If you know anyone who has a current Mac computer, you
can use IWeb to create a website showing your recent
photographs. Set up an .mac account [$99 per year] and
publish your IWeb webpage(s).

Acquire from Vistaprint.com a colorful business card
by selecting from their many templates a suitable one
that meets your needs. Make sure to list the URL of
your website along with a telephone answering device.
Do not place your home address or anything personal
such as a cellphone on this businesscard. Then when
you receive the finished business card, pass it around
to various churches, temples and the like to solicit
business.

When you receive a major photography assignment, visit
your local professional camera store and “rent” the
necessary camera equipment to fulfill this assignment.
When starting out, you don’t want to tie your money up
with a piece of camera equipment which because of ever
changing technology “becomes obsolete.” Remember, that
90% of professional photographer are not “buying”
camera equipment continually which can easily become
outdated; instead, they merely “rent or lease” the
camera equipment for set period of time; thereby
keeping their money for other expenses. Even though
you may have your heart set on an SLR and film, you
may have to give up that concept for the moment, since
digital photography offers the most economic method of
photo reproduction. Digital imagery is easy to edit on
a computer and the print quality is often far superior
to regular film-generated prints.

You want to buy an “essential/basic” DSLR system which
has an all-around affordable accessory lenses, then
consider the award winning Pentax KD series beginning
with the Pentax K100D 6.1 mp DSLR with “image
stabilization” built into the camera body. “Image
stabilization” is essential for allowing you to take
telephoto pictures at weddings, parties, while on the
go and you don’t have to drag along a tripod to steady
your camera. Unfortunately, Canon and Nikon have
chosen to install their “vibration reduction” devices
into very expensive auxiliary lenses. But getting back
to the Pentax K100D which comes in a starter kit
consisting of two Pentax lenses: a 18-55 mm. normal
lens and a 50-200 mm. telephoto which sells for $650
at samys.com. Again, the Pentax K100D starter kit runs
circles around the D40 Nikon!

For digital print processing, find a private
professional film processing lab who can handle all
your client’s print orders. And with a resale license,
you will be qualified for considerable “professional”
discounts on lab fees. A search on the Google and
Yahoo for wholesale photo albums will connect you with
various distributors who, again, you can sign on as a
photography studio and get a dealer’s pricing for any
number of albums, guest books, etc.

Instead of renting a studio, take people pictures at
local parks and beaches and for indoor shots, go to
the client’s residence or office to set up a photo
shooting environment which consists of a set of
lights, reflective screens, background drapery, etc.

Good luck!

I started my commercia photography business over 40 years ago. I have managed to make a fairly good living out of it over the years and enjoyed all the nice benefits of being self employed. You can also do this and I have a few tips for you to get started.

It sounds to me like you are interested and have a not very flexible, but decent picture taking camera. If you don’t already have one, your next step should be a decent quality color ink jet printer (the HP series printers that use the 02 series ink cartridges will make nice color prints and can be had at a fairly resaonable cost).

Take a ton of pictures. Be very criticle of your work and start to print up a portfolio of only your best photos. Show your portfolio to anyone who seems interested in seeing it.

Enter every amateur photo contest you can find and don’t be disapointed if you don’t win them all, just keep trying.

At age 15, I assume you are probably in High School. Get on you yearbook photo staff and School Newspaper staff if you can, and work hard at it. Take any technical photography courses or classes you can find. Stay away from most artsy courses as those courses are nice but will never prepare you to make an actual living in photography. Do not take courses that are not primarily devoted to digital photography. Film photography is now basicly obsolite and all photography will soon be digital.

Don’t waste your time with college courses in photography. The few college educated photographers I have hired have to be totally retrained to be able to cope with customer needs and income producing time schedules.

Take any income producing opportunities that come yoiur way. Do weddings for your friends, models composits, portrates, babys, etc. if they are offered to you and do not work for free. Caution though… do not do anything you don’t feel you can do well. If you take photos for money and they do not represent your best efforts, your failures will come back to haunt you. If you are not confident in taking the needed picthres, don’t take the job. No one will fault you for saying that you can’t do this job, but if you try and fail at a job, people will remember.

Hope these tips will help you to get started. Good luck to you. If you can become a successful photographer, you cay make a nice living diong it and be happy in a profession you love.

d5canon

I started out like you with just a point and shoot. I have a daughter that plays sports and I would just take pics of all the girls and the parents would always brag about how much better my shots were than theirs were and they wanted copies of everything I took of their kids. I eventually upgraded to a Canon G-II film camera (for better action shots) and kept on taking pictures. Now, I am the official team photographer, family photographer and I have friends and family referring other people to me for their kids photos and weddings. Just stay with it and if you’re good enough, ppl will start asking you if you’re free for such and such date to take their pictures. Good luck!

I have been into photography for quite some time. I would suggest going to a camera store and seeing what they have. Some stores have used cameras that you can start out with that are not expensive then you can go from there.

Why not give it a shot? Sure alot of people can take decent photographs..but how many can take the “holy sh** that pic’s awesome!” type of photos?

Anyway, at the very least, you’ll learn a little bit about how to run a business.

Speaking of that, one book you might wanna check out– “The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Fail, and What to do About it”. VERY informative book for someone who’s thinking about starting a small business.

try to get hold of old photography mags may by 2 or 3 years old reed up on the DSLR and take the info and look for a good second hand DSLR from that info there is a lot of good older cannons around like the D10 or Minolta 7d and you will get far more for your money than buying new
Good Luck

Yes it is.

Follow your dream. Remember the old saying: “Its better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.”

the abillity to produce great images in the camera is a dying art as people think great images are made from hours in the computer,

do what you feel is the right thing to do

a

You may not like this answer but it is intended to be honest and helpful. Don’t start any business, not even a small one, until you are sure of what you are doing. Apart from the risk to your reputation through failing to deliver you may be liable to losses. Don’t buy more kit until you are a little closer to knowing what you want to photograph – make the most of what you have by learning to use it to it’s best. Equipment can cost a lot, especially when more specialised – much food photography for example needs larger format than 35mm or high end digital to get published and lighting is essential and expensive.

Look at as many good quality published or exhibited pictures of your subject as you can. Visit exhibitions showing your subject and if possible get to know other photographers – perhaps through a club – that can help build your technical skills.

As your skills grow you will stretch your equipment until the day comes when you will either know or have a good idea of what extra kit you need.

When your skills and knowledge develop you will be in a much more ablle position to take on jobs which, at the beginning, you might do for free but without risk of liability, until your confidence grows. Then think about the business side of things.

Good luck

I have been a pro shooter for 8 years and its def a career. There are photographers that bring in millions each year. Now that not me but there are those who demand hi fees.

Right now i would join a photography forum or 2
They are great. I belong to one and they help me and i help them. People from all ages and talents are there… Great place to start to get a real grasp as to what photographers are up to these days… Most use Photoshop, i use photoshop and paintshop… they are both invaluable

good luck and have fun…