If you could be a professional photog, would you?

[Lane Meyer]

So I am in no way thinking of doing this, I love my job and taking photos as a hobby, but I had a lot of lively discussions about it with my father over the holidays, him being an ex pro in the 1960s and 1970s.

The question is this - is $ and financial security what is stopping you from taking photographs to make a living? In fact, do you even want to?

Let's say you won the lottery and suddenly had two or even three years worth of your current salary and expenses, guaranteed (assuming you are not a photographer, but a "serious" amateur who has a non-photography day job). Would you try to break into photography as a career?

If you answer yes, which kind of photography would you do? Landscapes? Editorial? Photojournalism? Weddings?

[Lonnie]

I voted no. I would love to do nothing but take pics 24-7, but I'd rather be independently wealthy so I could simply do it for the art. Being a pro is too much work, plain and simple.

[hop]

I also voted no because while I do enjoy taking photographs, nailing the perfect image is not my main super passion in life and I'd hate to make that my work.

Just like skiing, photography is a tool that allows me to do the things I want to do in the places I want to do them.

[DeutschBag]

If I had money on hand to live for a few years with no worries? Sure, why not give it a go? I guess I'd be most interested in travel and landscape photography. Or maybe moving to Prague and shooting porn. Tons of hot chicks in Prague willing to get nekked.

[smmokan]

Let's say you won the lottery and suddenly had two or even three years worth of your current salary and expenses, guaranteed (assuming you are not a photographer, but a "serious" amateur who has a non-photography day job). Would you try to break into photography as a career?

I have said this many times to my wife over the last year, since I've just recently started shooting seriously... that if we won the lotto or were given a large inheritance, I'd like to delve deeper into photography. Not necessarily to become a pro, but it would be cool to invest more time into the aspects of photography that I love- skiing and action sports and nature landscapes, and learning everything surrounding that. If that became a full-time career, then I wouldn't have a problem with that.... you're supposed to be doing what you love for a living, right?

All of my current photography is produced while I'm doing other things- hiking, biking, skiing, vacationing, etc. It would be cool to have the time (and money) to go out and just look for places to set up a skiing shot, or wait for the light to be just right at a certain location to get the shot the client wants. Unfortunately with a FT career, that isn't possible most of the time.

[Hugh Conway]

I voted no because currently there are quite a few people with financial security who want to work on their photography. Particularly travel photography. Success, to this outsider, is as much about self-promotion as about quality of work.

[hitek79]

I voted no. I hate work, and I hate my job. I love my time spent out in nature photographing. Putting a deadline on something like that would take away the fun.

[Huckin eh?]

I voted yes!
But I wouldnt be shooting skiers or landscapes. Id be shooting hot fucking naked women!

I cant believe that one was left open at post 8!

[Lane Meyer]

This is totally interesting to me....thanks to everyone for sharing their opinons.

My reasons for voting no:

#1 - I'm with Hugh on the fact that I hate self promotion.
#2 - Also with hitek in that I agree that turning something you love into something you HAVE to do to eat and live changes that thing. Especially if it's a creative artform, like photography or music. I have one friend, a guy I grew up with in Hawai`i, who is a professional dancer in a company called Pilobolous (check them out of you've never heard of them). He is an artist and absolutely 100% loves what he does, 100% of the time, and gets paid to do it. I'm not sure how you can do that as a photographer....unless your Frans Lanting or of similar caliber.
#3 - I fucking HATE shooting weddings....and I feel like in this day and age of market saturation, it is a rare photographer indeed who does not at some point have to shoot weddings for part of his/her living. I'm not trying to hate on wedding photographers, I totally respect what they do, it is very difficult, and truly is an artform - but it is not for me.

[RXPXSkier]

No. I enjoy it too much to make it a profession

[Tippster]

I voted yes, but I'd want to still shoot news, just now as stills instead of video.

Otherwise If I didn't "have" to work due to a financial windfall I'd get on the several coffee table books I have on the back burner. If I didn't make any money off it who cares?

[JoeStrummer]

I voted no although I would like to be Gordon Wiltsie. Or Bobby Model, before some assholes dropped a cinderblock through his windshield.

Photography is about where I need it to be in my hierarchy of needs - like skiing, basically an excuse to go do shit.

[RedWolf]

I think that I definitely would love to be a professional photographer, especially of landscape, as I would use those couple of years of financial freedom to explore the wild places that I already scrimp, and save, and make huge sacrifices to get to. If it didn't pan out, I would have a stack of photo's to remind me of the couple of years where I lived completely on my own terms, going where I wanted, with priceless experiences, and that is something that I would not regret in the least bit.

[Lev]

Sure, why not? I would love to get paid for something creative. It's a rare thing in this world to make a living as an artist; many people try, but hardly any succeed. I have a couple of friends who are still "trying to make it" as musicians. I see the hardships they go through. It's an insecure place to be, but they have a blast when they're playing. I would imagine there's a similarity between playing music and taking photographs for a living. If you're good enough, it's probably somewhat of a rockstar lifestyle.

[grizzle6]

This is definitely an interesting thread to read. Thought I'd chime in with my thoughts here.

Many of you have witnessed my progression as a photographer over the past 4-5 years, from a green amateur to a full time pro (still with plenty to learn, albeit). This is a question I asked myself for a long, long time. Ultimately, the time came for me to either drop a deuce, or get off the pot. I had arrived at the point where I was so invested time/equipment/emotion-wise in photographer that I either had to pursue it full time, or scale back to a large degree. I had become busy enough that I felt like I was working two full-time jobs (minus two full-time incomes, of course).

All day long, photography occupied my thoughts. Whether it was equipment, shooting locations, technique or otherwise, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And I dreamed day and night of doing it every day, all day.

It's worth mentioning as well that I had a killer job at the time, working in media relations for Ski Salt Lake. Skiing 3-4 days a week and getting paid for it. Hanging out with the crew from Powder, Skiing and other mags. Traveling to cool big city destinations like NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, etc. I even snuck in a day with the Powderbirds and a week at Whistler, all on the man's dollar. All that said, I could not stop thinking about photography. I wanted to do it for a living, and perhaps more importantly, I BELIEVED I could do it.

So the big question is, how is it? In a few words: better than ever. I am just now beginning to taste the sweet tang of success in a number of different arenas, and I can only hope it continues.

Many people talk about not wanting to turn what they love into work, but what could be better than doing what you love FOR work each and every day? My commute consists of a 30 second walk up the stairs. I take lunch breaks when, how and where I want. And I play with my kids probably way too much on a weekly basis. I visit exotic locations and see parts of the world that not many get to experience.

The pressure to perform pushes me to be better each time I take out the camera. The pressure to provide drives me to work harder than I ever imagined possible. And in the end, I am still holding a camera in my hands doing what I love each and every day.

Yes, there are hardships, immense at times. But I BELIEVE I can make it work, and that passion and drive, coupled with a unique skill set behind the lens and a background in marketing and PR provide for a formula destined for success.

There is much, much more to being a professional photographer than clicking the shutter button, and that, I believe, is what sends many back to the drawing board after not too long.

Don't ever tell yourself that you wouldn't want to turn something you love so dearly into your job, however, because there's no better motivator to succeed than passion and belief in a cause you can't live without.

[Lev]

^^^ See what I mean? Fucking rockstar. Of course, Adam covered up the part about hookers and blow with his "excessive time spent with his children." But come on... We all know what's really going on behind the scenes His photog outings are like the equivalent of playing [insert Rock Band Concert] every weekend - InSaNe!

[4-TEEF'S Ghost]

Success, to this outsider, is as much about self-promotion as about quality of work.

I don't 100% agree with this statement but I agree with the sentiment. You 100% need skills to succeed but that will only get you so far.

Real success only comes with a willingness to tirelessly "self promote." For some the self-promotion is doing shows in coffee shops, getting a booth at the art festival, selling on consignment in a few stores, etc, etc. For others it is networking, meeting and shooting models, submitting to magazines. For others it's tatoos, hookers and blow. I think Grizz does all of the above.

Sooner or later you have to sell photos and/or your time. I really hated the whole "selling" part so in the end I went back to working for the man.

[smmokan]

I've been thinking about this question more lately (like when I buy a lotto ticket), and I'll change my answer to 100% yes. I would love to be a pro photog.

[eldereldo]

The problem with being a Pro Photographer is there there are thousands of people with the time, money and inclination to be 'almost' as good at it as you, and they are willing to give their photos away for free, just to see them published. Now this doesn't apply to a lot of possible pro activities, but certainly does in the ones that interest most people on here, IE sports photography.

[Tap]

This is definitely an interesting thread to read. Thought I'd chime in with my thoughts here.

Many of you have witnessed my progression as a photographer over the past 4-5 years, from a green amateur to a full time pro (still with plenty to learn, albeit). This is a question I asked myself for a long, long time. Ultimately, the time came for me to either drop a deuce, or get off the pot. I had arrived at the point where I was so invested time/equipment/emotion-wise in photographer that I either had to pursue it full time, or scale back to a large degree. I had become busy enough that I felt like I was working two full-time jobs (minus two full-time incomes, of course).

All day long, photography occupied my thoughts. Whether it was equipment, shooting locations, technique or otherwise, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And I dreamed day and night of doing it every day, all day.

It's worth mentioning as well that I had a killer job at the time, working in media relations for Ski Salt Lake. Skiing 3-4 days a week and getting paid for it. Hanging out with the crew from Powder, Skiing and other mags. Traveling to cool big city destinations like NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, etc. I even snuck in a day with the Powderbirds and a week at Whistler, all on the man's dollar. All that said, I could not stop thinking about photography. I wanted to do it for a living, and perhaps more importantly, I BELIEVED I could do it.

So the big question is, how is it? In a few words: better than ever. I am just now beginning to taste the sweet tang of success in a number of different arenas, and I can only hope it continues.

Many people talk about not wanting to turn what they love into work, but what could be better than doing what you love FOR work each and every day? My commute consists of a 30 second walk up the stairs. I take lunch breaks when, how and where I want. And I play with my kids probably way too much on a weekly basis. I visit exotic locations and see parts of the world that not many get to experience.

The pressure to perform pushes me to be better each time I take out the camera. The pressure to provide drives me to work harder than I ever imagined possible. And in the end, I am still holding a camera in my hands doing what I love each and every day.

Yes, there are hardships, immense at times. But I BELIEVE I can make it work, and that passion and drive, coupled with a unique skill set behind the lens and a background in marketing and PR provide for a formula destined for success.

There is much, much more to being a professional photographer than clicking the shutter button, and that, I believe, is what sends many back to the drawing board after not too long.

Don't ever tell yourself that you wouldn't want to turn something you love so dearly into your job, however, because there's no better motivator to succeed than passion and belief in a cause you can't live without.

KIR, Grizz, KIR.