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About Don Wood
Expertise
I have been a professional photographer for 26 years. Wedding, portraits, passports, copies, groups pix, reunions, etc. Specialty in photography of large groups. I also have worked in newspaper photography for most of my photographic years. I have built and maintained a b/w darkroom, and a color darkroom.

Experience
I have been a professional photographer for 35 years. I am transitioning to digital photography so I might be able to help in that field. I'm retired now but am still able to be helpful in the field. I have built a b/w, color darkroom, worked in a color lab, worked in the newspaper field both in darkroom and as a shooter.

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Careers: Photography - Starting Out With Photography

Expert: Don Wood - 10/12/2009

Question

Happy Halloween

Hello, I have loved taking pictures for years and years. I Love using photo shop to enhance my photos also. I was just wondering, what sort of education I would need to take to take my hobby further, and also if it is a hard business to be successful with.
anything else you feel would be helpful, would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Answer
This is a business which is easy to do evenings, weekends, since the majority of your requests will be for the special events of one's life; weddings, parties, family/classmate reunions, portraits, etc. So it is easy to maintain a 9-5 job which pays the bills, and indulge yourself with photography on weekends, evenings, etc. But just cause you're doing it on the side, don't shortchange yourself with undercutting all the photographers in the area because you're able to pay your bills and you're treating the photography as secondary, mad money, income. You're only going to create problems by undercutting prices and getting the reputation of being a cheap photographer. Then if you decide to go professional and quit your day job, you will have to raise your prices to a fair level. To be a pro is not merely buying a camera, having a computer and photo software, then going to it. Example, a wedding is not just doing the camera work, but paying for the gas to get to the event, having nice clothes, buying your food if you had to travel a distance, having a clean car, paying for the housing your studio is in and the utilities and living expenses. All these expenses have to be figured into your price structure.
Schooling is important, not just in photography but take several business/accounting courses to help you. Bear in mind that photography is related to sentiment, but also remember that sometimes sentiment interferes with the mundane pursuit of living, rent, food, utilities, etc. You can't eat a photograph no matter how much you want it nor can the photographer eat it if he/she gets hungry. There are many schools out there that will help you, some can be taken by correspondence, this will give you an over-view of the field so that you may decide that portraiture is your passion and you can concentrate on that or perhaps, advertising, or any other that spike your interest. You could get into your small-town newspaper and do it on an assignment basis. Start out small and grow into it. Bear in mind that of 10 photographers that start out in the year, 9 will probably drop out within 2 years, 1 may make it longer. With the type of cameras that do everything but press the button, we have now, it is an easy field to get into. You no longer have to have access to dark-room facilities or laboratory facilities.
There are a few photographers that make a lot of money, they've spent a lot of time perfecting their craft or been in the right place at the right time. Be patient. You also have to be in the right place at the right time. Good luck to you, no matter what you decide.

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