Expert: Don Wood - 10/27/2006

Question
ok so i understand it is more than taking pictures. I know that there are many expenses for this. And right now I do not work and it is not needed. My husband is returning from Iraq in a couple days from a years deployment and we have both decided that I need to go back to school. I can just be driving along somewhere or be out in the country doing nothing and I have an eye for great pictures. I have a couple that I love that I have taken of a flower and a camp fire. So I guess what my question is is you are saying to just take classes first? That is not a problem but what classes should i take, and can they be taken at just a community college or an art institute? How do you go about getting your work out there after you have realized it is good? I am really clueless on it all. I love photography I love working with people and everything that comes with it that i know of. I just don't know how to go about getting my work out to the world to see. That I guess is my main question.. and if you answered that in the last question I'm sorry but I didn't understand!
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

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Hello my name is Jessica I am a 20 year old Army Wife and I love to take pictures! I am a nature fanatic for pictures. I was originally going to go to college to be a pharmacist, but as I started and just did general classes i didn't like what you have to do to even attempt to begin that career. I have had a canon a540 power shot and have found many features on it that I love to use to take pictures of flowers. I am just wondering what i need to do to get my career started as a photographer or to get my pictures out there for like calendars and such?
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I applaud you for your patience with allowing your Army husband room to pursue his vocation. As to your question, it is not enough to just love to take pictures. Unfortunately, one must provide money for such things as rent, food, living expenses, as well as budgeting for equipment you will find that you need. You are like most students that find that the beginning courses are just classes that train you how to learn. They also provide a groundwork for the more advanced training you'll be getting. Sometimes it's hard for a young student to realize, perhaps you could transfer your college training to a journalism course in your school. the point is that it takes quite a bit of patience to succeed in nature photography. You will need the services of an agent that will try to sell you to clients.  After you establish yourself and you're getting clients directly instead of through the agent, then you can decide whether you need the agent or not.
Remember that it is not enough just to love to take pictures, you must also make a living, pay the rent, buy the equipment, possibly upgrade your computer to allow you to do the processing of your digital pictures. You will need the software to do the job, you will need to get longer lens, or the closer-focusing lens (specialized). You will need money to travel to your nature shooting. In short, it is not just taking pictures with your normal camera. You might check with camera clubs that may offer  monthly or semi-monthly exhibitions. You might talk to some of the pro photographers. If you demonstrate that you are not interested in doing their specialty, that you are only asking for information, not seeking to take away their secrets or customers,  they may help you if they can spare the time. Thanks for asking. I would advise you to get as much education as you can while you are still young. You may not think that the English course is relevant but any course you take demonstrate your willingness to try new things, to demonstrate your ability to assimilate new things, and the stick-to-it-iveness in pursuing your dreams. Many freshmen start out in one course, and end up in their life work at doing something entirely different. I started out to be a journalist, switched to education, taught for 8 years, worked with my Dad in his florist shop for 3 years before I started my studio.
Good luck, keep me posted. If you have other questions I will try to help. Thanks for asking.

Answer
I can only repeat the advice already given. I do not know you, know your strengths or weaknesses, your preferences, your interests. It sounds as if you have an interest in photography, what I'm saying is to get your education first and do your photography as a side-line hobby. Build up a portfolio of your best shots. After you have 15-20 shots that illustrate what you're capable of then you can try to find the agent to help you. Any education you get now will come in good stead in learning how to learn. That is what the undergraduate course are. Voc. Ed school, community college, junior college, and university all teach you the most important thing of all and that is how to educate yourself.
You need to develop your photographic eyes. By that I mean, going to museums, art and photographic, and looking at their contents. How do you reproduce the effect that the artist/photographer got? What was the exposure, did he freeze the action with a short shutter speed or deliberately slow the shutter so that the action would occur as a blur. Where was he situated, at an angle to the subject, directly in front of subject, behind the subject? These are all parts of getting your photographic eyes. You will be developing them the rest of your life. Libraries have books of art, photography that can help your learning experience. Here's a statistic. 10 photographers start their careers, 7-8 of those will drop out during the first year. 2-3 may last through part of the 2nd. year. 1 may be able to last. What I'm saying is that photography is great for the second job. When you photograph something you are actually freezing time, whether it's a flower, a baby, a weding, a portrait, etc.I always recommend to newby photographers that they don't quit their day job.
Please thank your husband for me, what he has sacrificed I'm very much support and I appreciate his service.
I do envy you, you are in a position that you can indulge in your passion for photography yet do not have to make a living at it. Bear in mind that there are many types of photographic jobs, portrait, wedding, illustrative (nature), advertising, group photography, etc. You must study all phases before deciding that you are most fitted for that area. Good luck to you. If I can help further please ask. Thanks for asking.