Full or part time photography?

[Gavin]

Just wondering how many of us do photography as a full time job. I personally have another job, and do photography part time at the moment, but I don't plan I staying that way

[photovanbeek]

This is a good question because it's a question that we often get from couples.

Some couples prefer that you have another non-photography job so that you might be less expensive while others hope that you are full time into photography so that you are more serious and "legitimate".

Personally I think that you don't really reach your full potential in anything until you do every day and most of the day. In photography, I can think of a lot of examples that support this.

By the same token, some people prefer full time wedding photographers because of the belief (which I think is ridiculous) that if you specialize, you will be better. Others believe that doing a mix of photography makes you more well rounded. I had one client mention that she had read that commercial photographers make the best wedding photographers because they are used to deadlines, high pressure, and delivering high quality. I'm not sure that it makes a difference of not but lucky for me I do commercial work all the time.

[DragonflyDM]

I am a full time photographer and public relations person. My first eighteen years in the military was either shooting video or stills for some government agency, while still freelancing for papers, studios, weddings, etc.

As I retire from the military next year, I started three years ago my studio Dragonfly Digital Media and took a Navy job that would have me staying home as long as possible. But even now I shoot for the Navy in some of my job capacity.

I still freelance, but I am settling down a bit and preparing and networking.

I really think that the future of wedding photography will be shifting more and more to the full time photographer/part time wedding photographer. The inclusion of quality digital shifts weddings from an exclusive few into a strata of different levels of photography. Uncle Joe actually has a market share of the wedding business now.

There will always be a place for the high end photographer, but he won't have all of the market anymore.

But Uncle Joe, middle America, etc. --- we have to hustle, and since there is no Socialized health care, etc--- more and more people will be working second jobs that will have more social and family security for the benifits while working more and more in the wedding business for the bulk of income.

[MarkLawley]

[ QUOTE ]
I personally have another job, and do photography part time at the moment,
Part Time 0 0%


[/ QUOTE ]

You must not have voted in your own poll [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/foreheadslap.gif[/img]

Mark

[Gavin]

oops...
I did now [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[MarkLawley]

I'm going to disagree with you here.

[ QUOTE ]

Personally I think that you don't really reach your full potential in anything until you do every day and most of the day. In photography, I can think of a lot of examples that support this.

By the same token, some people prefer full time wedding photographers because of the belief (which I think is ridiculous) that if you specialize, you will be better.

[/ QUOTE ]

These two statements seem contradictory.
I am in agreement with the first. Specialization certainly makes one better in THAT area. When the ticker acts up, you want a cardiologist, not a general practitioner or an internist. You want a specialist.
I've done most areas of photography over the years, with the exception of fashion, including commercial. Having been exclusively weddings for several years now, I am sure I would not be as good of a commercial shooter today. I know you wouldn't want me to do your children's photography.
Specializing has caused me to lose the edge in other areas, but has caused me to be better at weddings.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that generalists, or commercial, or portrait, shooters can not be VERY good wedding shooters. I know they can and do. Neither do I believe that one specializing in weddings is necessarily better than someone who does not specialize.
What I am doing is agreeing with your first statement. You don't reach your full potential, in a particular area, unless you specialize in that particular area.

Mark

[pixel8]

If you really want to measure your expertise in any discipline of photography, all you need to do is submit a qualifications panel to one of the industry's qualifying bodies.

Very few people in history have earned Fellowships in mixed disciplines but there are several Fellows in each if the individual specializations, like portraiture, weddings, advertising and or commercial.

No one can argue when you have proven your expertise with a successful panel.