Salary Range of Full Time Photographers

[Cheesecake]

well i have. :thumbsd:

4pm to 2am reception + DND for 100 dollars. transportation cost not provided. the MNCs really know how to suck lor. haha. good thing my friend was nearby so i could hitch a ride. or else my pay left only 80 dollars. :sweat:

nowadays event fotography is more or less like this. those who can and still command a higher rate, well done!

but alot of companies are no longer interested to pay $$ and would use 'reasons' such as 'boosting portfolio' as their trump card and excuse the need to pay for such a service.



even weddings among some couples... oh well, O.T.


back to the topic. cheers!

 

[Jemapela]

I'm actually interested to know how much full-time photographers are paid in Singapore. However, this really depends on the field of photography.

I assume the thread-starter intends to enter the industry. Generally, photographers tend to make money if they are in a niche or fairly closed market, for example, news journalism, high end fashion, commercial, etc. If you intend to do event (or some call public relations) photography, this field may be is as good as redundant. Look around at the massive number of people buying DSLRs and calling themselves photographers -- that's your answer.

In Singapore, I would say that the safest full-time job as a photographer would be with a news agency such as The Straits Times. Such photographers are employed and paid, I believe, a constant salary. (Some years ago, I was told they start at about $1600.) They don't have to promote or market themselves to earn $$.

If anyone wants to do fashion/commercial photography full-time on your own, you must realise that this photography business relies a lot on self marketing. You may be excellent in your work but if you can't promote and sell yourself and your advantages, you will end up sitting on your sofa all day doing nothing. You must also realise that this craft is a very subjective one. Your style may not appeal to all subject to individual tastes and cultural differences, and you must keep yourself updated with the latest imaging trends.

I'm not a high-flying successful photographer but I'm in the industry long enough to see/hear/know why some photographers close up shop. If you can peel away the facade, get into the deepest parts of their studios, you will see that many of them worry where their next pay check is coming from. The reality is that many don't know. The numbers are simple -- few succeed, many fail. We hear of success stories, but we don't have seminars and workshops for failure stories.

 

[snowspeeder]

Sometimes its good to hear stories and experiences of failures. In that way, it helps a lot for those who are still striving in this field; and also bring many beginners back to the harsh reality of photography as a business, from their flights of fantasy.

 

[hazmee]

Sometimes its good to hear stories and experiences of failures. In that way, it helps a lot for those who are still striving in this field; and also bring many beginners back to the harsh reality of photography as a business, from their flights of fantasy.

I have to agree with you on this part. A lot of aspiring photographers miss out on that a lot.

I've heard stories from photographers boasting big dollar in this business but no real hard figures. Some of them I know are staying in semi detached houses. I guess there's lots of money to me made if you know what niche you're good at.

As for me, on a good month, I could get S$3~4k a month on photography alone. For dry months, I get nothing. So it works out to an average of S$1k a month. I still have my graphic design business which is my pure bread and butter so that really helps to cover up the dry months.

Don't know if that helps. Cheers!

 

[Jemapela]

I'm sure many ClubSnap members and photographic hobbyists wish we could have a job that we love and hence don't feel like we are working, and maybe, just maybe, photographers are perceived as having a glamourous job.

Those who are already working as photographers would probably know that it's not all true. Biographies and seminar talks are mostly hyped up, and photographers may experience creative mental blocks or lull periods with work.

 

[lightning]

:bsmilie: bet u've not been offered S$100 for a full day's of event shoot by some MNC.:bsmilie:

anyway, nothing new, nothing fantastic.

once in awhile u'll get such proposition but then again, biz is biz. the fotographer still need to feed himself.

Ke Ke Ke....if it is a friend who works in MNC and ask me to help out, I may just do for free if times permits. The bottom line is I just love to shoot and money is secondary. I don't depend on my shoots to bring food to the table

 

[Cheesecake]

Ke Ke Ke....if it is a friend who works in MNC and ask me to help out, I may just do for free if times permits. The bottom line is I just love to shoot and money is secondary. I don't depend on my shoots to bring food to the table

sad to say, there're many out there with ur mindset and it unbalances the market scale for those professional who do event fotography as their main core.

helpin a fren is one thing. but helping a fren who works for a big co. and it is a project for the big co. that u're helping with... well... i don't know. but i think if that is really ur fren, he/she oughta haf ur interest in heart and gif u a fair amount of $$ for ur help and effort. tas what friends are for, right? to look out for one another and not to take the other party for granted or take unfair advantage of, no?



anyway, it is the way the market is nowadays. saturated with many 'new fotographers' in the horizon offering free services and free everything imaginable. yes, its a free-market.


and thankfully, i'm not in the wedding or event fotography biz.

 

[Azure]

Cheesecake has a point. The market is such in Singapore.

Then again, my clients come to me by word-of-mouth, so the impact on me is naught.

 

[canonikon]

Ke Ke Ke....if it is a friend who works in MNC and ask me to help out, I may just do for free if times permits. The bottom line is I just love to shoot and money is secondary. I don't depend on my shoots to bring food to the table

:thumbsd::thumbsd::thumbsd::nono: If I am a layman, I would not respect you even though you are a using a pro cam. It is people like you make "photography" el cheapo. Hurting other photographers' rice bowl is not a good thing to do. Now, flame me loh

 

[Cheesecake]

Cheesecake has a point. The market is such in Singapore.

Then again, my clients come to me by word-of-mouth, so the impact on me is naught.

anyway, to each his own. Singapore is only this big and the pie is only this huge...

 

[fotoudavid]

Ke Ke Ke....if it is a friend who works in MNC and ask me to help out, I may just do for free if times permits. The bottom line is I just love to shoot and money is secondary. I don't depend on my shoots to bring food to the table

u are a teacher, but ur mindset like a primary student.

"The bottom line is I just love to teach and money is secondary. I don't depend on my teaching lessons to bring food to the table"

What u think?

 

[snowspeeder]

I agree that it is to each his own. Can't stop anyone from shooting free really.
If photographer has got good skills, the organization benefits best from this. If skills are only so so, then its nothing more than an exhibition of poor photography. The company has to accept it. So the key for pro photographers is to continuously evolve and find new ways of marketing themselves.

That's why I'm not against the idea of the importation of foreign talents -- perhaps with better skills, qualifications and even lower pay package. It makes every man on the street rethink on how to justify his rice bowl. It makes him think on his toes instead of being complacent and getting too comfortable. I'm sure we will see that coming even more in the next decade or two.

 

[lightning]

u are a teacher, but ur mindset like a primary student.

"The bottom line is I just love to teach and money is secondary. I don't depend on my teaching lessons to bring food to the table"

What u think?

Your quote is true, If I love the money, I won't be a teacher! My advice to those who want to be a pro photographer, please upgrade your skills, if you are not one cut above everyone else, why should people pay you money to shoot? If there are tons of people out there who can shoot like you, if not better then you, then I think you should just look else where to earn a living! Get real!

BTW, I do wish to see people teach for free. That will be great for all!

 

[spazzer]

well i have. :thumbsd:

4pm to 2am reception + DND for 100 dollars. transportation cost not provided. the MNCs really know how to suck lor. haha. good thing my friend was nearby so i could hitch a ride. or else my pay left only 80 dollars. :sweat:

i feel very sad for u

 

[spazzer]

imho i think some organisation offer quite low amount and destroy the market juz my 2 cents don flame me

 

[lightning]

imho i think some organisation offer quite low amount and destroy the market juz my 2 cents don flame me

There are still photographers who are paid $5k - $6K for a one day job. The question is why? I guess those who feels threaten and cannot make their ends meet should relook at your skills and business model. Not everyone can run your own business and not every pro photographers have the "skills" too. Journalist with the newspaper never feel this threat as well.

 

[chngpe01]

Let this be a warning, to especially lightning and the rest of the ppl who have nothing but OT here.

This thread is discussing on the Salary range of full time photographers. If you shoot for free and DO NOT know or have any clue about the photography biz, and have zero knowledge to contribute, do not post here just to talk shop or show off how great your are.

I will not hesitate to dispense infraction for OT here

 

[sammedia]

time have change....

All along those company/school dont really set a high standard requirment of skill in event shoot. Last time they have no choice to pay a much better rate for photographer cos it is shoot in film, which really require skill, confidence & basic knowledge in photography even to produce a decent "record shot".

At present, with the help of digital DSLR,producing a decent "record shot" is too easy, any tom & dick can do that. So why should those company pay high rate for a a decent "record shot" anymore? Too many people are buying a DSLR; to find someone who offer low rate & free service is easy. Further more,to those company, the skill standard of requirment is not high for event shoot, they just need decent "record shot". Even if your skill standard is higher, they would not pay.

 

[fotoudavid]

Your quote is true, If I love the money, I won't be a teacher! My advice to those who want to be a pro photographer, please upgrade your skills, if you are not one cut above everyone else, why should people pay you money to shoot? If there are tons of people out there who can shoot like you, if not better then you, then I think you should just look else where to earn a living! Get real!

BTW, I do wish to see people teach for free. That will be great for all!

pathethic soul.

 

[canonikon]

Let this be a warning, to especially lightning and the rest of the ppl who have nothing but OT here.

This thread is discussing on the Salary range of full time photographers. If you shoot for free and DO NOT know or have any clue about the photography biz, and have zero knowledge to contribute, do not post here just to talk shop or show off how great your are.

I will not hesitate to dispense infraction for OT here

:thumbsup: I second that. So much about a teacher who cannot understand simple English. Maybe he should consider changing profession too. Hokay, back to the topic.