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#9315
llamassassin
Participant

At this point she’s killing herself with her lack of professionalism more than her lack of skill.  We ALL had to start somewhere, and I know some of my photos could have been on this site when I was first learning (although I didn’t charge people or have a website when I was first learning, either).  Even now I only consider myself a casual freelancer and all my business comes from word-of-mouth and repeat clients.

I think humility can get you a long way in photography.  I was paid $75 for my first wedding (and that was only because they insisted on paying me something).  At the time, I had been working at a studio for two years.  I didn’t even want to shoot the wedding because I knew that was WAY different than studio photography.  The only reason I agreed at all is because one, they were family, two, they begged me,  and three, they already had a professional hired– they just wanted me there to fill in the gaps.  So I didn’t feel like I would be totally ruining their photos if I messed up.  But I made it absolutely clear to them that I had no experience with weddings and the photos likely wouldn’t be what they expected. They knew exactly what they were getting.

After that I shot a few weddings for friends for free.  I must have done ok because gradually more requests came in and as I gained experience I slowly increased the amount that I was charging.  Weddings have always stressed me out, though, and I never feel like my work is truly up-to-par with other wedding photographers.  I have nightmares about ruining someone’s special day with crappy photos.  I have been fortunate to never have a complaint and I continue to get business from people who saw their friend’s photos and wanted to hire me, so I must be doing well enough!  But I don’t consider myself a “wedding photographer” so I have actually decided recently to stick to family photography.  That’s what I enjoy most and where I get the most business.  Sometimes being a photographer means finding your niche rather than being a “jack of all trades.”

Anyway, the point of all this (I’m talking to you, Shelby, if you’re listening) is that you don’t start out tooting your horn and shooting down everyone who gives you honest feedback.  You work to get better, and interest in your photography will grow as your skills improve.  You’ll gain business from other people who see your work and like what they see.  You will NOT get business by alienating customers and having your family members gang up on them.  I know if I was looking for a photographer, I wouldn’t touch your “business” with a ten foot pole.  Even if I liked your pictures, I would be worried about how I would be treated.  I know your family members think they are sticking up for you, but they aren’t doing you any favors.  Calling people names, telling them to “get a life”, calling them stupid, etc. is no way to attract clients.  You’ll be lucky if this isn’t a permanent blemish on your career.  If I were you, I would tell your family to knock it off and then try to fix this mess with some grace.