is it real?, can you make money?, how does it work?, can I do it?

Yes you can, but as far as I know, you have to have a photography diploma (in my country anyway) in order to do so. it is a job very protected. not everyone can't sell photos. (well legally anyway).

On the other hand, all the job wich include Computer Graphics and Design are more nebulous. Myself I have a "computer graphics expert" diploma. But it's such a vast term that I could call myself a CGI expert or Graphics Designer and get away with it...

Thanks for the info but I was wondering who would buy the photgraphs and for how much?

I'm a working professional, specializing in sports/action photography, I make all my income off of photography and have been doing so for a long time, so it's possible, but it’s not easy! You don't need an education in photography, but one (a photojournalism degree) sure has been an asset to me.

Professional photography is not as simple as it seems, you have deadlines, clients that demand the impossible, and you have to be highly mobile, in that you may get a call to shoot something 30 minutes before you have to go shoot it, so a reliable car is a must! In Athens, I was shooting for 18 hours a day, sleeping for 4, then waking up and repeating the process for 17 days, so you have to put up with a lot to get the right images. Plus it requires a huge investment in camera gear and computers, etc. As Cain mentioned, it’s a pretty competitive and tough industry to get into, but if you are passionate about photography, it’s possible!

Most importantly of all, one must have the natural eye for professional quality shots, any person can refine their style and teach themselves new techniques, but it’s very difficult, if not impossible to acquire the eye for photography, if you don’t have it.

For me, it has been the best job ever; I would not trade it for the entire world. It's exciting, always changing, fast paced, and highly rewarding when you look at an image of yours that has been published, or otherwise used.

In response to your second post, professional photography does not usually work that way. Just shooting and selling your shots does not automatically make a person a professional photographer, plus, stock photographers are not usually too successful...You have to develop a client base, and choose an area to specialize in, such as sports, weddings, commercial, fine art, etc. I would suggest if you are interested in photography as a career, contact some local pros and see if you can work as an assistant for them, it's a great way to get boatloads of experience, and learn a lot about the industry in the process.

WOW

Thanks alot, that answered all of my questions and some I did not think of asking. I don't know anymore wether I would like to do it but it know it is not as easy as I thought but sounds like a challangeing porfession.

Oh and if you don't mind me asking, what kinda car do you have?

Don't let me discourage you, it's a great job, and it has lots of perks, but it does require a substantial amount of work and a sizeable investment.

I have an ‘03 Nissan Pathfinder.

Mike: if you are really 15, I can say you are a future talented photographer. Good luck :-)

Well I'm not discouraged, I've got alot of time to think about it and it helps alot to know more about it and not to offend anyone but Before this i was not even shure if photography was a accual carrer. thanks alot!

Oh and yes I am 15, it would be really messed up if i was older than that.

I have had a few questions answered as well, so thanks. It would be nice for a hobby, but hobbies like this tend to take a lot of cash. Oh well. :-)

I understand there is a lot of overhead just to get your name out there. People look at listings to find them for services, and it costs thousands a year to be in each one of the listings.

Mike from twenty years' working (as a non-photographer) I can say that you might want to consider pursuing a career outside of "art" and pursuing art as a hobby. Your income is more certain, and you can better afford the investment required to get good photographic gear. Few artists make substantial or dependable salaries. Your ability to earn depends as much on luck and connections as it does on your skills. If you pursue a less creatively rewarding career in business or technical fields your income will likely be larger and more regular, and it will provide the flexibility to choose whether you want to create the art you want instead of whatever the market will bear.

Having said this I will add that non-art careers may not deliver the personal satisfaction that an artistic career will deliver, but there's a lot to be said for financial stability. Unlike Will (brphoto), I have often had regrets for choosing my technical career, but on balance I think it was better for me. The reliable income has allowed me to worry less about providing for my family, and it has allowed me the luxury of being able to pursue whatever artistic endeavors I wanted to pursue. It has also allowed me to travel more than the average bear. I see a lot of artists who work on the street, because they haven't been able to make the connections that will get them reliable careers.

I too was also considering getting a job in photography and was looking for maybe a few little celebrations of kids or neighbours that they would pay me to photograph but I came to realize as regmar said its better to have a full time stable career. I found some weeks I would get no money and others I would get alot. This gave me a little perspective on photography is all about. Although it may be unstable at times. If you get to the top of the business you can make above five hundred thousand a year which is pretty impressive. However that this only counts if you work in photographing ads for magazines. If you want to improve I suggest that you look through some coffe table books with photographs or just through a magazine and take a look at the images and pay attention to detail. Use these images as almost a guide for some of your work. Im actually the same age as you so you can take a look at my gallery to see some of my work. Although its not the best I got the ideas from various magazines a books with images that helped me alot. Good Luck!

Photography requires a huge investment, and surprisingly little of it is for the camera. When you are a photographer, you need nice tripods. Gitzo, the only brand (so they say) for tripods, will set you back quite a bit. You spend several hundred for each strobe head for your lights and then several thousand for the boxes that power them. Everything needs stands, and backdrops get used and tossed faster than Georgie could cut down the cherry tree and sell it to a lumber contractor. Software gets updated every couple of years, and it costs hundreds to upgrade each one. You need to have all the equipment that could concievably be needed for any shoot and be able to cart most of it around. Have a shoot in Florida and can't find a store to rent you the equipment? You pay close to $1000 to the airline company to bring your own, and that is only one way.

Selling stock images is a completely different field: You pay vast sums of money each month to post a bunch of "inspiring" pictures at a site, but your images will be among thousands of others. If you are good enough, you will have enough money to effectively cover the subscription charges and then some, but it is not a solid industry. There are too many people starting out that sell cheaper than those who are serious about it, but they are generally forced to drop out in a short time. That leaves everybody in a pinch.

The money is in advertisement, for that is the field that is always in demand. You need to be easy to work with and able to provide better results than the client expects. Much of it comes down to who you know and how many jobs they can get you set up with. Due to its project-by-project nature, there will be drastic ups and downs in business. The biggest downside to advertisement photography is that you begin to loose that artist eye you had; if it isn't marketable, you begin to see it as not worth your time.

It is very rewarding to know that your work is out there, but it is still a difficult field. The best way to get in the loop is to apply for an internship with a professional photographer (basically, call and ask if he needs help). If you can find his name listed somewhere, he is a pro, so no issue there. He will probably turn you into a custodian that happens to be very interested in photography and he probably won't pay you for it. After you help out a few photographers, head off to school for it. There aren't a whole lot of great photography schools around, but the photographers you intern with will know where you should go. After school is finished, photographers will start to look at you as a professional assistant. You will now have a steady job, and you will actually be able to shoot. It generally takes years to move from professional assistant to full-fledged photographer. There are examples of people who began shooting professionally by age 19, but they are rare. The best thing to do is to get in the loop as early as you can, but the whole time, whether sweeping cement floors or studying in class rooms, keep shooting for fun! It is what will keep you interested during the work stages, and when those are done, you will pop out onto the market with a great eye (maybe two!) and a great portfolio.

I have also been considering it. I recently went and met with a professional portrait photographer, which was extremely helpful. He said that you need to be good at photography, but also at selling your product to customers...