Who makes money with photography?

[talan]

Just want to see which members on here make money with photography?

Who has clients (formal and casual) and charges out?

Who sells stock photos e.g. iStock (http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php)

How do you get clients?

Would be good to see how many people on here are using their passion as an income source.

Cheers
Talan

[The Mad Hatter Project]

I do on the side; have been working for a photographer for 18 months, do assisting work for her and am her main editor and designer, that's where i making most of the money at the moment.

Just starting to pick up my own work now, will be registering the company (finally) shortly but it will still be on the side while i finish studying. Also got a big potential design client on the cards if i play them right at the moment (also have a Computer Graphic Design qual)

Really looking forward to being able to do it full time, it's going to be awesome!!

:D

[BaNaNaMaN]

We do in the motorsport side of photography. Mostly random sales as a freelancer but have had pictures published in a number of publications which has helped.

We have got season long deals with rally teams and aiming to get more in the up coming season.

Will never pay a full time wage, most of the time doesn't even come close to covering costs but we do it because we enjoy it.

[talan]

I love my job at the moment, but would love to eventually make some money doing photography -- probably as a hobby / fun type of income. I guess sometimes it might just be about getting your name out there (once you get to an acceptable standard) and a bit of networking...

[BenClement]

trying to go fulltime at the moment but putting on hold as im moving to melbourne, so ill do it over there

[Redal]

I found when i first started selling my work ( on spec at sports events selling through website) it wasn't much different from being a hobby. I just took images and posted the good ones.
I gave up working on spec as i found people would cut and copy or just bookmark your page and look at the images.

Then i went to selling coverage of game for individual/ team and gave them a cd of images.
I found the biggest difference between the two was you HAD to get lots of great shoots consistently, not 10-20 per game. So more pressure to keep the customer happy and simply give them images that they cannot even hope of getting. And not having an excuse for not getting great images of there kids.

Now the problem is parents wanting me at there kids games, when i am booked already or my kids are playing sports at that time, i wish kids sports went all day on Saturdays :)

Now i'm doing some portraits in the evenings, im finding that the client wants to bring hangers on, and they are trying to give direction and look over my shoulder when chimping. I am going to limit "mates" to one and set more rules.
The more i do this the more i realise, that opening the shutter is the easy part and dealing with clients is a much bigger part of the game.

Allan

[talan]

Just did my first paid product shoot today! Nothing too fancy. Looking forward to see what they look like when they get printed :)

[monkfish]

I have a list of regular clients, got them through word of mouth and get new ones like that. did a fair bit of free work to start with just to get a good rep and exposure.
as the saying goes its not what you know its who you know.

[stic]

I've been employed as a Photographer/writer and Editor for Automotive magazines in NZ.
Also produced some advertising material, business cards etc and done a wedding or two, but, finding consistent work is difficult as many people don't recognise the worth of the photographer, or the finished product.

Many don't realise the amount of time that goes into mastering programs like Photoshop and InDesign, let alone, the skill with a camera.

[monkfish]

I have a list of regular clients i provide photography and video production services to. Having a list of multipule clients is good as often work is sporadic.

I find some clients realize the value of photography and are happy to pay others are ignorant of it.

I suggest giving them the camera and letting them see how "easy" it is.

The best advice i have is find out how your adding value to their business and hit them up on those points.

[Haim]

I too had a few jobs hers and rher but nothing really consistant.....

[byza213]

im fully amature but have had two paid jobs one at a night club event and to of a new club venue.

i got asked to go back but the club wasnt really what i was into regardless of the money lol..

[possum]

I do a fair bit, mostly portraits, a few weddings, every now and then a birth, and sell a few art prints every once in a while.

I have a full time job too, so this goes one outside that.

xxx Lou

[smurff]

you photograph a birth?? something about that just seems so wrong :P

-smurff

[possum]

lol, yeah, I've done a fair few of them... Now that I have a fulltime job I can no longer be on call, but it was the best job ever (well, equal to any music based shoot). When I grow up I think I wanna be a midwife, lol. It was not so much vaginas (in fact, only one or two so far have wanted a shot of the baby coming out), lol, more the emotions in the room and the relationships between the people, oh, and the baby!

xxx Lou

[smurff]

ahhh i see, sounds, urm, interesting. yea, thats how i will describe it :P
i now do shift work, so its good for getting about at different times of the day :D

-smurff

[HUNTD]

I wish i had known about you a year ago, i trusted my partner to take the pics but i think he was a bit scared of the blood and guts and so half the pics are pretty average.

[ShutterNut]

I have recently started my photography business, so I earn from it. I had intended for it to be pretty low key until my kids are at school, but it has been getting quite busy. Mostly portraits (families, couples, kids, newborns, pets), and more recently weddings and commercial.

[Kazeden]

you photograph a birth?? something about that just seems so wrong :P

-smurff

Haha...yes that brings me back to the old days when i did obstetric medicine. Must say delivery of a baby is actually not a pretty sight, at least until the baby is in the arms of a happy mum.