Do i Go for it?

[dan123]

Hi all,

As i sit here Writing this it Still crosses my mind Every Day, And as Each day goes i am Really Tempted in the New year To Leave my Job and Turn Full time Photographer, Slowly Getting sick of Working on a bar,
and have always wanted to be my own Boss and run my Bussiness I dont Have any Majour Bill comintemnts,

Exept my Car insurance of 150 a month, But i have no Savings or anything like that, Just Wanted to Put it out there and See if any one has any opinions or Advice to weather it would be a good idea or not?

I now it Can make me money, it does now, and i dont Exactly push my work Very hard either, i Barely Advertise or anything,

Just Wanted some Feedback on this
thanks in advance

Dan.

[jools-elliott]

Depends how much you are making from your photography.

From experience, this business is VERY cut-throat and you can be tossed aside quite easily.

I've had a couple of bad experiences this year and it was very hard to say to them that I didn't want to do any more work for them. Effectively cutting off potential income.

Think very carefully before taking the plunge.

[dan123]

yeah Defiately Considering it hard, Not Really sure what to do, but as im likely to lose my Job in the new year, and with very little in the way of jobs around here... what have i got to lose...

I make enough to now that if i pushed hard and went down every avenue Of photography aand marketing i would hopefully make something back,

See what happens Eh,

[jools-elliott]

If you're going to lose your job then try.

But also, do look for something a little stable as you might find that money dwindles.

[dan123]

Yep i will, thanks Jools, Just Wait and See.

[karenoliver]

Complicated isn't it? You need the money but have an ambition or dream to follow . I think it depends on what sort of photography you want to earn from, and also if you can afford at present to give up a wage. Personally if I was your age I would apply for one of the national diploma's in photography at the local college and start in September. I did the course and although its full time you are actually out of the classroom more than you are in it during the second year and you could actually fulfill some of your course work with photography you do out of college. You could combine earning money from photography with gaining a qualification and extra skills. Another advantage is you learn how to market yourself and other skills needed to pursue a career in photography. Someone else might say don't bother with college, just get out there and go for it. I think its down to you at the end of the day.

Karen

[dan123]

Thanks Karen, funnily enough i Did try to Go down the Route of Going back to college, either A level or ND, applied for 4 different places and got None. Wierd How it Happens sometimes,

And the Other Problem with that is there isnt many Colleges around me offering it, Bournemouth is the Best for me, but thats a £20 a day Commute,

Thanks for the Suggestion, its always something i Have considered,

[karenoliver]

I know Bournemouth Uni has a good reputation for photography but not sure about the colleges. I'd try again if you fancy the ND or A levels, get a good portfolio together and see what happens? Some of the work you posted lately especially the mono shots would help I am sure. Actually, I am sure you can get your travel expenses back or do Bournmouth run a bus?

Karen

[dan123]

Yeah thanks Karen,I do agree my portfolio isnt to bad now, the one interview i did have they loved my work... but never got back to me,
i might Consider it, I looked into ti before and they wont pay any Expenses at all, There wouldnt be a bus Service i can get the Train, but thats Gunna be the Same each day as my Car would be, And i like the Freedom of having the Car for those journeys.

but Defiantly Something Else to Consider.

I most likely wont have a job as im being made to Work New Years Eve wich im not impressed about, And i wont work it As the night means a lot to my Girlfriend as its when we First met..and i dont want to be at work for that..... also £6 an hour to Work NYE,

We shall See what happens.

[Cathus]

giving up a job, or risking the sack, because you don't want to work is a BIG step. I have no idea how much your earnings mean to you and you may be able to afford to give up work but to not have all that a job means just for being made to work one one day seems silly. Think of all the other people who have to work at New Year and Christmas, also for no extra pay as New Year's Eve isn't a bank holiday.
I'm getting my first New Year's Eve off in about 5 or 6 years and have worked most Christmas days and new years for 32 years.

But that aside, leaving a job to go full time pro photographer is a big step, have you done any research into what it means, it's not just a case of going out and finding a few photos that people will pay you for.

you need to consider all the expenses, do you know what professional insurance costs? What about if you go to someone's house, plug in your lights and their house burns down - would you be covered or would you lose your house to pay for it?
What if your house was burgled and you lost all your gear?
What are the tax implications and how do you pay, do you start a ltd company or become a sole trader, how do you sort out your finances and accounts and what will it cost to have them done?

I don't know your circumstances, you might be single and living at home and it doesn't really matter whether you earn much through photography, but everyone has a level of finances they absolutely need - mortgage, food, petrol, etc etc and then what comes on top just helps make life easier - how sure are you that you can cover the bare minimum of income as a photographer.

I've lost count of the number of people who have seen my photos and said 'you should do this professionally', most of them have not bought a photo or engaged me to take any photos for me, in other words, it's great getting a salary doing my job and getting occasional paid jobs to add a bit of gravy, something quite different to not get a salary and then have to find £25grand or whatever through selling photos.

Have you considered getting in touch with your local Business Enterprise Bureau and seeing what courses, which are often free, they do for people starting or thinking of starting their own business?