Comments on: How many years does it take to become a photographer after high school? http://vanessa-carlton.net/how-many-years-does-it-take-to-become-a-photographer-after-high-school/ Your help center. Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:32:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: CoachT http://vanessa-carlton.net/how-many-years-does-it-take-to-become-a-photographer-after-high-school/comment-page-1/#comment-2127 CoachT Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:24:35 +0000 #comment-2127 Photography is an art. You either have the talent or you don't. College isn't required but it can help refine your talent. What's required is that you have the talent and then that you develop your art. Does it cost a lot? Take a look at adorama.com and check out a nice professional level digital SLR (say the Canon EOS 1d Mark III) and a good lens to go on it (such as the EF85 f/1.2L) - you're looking at a combination nearing $10,000 in camera equipment without anything else like lighting and studio space. The high end side of the business can be VERY expensive. Some people will tell you that it doesn't have to be expensive - you can use a cheap camera and lens to get started. I'm not sure I agree with that anymore than I agree that an auto mechanic doesn't need tools, he can start out with just a pair of pliers. Will I make good money? That's relative and depends on what you call good money. Around here, photographer assistants at studios you see in the mall or at amusement places make about $8 an hour. Self-employed shooters that do weddings make a pretty penny (and work a lot of hours for it) as do fashion shooters after they get a good reputation. The US Dept. of Labor tells us that the median photographer earns $26,170. The lowest 10% earn $15,540 while the highest 10% earns $56,640+ Photojournalists have a different path to the work world than do commercial and portrait shooters. The photojournalist benefits greatly from, and may be required to have, a degree in journalism. Commercial shooters are more artists and most often follow the artists path. Photography is an art. You either have the talent or you don’t. College isn’t required but it can help refine your talent. What’s required is that you have the talent and then that you develop your art.

Does it cost a lot? Take a look at adorama.com and check out a nice professional level digital SLR (say the Canon EOS 1d Mark III) and a good lens to go on it (such as the EF85 f/1.2L) – you’re looking at a combination nearing $10,000 in camera equipment without anything else like lighting and studio space. The high end side of the business can be VERY expensive.

Some people will tell you that it doesn’t have to be expensive – you can use a cheap camera and lens to get started. I’m not sure I agree with that anymore than I agree that an auto mechanic doesn’t need tools, he can start out with just a pair of pliers.

Will I make good money? That’s relative and depends on what you call good money. Around here, photographer assistants at studios you see in the mall or at amusement places make about $8 an hour. Self-employed shooters that do weddings make a pretty penny (and work a lot of hours for it) as do fashion shooters after they get a good reputation.

The US Dept. of Labor tells us that the median photographer earns $26,170. The lowest 10% earn $15,540 while the highest 10% earns $56,640+ Photojournalists have a different path to the work world than do commercial and portrait shooters. The photojournalist benefits greatly from, and may be required to have, a degree in journalism. Commercial shooters are more artists and most often follow the artists path.

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