[fotojunkee]

I've just made the commitment to start my professional photographic career and am wondering how the heck you get the money for it all. My rational was to buy some basic equipment and do shoots, event photography, etc. to generate money to pay for better equipment.

Is this how most of you started? Or did anyone venture to take out a small business loan to buy a whole buncha lenses? Ha ha.

All of the new equipment I have was purchased through no-interest deals at places like Best Buy or Amazon. But the more I look into professional equipment, the more I see I'm not going to be buying from those locations, lest I seriously overpay for a product.

All rags to riches stories are welcome here, even if they took a decade to complete.

-David

[tonyjayice]

Ok, not to be sounding offensive or anything (but at the risk)
as I don't know your situation in life or photography for that matter.
I think the first and most valuable thing you could ever do is to educate yourself in the field..
Professional photography requires extensive skills and technique and in many countries, (like mine, Iceland) you need a certificate from a licensed school and go through not only the basics but the whole deal.
It's not a business that a kid (or anyone else) with an slr and a few lenses can just pick up from a cereal box
I suggest you take a couple of seminars and give yourself even a few years learning and apprenticing photography and everything that it contains, and then think about it.
best thing you could do.. as I see it at least, but as I said, I don't know you or your situation..

[OregonJim]

Ok, not to be sounding offensive or anything (but at the risk)
as I don't know your situation in life or photography for that matter.
I think the first and most valuable thing you could ever do is to educate yourself in the field..
Professional photography requires extensive skills and technique and in many countries, (like mine, Iceland) you need a certificate from a licensed school and go through not only the basics but the whole deal.
It's not a business that a kid (or anyone else) with an slr and a few lenses can just pick up from a cereal box
I suggest you take a couple of seminars and give yourself even a few years learning and apprenticing photography and everything that it contains, and then think about it.
best thing you could do.. as I see it at least, but as I said, I don't know you or your situation..

Sage advice. *Anyone* starting out would do well to heed it.

While the OP may have the best of intentions, it sounds like he's fallen into the trap of "expensive equipment = instant professional". The world is already overflowing with such 'photographers'.

[Ratmagiclady]

Personally, I think photography's best learned in a sort of apprenticeship sort of system, ...if possible work as an assistant. Depending what the arrangement is, you could learn a lot about the business and shooting, and possibly eventually have access to gear without having to buy it.

If you're still learning the craft of it, you can learn as much by keeping the gear simple. It's all about the basics. Also knowing how to manage a business of any kind is really going to be an asset, you can be a really good shooter and still not be making any money.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

Neither gear nor studies garanties success. OK, there is a wide range of photographers, technically skilled, professionals, that does it well as a handicraft. But the really good ones are artists, and that cannot be baught or learned. You must have a bit of it in you from the beginning. Then you can get better with training. And good tools help also. But they are not easy tickets to success.

If you are a pro, and work for a newspaper or some other big employer, they should provide the gear. If you start your own business, I presume you can write them off in most countries tax systems. That pressumes that you do get an income from it of course. I would suggest that if you have to start from a budget, while you cannot get all your dream equipment, make sure to avoid the realy bad gear, like slow zoom lenses of questionable quality. Gear that will fail and destroy your work.

My impression (I'm an amateur entusiast, makes my living elsewhere), is that there are far more people who want to be photographers, than there are real possibilities to make a living. It's a crowded profession, and not easy to success in due to the competition, which includes amateurs who dump the price. Face it, it is one of the classical dream-professions among with: writer, jet-fighter/astronout, movie-star etc etc. In the academic world for instance, there are far more people with loads of courses in Astronomy, Ornitology, Archeology (think Indiana Jones), Paleontologists (think Dinosaus), than there are jobs in these fields. Sad enough, I belive it is the same with photographers. A good advice is probably to start on part time. Keep your old job, at least on part time, and take it step by step. Don't forget the possibility to rent more expensive special tools for specific gigs. Or get a partner and share equipment, studio etc.

If you get an education, as Ratmagiclady says, there is not only schools, but also typically a more or less inofficial apprenticesystem where you work hard for some established photographer for a low salary, but learn a lot, have access to pro-tools (and often access also after official work hours for your own work). If you don't take an education in some form, realise that even if you were born with a camera-mind, it will take time and devotion to develope that skill, so if you don't get someone teach you, you will have to teach yourself, and that usually takes longer time.

It is another issue how to afford good gear when you are an amateur. If you don't have a good budget, you need to have patience and fantasy. Second hand lenses, the best ones from previosu periods are probably still much better than the inexpensive solutions today. OK, it is not what you asked, but if you start on part time, it is at least part relevant.

[tibbitts]

I'm not a professional photographer, but I'm guessing that equipment is the least of the problem. I knew one professional photographer, and his equipment was probably more modest equipment than many non-professionals have. I suspect you can do very good professional work with fairly inexpensive equipment. A far, far greater investment is likely to be marketing for your business.

I expect that like most businesses, you really want to work in the field or get formal training before starting off on your own.

Paul

[Ash]

This is all very sound advice.
There is a lot more to being a professional at any craft than the equipment available, or even technical skill for that matter.

I can only assume the OP knows this and is just asking about how to fund the necessary array of gear to make his talent shine... I'm not so sure it requires an 'uncomfortable' investment at any stage in a career. As things progress in a growing business, there's more latitude to invest more into it. Just needs patience.

[mel]

One obvious answer to the OP's question is to keep your "dayjob" and reinvest your earnings into your gear. I did a performance shoot for a singer with two old manual primes from ebay that cost a grand total of $37.50 combined, took the earnings and bought the DA*50-135.

You don't need the most expensive gear to earn money in photography.

[MJB DIGITAL]

wanna know what I did?

I started saying yes to people that wanted to pay me. I was honest with them when I said that I was new. I didn't even charge a couple of them, others would receive more than they paid for.

I started making money, saving some to pay the rent, saving some to buy gear, and saving some to drive and eat.

I still wait tables two nights a week, but I have thirteen weddings left for this year. After a meeting next Sunday, and another meeting later on about Sept 5...that might be fifteen.

Work work work and grow, start small, be really honest with yourself and others, kick ass and rock roll.

Mitch

[George Lama]

One obvious answer to the OP's question is to keep your "dayjob" and reinvest your earnings into your gear.

You don't need the most expensive gear to earn money in photography.

Aside from the whole "What makes you a pro" discussion, this is a key point. As an artist, you make do with the tools you have and as your craft/artristry matures/becomes more sophisticated, you can step up to additional gear.

[cwood]

Its getting to be an old thread but I thought I'd add my 2 cents.

Buy the gear that makes you money... and nothing else. Everyone wants a 300/4 (or better) but how long will it take to earn back the $1000 investment before it becomes profitable? If your doing weddings you need 2 bodies (~$1300) and the 16-50 and 50-135 (~$1600) and a flash ($200). That $3100 is really all the money you need to spend for the next 5 years. People will want fast primes and more flashes and wider lenses and longer lenses.... but you really don't need them. When you are a working pro you walk the line between producing a quality product and staying profitable. There's shots that you will miss because you didn't have a certain bit of gear - but you have to get past that and take the pictures that will make your client happy they paid you to shoot for them.

[drerka]

All sound advice in the above posts.
I can understand your feeling that a business would be pag for all the nice 'toys' you can buy. But that really is a wrong way to start a businees imho. If you want to succeed in professional photography, you have to make sure that above all, you make a profit out of it. What you do with the income you generated, is the next big question. If you were a full time professional, you would habve lots of bills to be payed by your phography and in the early stages of you business there won't be much left for gear.

I fully support Kunik's vision in the above post. Being a professional means only spending money that generates income. Funding more gear really isn't the way to go imo.

Good luck.

[MJB DIGITAL]

Its getting to be an old thread but I thought I'd add my 2 cents.

Buy the gear that makes you money... and nothing else. Everyone wants a 300/4 (or better) but how long will it take to earn back the $1000 investment before it becomes profitable? If your doing weddings you need 2 bodies (~$1300) and the 16-50 and 50-135 (~$1600) and a flash ($200). That $3100 is really all the money you need to spend for the next 5 years. People will want fast primes and more flashes and wider lenses and longer lenses.... but you really don't need them. When you are a working pro you walk the line between producing a quality product and staying profitable. There's shots that you will miss because you didn't have a certain bit of gear - but you have to get past that and take the pictures that will make your client happy they paid you to shoot for them.

Damn right. I take 2 K10D's, two lenses (16-50 and 50-135), and two flashes, with lightstand.
8)

I havent bought more gear in ages. Just lots of prints and books for client...and rent...and food...and...I want a couple of K20D's!!!! but I can't do that right now.

[George Lama]

Exactly... I take a look at all the things I would love to buy and then come down to reality - what do I need to do my photography. With the K20D and K10D I have the two bodies I need to do my work. There are a few lenses I would love to buy but have been able to make do without.

For the few gigs that I must have a lens I can't purchase, I rent. Camera Lens Rentals has been a lifesaver in this respect, and the folks there offer quality service all the way.

Otherwise I keep drooling every time I go to B&H's web site, or Home Depot's Lawn Equipment section, or the music store and sit on the drum throne behind the $4000 drum kit

[forensicscientist]

wanna know what I did?

I started saying yes to people that wanted to pay me. I was honest with them when I said that I was new. I didn't even charge a couple of them, others would receive more than they paid for.

I started making money, saving some to pay the rent, saving some to buy gear, and saving some to drive and eat.

I still wait tables two nights a week, but I have thirteen weddings left for this year. After a meeting next Sunday, and another meeting later on about Sept 5...that might be fifteen.

Work work work and grow, start small, be really honest with yourself and others, kick ass and rock roll.

Mitch

First off, I'm not a professional photographer...but for some reason this thread caught my attention.....and I have to agree whole heartedly with what Mitch said.

My wife and I run a Forensic Consulting Company, and have been blessed with many years of growth. The recipe to success is exactly as Mitch has stated....start small, and work. Provide better service to your customers, give them more than they expect, if they are pleased with your work, believe me, word will spread.

Best of luck!
mark