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Lizzy_B

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to become a freelance photographer in Ireland, I have recently completed a photography course with iPhotography.com and I have always had a keen interest in this area.

What newspapers in Ireland would be interested in publishing up & coming photographers pictures? I'm not looking for a job in the area as of yet but I would like to get some of my pictures viewed by the general public in order to get feedback.


Kind Regards,


Lisa

CinSoots

Lizzy_B wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to become a freelance photographer in Ireland, I have recently completed a photography course with iPhotography.com and I have always had a keen interest in this area

You don't have to do anything, you are one already!! Take pictures and try and sell them.

Lizzy_B wrote: »

What newspapers in Ireland would be interested in publishing up & coming photographers pictures?

Doesn't matter if you are young, old, up and coming, down and going - the following applies:
If you want to get paid - None of them
If you provide photos for free - All of them.

Lizzy_B wrote: »

I'm not looking for a job in the area as of yet but I would like to get some of my pictures viewed by the general public in order to get feedback.

There are very very very few jobs available as an employed photographer in Ireland so the vast majority of photographers are self employed and working in various industries from weddings to corporate to editorial to stock etc.

If you want feedback then post pictures on here. Most people are too nice to tell you that they are rubbish so generally you can get more an idea on the quality of your pics by the number of likes they get.

If I were you I would do a course in business and concentrate more on that than the photography side of things. Being good at business is waaaaay more important than being a good photographer! A bad photographer who is good at business will make a better living than a good photographer who is bad at business!!

dazftw

CinSoots wrote: »

Doe't matter if you are young, old, up and coming, down and going - the following applies:
If you want to get paid - None of them
If you provide photos for free - All of them.

Not entirely true, Ive had pictures published in some national newspapers and one big name magazine, I got paid by all of them. The hard part is getting them to actually pay you! I worked as a photographer for a paper in cork last summer and it took me 5 weeks to get paid and when I finally did get paid they wanted to reduce my daily rate! Mind you this was after they said my pictures were selling very well.

My advice to you OP don't do it.. I'm not saying it can't be done but it's going to be very hard. Theres a few guys on here that do it for a living and will say the exact same thing and also its getting harder every year.

I didn't pick up the camera for 6 months after that newspaper job. I love photography but I hate it as a job.

eoglyn

CinSoots wrote: »

If you want feedback then post pictures on here. Most people are too nice to tell you that they are rubbish so generally you can get more an idea on the quality of your pics by the number of likes they get.

I'm not sure if this is good advice, I think some of the better and more technical stuff in the random thread gets fewer thanks, while post any pic with the sun somewhere in the frame and you are guaranteed some attention.

If you want constructive feedback, start a thread and ask for critique, people are largely generous in sharing their experience and knowledge.

CinSoots

dazftw wrote: »

Not entirely true, Ive had pictures published in some national newspapers and one big name magazine, I got paid by all of them. The hard part is getting them to actually pay you! I worked as a photographer for a paper in cork last summer and it took me 5 weeks to get paid and when I finally did get paid they wanted to reduce my daily rate! Mind you this was after they said my pictures were selling very well.

5 weeks is not a long time when it comes to payment for editorial stuff I was waiting over a year on a few occasions!

What I meant is that you haven't a hope of making a living as a freelance photographer supplying photos to newspapers and hoping to get paid for them. Newspapers will not pay for photos that they already have or have similar of, through agencies or freebies from the public no matter how bad the pics they have are and how good yours are.

There are a few freelancers around Ireland making a living at this but they have the market closed to themselves so it's next to impossible for someone starting out to get a foothold. Yea you'll sell the odd pic here and there but it's hobby money rather than an income. Even freelancing for Irelands major agencies at the weekends is only hobby money unless you have a good income from somewhere else.

mystic86

CinSoots wrote: »

generally you can get more an idea on the quality of your pics by the number of likes they get.

The stuff that gets lots of thanks baffles me sometimes

dazftw

CinSoots wrote: »

5 weeks is not a long time when it comes to payment for editorial stuff I was waiting over a year on a few occasions!

I was getting an hourly wage working 25+ hours a week. This wasn't freelance.

The longest I've waited for freelance was 3 months and the shortest I think was just over a week.

Paulw

dazftw wrote: »

The longest I've waited for freelance was 3 months and the shortest I think was just over a week.

You've been lucky. I think the average I've waited was 2-3 months, but some took 6 months + to collect, with a lot of chasing and followup involved. No point in naming papers involved, but some are known for their long payment times, and some are known to be very prompt at paying.