So...thinking about a career.

old.Tohtori

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I've been always interested in photography, and as some might have noticed, photo editing.

Now as my "game development" jobs arn't panning out at the moment, i've been thinking of getting some sort of degree/education in the field of photoshoot/graphy/etc.

Basically train to be a photographer.

The thing that really kicked it into gear, was this photo i took of a barracuda.

10082007001wl1.jpg

It was taken with a 1.3megapix camera phone, so it's nowhere near "real" photo equipment, and it was taken rather quickly, as phone photos usually are, but it just looked..nice. Kinda sparked the old passion to the thing.(comments are welcome of course)

I was just wondering, am i setting myself up for a "dead end" job, or is it actually a viable option these days(digital age and all) to become a real photographer?
 

Mojo

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You not picking fields easy to get work in tbh, what's wrong with getting a normal job then working on these things on the side?

That picture looked pretty normal to me, are you on a wind up or something?
 

Sparx

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to be honest mate degrees dont mean anything in photography

I started out the old fashioned way, get into a studio as a runner and learn from there. I've been doing it 5 years now, havent looked back. Stopped being pro (pro meaning earning a living from it) and just really do it as a hobby/sideline

Also what style you looking at?
landscape
Hopper%20landscape.jpg

portrait
Niami-Cornwell-01.jpg

club
4234e59e-d09d-4cf1-b4e5-6b37d4ba9317.jpg

i would recommend it to anyone :)
 

old.Tohtori

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You not picking fields easy to get work in tbh, what's wrong with getting a normal job then working on these things on the side?

First off 'cause finnish work tax thingy is a b*tch, can't work two jobs efficiently without f*cking up your income altogether.

Second, 'cause i like to do what i like to do. HAving two "not normal" jobs would help me get a job in what i like.

That picture looked pretty normal to me, are you on a wind up or something?

Opinion noted, and it does look rather normal, just it's such a normal photo that it's kinda "mag" normal.

Wind up? In what way?

to be honest mate degrees dont mean anything in photography

I started out the old fashioned way, get into a studio as a runner and learn from there. I've been doing it 5 years now, havent looked back. Stopped being pro (pro meaning earning a living from it) and just really do it as a hobby/sideline

Also what style you looking at?

i would recommend it to anyone :)

Good to hear from a "pro" how to do it and how it is, if you have the passion naturally :D

The answer to what style is: yes.

No particular field is over the other.

Also, like with games, i hope one day i can sit by a busstation(whatnot) and someone will be pointing a picture/talk about a game to a friend and i can think "Hm, i made that."
 

Mojo

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First off 'cause finnish work tax thingy is a b*tch, can't work two jobs efficiently without f*cking up your income altogether.

Second, 'cause i like to do what i like to do. HAving two "not normal" jobs would help me get a job in what i like.

I have a couple of friends doing game design and 2 doing photography, but they all have normal jobs earning a crust and doing these things as hobby, 1 is doing quite well in the game area but has 9-5 to back him up. These are not run of the mill jobs and are not as easy to get into as most jobs, don't get me wrong and its great if you can do it but to me these things are in the "Fanciful" category of employment opportunities, like musician and artist.

I used to be a computer hobbyist but now work as a senior IT administrator, I kind of made the leap but it took some doing and there are way way more IT opportunities in IT for example so it’s not that hard.

From Plumber/Builder etc to IT Admin took me 9 years in Total (I had never used a pc when I started out) and had no formal qualifications or training.


Wind up? In what way?

Was just checking :p
 

old.Tohtori

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I have a couple of friends doing game design and 2 doing photography, but they all have normal jobs earning a crust and doing these things as hobby, 1 is doing quite well in the game area but has 9-5 to back him up. These are not run of the mill jobs and are not as easy to get into as most jobs, don't get me wrong and its great if you can do it but to me these things are in the "Fanciful" category of employment opportunities, like musician and artist.

Was just checking :p

Heh yeah i'm not winding up in that way. Serious as can be.

I'm actually a game pro, worked in graphics/design/etc in the gaming industry for over 6 years(got even three AA titles on me belt), so i'm not just daydreaming of it. Just that at the moment, places ain't hiring 'cause everyones on a project/summer break.

I've worked, since 2000, in the game business as a 9-5 job and it's been great, hobby as a job really, but now that i have free time, thought i'd take another passion and turn it into something.
 

Sparx

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i do both IT (my normal 9-5) and photography. Most of the photography i do now is club work. clubs pay me to go in and take photos for them to make their night look amazing. So i can do both quite comfortably
 

yaruar

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The answer to what style is: yes.

No particular field is over the other.

Also, like with games, i hope one day i can sit by a busstation(whatnot) and someone will be pointing a picture/talk about a game to a friend and i can think "Hm, i made that."

Best advice i can give is be prepared to work really ahrd for a long time for next to nothing in order to get a chance to become pro. Also you will need to pick an area in to focus on and a field eventually, whether it be editorial, portraiture, commercial, event, etc, etc. and then be prepared to not make a living out of it once you choose. Also be prepared to spend your life doing wedding and baby portraits unless you get a break in a specific field.
I would honestly say that photography, outside of exceptionally specialist work, is the most competitive field out there, i gave up on it as a career option years ago (my main love wag gig photography and band promo work) when i realised even the best gig photographers struggle to make a living and it's hard enough to make it when working for free (that and i got sick of being barged into by idiots with digital compacts and even prosumer dSLR's when they couldn't even be bothered to turn the built in flash off...)
 

old.Tohtori

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Best advic*snip*in flash off...)

Yeah i've thought of that and working hard for this isn't a problem. Actually it would be a rather nice hobby job. Even the "boring" photoshoot things.

I would probably specialise, after i found out at what i was really good at(if any, prepared for that too).

Only problem i see is, if i tell my family/friends about it, i'd be getting all sorts fo "Well you can shoot this wedding then?" and "Oh take a photo of mah baby!" requests :D
 

Sparx

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its very much who you know, if i work hard enough i can clear £100 an event, can do 4 events a week if i pushed. These days i prefer to keep it as a hobby and not stress myself out. I dont need the money from photography so tend to keep it fun.

But yes you def need to chose a field. I love events and people, i cant stand abstract/landscapes. they are just too dull

20336bb4-804c-4710-b520-39013ebd48ce.jpg


even the generic Ibiza sunset pics bore me
 

Mojo

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Heh yeah i'm not winding up in that way. Serious as can be.

I'm actually a game pro, worked in graphics/design/etc in the gaming industry for over 6 years(got even three AA titles on me belt), so i'm not just daydreaming of it. Just that at the moment, places ain't hiring 'cause everyones on a project/summer break.

I've worked, since 2000, in the game business as a 9-5 job and it's been great, hobby as a job really, but now that i have free time, thought i'd take another passion and turn it into something.

I would really peruse that still then and do the photography as well, learn the trade while perusing your existing career then. Career changes can be done but IMO you need to be earning. I took a wage hit when I made the swap but I was still earning and working there for padding out the CV with the new career like I said IT is quite easy to break into (good IT isn't but run of the mill stuff is) Maybe working in a camera shop might be an option, it would give you contacts exposure to kit and that sort of thing. age and blank spaces in the CV really count against you IMO, bare that in mind whatever you decide.
 

old.Tohtori

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I would really peruse that still then and do the photography as well, learn the trade while perusing your existing career then. Career changes can be done but IMO you need to be earning. I took a wage hit when I made the swap but I was still earning and working there for padding out the CV with the new career like I said IT is quite easy to break into (good IT isn't but run of the mill stuff is) Maybe working in a camera shop might be an option, it would give you contacts exposure to kit and that sort of thing. age and blank spaces in the CV really count against you IMO, bare that in mind whatever you decide.

That's rather what i'm planning, using this time i'm off my mainjob to go to a school and adding it to a list of things i know.

Photoshop(pro) background in games, is such a thing that this is almost an add-on to that field.

Also since i'm unemployed at the moment, the government basically would pay for the training/course in it.

Sparx if you don't mind, that photo gave me a silly idea and i think i'll photoshop something later :D
 

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