Need advice on working in photography

[crazydreaming]

Looking for any advice for helping me get started with working in the photography field.

I have been shooting film for a while. I recently I bought a Nikon D200 because I have outgrown my film SLR and really want to get more serious about photography and step into the digital world. I am home for the summer from college and am hoping to get some work over the summer to gain more exeperience and help pay my camera off... Photography is not nearly as big here in Niagara Falls as it was in Salt Lake City, where I go to school. I can't find anywhere to have my stuff printed. However I do have the falls, which is a huge tourist attraction. I only have a D200 with the 18-70 F3.5-4.5 kit lens... My goal for the summer is to gain experience and hopefully make money to pay off the camera and buy better lenses, flash, etc...

My plan is to call local photographers in the area (there are quite a few in the phone book), tell them my situation, and see if there is any way I could help out, perhaps in the form of a photo assistant. I also want to try and freelance on my own, get my own website established, and try and sell some prints possibly by going to art shows. However, in order to do that, I really need my own printer as there aren't any professional printers here... Which brings me to why working for a photographer would be beneficial.

This may seem crazy , but I am just looking for the quickest way for me to get my foot in the door of an established photographers' studio. Need the best way for me to start getting an income out of my passion using the weak setup that I have so that I can purchase the equipment needed to expand.

How did you get started? Thanks!

 

[thumb]

I'm

no offense, but you might need work on computing skills as well

 

[crazydreaming]

no offense, but you might need work on computing skills as well

haha! Sorry about that, I got disconnected in the middle of posting. So I guess only a small part of the post made it . All better now

 

[Crawn2003]

Well... There are many ways to get into the field...

One is the way you have said, calling around local studios and asking if they need help. The only down side is that most of the time they are looking for people that have experience and/or a degree of some sort from a school that deals with photography.

I was in the same situation you were in when I just graduated from high school. I called around all the local studios and they all told me the same thing: you need proof of atleast some schooling/training in photography. I hate to say it this way, but this seperates the people that have no background from people like me and others that have paid over $40 grand for a degree in photography.

Two is going for a degree. Expect to pay big bucks but in the long run, it is worth it because it really does help. It gives you training on ALL the equipment that would be used in a studio. Anything from Nikon, Canon, Mamiya, Phase One Digital 4x5 backs to Profoto, Speedatron, Elenchrome, White Lightning all the way to meters digital to analog. Right now I feel comfortable that I could go into a portrait studio and set up for a good ratio using the portrait ratio 5:1 which is a 4:1 in Commercial Photography. Vise Versa if I were to go into a commercial setting.

Three which would be go it your own. It's possible, don't get me wrong, but it'll be hard. I can't say much here, I know I can't do it and in the long wrong (edit: oh come on, I can't believe I was that tired!) (run) I would be more successful to go to an actual school.

On a side note though, you're talking about getting a printer and equipment. Oh my, how that is expensive... For all my equipment to make a digital dark room at home: Epson Stylus 2400 = $800, Dual G5 + Monitor = $3000, Monaco Optix = $200, Xrite Ezcolor = $320.

Don't forget that just taking the photo isn't the end of the process. The photo needs to be color corrected, good contrast, slightly sharpened to get rid of that digital "haze", etc.

There is so much that I could go on about and I know I'm already running my mouth. Good luck, I hope you go far and get what you're looking for!

~Crawn