Want quick cash , what kindo f photographic jobs can get me money ?

StephenC_IRL

Ok so I need cash quick, So I was considering Wedding Photography. I own an EOS 400D with the 18-55 EF-S and 55-200 lens kits, and a tripod, any other advice on equipment needed ??? how much work is normally involved in a wedding, how much should I charge ?

example of my work : http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenc_irl/sets/72157601128877395/

Fajitas!

Does this have anything to do with my sarcasm about wedding photography being easy over in After Hours?

StephenC_IRL

not really, but it sort of suggested that its a quick money maker, im aware it requires work and the photos really have to turn out well, but i reckon i could do it

Fajitas!

Lol, it can be a quick money maker, but highly stressful.

You're going to need much faster lenses than what you have. A 50 1.8 if you're on a budget, 1.4 if you're not. A better midrange (17-55) will also come in quite handy. A flashgun will be extremely useful.

You'll have to learn how to use flash effectively.

From here, you'er going to have to be good with candids, and good with telling people what to do/help you.

rymus

I'd say to reliably do a wedding you'll need a backup body for starters. When I did the wedding I couldnt imagine trying to do it with one body. Just for the ability to quickly switch between two lenses it was worth it. If you're getting great, sharp photos with the lenses you have, they may suffice. I'd get a flash gun, off shoe cord and maybe a flash bracket.

Other things needed include thick skin, balls of steel and the ability to work with people. I have a great pdf around somewhere detailing in wonderfully frank language the life of a wedding photographer and everything you can expect.

With what you've got, you could pull off a wedding. I would recommend backup's. Backup body at least. Going into a wedding of any size with one camera and one lens (granted I know you have two) would very quickly lead to hair loss.

magicbastarder

i would suggest it's not an easy way to make some quick cash.
also, you'll need more than what you've shown us to get anyone to pay more than what it'll roughly cost you in blood, sweat and tears.

StephenC_IRL

ok, right i have i think 100 euro to my name, Im good with telling people exactley what i need, but then again i dont have the cash to fund a flash, i used to have a speedlite 430ex but it got robbed, any other ways of making money from my photography with little or no expenses

eamon234

Flashgun is definitely essential - churches have the worst bloody lighting ever!

elven

You think if that was a possibility we wouldn't all be buying 1D mk III's and L lenses with our earnings?

Sorry, I couldn't resist

rymus

Ah wee Elf... go on a budget. 2 x 5D's and a few short L primes would get ya by to start.

Fajitas!

I assumed when I ended my post about it being easy money with [/sarc]...

People would catch on...

FreeAnd..

i think getting into it to just make a quick buck will definitely end in tears, have you been to a wedding and seen what is required of the photographer? That would be my first advice, having seen some of the quality of the wedding photographers around I am not surprised you are thinking about it...from my limited experience anyone with a camera will do...this is something i completely disagree with but there you go..I did a wedding weekend before last, not really my thing and doing it for money I know i would give off the impression that i would rather be anywhere else doing anything else...i'd say it can be easy money, if you consider traipsing around after a bride and being stuck at a wedding for a few hours easy..personally my time is worth more than what i think anyone would pay me to attend weddings professionally...and thats before i would even take a photo

had a quick look through your flickr, i think you would need a few different type of shots if you plan to appeal to a bride looking for photos..its not something they take lightly..maybe try help out as an assistant and grab a few shots for a portfolio and then try sell yourself if you are still interested

StephenC_IRL

cheers FreeAnd, most of my flickr is hosting photos from events and projects where quality didnt count, all my good stuff is locked away in iPhoto i just uploaded the butterfly because i took it today and am quite proud

City-Exile

StephenC_IRL wrote:

... im aware it requires work and the photos really have to turn out well, but i reckon i could do it

I'm sorry mate, but nothing on your flickr suggests that you're ready to cover a wedding. For the wedding couple, it's one of the most important & special days in their lives. You only get one chance to capture the moment.

It's not just a matter of turning up at a church either.
You need to know the area, taking note of local beauty spots, which could be used for some post ceremony pictures. You also need to have some backup plans, to cater for all weather conditions.

You need to learn who the key family & friends are, so that you can capture their participation in the event.

Most people go on reputation, when planning their wedding. If you screw up one special day, you'll soon find out how small Ireland is.

Calina

OP,

assuming you actually want a serious answer to this lunacy:

Nothing in your flickr stream suggests you would be even remotely competent to shoot a wedding. If you have to ask what's involved you are definitely not qualified. And trust me, brides can be very, very hard to work with even if you are competent at what you do.

One other thing: Quality counts all the time if you're serious about photography.

mikeanywhere

I wont bother going into the kit needed as thats already been touched on. However, I would suggest putting images into your flickr account that reflect that you are capable of doing it.

ThOnda

You could also become an intruder as some other photographer's assistant to see what he does. But who will let you know his/her know how? Fool and photographer from opposite sie of this island :-)

StephenC_IRL

ok abandon the wedding idea !!!!!!!!!!, anyone got any other photo based ideas for me, heres a 16 photo sample of the sort of stuff i can do :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenc_irl/sets/72157601128877395/

City-Exile

Get yourself down to the courts, photograph people in high profile cases & try to sell your pictures to the tabloids.
They're not always bothered about quality.

Fajitas!

StephenC_IRL wrote:

anyone got any other photo based ideas for me

Photographers receptionist??

Seriously though, I wouldn't be thinking of it as a career choice just yet. It can be a hard business. Gig shots might be the easiest one for you? To start off on at least.

StephenC_IRL

yeah not a career, well not yet anyway, im a computer programmer so not changing that, i just want some quick money and it seems like one idea

StephenC_IRL

City-Exile wrote:

Get yourself down to the courts, photograph people in high profile cases & try to sell your pictures to the tabloids.
They're not always bothered about quality.

seriously ?????? do they buy many, prices ??, danger of getting attacked by scuum ?

rymus

there's no such thing as quick money. Well, there's the lotto or robbing a bank but other than that, you're out of luck. If money was that easy to come by, everyone would have a 7 figure bank balance.

City-Exile

If money is your motivation, your work will suffer.
If you do want to send pictures to a paper, you'll need to be able to identify the subjects & caption your pictures appropriately.
You'd want to be selling a lot of pictures to make good money though.

StephenC_IRL

im not talking vast sums in the space of 1 day, i need about 2 grand in a month and a bit but id like to see all my non-official job options

rymus

for someone with basic kit and basic experience, 2 grand in 12 months is probably alot to ask.

Eirebear

Its not an easy way to make money in any way shape or form, and if you go into it thinking that you havnt got a hope i would wager.
Seriously are you at the wind up? :cool:

Try getting a webcam and making a pornsite...might work better!

City-Exile

There's a lot of money in porn.

Eirebear

City-Exile wrote:

There's a lot of money in porn.

Is that coming (for want of a better word) from experience?

StephenC_IRL

right, so the general consensus here is the only way for myself to make money with a camera is to either A) photograph a celebrity doing something really really odd , or integrate a gun into a camera and rob a bank like that

also yeah that pron might work , although at 10 cent a pop for the real thing whod want to buy video's of yore ma ?

Fajitas!

Eirebear wrote:

Seriously are you at the wind up? :cool:

Yes... It's my fault though...

rymus

StephenC_IRL wrote:

right, so the general consensus here is the only way for myself to make money with a camera is to either A) photograph a celebrity doing something really really odd , or integrate a gun into a camera and rob a bank like that

There's always C) Sell the camera

City-Exile

Eirebear wrote:

Is that coming (for want of a better word) from experience?

Not really. The offer was there, but I felt guilty about getting paid for it!

Eirebear

Rymus....hows it your fault?

City Exile....i could take this further but i wouldnt want to bring the moral tone of the thread down with me

rymus

my fault? wtf? Just pointing out that a quick way to make money from a camera is to sell it. If the need for the money was so dire it almost makes sense..

StephenC_IRL

the need for money is to buy another camera (video) so im not selling the still one

Eirebear

rymus wrote:

my fault? wtf? Just pointing out that a quick way to make money from a camera is to sell it. If the need for the money was so dire it almost makes sense..

lol sorry rymus.... i meant fajitas

Yes... It's my fault though...

Its been a long night

Fajitas!

Lol, I posted in After Hours, telling someone he'd make dead easy money in photography...as a wind up... I think a few people have taken it seriously...

Eirebear

Fajitas! wrote:

Lol, I posted in After Hours, telling someone he'd make dead easy money in photography...as a wind up... I think a few people have taken it seriously...

Aaaahhh, i seen the after hours comment in this thread but couldnt find the post in there.

Still gives them a few minutes away from slagging romanians!

Fajitas!

I was going to keep it up over there...but I think it raises hopes a bit too much...

Fionn

perks up!!!

someone say easy money??????


mind you, male prostitution did come to mind when a sum of two grand in a month was mentioned!!

not that i'd know :eek:

wedding photography is up there with some of the most difficult to do,
I've met today with a bride to be, (and here mother) took some macro shots already, have to do a recce tomorrow, scout out some locations, church - see priest etc. make out running order of shots, double/triple check on equipment thursday propose some locations and get the go-ahead - get up early on Friday to do it.
I'll have two bodies, four lenses, two flashes, tripod assorted batteries/ cards/ remotes & a laptop.
and
I'm as nervous as the bride

easy money?

if i was good looking i'd be a rent boy!!

or a gigilo might suit better

the only way to make honest money is work hard for it, and if you can do that make sure you come from a rich family!

minikin

im a computer programmer

here's a crazy idea... work as a computer programmer, if you're doing that already... then do some freelance programming at night.

Surely you're getting more than 2k a month as a programmer?
Why do you want to spend 2k on video camera?
What about a loan?

loyatemu

slightly OT but do wedding photographers still use large format cameras much (I know the one we used took most of the posed photos on one, but that was a few years ago).

Paulw

Of the 4 weddings I've been at in the last 2 years, in many cases, my camera (Canon 20D) was as good as theirs, with one using a 1d.

I haven't seen any film cameras used, and haven't seen any large format cameras either.

All were DSLR camera.

soccerc

loyatemu wrote:

slightly OT but do wedding photographers still use large format cameras much (I know the one we used took most of the posed photos on one, but that was a few years ago).

At a recent weeding I was at the "photographer" was using a Nikon D40, seriously.

PaulieC

I've had a few weeks off work (rained every day) and to pass the time one day, I went to a local florist and bought 3 flowers. I set my camera up on a tripod in the kitchen, facing the window and taped some greaseproof paper to the window to use as a background.
(I freely admit to using a picture posted here some time back as 'inspiration' - see if the original snapper knows which one)
This is a sample of what I ended up with:



(ugh the lower right corner of this is horrible!)

I uploaded about 12 pics like this to a stock site that I use and to date I have sold about $100 worth of these images alone in about 4 weeks.

elven

Oooh, what's the stock site?

Calina

thimblefull wrote:

At a recent weeding I was at the "photographer" was using a Nikon D40, seriously.

Weeding?

I have images of people in evening gowns with garden implements here...

PaulieC

elven wrote:

Oooh, what's the stock site?

http://submit.shutterstock.com

this is information only, I know there are quite strong opinions on these microstock sites, but I do't want to get into the fors and againsts here.

I use it as a way to make a few quid on the side

Covey

StephenC_IRL wrote:

im not talking vast sums in the space of 1 day, i need about 2 grand in a month and a bit but id like to see all my non-official job options

Get yourself attached to a Santa Claus come mid November:D

T.

highlydebased

Theres a guy here in Limerick, he takes photos at all the underage gigs

He then sells photo sets to the bands, 10-15 euro a go. At a big gig there could be 10 bands, over 100 euro made. They are not terribly fussed about quality at all

Not bad to start out with...not bad at all