What do people do for a living here?

Thirdfox

I was just curious as to the make up of the "regulars" on the photography forum - are there many professional full time photographers?

And for everyone else - how do you get time out to take those great shots?

ro1798

meant to be a graphic designer

minikin

graphic design / photography

I don't get nearly enough time for my own work

Owen

Sell cars, play in a band, tech support for the odd few PCs, and maintain a site or two. Oh, and keeping the better half happy too, that's a full time job in itself!

Thirdfox

I'm a college student myself - so I don't have much time on my hands to go out and take photographs (especially when one has to be in the library reading law books all day)

nilhg

Farmer John, thats me.

Paulw

IT person myself, but spend all my money on photography. Damn cameras and lenses ... so expensive.

melekalikimaka

stoodent

crookesa

Working in IT, only getting into photogarphy myself now with doing a City & Guilds course. Enjoying reading the boards a lot though not looking to make any money from the photography "just yet"

Benster

Hobbyist (Who NEVER gets paid)

Funny, had a conversation around this in Charleville on Sat night, seems a good lot of those gathered are of the IT persuasion by day, including myself.

soccerc

Currently part time journo/part time snapper. Get paid for both, no other income.

Eirebear

Untill recently the same as thimblefull, although since moving to glasgow i am now desperately looking for work...

rymus

tech support (the soul destroying kind)...

Isn't part time pro the same as sometimes paid hobbyist? At least when you start getting paid for work and people expect a certain level of quality you're officially a pro

In either case, I'm probably blurring the lines between the two at the moment. Within 12 months the line might become more defined hopefully!

deRanged

hobbyist - who doesn't want to get paid. 'cos if I do it won't be a hobby, it'll be a job. and I don't like those.

I'm a student (and systems/network/programmer general tech guy)

Thirdfox

rymus wrote: »

tech support (the soul destroying kind)...

Isn't part time pro the same as sometimes paid hobbyist? At least when you start getting paid for work and people expect a certain level of quality you're officially a pro

In either case, I'm probably blurring the lines between the two at the moment. Within 12 months the line might become more defined hopefully!

I suppose the difference would be one is actively looking to get paid for gigs and work etc. whereas the other is someone who has been approached by others who want to use their stuff.

The line does seem a bit thin though

ike

I'm an IT security guy - but a hobbyist photographer, but throwing myself into it more over the last 18 months or so..

barryfitz

Im in the IT crowd meself . I said hobbyist, I only bought my dSLR a week ago but before that I suppose it was "just preserving the memories" with my P&S.

Fajitas!

Student who pays his way through college with photography

pete4130

Land surveyor/staff photographer fora bicycle magazine (unpaid).

Thirdfox

fajitas! wrote:

Student who pays his way through college with photography

Are you in a photography related course though? Or is it just something you like doing?

Fajitas!

Fine art course, specialising in Media, further specialising in photography.

But it's also something I like doing.

soccerc

rymus wrote: »

tech support (the soul destroying kind)...

Isn't part time pro the same as sometimes paid hobbyist? At least when you start getting paid for work and people expect a certain level of quality you're officially a pro

In either case, I'm probably blurring the lines between the two at the moment. Within 12 months the line might become more defined hopefully!

Definite case of blurring the lines .

As I've said previously my main full time employment was as a sports reporter/journalist - another blurring of lines there I admit.

During the course of getting out and about I'd be allocated a photographer who would just arrive, get a few shots and then disappear. I found the subsequent photos to be technically good but rarely captured the essence of the game.

So, I began to bring along my old fuji 2800 and take a few during games and the paper began to use them in preference. I upfraded to another fuji, a 5500 but soon found it could not deliver what I wanted.

I spoke with City Exile a few times as I knew he was using a Canon slr and had seen some of his shots. I then contacted a pro sports snapper of my acquaintance and followng this got the D50 kit. Gear porn then set in and I upgraded to a D200 and numerous lenses.

Domestic circumstance required me to give up working full time and I reverted to freelancing. Pressure on time means I cannot get out and about as much as I'd like to improve my technique though still have a couple of assignments weekly. It's my only income.

Eirebear

thimblefull wrote: »

Definite case of blurring the lines .

As I've said previously my main full time employment was as a sports reporter/journalist - another blurring of lines there I admit.

During the course of getting out and about I'd be allocated a photographer who would just arrive, get a few shots and then disappear. I found the subsequent photos to be technically good but rarely captured the essence of the game.

So, I began to bring along my old fuji 2800 and take a few during games and the paper began to use them in preference. I upfraded to another fuji, a 5500 but soon found it could not deliver what I wanted.

I spoke with City Exile a few times as I knew he was using a Canon slr and had seen some of his shots. I then contacted a pro sports snapper of my acquaintance and followng this got the D50 kit. Gear porn then set in and I upgraded to a D200 and numerous lenses.

Domestic circumstance required me to give up working full time and I reverted to freelancing. Pressure on time means I cannot get out and about as much as I'd like to improve my technique though still have a couple of assignments weekly. It's my only income.

Thimblefull...is it ok if i fire a wee pm in your direction later on (dont have time at the minute, jobhunting!) looking for a wee bit advice along the freelancing lines?

m_stan

I put myself down as 'Just want to preserve memories' for the want of a 'Hobbiest who never gets paid but wants to develop my skills and be creative' option

Oh, and I'm in what they call 'web marketing' - website, email marketing, paid search, seo - all that malarky. But not an an agency, thankfully.

Rojo

Student in DIT studying photography! I said hobbyist but I rarely get paid...

Stephen

Hobbyist who never gets paid
By day I'm a full-time IT nerd.

PaulieC

IT myself also.
@Rymus, I think there is a distinction between the two. I'm a hobbyist and I've got paid for a few jobs, but they've been after the fact 'donations', I didn't actively charge for the jobs (they were only favours really)

Hrududu

I put myself down as 'Just want to preserve memories' for the want of a 'Hobbiest who never gets paid but wants to develop my skills and be creative' option

Exactly the same.

5uspect

rymus wrote: »

tech support (the soul destroying kind)...

Ah so you're a BOFH?

I'm a hobbyest who also never gets paid. By day I'm a PhD student who is supposed to be finishing up my thesis...

rymus

cambo_gueno wrote: »

IT myself also.
@Rymus, I think there is a distinction between the two. I'm a hobbyist and I've got paid for a few jobs, but they've been after the fact 'donations', I didn't actively charge for the jobs (they were only favours really)

In that case I'm semi pro then..Don't do the whole 'donations' thing anymore, everyones gotta pay these days Used to do various bits for the sake of doing it. Now I do it to finance gear upgrades

rahtkennades

By day, IT project management (whatever that means).
By night, hobbyist looking to find out how to get paid for it!

rymus

5uspect wrote: »

Ah so you're a BOFH?

That's it in a nutshell. I only come to work these days to shout at people and catch up on well needed sleep.

PaulieC

Bofh?

Paulw

cambo_gueno wrote: »

Bofh?

B**tard Operator From Hell. The tech guy who just hates his job, everyone else, and especially those who need help.

PaulieC

ah yes, I remeber now

rymus

im only a BOFH because I'm doing the job of a BSMFH and not even getting paid a BOFH rate. So I have a legitimate excuse for abusing 96% of the people I come in contact with through work.

thebaz

do some IT work myself, don't like it , pays some of my bills , and a few other bits and pieces -- hope to branch out into something more exciting REAL soon

PaulieC

Baz, do tell....

Dink

I do the accounts for 2 businesses during the day. Stuck myself into the hobbiest catagory. I help manage my sons soccer team and the club often ask me to take pictures of the matches and send match reports into the paper. Don't charge for time though, if someone likes one of my prints, I give them a copy for a price!

Ideo

Student first, hobbiest second, however I'm just not in the mood of being as eloquent as m_stan so his words capture my!

m_stan wrote: »

I put myself down as 'Just want to preserve memories' for the want of a 'Hobbiest who never gets paid but wants to develop my skills and be creative' option

Benster

Ok, nobody else has asked so I will - What's the hell is Atari Jaguar doing there as option 6???

rymus

that's a catch-all facility for the top level nerds in society.

magicbastarder

there's a lot of us ITers around.

helios

magicbastarder wrote: »

there's a lot of us ITers around.

I think it's the ying and the yang. A lot of people (myself included) do a technical job, so it's nice to exercise the grey matter with some creative endeavours as well.

Third_Echelon

yup... IT... :cool:

kensutz

Work in a factory *damn shift work!!!!*

seaner

graphic design / sales (its a small company)
gig at wkends in band
take pictures whenever i can!

jaqian

Civil Servant. The camera is the only thing that stops me from fossilising through boredom. Put myself down as Hobbyist who sometimes gets paid although I can count the paid work on one hand at the moment

challengemaster

Second level student

but that could change soon.. ha! need to try get money for gear

Spyral

I kidnap people for a living.

I also am a student in my final year eek and its a science degree not even arts lol !

evilhomer

Another IT Head, I'm a developer (pays the bills, doesn't pay for new camera equipment ).

Love taking photos but definately in the "hobbiest who sometimes get's paid" bracket at the minute.

Want to get more into Nature and Sports photography (Could I pick areas that need more expensive lenses??)