Author: Bret VanOstram
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Article Link: http://www.mineeds.com/Greenwater/Van-Ostrom-Photography/Articles/So-You-Want-A-Photography-Career
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Becoming a professional photographer is an exciting and prestigious sounding career. If youre going to make it happen, you need to put in a lot of hard work and thousands of hours. I am the owner of Van Ostrom Photography, specializing in portraiture including family, senior, children, weddings, and events. I had a in-home-studio that had been landscaped with ponds and waterfalls for outdoor portraiture as well as a regular camera room. Eleven years ago I relocated to a in-home office and now do everything on location. Ive been in business since 1985 and have been photographing full time for the past 16 or 17 years. I got started in photography when I was about 12. In junior high I took a B&W darkroom course that was offered and fell in love with the whole process. In high school, I photographed for the year book and developed some great experience doing that.
Ive been involved in several professional photographic associations such as
Professional Photographers of America,
Wedding and Portrait Photographers International,
Professional Photographers of Washington, and
Pierce County Professional Photographers of Washington.
These are some of the best educational opportunities available for professional and aspiring professional photographers and scholarships are available from PPW. Some colleges have some great programs, but with these organizations you are sitting with working photographers who have gone through all that are about too and you can talk with them at breaks and often times find out more about what you need to know from them rather than the official speaker. The fees to join these associations range from $40 – $250 a year.
Photographers are making anywhere from nothing to well over a $200,000 a year. The difference being: experience, quality of work, and quality of service offered. A lot of photographers get caught up in buying more equipment than they are making in profit. Whenever I go to buy equipment I always ask myself How will this make me more money and how long will it take to pay for itself? I lean towards higher quality work so I use medium format & digital cameras exclusively. I do not own a 35mm (though I did start with one). I now own about a dozen lights, but getting started you can get by with two.
One of the things necessary in becoming an business owner, no matter what the business, is that you have to love what youre going to be doingall of it. The books, the advertising, the dealing with all sorts of different people, everything. Because youre going to be doing it a lot. Before I was doing this full time, I was putting in 50 – 60 hours a week between my two jobs. When I quit the other job, I thought I could cut that back to 40 hours a week easily. Wrong. Now its more like 70-80 hours a week and 6 sometimes 7 days a week.
Once youve decided that you do indeed want to go into business you need to decide on what aspect of the business your best at and create your niche. When I started my business I would do anything that came my way. I found that unless you stick with what youre good at you can lose credibility very quickly. I think its better to pass a job on to someone else and stick with what youre good at than to try to fake it and do a less than quality job.
My niche is high quality, storytelling, wall decor. Rather than go for high volume – low quality photography. Ive chosen to spend more time with my clients. Get to know them and their likes and dislikes. To use higher quality materials and personnel than some studios may make do with.
A great way for one who is interested in a photography career to get started, would be to work as an apprentice for another studio. Even if you have to do it for free. The experience cannot be taught in a classroom.
Bret van Ostrom, AP, CPP
Van Ostrom Photography
www.vanostrom.com
360.663.2246
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So You Want A Photography Career
So You Want A Photography Career
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