Ask an Agent: Going professional?

no mention..

...of good walking shoes, waterproofs or silk scarves?
how about gaffer tape?

Am I professional?

If I have to take a random, vague quiz to know whether or not I'm professional or have the sense to make it in this industry, I'm definitely not there yet. I think that's where you should have started and ended the article: "If you're here reading this, you're probably not even close to agency representation."

Or a reason why not being professional photographer

I'm quite often been asked why I don't try being professional. Even if the question / answers in this test are heavily oriented, I answered "correctly" (read "B") to all questions save one.

And this is precisely why I don't want to become a professional. I have certainly enough talent, passion and skills to become one. But having a different, educated job, with a confortable income and enough time to pursue personnal photographic projects is simply more satisfying.

I worked at school, went to the University and put enough dedication to have an interesting job and an assiciated income superior to what would get most "successful photographer".

The reality of photographers is that when they work they don't always do what they are interested in. Covering event (Wedding, seminars) or making industrial photography are not really the heart of most people photographic interest, yet it's the best way to make an income from it.

Of all the "pros" who I met, none of them were making a living from the photography they were interested in. Even my heros like Depardon are getting most of them income from other activities (in Depardon's case from documentary making)

Great piece

Great piece. I often get 'great' photographers coming to me for work. They can be true artist. However this is only 10% of the requirements. Try getting an artist out of bed at 4am to jump on a 16 hour flight with no return date.
And the 'photojournalist' who has just finished college. I've been in the industry over 15 years and still consider myself to be a 'snapper'.
Any aspiring pro should read this piece and seriously consider the content...

Proffessional or Not..?

This is easy...If you have, or do, to any degree, make money from a chosen job or career you are a Proffessional....! Ameteurs can be proffessional if they make money, they don`t have to be that good as long as they servre the needs of the client. It`s much esier to be in the business of photography & make money, than to be a Talented Photographer and be Famous. It`s probably no nearly as rewarding though, for most it`s really just a job like any other..!

It's all in a name.

Yep - Great Piece - but I think we all knew what the "Right" answers were going to be after the first one or two - and if we didn't, we had no chance !

Getting up at some silly time and a 14 hour flight to take some photos - sounds brilliant, where do I sign up ! I tend to keep a sleeping bag, spare cloths, energy drinks and food rations in the back of my 4x4 because some jobs can need to to be anywhere anywhen !.

Yes, I confess ! I will shoot weddings or family shots if I need to earn a crust, but I would much prefer to be doing what I WANT to photograph. I left working in "Finance" to do something I enjoyed - and the satisfaction of being a photographer may not be in the cash, but in the work itself !

Oh - and I have been self-employed for all of my working life, so I suppose I am a bit thick skinned when it comes to sales . . . .

All-in-All, I love what I do, so as long as I can earn enough to survive and enjoy what I do, that is what I ask for !

www.philipcurnow.co.uk

"Specialist subject - the bleedin' obvious."

I think we all knew what the answers should be to this one. The chief value of this little quiz is for the person doing it to see if they're surprised by the outcome. I wasn't (though my honest answer to Q.2, "What do you want to spend your day doing?" was "A. Being creative" despite knowing that the 'proper' answer was "B. Building a business").

Ultimately, it comes down to getting the balance right between the level of business you want - or need - and how creative you can be and still achieve that aim. And that balance is only possible through experience.