dmacmillan Offline Upload & Sell: On
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saywhuut wrote:
I didn't intend to give impression that I'll be trying to do a wedding for hire tomorrow. It is my long term goal. Thank you very much for this helpful information to get me on the right path.
Gotcha.
I'm just an old fart, so forgive my ramblings, but I suggest you stop and think about turning your hobby, something you love, into a money making enterprise, no matter how modest. There are costs.
I've taught photography off and on over the last 30 years in the continuing education department of two different universities. I tell my students they have the luxury of photographing what they want, when they want to. That's a precious luxury that should be guarded. Once you do photography for hire, you're under the beck and call of others. This is especially true of wedding photography, which is a huge time suck.
I understand the lure of shooting for money, especially when friends and family praise your work. That's what led me to believe obtaining a degree and spending near 25 years shooting professionally (including wedding photography when I was 16!). The funny thing is that I got out of the business partly because I missed photography! I never had time for my own work, if a camera was in my hand, it should be making money.
I went back to school and changed careers in the mid '80's. When I did, I promised myself to only shoot what I wanted. I haven't taken a paying job since. I also avoid doing any photography as favors for friends and family.
Finally, if you do pursue it, be aware of the costs. I've seen a number of enthusiasts buy equipment just for the money making part of photography that they don't use otherwise. They usually don't charge enough and certainly aren't aware of the true costs (transportation, depreciation, etc.). If they sat down and figured it up, they could make more profit baby sitting.
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