# anyone here have another career besides photography?



## Ms_jessica (Sep 19, 2006)

im just curious who here has another career completely different from photography, but still is capable of making money doing photo as well?  I'm just stuck with what i want to do.  I'm coming close to getting into a field that I'm having second thoughts with, and the only reason i can think of getting into that field is the money.  But i truly love photo, and i want to know what i can do with it.  Or do any of you think its possible to carry on two different careers?


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## mentos_007 (Sep 19, 2006)

yes, why not? my "money", as I can call my earnings, come from teaching English. I study Electronics and would like to stay in this field. Photograhy is my passion but I rarely make money out of it.


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## JDS (Sep 19, 2006)

I'm sorta going in reverse to what you're asking - I'm currently a network engineer.  Over the past year or so, I've been getting into photography more and more, and am slowly (but surely!) trying to build up a business out of it so I can quit my 'real' job.


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## KevinR (Sep 19, 2006)

My day job is teacher, but I'm trying to build up a photo career for when I'm off during the summers.


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## Tiberius (Sep 19, 2006)

Define "Making Money".  I've sold a few prints and done a few portrait sessions for small amounts of money, but nothing huge or regular.  My "real job" is a programmer/web designer while I work my way through college, ideally ending up with a job in Academia/Research eventually.


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## Digital Matt (Sep 19, 2006)

I've been a professional musician for 16 years, and a graphic designer for the last 2 1/2.  I like to make money from both, and photography as well.


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## LaFoto (Sep 19, 2006)

I don't make any money with my photos :cry:
I only PAY for things photography-related :cry:

I am a translator.
More so a housewife, though.


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## L146705 (Sep 19, 2006)

i am a web entrepreneur on the side


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## tgates (Sep 19, 2006)

LaFoto said:
			
		

> I don't make any money with my photos :cry:
> I only PAY for things photography-related :cry:


 
Same here!!

I'm a quality specialist for a highend office furniture manufacturer - that's how the bills get paid....including the photography related bills!


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## Soocom1 (Sep 19, 2006)

My primary is CAD monkey, making maps for the BIA and various Indian tribes. I am also getting into ESRI and other cartography programs.


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## morydd (Sep 19, 2006)

I'm a theater lighting technician.
Photography is an expensive hobby. I'm still trying to get to the point where I can make any money, let alone a break-even amount.


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## fotogenik (Sep 20, 2006)

I am a MIcrosoft Certified Systems Administrator.  Currently working as a Network Operations Technician, until I can build my photography business to the point it supports me and my family.

That will likely be when my kids have all grown and moved out and it is just my wife and I.  That will be nice I think.


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## craig (Sep 20, 2006)

I work for a paper doing 80% photography and 20% pre press production. Plus a freelance photo business on the side. Working for the paper is comfortable and I have a lot of insurance. 

My freelance generally runs hot and cold. The "off seasons" have been picking up. Problem is that I am of the age of living comfortably. The other problem is that if I quit the paper and go solo I can potentially make oodles of money.

Photography is not a pretty sight early on. The pay back is that it is a learning experience. Get the sales position if need be. The main thing is to make sure that photography consumes your life and not the sales (or whatever) position.


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## David (Sep 20, 2006)

The photography and image manipulation is a part-time business for me, plus I do a bit of graphic design work when I can. I don't want it to get too big just yet, because I love my full-time job. It's there so that I can develop it more later on if I need and want to.

As for what I do full-time, now please be gentle, I'm a police officer.

David


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## niccig (Sep 20, 2006)

Like several other folks on this forum, I'm in IT.  I got into when I started college (as a computer science major) and realized that computers aren't my passion after all.  I've since changed my major to art studio (w/concentration in photography) and am hoping to get into a related field when I graduate.  Until then, IT gives me some spending money for my camera gear.


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## eddiesimages (Sep 21, 2006)

My real job is Crime Scene Investigation (no, I don't watch the show). As a part of my job I photograph crime scenes, but I'd rather be photographing outdoor scenery. I haven't gotten good enough to make any money on the side from photography yet, though.


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## Johnboy2978 (Sep 21, 2006)

In the mental health field here working as an emergency services crisis psychologist.  Photography has become an intensive hobby over the past year, and am starting to pick up some paying jobs with it.  Hope to make it my career in the next few years and leave then mental health field (and this infernal pager) behind.


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## D-50 (Sep 22, 2006)

I think the majority of us here are not professinal photographers maybe 20% of us make money off it but I bet 100% would like to make money off it. Photography for most people is a hobby/interest that may manifest into a buisness.  Just gotta keep getting your work out there for the public to view.  Aside from event photography such as weddings or being a true professional it is extremely hard to make enough money to live off of by selling photos print by print. A decent outlet though are craft fairs and flee markets, for a couple hundred bucks you can usually get a table/space to display your work for hundreds of people, just make sure to price them with regard to the area of the fair and the type of people it attracts.


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## kugy5 (Sep 22, 2006)

Steichen the famous and wonderfull photographer said,  be a plumber, but keep your photography as your art(or something to that effect) there have been moments when I felt that way, when I made images without regard of their consumer value, were the process is everything,


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## Christie Photo (Sep 22, 2006)

Photography is my day job...  I've had a studio for 20+ years.

I "change hats" most weekends.  I'm music director at a local church.  I plan services and direct a choir and musicians.  I've come to rely on this additional income in recent years.

It works well for me.  I love both roles and can't imagine leaving one out.  My schedule is up to me, so I can plan when any conflicts (weddings) arise.  And since I know the boss, I can leave during the week for funerals as needed.


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## Inverness Photographic (Sep 23, 2006)

Line Manager for a manufacturing company.

Been into photography for what was years but is now decades, about time I started getting some money back from it. ~ Well trying anyway.


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## chris82 (Sep 23, 2006)

from what I can see you all have really interesting and great jobs,mine is not so great.I work in tesco even worse i work night shift


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## JDP (Sep 23, 2006)

I've got 15 years experience in Information Technology, and am a Senior Network Engineer.

Upside: You've got bank - so I have no problems buying new toys for the cam and affording a little studio here in town

Downside: IT is a creative job, in a lot of the problems require creative thinking to solve - which drains you a lot. Makes it so when you get home you don't want to be creative anymore hehe.


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## usayit (Sep 23, 2006)

It would be absolutely a dream to make a living from photography.  Unfortunately, it never really panned out.  So I'm doing what I do best... IT and software.  I have two jobs...  one is in computer disaster recovery the other is as a software engineer. I make time for photography when ever possible... :-(


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## usayit (Sep 23, 2006)

flyinsalt said:
			
		

> My real job is Crime Scene Investigation (no, I don't watch the show). As a part of my job I photograph crime scenes, but I'd rather be photographing outdoor scenery. I haven't gotten good enough to make any money on the side from photography yet, though.



Sounds interesting... is it in real life?  Back during my unemployment, I actually saw an ad for a photographer to be hired by local law enforcement agencies.. The pay they were offering was not all that great never-the-less it did grab my attention.  Something inside told me that I personally would not be happy being that close to the darkside of humanity and it wasn't the photography I would enjoy..  so I moved on.  perhaps I'm wrong.. watch too much tv.. and let my imagination get the best of me...


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## airgunr (Sep 23, 2006)

My wife and I own and run a Restaurant & Gift Shop in a rural resort area in SE Wisconsin.

I just enjoy photography.  I've never sold anything but have been asked by friends and family for some of my work.  Usually I give them away, sometimes as gifts for X'mas and the like.


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## Jeepnut28 (Sep 25, 2006)

Advertising Account Executive.....been doing it for 11 years.


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## abraxas (Sep 25, 2006)

I was a civil and structural engineering technician for about 18 years.  Just snapped one day and walked off the job- was tired of being a target and sycophant fodder.  Bought a digital camera ('95) and started taking pictures of industrial buildings.  Lived off of my wife's income for 3 years.  Built a small multiple listing service on the internet for homes for sale and now do virtual tours.  Have time and money enough now to invest in learning art- which I've always wanted to do.  Couldn't have done anything I'm doing now without doing everything I've done.  Occasionally I sell photos for books and TV on the side.  Writing a book and learning about the things that matter to me.  Still take pictures of bedrooms and toilets, it don't bother me, I like the people I meet. I ain't rich and don't care.  Funny though, I make more money doing what I want than I did working for 'the man.' My wife has worked the last 3 years for me. You can bet I thank God every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to bed for the opportunity.  Sometimes you got to take a chance.


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## craig (Sep 25, 2006)

Yea Abraxas! Inspirational story! Love it!

Not only should you take a chance you should also push yourself harder.


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## rmh159 (Sep 25, 2006)

I work for a Logistics company contracting different freight carriers so that we can use them to move businesses "stuff".  Like most of others I just do photography for fun and as a way to unwind.

In regards to the original post I guess if I had any advice it would be to learn something else to start.  It's good to have another sell-able skill available and you can always drop that later on once you have more photography experience.  I don't want to sound discouraging but if making good money off of photography was remotely easy, we'd all be doing it.


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## Alex_B (Sep 25, 2006)

really making money with photography is hard if you try to sell your arty pictures as far as i understand.

if however you do photography on events (weddings, and others), then you can earn some, but most of the time not get rich. and that sort of event-photography is more or less a full time job I would guess.

Anyway, the only few occasions when any of my images where used professionally (magazine, websites, ...) I did not really earn money with it as it was for non-commercial organisations or other reasons preventing me to get rich 

Also, those shots were my crappiest images usually, but they accidentally met the needs  This tells you that to earn money it is often not about composition, light and all that, ... sad but true. I guess many (potential) customers cannot tell the difference between a technically good or bad image, not to speak of the ignorance regarding the art of good composition and all that.


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## jack lumber (Sep 25, 2006)

My occupation?,2 guess,s


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## Iron Flatline (Sep 25, 2006)

I am an investor, and own several businesses. I travel all over the world (well, LA, NY, Berlin and Amsterdam) and always have a camera anda lens or two with me. I'm now financially in a position to buy whatever gear I want, but have very little time to shoot. I need it as a creative outlet from business, and prefer to shoot alone when I don't have to talk to anyone. I use the time on long-distance flights in business class and my shiny new laptop to work on my images, or while "participating in" conference calls.


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## dewey (Sep 26, 2006)

I'm a software engineer by day... which really helps because my travel around the world is paid for.  Photography is just extra money at this point, and after time in the camera store it costs me more than I make anyway!


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## guitarkid (Sep 28, 2006)

Been in the IT field for about 10 years.  Not because I wanted to, but because I'm good at it.  That pays the bills.  

For fun I started my Studio about 3 years ago, which started as digital video production and DVD authoring and branched to digital photography about a year ago.  I have been in photo and video for about 15 years now...went to school for film.  Then of course there is the recording studio, being a guitarist for 17 years, almost signed twice, once by Warner Bros. BUT being that bandmates are idiots the gigs fell through.  So enough with the rockstar thing..... I'm an IT guy who charges people for video, photo and audio production work...usually breaking even on the biz end while recording my own music in the studio (if there is time.)


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## ShandaLear (Sep 28, 2006)

My actual work is as a writer, editor, and webmaster.  Mostly writer.  I write articles under my own name, books under a pen name-- nope, you'll just have to guess- I don't tell  -- and edit/co-own a magazine that does romance reviews.

I also do websites.  Photography is more or less a hobby.


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## kman627 (Sep 28, 2006)

I work as an electronics technician/ Defense contractor for the Navy's Offscore range here in So. Cal.  A little photography income on the side.


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## JIP (Sep 28, 2006)

Well currently, at least before I was sidelined with a leg broken in several places actual photography (at least shooting) was what I considered my third job.  My main position is the landscape supervisor for a retirement community and job #2 is camera sales at Ritz Camera.  I hope someday to get into a studio but for me I think I would like to purchase an established business rather than start from the ground up.  

my leg:


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## fmw (Oct 6, 2006)

I've been a part time pro most of my life but was a full time pro for only part of it.

One of the problems with making a career out of photography is that it changes from being a hobby to being work.  You can certainly enjoy the work but it isn't like enjoying a hobby.  With a hobby you only need to satisfy yourself.  As a pro I had to satisfy clients primarily and myself only secondarily.  I got so I wouldn't even take a camera on vacation for fear that I would start looking for stock shots instead of recreating.  

I started as a hobbyist.  I spent many years as a full time pro and now I'm a hobbyist again.  I no longer do photography for money at all.  I'm in the E-commerce business since 1998 and I do photography for my own web sites but I no longer do photography for others.  It took me nearly 5 years from the time I closed my commercial photo business to pick up a camera again to do something creative.


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## ladyphotog (Oct 6, 2006)

fmw said:
			
		

> I've been a part time pro most of my life but was a full time pro for only part of it.
> 
> One of the problems with making a career out of photography is that it changes from being a hobby to being work.  You can certainly enjoy the work but it isn't like enjoying a hobby.  With a hobby you only need to satisfy yourself.  As a pro I had to satisfy clients primarily and myself only secondarily.  I got so I wouldn't even take a camera on vacation for fear that I would start looking for stock shots instead of recreating.
> 
> I started as a hobbyist.  I spent many years as a full time pro and now I'm a hobbyist again.  I no longer do photography for money at all.  I'm in the E-commerce business since 1998 and I do photography for my own web sites but I no longer do photography for others.  It took me nearly 5 years from the time I closed my commercial photo business to pick up a camera again to do something creative.




I couldn't agree more. I have been in the photo industry for 23 years. I just started shooting again after being away from it for about 4 years. I owned a studio and made good money from it, however it will run your life. The majority of the types of photography that you can make any money at are on the weekends and evenings. I am now working as a field service technician for a photo machine manufacturer. I feel like I'm still in the industry but not so much so that it takes my passion away from wanting to pick up a camera.


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## Claff (Oct 7, 2006)

Amen on the hobby/work thing.

I used to write a ton. I mean tons. Both fiction and non-fiction as I worked my way into an editorial position with a regional racing publication. At first it was cool to get paid to do what I was doing anyway, bout time the hobby started paying its way. But then there were deadlines and people asking me to do articles on their 12 year old prodigies when I had no desire to do so, and people saying good job, except you forgot about this and that and I think you misquoted me here and here.

Got out of that business (not necessarily voluntarily) but still write, now as a contractor for individual race teams. The bosses are less demanding but it's still work rather than fun, and I haven't written a word 'for me' in quite a few years.

I've sold or traded pictures here and there but I'd rather give them away if asked. If my photography turned into work, what would be left for me?


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## katieskids (Oct 11, 2006)

I had a daycare in my home until June.  I now work as a freelance reporter for our local paper and make dvd tributes for funerals!


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## Orgnoi1 (Oct 11, 2006)

Of course... too many starving photographers out there... I work as a central office technician for a fairly large telephone company... =)


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## stc9357 (Oct 14, 2006)

My job is highschool and this is the last year of it I plan on going to college and majoring in environmental engineering I've already been accpeted to one school and will most likely 75% get a full scholarship there so that will leave money to spend on photography when I'm in college.


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## struss (Nov 4, 2006)

I used to work as an interactive/user interface designer. Photography was my major in college and minor in graduate school (majored in multimedia). Now I'm a stay-at-home mom. I made some money from photography...I took my own and my baby's pictures for the passports, haha. My hushand had his done at the passport submitting place (no faith on my "professional skill") Anyway, I'm so glad to find so many people with the same interest and so much passion in photography.


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## uberben (Nov 9, 2006)

I'm a investment consultant for a larger financial broker. I am pretty much trapped in a cube most of the day talking to people on the phone or tweeking portfolios.....I do work a flex shift so I get wednesday off in exchange for working 10 hr days M, T, TH, F..it works well for me.  I started doing wedding photography last june and have success so far. I'm only 24, i'm looking at photography as something I am passionate about and will one day have a strong enough base that I can retire early from the investment world and do that....but thats 15-20 years away at least.  I love my real job for the time being...so hopefully that doesn't change.


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