Why becoming professional photographer so difficult???

[sfhuang]

Ya lor, and than print many many name cards, put you title big big, don’t need register business, don’t need pay tax also can.

Where got so difficult? :bsmilie:

catchlights stop it liao lah .. you're cracking me up. I'm laughing in front of my computer screen and my wife thinks I'm going crazy! haha ... :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

 

[Sion]

Then you see only same ppls :sticktong comment here and there, all pro comment like very chio bu, pretty model etc.....................

Haha. Now that's one great "Pro comment". :bsmilie:

 

[LittleWolf]

get a cert and write resume for photography? i think maybe u have been influenced too much by the education system in singapore. not everything requires a darn certificate or formal education.

Don't blame the education system - I think it is more the kiasu mentality of the population at large. Take note that a popular outlet promotes its photography classes here on Clubsnap with issueing certificates.

I've talked to teachers and MOE officers about this topic, and they complain that the pressure is coming from the parents (and, to some degree, from the school administration that wants the school to look good by netting awards). Most (I hope) teachers would like to teach so that students understand and learn to use their brain, but the parents rather have their kids drilled to memorize exam questions - and loudly complain if there is a question in the exams that wasn't practised in this exact form before.

Give the average Singaporean a choice between learning something useful or taking a course that guarantees an "A" and a glitzy certificate, and see what happens...

 

[Clown]

for a start, dont post this kinda things...

 

[nightwolf75]

for a start, dont post this kinda things...

now, this IS a pro comment from a real-life pro. :bsmilie: (was wondering when u are going to show up, clown!)

in case u miss the hint, HP, re-read post #2.

 

[AngelZhou]

Mmmm how about if make it this why, "Would you hire a photographer without knowing his / her portfolio if he / she graduate from top notch photography university?" For me, I WONT.

 

[detrop]

well... d prob is, you can graduate frm a top university in arts or photography but still having bad portfolio. possible?

 

[AngelZhou]

top notch sure cannot lah... But those lousy lousy academy... some of it can 'pay' and get cert. N actually some part of the world, you can just purchase cert.


That's why you need a presentable portfolio.

 

[catchlights]

Other job not that difficult to enter, eg, I grad from a uni, got cert, can work in a company liao. But for photographer, need to have good porfolio. Cannot just grad from a school, then write resume, then become photographer.

why???

Been thinking what you have asked in this post, try to answer your quest as a professiona photographer and to anyone interested to know.

Yes, professional photographers need good portfolio, what clients wants is the photos basically, so your photos count, cert does not guarantee a photographer will produce the photos what client want.

To be frank, anyone can be a professional photographer, but will you survive in this industry is not just depend on your photos only, quality of your service and human relation skills, your business and marketing skills also very important.

Some people says you need passion in photography, will you passion inline with what’s client expectation? Will your passion drive you to shoot something you find is boring or dislike, but that’s what clients want you to shoot? Will your passion wear off after you been shoot same subjects days after days? For an example, how many teachers, nurse, say they have great passion on what the do? Yes, in the beginning of their career. How about tens, twenty years down the road? Yes, they may still have, don’t really count on that anymore. What about the rest that they quit half, are their passion dead or gone?

IMHO, what ready can drive you to stay in your career is responsibility, your responsibility to yourself, to your family, to people around you, and to your clients, so you will get up everyday and go to work.

Some of you may think as a professional photographer sound very glamorous… In real life, is just like any other kind jobs…. You work 5 days a week, and expect your salary will be credited into your bank account end of the month.

Professional photographers are also the same, and don’t always produce a masterpiece or an art, but produce the pictures what clients want, and charge clients for their services.

If anyone wants to be a professional photographer, welcome, but please have some serious thinking, you are consider this as your career, you need a lot careful planning, be responsible to yourself, to your family.

Hope this help.

 

[rz67]

Been thinking what you have asked in this post, try to answer your quest as a professiona photographer and to anyone interested to know.

Yes, professional photographers need good portfolio, what clients wants is the photos basically, so your photos count, cert does not guarantee a photographer will produce the photos what client want.

To be frank, anyone can be a professional photographer, but will you survive in this industry is not just depend on your photos only, quality of your service and human relation skills, your business and marketing skills also very important.

Some people says you need passion in photography, will you passion inline with what’s client expectation? Will your passion drive you to shoot something you find is boring or dislike, but that’s what clients want you to shoot? Will your passion wear off after you been shoot same subjects days after days? For an example, how many teachers, nurse, say they have great passion on what the do? Yes, in the beginning of their career. How about tens, twenty years down the road? Yes, they may still have, don’t really count on that anymore. What about the rest that they quit half, are their passion dead or gone?

IMHO, what ready can drive you to stay in your career is responsibility, your responsibility to yourself, to your family, to people around you, and to your clients, so you will get up everyday and go to work.

Some of you may think as a professional photographer sound very glamorous… In real life, is just like any other kind jobs…. You work 5 days a week, and expect your salary will be credited into your bank account end of the month.

Professional photographers are also the same, and don’t always produce a masterpiece or an art, but produce the pictures what clients want, and charge clients for their services.

If anyone wants to be a professional photographer, welcome, but please have some serious thinking, you are consider this as your career, you need a lot careful planning, be responsible to yourself, to your family.

Hope this help.

Wah!!! :thumbsup: well, my friend got degree also but endup selling chicken rice, i think he got degree in selling chicken rice, good money also :bigeyes: :think: :think: :think:

 

[jsbn]

Other job not that difficult to enter, eg, I grad from a uni, got cert, can work in a company liao. But for photographer, need to have good porfolio. Cannot just grad from a school, then write resume, then become photographer.

why???

Why? I oso want to know why.

U ask me why, I ask u why. He ask u why, u ask he why. Why here, why there. In the end, the 'why' comes back to urself...

So ask urself 'Why'. Dun ask others 'Why'.

 

[detrop]

Why? I oso want to know why.

U ask me why, I ask u why. He ask u why, u ask he why. Why here, why there. In the end, the 'why' comes back to urself...

So ask urself 'Why'. Dun ask others 'Why'.

LOL! :sweatsm:

 

[student]

No, I'm not rolling on the floor now.

Why so difficult? :dunno: where got so difficult?

you see everyone here: just snap and snap some pretty girls and later post here and post there, and after that you call me pro, I call you pro also, everyone also pro liao, where got so difficult? :bsmilie:

I lagi pro!

I use pro tripod because my hands shake! But damn pro looking!

 

[jsbn]

I live my interests on a saying, "Never go full-time/Professional on ur hobbies."

Its so much fun when I'm free, rather being tied down.

 

[jsbn]

I lagi pro!

I use pro tripod because my hands shake! But damn pro looking!

Den I guess even cavemen look pro liao... Cos their cavemen drawings pro until u get a group of ppl (archeologists) actually studying them and come out with 15 million cheem theories about them.

 

[eikin]

Den I guess even cavemen look pro liao... Cos their cavemen drawings pro until u get a group of ppl (archeologists) actually studying them and come out with 15 million cheem theories about them.

well, they are 'professional' cavemen. if anyone wants anyone can be one also, just that need to wait 15 million years before someone come over and appreciate what you are doing :bsmilie:

 

[catchlights]

I lagi pro!

I use pro tripod because my hands shake! But damn pro looking!

How's your model TFP with 8 by 10 camera?

Want to try shoot wedding or event with your 8 by 10? become Singapore No 1 and the only 1?? :bsmilie:

 

[eikin]

How's your model TFP with 8 by 10 camera?

Want to try shoot wedding or event with your 8 by 10? become Singapore No 1 and the only 1?? :bsmilie:

way cool!

 

[catchlights]

Imaging in the during a event all photographers line up with their big and small cameras, from big mama to lensbabys, suddenly someone shouted:

Siam! siam! everyone siam! student and his 8 by 10 lai liao! :bigeyes: :bigeyes: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

 

[student]

OK a little more serious.

Catchlights comments are spot on! To "survive" as a professional - meaning financially as well as artistically, is extremely difficult.

It takes a combination of passion, hard work, artistic ability, marketing savvy, and good fortune to "succeed" - financially and artistically. I think many competent professionals ended up reasonably successful in financial terms, servicing their customers in the ways their customers want. Hopefully in the process, they could also be satisfied artistically.

I know of ONE very talented photographer, very passionate, very hard working, very artistic (museums collect his works) because he photographs only for himself. Last week he was forced to leave his house. I am not sure when he will end up. He was unable to even afford reasonable housing in Mexico!

His "Problem"? He photographs only for himself. If he had only make pictures his clients wanted, he would be quite rich. If he would only listen to what gallery owners told him to do, he would not have to move out of Carmel. But he won't. He stuck to his passion. And paid the price.

But if he wanted to make money from his clients, and his clients see the type of photographs he has now, (the types collected by museums) they will not engage him. So you need a portfolio to show your clients, to show them that you could deliver what they pay you to do.