How did you get started?

[jtraub]

I am hoping for feedback from full-time photogs on how they got started.

[Niresangwa]

with what?

i don't mean to sound trite, but if you're more specific you're likely to get advice that's more useful to you.

[candidrachel]

I think he meant becoming a professional photographer. That's my guess anyway.

BTW your eyes freak me out on your avatar

[BigFuzzy]

mom and dad got drunk.. in a camera shop.

Friend from work asked me to shoot her wedding though I'd never done any "people" shooting up to that point. Found a second shooter (because I'm not one of the many newbs here thinking they can do a wedding shoot well by themselves their first time!) and got lucky (after lots of prep and practice!)

From then it just exploded...

EDIT:
[QUOTE=candidrachel;1180994BTW your eyes freak me out on your avatar [/QUOTE]
I think it makes him cute and cuddly, like a kitten.

[candidrachel]

[QUOTE=BigFuzzy;1181054

I think it makes him cute and cuddly, like a kitten. [/QUOTE]

Like Puss in Boots in Shrek.

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

mom and dad got drunk.. in a camera shop.



From then it just exploded...

I only caught these two lines in quick succession....

[jtraub]

full-time photogs.. how they got started.. as a full-time photog. I am sorry if the question was too vague.

Great feedback though.

[Jim Bryant]

My father was an Army signal corp photographer. I was amazed to see him make 4 x 5 prints in the kitchen using a home made contact printer. While in Japan I joined the Camera Club, most of the kids had fathers that were either photographers or journalists who were staffers at Pacific Stars & Stripes in Tokyo. This led to summer jobs and when I graduated I worked full time there, joined the Navy (1973-83), then worked for the Florida Times Union and freelanced after that. Basically...................took one step at a time. But that was when the world relied on film. Today any caveman/woman can pick up dSLR, take a decent enough photo and two months later after listening to friends, family and relatives telling them just how great their photography is, decide to start a business. I have to call these PhD cameras....Press here Dummy!

[nickbedford]

I think for most it would be a gradual progression like most things. Get good, start doing the odd paid job, grow, get more gear for different things, start getting a reputation, decide you want to try going professional, quit your job and wallah.

Right now, I'm at the "doing the odd paid job" stage of the game, though I don't know whether I would go full time eventually or not. We're talking a couple of years minimum before I'd consider myself ready to go professional.

Baby steps. Hell, I only just got my first soft box and off camera Speedlites (large ones anyway). Besides, in Australia, if I keep it to a "hobby" status, I don't have to declare that income

[tarakc]

I was lucky enough to have a partner who wanted me to follow my passion, and financed my burgeoning business.
One friend asked me to do a shoot for her two boys (one of the shots can be seen here), then gave my name to her whole mothers' group. I've been a paid professional for a year, and am lucky enough to have a steady stream of friends who pass my name out.

My biggest coup was when I started back as a dancer; my studio manager caught wind of what I was doing for work and hired me to do all the studio portraits for the year!! Not only did the studio use all my work and credit me for it, but the parents all had an opportunity to view and purchase my works. I was able to pay back my investment debt to my partner, but more important the parents gave enough word-of-mouth exposure to push me into full-time work!!

Sorry to ramble, I've been incredibly lucky, but I've worked damn hard too!! Good luck getting there, it's a fantastic feeling!