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“I feel that all of these faux wanna be professionals are a sign of our present day social values – that you need to make money from anything for it to have value”.
you’ve hit the nail on the head, with that one. So many people missing out on what photography really is. What really urks me is when I show people what I do (lots of finished pieces on my walls) and the conversation ends up about being in business, and how much money I could make if I did family portraiture. For one, just because I can make a rain drop or a stupid bug look interesting and beautiful, it does NOT mean I can do the same for people. I’m still learning how to shoot people, for my own satisfaction because I find it to be a challenge, and one day hope to make a portrait series or two. Then I teach them how much I would have to charge per session to make a profit equal to that of working part time at a fast food joint, because I can’t afford to only charge what everyone else they know does (We have enough debt, thank you). I’m not knowledgable or skilled enough for people to spend that much with me, and how would I be able to have a thriving business just charging the bare minimum like that? Then awkward silence… Then it becomes how I should sell my photos at art fairs and flea markets and summit them to magazines, etc. “Thats a lot of investment, just to take a chance at making a few bucks”. Really folks, I’m more than happy with my occasional sell (which surprises the heck out of me that it happens at all, because I’m not selling pictures of people to the people that love them) and compliment. Nope not getting rich, but that isn’t quite the point to what I do. Then all I get are whys and how I’m wasting my potential, and what a shame it is. I just think “If they only knew”. I should get a shirt that says ” my photography has value, even though I don’t get paid money to do it”. That’s a little too wordy though… Maybe just “bite me” would be a better choice lol
oh no, I rambled… I apologize :). Glad you’re here Trojanllama. I like the way you think