Hello,
Many people on here buy and sell camera gear quite regularly and expensive gear at that. How many use their camera equipment as a hobby or do many/most of you use it to make money? Do many of you sell your photos as a sideline to help defray the cost of your equipment?
While I have had many compliments about my images I have never sold nor tried to sell any of them. It crossed my mind that perhaps many on here do use their photography as a sideline business as opposed to a full-time business so was curious about it. Thank you.

Kindest regards,

Tim

As a hobby shooter, I currently refuse to accept money for photos. I have done a few 'jobs', but only for the most persistent.

I think there was a poll on this subject not too long ago, might try a quick search if you have interest in the results.

raven4ns wrote:
Hobbyist or Professional

Niether. Just a hack with an expensive camera!

I enjoy photography a lot, but I have only paid for a small fraction of my equipment with what I've earned so far. I sell my photos on the side. It is definitely a hobby, not a job so far. Hopefully I can change that in the future.

I'm just the occasional hobbyist with five FF bodies and a few L lenses, etc.

EBH

While we may be splitting hairs with semantics here, I consider myself more of an "enthusiast" than a hobbyist. I absolutely LOVE photography and think of myself as taking it more seriously than a "hobbiest would." No doubt, some people who consider themselves hobbiest will dispute this, hotly. That being said...

I have been asked many times by people if I ever inteded to sell my images (especially when I shoot HS sports). However, I would never want to rob the pleasure and joy out of my photography by turning it into a job.

Dave

EB-1 wrote:
I'm just the occasional hobbyist with five FF bodies and a few L lenses, etc.

EBH



6 FF Bodies actually

Can I be both?

David Israel wrote:
While we may be splitting hairs with semantics here, I consider myself more of an "enthusiast" than a hobbyist. I absolutely LOVE photography and think of myself as taking it more seriously than a "hobbiest would." No doubt, some people who consider themselves hobbiest will dispute this, hotly. That being said...

I have been asked many times by people if I ever inteded to sell my images (especially when I shoot HS sports). However, I would never want to rob the pleasure and joy out of my photography by turning it into a job.

Dave
+1 - if you sell, then maybe it becomes a job and who would want to spoil the joy of a passion by making it a job. IMHO - YMMV

I think of myself as a photographer with a camera, a passion, and a few bodies & lenses.

James

Hobbyist.

I've on rare occasion taken money for s^H^H photos before. But I consider myself an enthusiast in the sense of David above

I'm a passionate hobbyist who occasionally shoots a paid gig (once or twice a year).

Hobbyist though some might say collector. I have been asked to sell some photos, and do some paid gigs but have always declined, if I was to take that step it wouldn't be for the same fun anymore.

Just another yuppie puppy twit with a cupboard full of expensive gear. I mostly walk around with my gear tucked in a 6 Million Dollar Home and try to look cool. If I was a pro I probably couldn't afford all these nice toys. By dumb luck I've managed to sell a few magazine and book covers, enough to fund a trip to Vegas and blow it all.

My Diamond Head Lighthouse photo is the cover of the Commemorative-Stamp-Yearbook-Postal-Service Book. They printed 500,000 copies so that was a lot of ink!

USPS Commemorative Stamp Book

Hobbyist / Gear-Head

You should add another category of professional camera dealer. Some folks on the Buy and Sell list make a steady second income from gear sales.

M Vers wrote:
Can I be both?
+1

Do hobbyist boaters have to justify their spending?

A job is where you go to work. No one I know of gets up in the morning and says "Honey I'm off to fun!"