OSP has grown so much! I would like to know the experience level of our many members. Please don't include time shooting as a child with Dad. I'm more interested in time spent as a working photographer ... being paid to shoot.

in my 4th year professionally now.

Well, I wanted this to be a Poll, but I cannot seem to figure out the process!

Oh, there we go!!

April will mark the close of 4 years.

Full-time we're in the 4th year. Part time for about 7 or 8. Can't really remember.

I can hardly believe it, but it has been about 6.5 years since I started getting paid to shoot and just a little under two years that it has been full time!

14 years. Some thoughts:

Criminey, has it been that long already?

Boy, have I squandered a lot of time.



Marc

Holy cow...talk about making me feel old!!!! I went to work for a studio during my senior year in college...so that makes this my 20th year. Twenty years of photography being my secondary source of income...man, if I could go back in time...

Okay...'enuff looking back...don't want to anger Satchel Paige!

My vote was for my photo shoots but I've been shooting video for much longer. Interesting results.
-Eddie

I've been paid for my last 3 shoots - so uh, 3 weeks now *proud*




I know, I know . . . . . but every journey starts with the first steps right. *gazes into distance*

Hey this metaphor game rocks Dan.

Dan,

Not to worry, I have you beat. I've been shooting commercially for 35 years; 15 in advertising then 20 in weddings.

Man, now I'm the one feel'in old!

Rick

I've been shooting for about 5 1/2 years now

I have only been shooting for 3 months and officially havent had a "paid" session yet bt have had 2 practice runs with my friend, and obviously shot alot at OSP WEST. I want to get better and soon have some "official" shoots under my belt soon.

Stewart C.

I went to school (93) and worked for a car Photographers (93-03) for a long time then got out for a few years and then in the fall of 05 got in to wedding photography
sf

Fulltime before kids, then part-time for 12 years now trying for closer to full-time. $5 check from the weekly paper for a shot of the homecoming king and queen in 1982. Does that count?

First paying photography job was senior portraits that I did the year after I graduated high school, about 10 years ago. Established our current business with Joel back in 2000 - sheesh almost 7 years ago!

(I have been out of the "regular" corporate america type job for almost 3 years now.)

Rita

Thats awesome. Me and My wife started about 6 months ago. I am hoping to be out of the corporate job and do this full time.
thank for sharing.

Stewart C.

I looked for the picture to get the exact date, but I can't find it. I sold my first photo in 1997.

I shot my first wedding in 97 or 98, but didn't really start pursuing weddings until 2001.

This is year number 4 for me.

Lets see...longer than some people on this board have been on this earth. Was reborn about two years ago though when I decided to go weddings full time. Well, that didn't really happen because about 30% of my business is still other things from past clients but that is o.k. and has really helped the transition. One day I will be just weddings though...sure

Technically sold my first photos and was published in a local newspaper when I was 14, though. Does that count?

Has it really been almost 8 years?

Man I'm gettin' old....

WOW! This is an amazing survey (in terms of the results).

With a sample size of 70 (which is a fairly statistically valid sample size)...20% in business less than a year and almost 50% in biz 3 years or less.

Less than 15% in business longer than 10 years...



(I just raised my rates! )

Yes, Dan, the statistics are fascinating. I've been at this for 23 years, 20 shooting commercial, almost 5 years in weddings. This is a research project for me, and actually, the results are similar to what I expected.

People started paying me to photograph their weddings about... a month ago, haha.

Good for you! Best of luck, Christopher J. Stewart!

Just to clarify a little more, I am interested in continuous paid shooting, even if it is part-time. But I don't mean continuous in the sense of daily or even weekly. Just ongoing paying assignments. If you got $50 10 years ago for a local newspaper image then didn't get a paid assignment again until last year, it wouldn't be 10 years for this survey.

Hope that makes sense.

Thank you for all the replies!!

My portrait business officially launched 6 months ago. I had a few paying jobs before that, but still under a year

Awww But but but bruuuuuuuuce! I was just kidding about the newsie assignment when I was a teen. I'm still in the 4th year that I would consider myself a paid pro.

I've just past the 3 year mark in business over here!

started as a hobby about 2.5 years ago, going part time pro about a 1.5 years, still going part time now ....
~erwin

Now I feel old. Shooting pro for 23 years. Full time weddings in the last two years.

Worked as staff photographer for a daily paper back in 2000. But then I quit to do about a zillion other things (like having babies!)

Been doing weddings for 7 months now. So on the survey, I said "Less than 1 Year"

Wow, Gulnara, 23 years!! That's how long I've been shooting pro also. I'm curious to know what you shot prior to weddings.

And thanks, again, for all the responses!

Yey, cool!!!!! I started as a freelance newspaper photographer back in Russia. Then a photography teacher with allot of time shooting fashion, portraits, nudes, weddings and news. I did allot of documentary projects that I have to post on my personal website really soon. When I moved to US in 1992 I was a pro retoucher and did allot of same things as in Russia meaning shootings. I consider myself as a documentary photographer and find weddings a great opportunity to shoot everything I know about. I can't wait to start offering B shoots where I can express myself as a nude photographer :-)
What about you?

I have been shooting for so many years I remember the "W" palm trees from the first movie I ever saw. It's a mad mad world. Any one else see that?


I graduated from Brooks in 1980 and in 1979 won the Oceans Magazine Photography of the Year award and Runner up. Won $800 for my first photo pay check. I have been shooting profesional ever since. Now live on Maui and instead of being a destination wedding photographer going to destinations, I chose to live in the destination. Have been shooting weddings here and around the wold for the past 8 years. Even after all these years I love what I do.

I started out shooting rock/pop concerts for a Pittsburgh newspaper. Got into fashion/beauty work in PA, FLA, and NYC for a number of years, followed by a concentration in dance photography (studio and stage). Resumed fashion shooting in Colorado around 1997 and continued with it until last year. Started in weddings almost 5 years ago. Love the weddings!!

Gulnara, your photographs (on the blog) from Russia are fascinating ... thanks for sharing!

David, that's a great short bio you posted! I envy you ... Hawaii must be awesome!!!

In that case - continuous paid shooting - since 2002 - so just over 4 years.


Rita

My 14 years is full time, no part time stuff.

I wonder how these stats correlate to the pricing trends and availability of digital SLRs.

Marc

That wanted me to start a new poll-how long have you been shooting digital?

Please don't mind the bump!

I want to keep this going for a little while for the research I am doing. Thank you, everyone, for taking part.

thank you for making this thread. It really cool to see the different times people have been shooting.

Stewart C.

Actually my dad picked up a manual SLR and all the paperwork MINT at a police auction... $25. it got me hooked on photography.

friend weddings and portraits since 1998 but 2004 was the launching year and second shooter start-outs, spring 2006 was full time.

time flies.
eB

Bruce- are you the guy who used to work at the Photomark lab in Phoenix?


Shooting time...14 years.....about 10 more before that but that was just using the point and shoot with Dad so it does'nt count.

Hey, Gino! Yes, but it was ImageCraft, not Photomark. I printed your vehicle graphic, which I understand became a fiasco for you. But I had nothing to do with that! I was just a lab rat putting in my time.

Answering this question is like trying to answer the question, "Where are you from"...
(from someone that has lived in 15 states or so)

I graduated from Syracuse University with photo degree in '88 and proceeded to move out west(bay area) with a band and pursue a career in audio recording and live engineering. From 84 to present I had one major gig a year photographing an all girls boarding school graduation in southern virginia as well as a few destination corporate gigs. These gigs paid the bills and kept my camera and me from getting rusty. I was in the recording business during this time, full time. Now after being done with having children and two (almost unable to work) sick pregnancies, and a new non urban location, I have been in photography part to now full time for the last 2 years and work my recording gigs on the side....it is a crazy life! So, how many years is that Bruce? 3-5? 5-10? More? Great poll!

Lisa

Looks to me, Lisa, like it's been since '84, since you wrote you've had paying gigs fairly regularly since that time to the present. Am I correct? If so, you've certainly been in this for 10+ years.

Thanks for taking part and the info!! What an interesting life you have had ... possibly as bizarre as mine! Well, maybe not, but that's a story best kept under wraps.

But I've lived in only 8 States.

10+?
Now I'm feeling old!
Or is that a good thing?
I think I felt more accomplished in the 3-5 bracket-
ah well-

cheers

Basically bumping, as this thread is really interesting to me, as well!!

Uhm, started getting paid at the very, very end of 2003, so I'm just a bit over 3 years now.

I've been paid since last January, so barely over 1 year -- before that, it was just an extremely expensive hobby!

Leann