Has anyone ever done photography?

Question

has anyone ever done photography or started a small buisness without any schooling? and if so, what is the best camera to start out with. thats not that expensive?

Answer 1

Yes. Me. I started photography at an early age. My father was a professional photographer. I've had no formal photography schooling. I have been shooting portraits, weddings and commercial table-top professionally for over 25 years. And I have made a decent living.

I have just recently began seeking larger contracts and more intense gigs. For the first time in all those years I am advertising. I am doing it all myself. For my website, I have researched SEO, SEM and SEA. I learned the Web 2.0 methodology and it has worked just fine.

I have written three business plans in the last two years. I used resources from SCORE, SBA and the local incubator. The library offers some materials as well.

Camera equipment. A $100 Pentax K-1000 camera with an $800 lens will take just as good a picture as a $3000 Nikon or Canon with a similar $800. I will put up any of my film cameras against any digital made to date. You do not need a hundred thousand dollars to start a photo business. Don't get me wrong- I mostly use digital. But I am never afraid to bring out the film cameras.

Most major metropolitan areas have rental studios. They will have a lot of the studio equipment available. Of course, you have to deal with availability and others breaking gear, but it is a very good start. You can also network with the other photographers. In the past, I have even used a local band rehearsal studio. Even the waiting room provides some great shots. You can even network there- bands love photographers!!

You can rent any equipment from your local camera shop. It's more expensive this way, but it works. Get the gigs then invest in gear.

Do not be discouraged. It can be done. I did it. You can too. Stick to your guns. You can and WILL have setbacks. Every successful business owner has had failures first. You will too. It is inevitable. The thing that separates them from the rest is they learned and continued. In fact, any good business owner has more failures than successes! They may have failed ten times before succeeding. That is a ten to one ratio!

Good luck with your biz!

Answer 2

I'm actually doing that, or well started about a year-ish ago, the best camera to start out with specially now that is really cheap, since it's an "older model" but really it's just that they came up with new ones really fast! is the Nikon D70!!!

Also the Nikon D50 is good, both are the same thing, but the D70 has more controls on the outside, instead of going through he menus in the camera.

You can find them in a lot of places online, and some stores also still have them!

Nikon is a lot cheaper than Canon, when both camera models have the same capabilities, Canon usually makes them more expensive!

Now if you don't have much money to buy one, then start out by renting a camera, I did at the beginning, in order to get money for a camera. Send me an e-mail, and I will send you some sites where renting camera's isn't so expensive!

Now if you want a canon, a Rebel XTI is a good starter camera, but compared to Nikon D70 I like the Nikon better! and it's cheaper!

PS. D70, and D70s are the same, except D70s has a bigger screen, but it's probably a little more expensive, but not much. Oh and you can make the menus on the D70 look the same as the D70s by getting the firmware upgrade form the Nikon's website!

Good luck on your new business!!!

PSS shoot sports, and events like reunions, those pay well!!!

Answer 3

No. You could be the first!

Answer 4

Lets see.  From my classes taken at SCORE, not only do you need a business and marketing plan, but you also have to know what you are doing in the business you expect to start.  At least have a few years of training and experience not only in the field you intend to work, but in running a business.

Start up costs include all the equipment you need as well as the necessary money it will take to get through the months necessary to reach the break even point in your P&L ledger.

Photography is expensive, its equipment even more so.  One of my friends just opened a studio and she has over $100,000 invested and just last week started shooting her first assignments and she has been a working pro for over ten years.

You may want to make an appointment with SCORE before you start buying any equipment and start trying to do business as a pro.

Anything less that a pro level DSLR and a few lenses and a firm understanding of the photo biz, you may find yourself being blown off buy those you wish to have a clients.

To answer your question ... the least expensive camera for your needs would be something like a Nikon D300 and depending upon your field of photography a 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens and either a 12-24 mm for architectural shots or a 70-300 mm VR for shooting any action or sports ... or the equivalent in Canon equipment ... as a start.