I have decided to go PRO
March 15th, 2010 by smithIf you want to break into the more mainstream professional market, a study in a related field plus experience (internship) with a strong portfolio (and a little luck) is required to get your foot in the door.
If you are still wanting to upgrade your equipment, move up to a 5D and bank the rest of the money. The 5D will meet most requirements of potential employers or internship opportunities AND you will need the funds in the bank to get started. THe idea is just to meet the requirements.... opportunities are more concerned with your ability to deliver a product rather than how nice of a camera you have in your bag.
A lot of successful professional photographers (independents) are better at business than shooting
good luck to you.
As for the equipment you mention, I wouldn't worry about the 300 f4L, if you need long glass during the daytime, you already have it, and if you are shooting night football, you are going to need a 300 2.8 (I did a lot of h.s. football without a 300 at all).
Jerry
Well, talk about turning a negative into a positive: you are in a location and a situation that people are interested in, yet not many will experience. I don't know how in-depth your photojournalism can be before it gets you into trouble. You would have to be the judge, but you are in a unique situation. Use that.
The landscapes must be pretty dramatic around there? Do you know about "magic hour?" It's a term in the film industry for dawn and dusk and the dramatic lighting effects a low sun creates. Take a tripod.
Can you photograph Afghans without causing a fuss? Tea rooms. Smoke rooms. Markets. Candid shots rather than portraits.
What about photographing your mates – tell their stories in words and pictures.
For a pro, lighting and composition are just as important as subject matter. We're not talkin' snapshots here.
I hope this is some help ... good luck! :)
I would love to go about and shoot...there are alot of great scenes and stuff around in kabul.......and for us soldiers we are not allowed to venture without the big guns we call it due to the fact its Ramadan. So being around the city is dangerous plus my job wont allow it. So when ever i get out i try to take as much pics as I can get....
You need to ask yourself a very important quesiton... how good a BUSINESSMAN are you?
Also, **any** business that starts off without a business plan that covers a minimum of 1 year in advance (mine covered 5 years and I followed it to a "T" unless I attained a goal faster, which happened often), has a 90% chance of failure within 6-12 months.
Where is yours?
Other quesitons people will ask you:
- Did you do a competitive analysis of the local market?
- Who did you mentor under or what degree in photography do you possess?
- What experience do you have that would make a client choose you over your competition?
Or how about:
- Local laws, do you need to have a specific license?
- Have a good accountant?
- Insurance, not just equipment, but liability insurance. In the USA, it is common for a photographer to be sued for not delivering (Texas leads the USA in letigious actions more than any other state. I lived there 2 years and saw it daily!).
- Should you incorporate or just register a business?
- Are you aware of local/state/country tax laws?
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Those, and a thousand more questions should *ALL* be answered in your business plan.
Before I started out my consulting business, I made a business plan that answered ALL of these questions and more... it was well over 300 pages in length. Because of it's thoroughness, it took me 20 minutes to get a 6 digit business loan. Without it, I was questioned... and refused.
Just a little food for thought. ;)
Many people are drawn into the glamour of becoming a professional "anything", but soon find out that it is a damn lot more complicated and involves a LOT more work than they every imagined. Being prepared or not equals failure or success on your part.
In any business, its usually 10% the event (in your case taking pictures), 40% understanding/following legalities and 50% sales/marketing/customer service.
How much of this did you REALLY consider? No need to answer here... but answer it HONESTLY in your head. ;)
I wish you great success! :D
Also your current kit is definatly enough to get you started before you need the 300mm f4 and 1D - infact I would be tempted to say go for the camera body before the lens (!!) since your current linup of lenses is more than enough to get good sports (during the day), school, landscape and people shots.
Also I would take a big look at your editing skills and software - especially for portrates - make sure you have a good powerful editing program and know how to use it to get the right effects
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