My girlfriend has decided to go into photography instead of her past choice of a career. So I’ve decided to try to find some information out for her ..and this seems like the perfect place to start.

*Most topics will be centered around freelance photography rather than a salary job*

I’m going to try and hit as many points as I can think of:

1-What education is needed? After a quick google search it seems most agree that no formal ( as in a college education ) is required. I know you would need knowledge of the equipment(camera, printer, programs,etc), marketing , and most of all just real world experience. But is a degree really required? I’m sure it would look better…but is it needed? And if it is, how far? Would a associates in photography be good enough?

2-What "career path" is better? This is centered around freelancing because that’s what she wants to do. But would a regular job position with a company be better? I know it would be more stable because you won’t always have freelance work. But is there any real difference between the two?

3-What does it take to get started? I know it would cost thousands at first for the camera, lenses,misc camera equipment, printer, printer paper, cd’s, computer, software,advertising/website, etc. How much does advertising (besides website) usually cost? And what other costs are there? How do you get your foot into the door? Starting young and having a portfolio and experience seems to be the best way I would think. But how do you explain to your first costumer that they are the first without freaking them out?

4-What can you expect? Weddings, senior pictures, family pictures, and random portraits are about the only things I can think of. Are there any other situations to expect such as request from companies and being contracted out or anything related to that?

5-How much money do freelancers make? Doing another quick search on google came out with a mix between people saying they can make from 0-millions and others sticking around ,000 a year. I see people listing on websites stuff like ,000 for wedding pictures but how much of that is actually profit? I know the initial cost of the equipment would take awhile to pay off, and then it would mostly be the cost of the printing and time basically.

6-What is the environment like? Is it hard to find jobs the way the market is? I’m sure many aren’t willing to spend thousands just on pictures and with technology advances it seems like photographer is becoming easier and easier so extreme talent doesn’t seem to really be needed (I’m sure this will be corrected by someone, and I hope it will be.). Besides the job market is there any difficulties with costumers? Do you have to charge a deposit to keep them from canceling and leaving you with wasting time when you could of gotten another job or anything of that sort?

Well, this is all I can think of for now….I hope it’s not to long :\ Just trying to cover all the bases before she gets to deep and realizes it’s something she really isn’t into.

Thanks in advance too.

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So this past September, i lost my job. i worked at a retail dollar store and after months of drag-on work i got tired of it and it started to show. At first, i came to work early everyday. when i started comming late more often, my boss insisted that i get my shit straight and be prompt on my arrivals. So i tightened up a little bit but not for too long; unfortunately i got more lazy and at the time i just moved in with my girlfriend who live miles across town. with the money i had made i beleived as long as got up early enough, i would make it to work on time by taking the bus. on some days my girlfriend would allow me to use her car and on others i would take the bus. I became more lazy than before, plus i began to lose the will to work at the dollar store. mornings on in i would wake up and drag my feet all because i didnt want to go to work but one day that caught up to me. i woke up, left late, clocked in late; and through the middle of the shift the boss called me to his office. Now at the time i had just enrolled in school and the boss had made arrangements to fit my schedule so he felt there was no excuse that i could not get in on time, and i agreed, ashamed and very excepting of what my fate held. i was terminated deemed re-hirable in one year.

in this time of my life i still make decisions that effect others around me. and i called myself trying to do better and it even took my girlfriend to get on my back bout finding a job. i was discouraged and still lazy. i feel i can do better while looking for a job but one thing that grinds my gears is the "work history." for some reason i constantly fill in my dollar store position and i never fail to list how ive been terminated. i honestly dont know if something like that will prevent me from getting a job but my girlfreind belives it very much so will. im starting to cost people money because of my decisions. Today, i am tenacious about finding a job/career and i have been taking steps to make myself look exceptionally qualified on my resume. Despite my efforts, she is getting the backlash day in and day out for my choices. Situatuins when i need some sort of money, interviews and job searched that call for the use of her car because i dont have money for the bus. My past boss sat down with me and told me if i ever wanted anything in life that i would have to go hard for it. my motivaton was not present at all and my priorities were scrambled and pulverized. i was horrible with my money and was afraid to taste real responsibility. i would of never known that that was a complicating form of selfishness. i learned a lesson that day and for some reason, i felt that if i werent terminated, i never would have. being the person that i am i try my hardest to learn from my mistakes even if i make them over and over.

i am at my most pitifull state in life and im turning 21 this tuesday. it is trully a shame that i need my mother because i screwed myself in my first time in college. it is a shame that i would need my girlfriend for everything else i may need; such as food, shelter and transportation. im trying to make to smartest decisions in life and i cant now because of the ones i made this past September. my gf is already stressed enough and i feel horrible to know i am killing our relationship because of what i did. she always told me not to fill in the work history mentioning my termination. and everytime i do it anyways. i told her i want to be honest to any possible employer and that irritates her to no end. she is currently balancing life, school and her one year old son. i feel awfull. and at the same time i believe i will be employed soon. she strongly encourages me to not fill in that employment history and instead list the busser work i did in a resyuraunt for 2 months in 2008. this situation is terribly stressfull, and more on her part aparently because she footing the bill if i need to be some where. there are many other thing included but its not nessassary to list them, just assume. the frustration is overwhelming. she has given me a date at which i should have a job or else, pack up and leave, shamed and with zero dignity, back to my mothers.

id like to believe i am a good person. i feel wrong sometime when i try to do things right. i feel im not as mature as i feel i SHOULD be and that is frustrating to no end. i feel like im trapped. i could even recieve financial aid for my classes, i cant drop my classes and i owe over 14 hundred bones. im jobless relying on my girlfriend and my last bit of self-respect. as a kis i never did much right. i still remember my first toddler day dream– im the same till this day. i wish i was normal. this is too heavy for me. my mother told me i had the world: no felonies, no kids, im young and healthy. when it finally hit me it took someone else to realise that i, myself was depressed. leaving my girlfriend would break my heart, she motivated me to want to even go to school. moving back with my mothe

Technorati Tags: boss, decisions, dollar store, drag on, excuse, fate, finding a job, gears, getting a job, girlfreind, girlfriend, little bit, looking for a job, money, one thing, taking steps, time of my life, work history