the most outrageous information, but it is completely true.
Photography Profits
The profits from photography have withered away thanks to Flickr and micro stock agencies selling for less than one dollar. Magazines can buy a photograph of just about anything through these agencies without the need of a professional photographer.
I do sell photography prints through my store and make some money with it. People will always want to have special high quality prints of acclaimed artists to hang on their walls. I deliver the full solution (final print product) in a worry free package (satisfaction guaranteed) at a good price. Thankfully, I do not rely on this revenue, as the sales have tanked by about 60% due to the recession of 2008/2009. This proves that it is important to diversify your income streams.
Photography related businesses
I make more money with other things than with picture sales. For instance, this website generates a little bit of extra cash via advertising. It stands in no relation to the endless hours I pour into it writing and educating.
I write guest articles and review equipment and I make money with some other web activities not related to this website. I have built a good reputation that I use.
My favorite photographer, Art Wolfe, has written many books and now runs his own TV Show “Travels to the Edge”. He sold many pictures, but he adapts to changes like a chameleon. I am sure he is making more cash with his show and his books than with his photographs. Art embodies the past and the future of photography.
Also read the second part: