Is Photography Profitable?

[jbernie]

A better way to phrase the question would be:

Can Photography be profitable?

Yes it can. But like any form of artistic expression (loose phrasing) think of a pyramid, the top is those making lots of money (very small) and the base is those doing it for fun, no money etc (very large).

If you are in an area where you can photograph public events and get some good quality shots to make a portfolio to show to people it would help. You might want to use your current job to help fund your photography career and allow you to expand on your equipment etc.

At 17 you have a long way to go and I don't if anyone on here could tell you that every job they have had has been fun/exciting and I am pretty sure you can find photography just as boring if you are waiting a few hours to get just one or two photos.

 

[waiwai]

hells no not profitable at all... i wouldn't rely on it as your primary source of income... some months you could make nothing and some months you'll make some decent dough but not something you can survive off of long term.

Most photographers have a primary job and use photography to generate some side income...

 

[jons]

I really don't know what to do, my job is driving me crazy, it's boring, and I don't actually do anything. The only good thing is that I'm on a decent salary for a 17 Year-old.

But I want to go into something that is both interesting and gets me more than £700 per month.

Is Photography the correct way to go?

PS: I have a starting budget (to get a camera) of about £400.

It's oversaturated with medium to mediocre talent (even quite good). So it's hard to make a name for yourself, and without that it's hard to make ANY money at it.

It also depends on what you want to shoot. Pick a niche and develop the hell out of it.

You will need way more than 400 pounds to get started though.

It took me a solid year of studying, shooting and planning to land a paid gig.

 

[Knomad]

It's interesting that many of the responses here have been more realistic than the ones on some of the photography forums... which of course tend to be dominated by wannabe photographers.

I'll echo a lot of what has been said above, and add some personal experience. The general consensus that it's usually not something you buy a camera and dive into and become instantly a success at is, with rare exceptions, accurate. That's because it takes a while to get good with a camera, and that's only half of the technical end. You need to understand lighting, postproduction, and a whole lot of other things too.

Take a look at the photography in any top-end magazine. Can you match the quality? Consistently? Every time? Because if you want to be more than someone getting by, that's your competition. That's how good you need to be.

And think about those studio shots in the magazines... that means having or renting a studio, a bunch of lights, stands, reflectors, backgrounds, and so on.

The recommendation of a few to look at photojournalism may be valid if you really want to give it a try, because you can usually do that (initially) with just a camera, and if you start with a local paper you can learn fast. That's what I did at age 15, and did quite nicely with it for several years, while I was young and my living expenses were low. And partially I was just in the right place at the right time, and an editor took an interest in me and mentored.

But after school I went and got a real job, because I hadn't met any photographers yet who were making serious money.

The 2000 US census said the mean (or median? Can't recall which) income for a photographer was something like $37,000 US. There are of course a handful of hotshots in New York or LA or Miami shooting high-end fashion or commercial and making six-figure incomes, but for every one of them there are 1,000 guys shooting weddings and baby portraits and paying the rent but not much more.

You have some questions to ask, such as what's your goal? If it's piles of money, the odds are best if you can say, get into law school. If it's a job you enjoy, then ask yourself exactly that... what do you find enjoyable, and how can you turn it into a career?