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I'm a digital nomad and amateur photographer. (coding pays for my glass) making it as a professional photographer is super difficult in my experience. Its not

I'm a digital nomad and amateur photographer. (coding pays for my glass) making it as a professional photographer is super difficult in my experience. Its not enough to be a good photographer, you also need to have the right connections and negotiate situations on the fly. On top of that. there's a glut of people with talent so the competition is damn fierce. Plus glass is expensive af. I make due with the kit lens which was an extra $300. The one I plan to upgrade to costs a cool 1k Don't let that dissuade you from pursuing a lifestyle as a digital nomad however! if you're a software engineer, its easier than ever. also: plug for my photos > https://www.flickr.com/photos/193526747@N04/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/193526747@N04/? > https://www.instagram.com/cultofmetatron/ https://www.instagram.com/cultofmetatron/

mimentum 5y ago
100% agree as a former 'pro' photographer. The market is totally saturated now, digital plays a part in that. Like you've mentioned, you've got to be brilliant and have qualities that extend far beyond your creative aspects. Ideally you have better than good business skills because being a bloody good photographer means more than selling your images, you need to sell yourself.
yunusabd 5y ago
Kind of tangential, I had an idea for an app that brings together photographers and people who want their photos taken, for casual photo shoots. This could provide additional revenue for (travel) photographers. I realize this plays further into the commoditization of photography, but that's happening regardless, so might as well make the best of it. https://yunusabd.de/ideas/#3-casual-photo-shooting-app https://yunusabd.de/ideas/#3-casual-photo-shooting-app
deleted 5y ago
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lastofthemojito 5y ago
I think you have to be a bit of a shameless self-promoter to be successful as a pro photographer too. And I don't mean shameless in a purely negative sense either - I think a lot of introverts like myself unjustifiably feel shame when selling themselves at all. The photographer in the article has a travel blog at travellikeanna.com and I simply can't imagine myself registering a domain name like that. What business do I have inspiring people to do something like me? And why would I want to share so much about me, personally? But she's not only a talented photographer and writer, but she's built herself a confident yet approachable online brand, so if you were hiring someone to take photos of a far-flung place, she'd seem like an easy choice for the job.
- psychomugs 5y ago
  There's also the endemic trend of tech shilling, not unique to but particularly endemic in photography due to its inherent consumer-oriented ecosystem. Many of the most popular online photography personalities are tech reviewers who happen to focus on cameras.

mimentum 5y ago

100% agree as a former 'pro' photographer. The market is totally saturated now, digital plays a part in that. Like you've mentioned, you've got to be brilliant and have qualities that extend far beyond your creative aspects. Ideally you have better than good business skills because being a bloody good photographer means more than selling your images, you need to sell yourself.

yunusabd 5y ago

Kind of tangential, I had an idea for an app that brings together photographers and people who want their photos taken, for casual photo shoots. This could provide additional revenue for (travel) photographers. I realize this plays further into the commoditization of photography, but that's happening regardless, so might as well make the best of it. https://yunusabd.de/ideas/#3-casual-photo-shooting-app https://yunusabd.de/ideas/#3-casual-photo-shooting-app

deleted 5y ago

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lastofthemojito 5y ago

I think you have to be a bit of a shameless self-promoter to be successful as a pro photographer too. And I don't mean shameless in a purely negative sense either - I think a lot of introverts like myself unjustifiably feel shame when selling themselves at all. The photographer in the article has a travel blog at travellikeanna.com and I simply can't imagine myself registering a domain name like that. What business do I have inspiring people to do something like me? And why would I want to share so much about me, personally? But she's not only a talented photographer and writer, but she's built herself a confident yet approachable online brand, so if you were hiring someone to take photos of a far-flung place, she'd seem like an easy choice for the job.

psychomugs 5y ago
There's also the endemic trend of tech shilling, not unique to but particularly endemic in photography due to its inherent consumer-oriented ecosystem. Many of the most popular online photography personalities are tech reviewers who happen to focus on cameras.