Expert: Don Wood - 6/4/2004

Question
I am really interested in making photography a full time "hobby", I have been online trying to find out how to get licensed.  I am not even sure you have to. Where do you recommend I start?  Is there a legitimate website that can get me started.  Thank you for your time, Monique  

Answer
There is no licensing agency for photographers in any state that I'm familiar with. The usual path is to get as much training; college, trade school, correspondence, practical experience. The public will act as your licensing agency, if you pass their muster, you will prosper, if you fail to fulfill their expectations, you will probably fail within the first year.  Taking pix as an amateur is easy, your friends will flatter you so that they will get their pix for free or for very little. But when you start demanding their hard-earned money for your services, you will find who your true friends are.
Perhaps you should be surfing for training agencies such as New York Institute of Photography (correspondence) to Brooks Institute in California. You should also get as much training in Digital Photography as possible since that is the wave of the future of photography.
You should also learn the basic business principles so that your profit margin will repay you for your time, rent utilities, equipment, and not just the price of film, equipment, processing, postage, etc.
You will be always going to the art museums, both photographic or fine art to examine how the people shown  in that place achieved their images. I call this exercise, developing your photographic eyes.
There are many photographers advertising on the WWW. Visit their websites and examine their pictures, you will be seeing their best work.
You will find that your work will come when people are relaxing, weekends will be when most of your work will happen. In the small 1 man studio, this means that you will have few vacations, if you aren't around, you might miss that large order that will go to the photographer down the street who is home. You will learn to deal with the entire range of personalities from the pleasant, easy-going to the demanding, self-centered know-it-all. You will go through periods of inactivity, ie, December, Jan, Feb when you are sitting waiting for activity. All this being said, this is a wonderful profession for a weekend warrior to pursue. But don't quit your day job. Work for the experience, buy your equipment while you have guaranteed money coming in.
Remember that the more training you can get the better you will be.
Hope I've helped, if you have more questions please ask.
Don