Photo sessions...am i messing up already?

[GlowingAmber]

Sure! i didnt want to bother by asking! you are welcome to check out my facebook page www.facebook.com/GlowingAmberPhotography. Thank you!

 

[Tee]

You're priced right at $50 as a Facebook photographer. Or...close the page, take some courses and come back charging more. Sorry. Just being real.

 

[GlowingAmber]

i really appreciate that thetrue. that was awesome of you to offer.

 

[GlowingAmber]

thank you Tee, ill check it out!

 

[unpopular]

your ego should not be proportional to your bottom line. if there is a large enough market for a $50 photographer, then $50 isn't too cheap.

 

[GlowingAmber]

You're priced right at $50 as a Facebook photographer. Or...close the page, take some courses and come back charging more. Sorry. Just being real.

Just wanted friends and family to see what im doing on facebook. All this literally happened in the last month. courses on photography, or business, or both? ive only taken an online course, and dont even have equipment other than the canon kit and a prime lens. i want to get better everyday, thats why im on this forum and researching always. do you think its a pretty good start so far? some talent to work with?

 

[JSER]

Don't forget if you are doing photography with the public only a fool (no disrespect intended) will not also pay to have public liability insurance, and that is FOUR $50 shoots AT LEAST

 

[unpopular]

Just wanted friends and family to see what im doing on facebook. All this literally happened in the last month. courses on photography, or business, or both? ive only taken an online course, and dont even have equipment other than the canon kit and a prime lens. i want to get better everyday, thats why im on this forum and researching always. do you think its a pretty good start so far? some talent to work with?

You have a good eye, I think. Certainly I am not seeing anything horrendous, nothing you see at youarenotaphotographer.com. You have some major technical issues tackle, especially dealing with where to place focus. I can tell you're not 100% confident on metering and exposure, and there is a lack of attention to detail.

But there are far worse "pros" out there, and lots of people start out at what I'm seeing from your facebook. I think if you're dedicated you'll do fine in the long run. I would encourage you to get a little more experience before charging people. You don't want to get out the door with a poor reputation.

 

[thetrue]

Well... I'm going to try to be as nice as possible... It seems like you might have focus issues. Some of your images are very nice, very colorful, and overall decent captures. However a good number of them, particularly of people, are slightly out if focus. It's not just one or two, its most of them. Do you rely on autofocus? Don't. It can get you close, but not perfect, ever. I very much dislike the soft focus treatments you added to quite a few of your landscape/nature photos. Overall, I really don't think you're ready to charge people. If you really truly believe that you're ready, I'm not your boss, I'm not the government, and I'm certainly not the king of all things photographic, so you can most certainly do as you wish. I can't honestly say that if I were in the market for portraits that I'd choose you. Outside of friends and family, do you have an idea of what the people in your market expect? Don't include the "customers" of the $10 photo shoot, they might as well be shot with a cell phone. I feel that a lot of market research and a bit of practice are certainly in order before you really consider moving forward. COBD and legalities aside, I don't think you really know what you're getting in to.

 

[GlowingAmber]

Well... I'm going to try to be as nice as possible... It seems like you might have focus issues. Some of your images are very nice, very colorful, and overall decent captures. However a good number of them, particularly of people, are slightly out if focus. It's not just one or two, its most of them. Do you rely on autofocus? Don't. It can get you close, but not perfect, ever. I very much dislike the soft focus treatments you added to quite a few of your landscape/nature photos. Overall, I really don't think you're ready to charge people. If you really truly believe that you're ready, I'm not your boss, I'm not the government, and I'm certainly not the king of all things photographic, so you can most certainly do as you wish. I can't honestly say that if I were in the market for portraits that I'd choose you. Outside of friends and family, do you have an idea of what the people in your market expect? Don't include the "customers" of the $10 photo shoot, they might as well be shot with a cell phone. I feel that a lot of market research and a bit of practice are certainly in order before you really consider moving forward. COBD and legalities aside, I don't think you really know what you're getting in to.

i softened up my people, cause i like the softness of a professional photo. so how do you get that soft look? from one of the special effects filters, a lens, a better job editing?

 

[GlowingAmber]

Just wanted friends and family to see what im doing on facebook. All this literally happened in the last month. courses on photography, or business, or both? ive only taken an online course, and dont even have equipment other than the canon kit and a prime lens. i want to get better everyday, thats why im on this forum and researching always. do you think its a pretty good start so far? some talent to work with?

You have a good eye, I think. Certainly I am not seeing anything horrendous, nothing you see at youarenotaphotographer.com. You have some major technical issues tackle, especially dealing with where to place focus. I can tell you're not 100% confident on metering and exposure, and there is a lack of attention to detail.

But there are far worse "pros" out there, and lots of people start out at what I'm seeing from your facebook. I think if you're dedicated you'll do fine in the long run. I would encourage you to get a little more experience before charging people. You don't want to get out the door with a poor reputation.

thank you very much unpopular. like i said to thetrue, i softened them up on purpose... i like the soft look...is that not the way to do it anymore?

 

[unpopular]

^ there is more than a perhaps heavy-handed airbrush technique. I can tell you've missed the focus in places. Your airbrushing technique certainly also needs help; this especially if people are mistaking it for lack of proper sharpness and detail.

 

[KmH]

GlowingAmber - Step #1 is a well researched and documented business plan.
Starting & Managing a Business | SBA.gov
Free Small Business Advice | How-to Resources | Tools | Templates | SCORE

You'll need to find out your cities requirements for business registration/licensing/taxes and other requirements. For instance, the small town I live in prohibits having a home based business.

You'll also need to be familiar with US federal copyright law - U.S. Copyright Office

Plus your state's legal requirements for contracts, model/property release, and right of publicity statutes.

 

[Rwsphotos]

Nothing against stay at home moms making money. I am one after all. But you make it legal first. Once you start charging you are putting yourself out as a professional. As a professional all your i's should be dotted and t's crossed. You have a fb page with a company name have you registered it as a DBA? Not hard not expensive but required. And your charging are you collecting tax? Than you need to file your tax id. You can't start charging and say I'll make it legal later... if you want to do it my suggestion is to do it right.

 

[dbvirago]

You'll 'get yourself out there' as a cheap photographer who works for virtually nothing.

This is a terrible terrible mistake.

Could not agree more $50 is a joke

$50 wont buy many pasties i wouldn't get out of bed for that

That depends. Pasties means something different over here