3 Things I Thought I Knew About Photo Marketing and Becoming a Professional Photographer - WRONG!

         Back when I first decided to become a professional photographer and get involved with photo marketing on a full time basis, I thought - foolishly - that all I had to do was practice and study all the latest techniques for creating stunning images! Then, once I learned to consistently do brilliant work, my career as a professional photographer would be more or less cast in stone.

        Boy was I wrong! If you want to earn great money in photo marketing (I've lost count of how many $1000 days I've had) by becoming a professional photographer and working in the career of your dreams - here are 3 vital things you NEED to know. BTW - you can and should start part time!

       First, let me establish a few assumptions on my part. I assume you are interested in photography and that you have dreamed about working in a career that you love.

       I also assume that you are either considering/dreaming about becoming a professional photographer or possibly have already tried your hand at photo marketing - at least part time.

       Note: I didn't assume you are a brilliant photographer. That was the first huge hurdle I faced when I wanted to start my photo marketing career. I just wasn't that good. I was and still am competent, but I don't see myself ever winning any major creative awards.

       I'd shoot and shoot. Remember - this was in the olden days of film, when every shot cost about a dollar after considering time, film, developing and printing costs. No matter how much money I pumped into my "hobby", no matter how many credit cards I maxed out buying the latest and greatest, I just couldn't measure up to the photos I was seeing in all the photo books and magazines.

       My dreams of a career as a professional photographer seemed totally out of reach.

       Wrong. That's myth #1. You don't need to be Ansel Adams! Just competent!

I don't remember where, but somewhere I stumbled across someone who said, "There's room in professional photography for every skill level."

         That sentence changed my life. I'd buy the originator of that little snippet of gold a beer, if I could remember who it was.

          For some reason, it really hit home and I decided to give photo marketing a try. Bottom line...I found out that 90% of all your photo shoots are going to be the same types of subjects, lit and posed the same basic ways.

         Don't get me wrong, every session you do should be your absolute best work, but save the creative stuff for contests - not day to day photo marketing. (Actually, if you are too creative, your sales will drop. The clients expect traditional portraits and don't like it if you deviate very far from their expectations.)

           My second major hurdle to getting started as a professional photographer was getting the money to open a studio. After all, rent is fairly expensive and when you add in decorating the space, signage, hiring a receptionist, utilities and all the other doodads involved in opening a physical studio - it can all be rather daunting. Particularly when you've never done any photo marketing and this dream of becoming a professional photographer is getting more and more expensive by the minute.

Before I launched my photo marketing career, I did a little research and discovered that the best professional photographers do a lot - if not most - of their work "on location"! In other words, they aren't even using the studio! Plus, their customers were so happy the photographer was coming to them, they were willing to pay extra!

         So I said to myself, "I can pay a ton of money for a studio I won't be using, or simply do everything 'on location' and get even higher fees! Hmmm...what should I do?"

      I've been a professional photographer for over 16 years, have over 6000 past clients and have NEVER opened a studio.

       Myth #2 - You need a fancy studio to be a professional photographer. WRONG.

        Myth #3 - As a professional photographer, once people see your stunning images they will flock to you with checkbook in hand! WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

        Sorry to say it but your images have little to do with your success as a photographer. It's all about your marketing. Once you get your marketing right, people actually will be clamoring for your services, but not before - no matter how good you are.

       In fact, many of my best promotions get new customers lining up to be photographed without ever having seen any of my work at all! So, if photo marketing and living your life as a professional photographer sounds even a little intriguing, respond by enrolling in my Part Time Photography newsletter. You'll get a free eBook and daily tips on how you can turn your dreams into cash.

        I know how hard it can be to try and capture your creative vision with a camera, but if you really want to be creative you'll need to learn a couple methods that work amazingly well...They are simple to pick up, work right away and don't take any practice - you can read how to do it in my free ebook here... "Secrets To Creating Stunning Photos!"

      Don't give up hope, it's NOT impossible. To learn how to put that elusive "WOW" factor into your photography - just click here... http://www.OnTargetPhotoTraining.com

By Danny Eitreim  Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1244639

Tips on How To Become A Professional Photographer

     If you think you have what it takes to become a professional photographer, it's about time you took the necessary steps to achieve this dream of yours. Finding out how to become a professional photographer may seem quite easy especially as you watch the experts focusing those lenses and clicking away. Yes, it is surely fun if this is your passion. However, getting there may not be as trouble-free as you think.

     Here are some ideas on how you can develop your craft in photography and eventually become a professional photographer:

     • Pile up the knowledge. Attend classes. Go to seminars. Listen to the experts in this field.             Read books and articles. Knowledge, combined with hands-on application, is key to                   becoming a good photographer. Even when you are already practicing this career, it is still         best to keep yourself updated on the latest gadgets, accessories, tricks, software, etc.

     • Keep a journal and jot down notes. When you are just starting, you really need to pay                    attention to the details of learning about how to become a professional photographer. Part          of this is keeping a journal where you can jot down notes on tricks you would like to try out,          inspirations you wish to explore, places you would like to visit, goals you want to attain,                seminars and workshops you wish to attend, upcoming exhibits you want to check out, and        more. You can paste magazine cut-outs of great snapshots you would like to attempt. You          can add clippings of articles, ads, and other things related to your craft.

      • Shoot, shoot, shoot. The best way on how to become a professional photographer of top           quality is to keep practicing. Shoot as many pictures as you can which are connected to             your niche. From time to time, you may try out other kinds of photography too just to make           you more versatile and to help you improve your skills. Also be sure to shoot in different               conditions--- various times of the day, diverse locations, etc. Just remember to just keep             shooting away. Just like other hobbies and careers such as writing and teaching, you need         to keep doing it to become better.

      • Set goals. If you really want to know how to become a professional photographer, you                 need to keep reading and listening and participating and learning. Set specific and time-           bound goals for yourself each step of the way so you can easily keep track of your                       progress. Set goals for your professional career too--- fix your portfolio, put up a website,          make ads for your photography, volunteer to be an assistant, apply for photography studios        and the like, and more.

       When you follow these guidelines on how to become a professional photographer, you will most likely reach this dream. Smile and be excited at every snapshot you take, and you will soar in high heavens.

       Louis is a freelance photographer who makes money by taking pictures for local companies. Check out his website How To Become A Photographer [http://www.howtobecomeaphotographerguide.com] where he talks about how to find freelance photography jobs [http://www.howtobecomeaphotographerguide.com/freelance-photography-jobs.html], how to start making money as a photographer and much more.

By Louis Monfils http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louis_Monfils

How to Become a Professional Photographer and Live Like One

     You have been an amateur photographer and now you want to get profit from your hobby by becoming a professional. In fact, there are many amateurs who want to do the same thing as you. Sometimes you will face some difficulties when you want to take a step from amateur to professional photography. Obviously your photography skill is an important factor, but other than that, you also need self awareness, patience, focus, and marketing skills. However, you should never feel discouraged because famous photographers used to be amateurs as well.
Important factors to become a professional photographerQuality is very important and it is more important than quantity, by far. If you have started taking some pictures and find some good quality pictures, you should start marketing and selling immediately. Don't wait until your collection is too much, which can create sorting problems. By selling your pictures in advance, you also will understand the preference of the market so you 
can adjust your style to meet the demand.

     The next important factor is to create an online portfolio. This is the best way to market your photographs and reach out to international audience. Preparing a personal website that contains some of your works is a good way to start making your online portfolio. It is better to include purchasing capability in the website, usually by credit cards, so visitors can buy your works immediately.Perhaps the most important step to become a professional photographer is to promote your works as much as possible. Submitting your best photos to many companies that need this kind of work is a good idea. Some companies that you can consider are calendar producers, brochure makers, advertising agencies, and newspaper companies.The last thing to remember is that you must not be fear of rejection. Many people are disheartened and stressful when their works are rejected. You must not allow the same situation to happen to you. If a company rejects your works, you should keep submitting to other companies because opportunities are everywhere. Of course you should make sure that the photos are of a good quality in the first place. Rejection is a part of photography career and you can learn from it.

     Live as a professional photographerWhen a person is paid to do things that he or she is an expert at, he or she can be considered as a professional. Some people say that it is only a hobby if you do not get money from the activity. The same thing applies to the world of photography.There are two opposite schools of thought concerning professional photography. The first says that a photographer is an artist who can make pictures as what he wants. On the contrary, the second argues that a photographer is paid by others so he or she should make pictures that meet the requirements of the requesters. It depends on your choice of living to choose between these two scenarios because both can earn you money.The demand for professional photographers is always high, especially in the world of marketing. You can see big billboards everywhere that need an involvement from a professional photographer. Marketers need professional photography to make their products or services much more tempting. Even a simpler work like taking baby photographs has its own market as people always want to remember their loved ones wherever they go.

     By Cindy Heller   http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Heller