Comments on: Have You Ever Made Money From Your Photography?

By: Harold

Harold — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:21:51 +0000

This is awesome! I love photography and have wished for making a career out of it.. I even looked up for graduate jobs in photography to consider taking up a course. I like landscape and person photography.

I shall start working on a website now and see how things unfold!
Thanks a ton for sharing!

By: May Baird

May Baird — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:58:40 +0000

Hi, I have over 30 years sales experience selling directly to the housewife door to door on behalf of several financial companies, the financial crisis in this country effected many peoples income, including mine.

As recently as last May I replied to a job advertisment placed by a portrait photographer looking for a door to door sales person/canvasser to organise her working diary by getting qualified appointments for photo shoots for family portraits and got the job. I took the photographs back to the customer as well to hopefully secure the sale, and the photographer delivered the finished product on an agreed day and got paid at the same time and I was paid commission (Sounds easy yeah) It was not a well paying job but I continued to work in this way for the following 6 months, during this time I bought a camera, background, flashgun tripod etc all secondhand, but did’nt have a clue what I was going to do with them and knew little about photography so started taking family photos, then picked the brains of an aquantance who is a part time landscape photographer plus a few mags and of course the camera instructions, I must admit I was a long way off from becoming a supposed photographer, untill I got the push I needed.

One of the appointed customers who had 9 kids postponed her photoshoot due to a sick child but the photographer requested I dont reappoint as she thought it was too large a group. (I was rather miffed at this but quickly forgot all about it) until I got a call a few days later from the lady requesting I put her in the diary for the following week, I did so but the photographer asked me to phone back to cancel. My selling instinct kicked in and I was not about to let a potential sale go down the tubes. In the few short days before the day approached I honestly felt sick, but soon found myself on the ladys doorstep and made an excuse why the photographer was unable to attend and I would do this 1 myself, to my relief there was only 2 kids at home as the older ones refused to pose. I sat down on the floor and spoke to these 2 kids for a few moments before I set about getting everything ready, the kids were as good as gold and sat well, on leaving that house that afternoon I felt good but worried how the photo would turn out, I mean it’s one thing taking family pics and quite another doing it for money.

I knew little of cropping, resolution, and pixels per inch was alien as well. I had previously downloaded a free software to edit but sat up to 3 and 4 in the morning getting the hang of it. A trip to a printer put me right and got two 8 x 10s and a contact sheet to let the customer make a selection which she promptly did and ordered the biggest package and I made my 1st sale with no training whatsoever, I gave up my job and started to fill my own diary but must admit it’s hard work juggling all the tasks from appointment to sale. I would love to speak with someone in a similar situation and cant wait to learn photoshop.

Incidentially I never did tell my boss what I am doing even although we occasionally speak on the phone and she has assumed I went back to my old job. I consider myself a sales person who can use a camera but not a photographer. Thanks for listening.

Regards May

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By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:58:17 +0000

I have sold a couple of photos this year. I had no idea what to charge for them. Is there some way to get some sort of pricing guide? Or is it just a hit and miss. I have been doing photography for the last 20 years but just really started looking at selling some of my photos this year.

By: Zack Jones

Zack Jones — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:17:39 +0000

I’ve made money selling photos from a motorcycle accident to an insurance company (the accident was at a race track and involved a motorcycle and an ambulance) as well as selling photos from sporting events I’ve shot. I wish I could make a living at it but I’ve yet to recover anywhere near the money I have invested in my equipment.

By: GARY PARHAM

GARY PARHAM — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:09:37 +0000

I WORKED FOR A NEW AUTO MAGAZINE. I SOLD ADD SPACE. ALONG WITH THIS I ALSO DID THE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SOME OF THE ADDS

By: Tony

Tony — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:42:22 +0000

For 16 years I was a staff wedding photographer for small studio in the S.F. Bay Areas East Bay. I also worked at a color lab owned by the same studio owner. My last wedding was in 1995. I’m an old “film photographer” so now, I’ve turned the front formal room in my home into a studio, bought a 10mp Canon and have been practicing on anyone that will sit in front of my camera , so that I can hopefully get to the point with my Canon as I did with my Hassleblad ELX. I still can’t seem to replicate the results I got from my Hassy.and I use Photoshop to help improve my images.I hope to get “there” before I ‘m dead and yes I want this investment to pay for itself, but for the time being I realize that there’s a learning curve that I must get thru. I know I can shoot weddings, but I’d rather capture portraits…they’re a little less stressful!! And even if I don’t hit “pay dirt” photography was always something that I loved since I was a 7th grader!! It will always be with me.

By: Stephen H.

Stephen H. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:05:46 +0000

I work for Lifetouch School Studios, and when I checked the box professional photographer, I hated it because I really only consider myself as an amateur photographer with a job as a photographer. I feel pretty confident in my work but when someone says they are a professional I think they have quite a bit more experience than I do. I’ve also made a small sum of money doing a few family portraits for my church to put in the church directory.