Can photography pay?

     Over the years people have asked me numerous questions about what it takes to be a financially successful photographer, and I have found that the best answer I can give them is “I don’t know, I’ll let you know when I become a success.”  Of course I mean this in a joking manner, but there is a thread of truth to it.  You see with the advent of the digital image processor the marketing of photographs got turned upside down and inside out.  Before the digital camera came along professional photography was only practiced by a few dedicated individuals that were willing to
suffer long hours in a dark processing lab, exposure to caustic chemicals, and hauling around a truckload of equipment that cost as much as a middle class home.
     Not so today, even our phones are now capable of capturing a comparatively good image, not to mention the prolific assortment of really fine SLR  and sports cameras available to photographers.  Everyone takes pictures and videos of everything today.  As a matter of fact I really believe that if famous film and plate photographers such as  Alexander Gardner, Ansel Adams, or Yousuf Karsh were to come back today they would probably look for another career field.  The advantage of having a device that can just keep capturing images one after another in rapid succession with the only limitation being the size of your memory card is mind blowing.  Photo enthusiasts can capture  thousand of images of a subject without incurring so much as the cost of pack of chewing gum!  So how is one to make money from an occupation where the number of competitors might number in the hundreds of millions?  Well as you might have guessed that’s the point of this post.
     Strangely enough the key to success still lies in what made photographers like Gardner, Adams, and Karsh practiced.  First of all they didn’t just go out into the world and start taking pictures of every subject that struck their fancy.  They specialized in something that peaked their interest, for Adams it was nature, Karsh loved the infinite expression contained in the human face, and Gardner sought to destroy the deluded notion that there was something romantic or chivalrous about a bloody battlefield.
     So the first element of success I recommend is to pick a subject that peaks your interest and become immersed in it.  If you read my first post you will remember me talking about what my dear old Granddad had to say about things,  Well here’s another one of his gems, “you can make a million dollars selling pencils on the street corner, if you make sure you are selling the best damn pencil money can buy, and you work your butt off every day.”  In other words a half hearted try will end up in failure before you can even get started.
     The second element is learn your market, for example if you choose flowers as you field of endeavor you might think of getting a booth at a local flower show and exhibit your work to the people who have a real interest in your subject.  Doing this will give opportunity to hear both criticism and praise for your work, but a word to the wise develop a tough skin as people can be cruel.  Another good way to get your work noticed is to contribute to local newspapers and TV stations, they are always looking for “stringers” to provide free work.  In other words start small but not slow, the more ways that you offer yourself to the world the quicker the world will respond.
     The last element is quality of work, all modern photographers use a photo paint program to adust their work, learning to use one of these programs is essential, and I really mean learning to use it, just hitting the auto correction button will not get it in today’s competitive market.  Well good luck, next time we’ll go over some of the software and hardware that can help your work to achieve an individual look.