There is a lot of competition if the work you want to be paid for is something that many people do as a hobby or are "passionate" about. For myself photography is a hobby. I don't try to make money with it, not to say people can't. Just like it is difficult to make money as a musician, actor, etc...
Short explanation, art is always a market that is going to be very difficult to make money off of. Everyone is talented and the market to actually make a good amount of money will always be challenging.
I've turned to sports to make photography work as a job. I have done portraits (extremely oversaturated market), concerts (tons of gatekeeping and even when you get in, bands/publications pay next to nothing) and even did a small stint as a photojournalist (low pay/low hours in a tiny rural town). I got my first job as team photographer for an independent baseball team this year. It was seasonal, but the massive wealth of experience and networking opportunities I gained will hopefully push me farther into a more fulfilling career working in sports. There's no guarantee but it's more progress than I made in the last seven years prior. As much as I wish I could just do this as a hobby because I genuinely enjoy it, I've been doing it for so long that I seriously cannot stomach working in any other kind of career because of how unhappy I would become, and not to mention seeing all of my friends do just that and they are hating every second of it. If it means not having as much money as I could have working something else but keeping my sanity, so be it I guess.
Arts are always difficult to make money in as the job stability is lesser than traditional jobs such as doctor, lawyer etc. Especially for photography, which is considered a expensive hobby and the market is oversaturated. Furthermore, the rise of mobile phone photography keeps killing the camera market. Common example: client books u for shoot but argues about price. "If I can take photos using my phone, why should I pay you so much?". Yup, sad reality of photographers. Nowadays, phorography has transitioned to video content creation instead. Photography is dying... :(
Well I think you have made some great points. I can tell you’re speaking from a position of experience in this field and are being sincere. As someone looking to start a channel I found your words helpful, thanks.
I’ve been following you for about two years and I always love these videos. They always make sense and make me see things differently. Always good advice. Keep it coming 😊
When I was 18 I was trying to decide to go to photography school or business school. I chose business. I have a side business in photography which has slowly but steadily declined. I am to the point now where the business does not even pay for my equipment. Thank God for Medical Sales. I am about to retire and can now afford to buy whatever I want. It sure would feel better if I could buy my gear from photography than from my main job though.
There's so many talented artists out there that it is important to be yourself, find your unique vision, and make something different. Study. There's ups and downs. Keep practicing.
A very interesting conversation indeed. Being a birding photographer from Uruguay (very tiny country) with a lot of us doing the same, the only way I am finally getting to be different, is in my editing process. But no one want's to buy photo of birds, I am though slowly building a photobook explaining some basics to identify these birds, in a simple way, but with great photos. Intended for people who doesn't know how to differentiate species. Thank you and againa very interesting!
Stuck in that boat where I feel the value in providing isn’t worth the hundreds or thousands that people charge. For example graduation pictures, doesn’t take long to take 5 photos, throw on a preset, do slight adjustments and skin retouching. I can get that done within the hour. Real estate just slap on a wide angle lens and take jpeg pictures of every room and angle of the house, send a drone up and take a few aerial shots. Again slap on a preset and I’m done. I feel like I can teach a 5 year old where to frame the shot, and all they have to do is push the button. All the basics of photography can be learned in an hour, which is what you need to take these photos. I can do this for 30 years but I will still be relying on the basics for everything. Some may have more experience with framing and poses but is that really worth thousands more?
@@normanbalian I think you’re confusing skill and reputation. I believe the video is talking about how to charge when you’ just have the skill. Someone shooting pics of Taylor Swift wouldn’t be watching this lol. For example if a barber cuts hairs for well known celebs, he can charge $250 but a barber who can provide the same haircuts but doesn’t cut anyone famous, he charges $40. Does it require any more skill? Not really
my biggest pitfalls are imposter syndrome and introvertedness.. hoping to start overcoming them soon and hopping into making youtube videos and getting my other socials on track for future success!
Totally agree... but i would add two very important issues. The market. If there are too many people selling the same as you, or doing it for free, the value of what you are selling goes down. I've seen it in photography in the last 20 years. And the other issue is the place where you work. In many countries the customers are not able to pay much for your work but the cameras costs even more than in USA. Storyblocks subscription for example costs the same in Portugal and USA. But you can charge 5 times more for a work in USA...
I have no instagram, no youtube channel, no social media. I print and hang them in galleries. No one who's bought my prints have ever asked about my social media. I also write and send images to magazines. People who buy fineart don’t realy hang out on instagram
@@mr_offwall I used to have instagram and facebook years ago. That resultet in zero sales. I want the buyer to see my print in real life on real paper in a size you can't view it on a computer. It cost alot of time to throw images on social media. For me I rather have time than money. Life's about living.
@@normanbalian I fill my van with a few larger (70x50cm) prints and magazines I've been published in, then visit different galleries and try to sell in my ideas and images. They have alot of younger photographers showing up to their galleries with their smartphones trying to do the same.
Thank you for the conversation. I do enjoy getting these perspective refreshers from the community. I had to laugh back at the 0840 area when you said, “their sound looks great . . .” Anyway, good video.
Sweet lord, 2024 has sucked. Luckily this is a side hustle for me but I do use the funds for things like my kids college fund. I had so many “yes I will hire you then crickets”. I have done 35% as much work as 2023. Only “grace” was I shot 2 higher earning shoots to offset the other “losses”.
Ive started finding ways to "save money" or "spend less" in ways that I can. As a paid photographer I know not to skimp out on glass, or memory cards, kmor good batteries. But in other ways, such as outsourcing print companies, or save on lighting, or devices for editing, or promotion, etc. I want to spend less and save in ways that are safe. Still a work in progress lol Question : What is a good budget option for an alternative to an ipad or macbook or PC? I need something better than my olf HP Laptop or my cell phone.
There will be a decline in UA-cam viewers too in the future when UA-cam starts to integrate heavy advertising directly into the video streams to bypass all the users using ad blockers.
I am a videoeditor and graphic designer and I know photography and videography but I don't have a good camera or mobile phone. But if you work in this field in our country, you will be paid 200 USD per month. Therefore, no family expenses can be taken care of
Counting on Instagram for anything at this stage (especially if you haven't already built a following over the past decade) is going to be a disappointment.
I’m the biggest automotive videographer in Atlanta 64k followers on ig with millions and millions of views damn near 100 million views and over 10 million likes and I make absolutely nothing from it at all struggle to get clients what should I do?
This is something I've been wondering about too. Unfortunately, there are tons of people that will take pictures or videos of vehicles for absolutely nothing. How can you persuade someone to pay you for something they can get in spades for free. Best thing I can tell you is monetize your platform and look for brand deals.
2:10 to 3:30 in the video…gotta have a potential customer or market….no matter how good you are, if no market that is prepared to pay..then no money. Your work is great BTW.. My wife is a portrait photographer and has always had a target client, even gave her a name…knows her age, clothing brands, fave food and tv shows …delivers only best experience and product…only sells prints…and understands that not everyone is her client…extremely niche in a market that everyone is hustling and cutting prices like crazy…here in South Africa you can get portrait sessions for $50….so she is currently dormant, while deciding way forward..
Why Photographers are Struggling To Make Money In 2024 & 2025 ? The author of the question doesn't provide the right and main answer. Until the 2010s, we photographers and videographers lived in a Golden Age. With the advent of Smartphones, the professional situation has become uberized. Now, every Smartphone owner, whether amateur or corporate, thinks he can do as well as us because he shoots in HDR or films in 4K. As an example, I found a Contract dated August 5, 2000, my rate for filming a Wedding in New York was $ 5,400 for one day. In 2024, if I had continued to shoot weddings, it would be impossible for me to charge the same amount. Businesses are no better. They go to the lesser said or make the film in-house. They should understand that they're not paying for a Photo or Film realization, but for 30 years' experience.
these type of videos would be so much more helpful if reels and "content creation" didn't come up. I don't know any photographer that picked up the camera to make photos that is thrilled or even interested in "making content"
There is a lot of competition if the work you want to be paid for is something that many people do as a hobby or are "passionate" about. For myself photography is a hobby. I don't try to make money with it, not to say people can't. Just like it is difficult to make money as a musician, actor, etc...
Short explanation, art is always a market that is going to be very difficult to make money off of. Everyone is talented and the market to actually make a good amount of money will always be challenging.
I've turned to sports to make photography work as a job. I have done portraits (extremely oversaturated market), concerts (tons of gatekeeping and even when you get in, bands/publications pay next to nothing) and even did a small stint as a photojournalist (low pay/low hours in a tiny rural town). I got my first job as team photographer for an independent baseball team this year. It was seasonal, but the massive wealth of experience and networking opportunities I gained will hopefully push me farther into a more fulfilling career working in sports. There's no guarantee but it's more progress than I made in the last seven years prior. As much as I wish I could just do this as a hobby because I genuinely enjoy it, I've been doing it for so long that I seriously cannot stomach working in any other kind of career because of how unhappy I would become, and not to mention seeing all of my friends do just that and they are hating every second of it. If it means not having as much money as I could have working something else but keeping my sanity, so be it I guess.
Arts are always difficult to make money in as the job stability is lesser than traditional jobs such as doctor, lawyer etc. Especially for photography, which is considered a expensive hobby and the market is oversaturated. Furthermore, the rise of mobile phone photography keeps killing the camera market. Common example: client books u for shoot but argues about price. "If I can take photos using my phone, why should I pay you so much?". Yup, sad reality of photographers. Nowadays, phorography has transitioned to video content creation instead. Photography is dying... :(
Well I think you have made some great points. I can tell you’re speaking from a position of experience in this field and are being sincere. As someone looking to start a channel I found your words helpful, thanks.
How to make money?
Make a UA-cam video of how to make money without saying how to make money.
Some people created all their life around this idea
But he talks quite a bit about how to make money. Have you actually watched the video?
I’ve been following you for about two years and I always love these videos. They always make sense and make me see things differently. Always good advice. Keep it coming 😊
When I was 18 I was trying to decide to go to photography school or business school. I chose business. I have a side business in photography which has slowly but steadily declined. I am to the point now where the business does not even pay for my equipment. Thank God for Medical Sales. I am about to retire and can now afford to buy whatever I want. It sure would feel better if I could buy my gear from photography than from my main job though.
There's so many talented artists out there that it is important to be yourself, find your unique vision, and make something different. Study. There's ups and downs. Keep practicing.
A very interesting conversation indeed. Being a birding photographer from Uruguay (very tiny country) with a lot of us doing the same, the only way I am finally getting to be different, is in my editing process. But no one want's to buy photo of birds, I am though slowly building a photobook explaining some basics to identify these birds, in a simple way, but with great photos. Intended for people who doesn't know how to differentiate species. Thank you and againa very interesting!
Stuck in that boat where I feel the value in providing isn’t worth the hundreds or thousands that people charge. For example graduation pictures, doesn’t take long to take 5 photos, throw on a preset, do slight adjustments and skin retouching. I can get that done within the hour. Real estate just slap on a wide angle lens and take jpeg pictures of every room and angle of the house, send a drone up and take a few aerial shots. Again slap on a preset and I’m done. I feel like I can teach a 5 year old where to frame the shot, and all they have to do is push the button. All the basics of photography can be learned in an hour, which is what you need to take these photos. I can do this for 30 years but I will still be relying on the basics for everything. Some may have more experience with framing and poses but is that really worth thousands more?
It comes to your self value and your portfolio and most importantly the people that you know and associated with
@@normanbalian I think you’re confusing skill and reputation. I believe the video is talking about how to charge when you’ just have the skill. Someone shooting pics of Taylor Swift wouldn’t be watching this lol. For example if a barber cuts hairs for well known celebs, he can charge $250 but a barber who can provide the same haircuts but doesn’t cut anyone famous, he charges $40. Does it require any more skill? Not really
my biggest pitfalls are imposter syndrome and introvertedness.. hoping to start overcoming them soon and hopping into making youtube videos and getting my other socials on track for future success!
Totally agree... but i would add two very important issues. The market. If there are too many people selling the same as you, or doing it for free, the value of what you are selling goes down. I've seen it in photography in the last 20 years. And the other issue is the place where you work. In many countries the customers are not able to pay much for your work but the cameras costs even more than in USA. Storyblocks subscription for example costs the same in Portugal and USA. But you can charge 5 times more for a work in USA...
This is really helpful advice and explained so clearly. Thanks for sharing this!!
Reason #5 really resonated with me!
I have no instagram, no youtube channel, no social media. I print and hang them in galleries. No one who's bought my prints have ever asked about my social media. I also write and send images to magazines. People who buy fineart don’t realy hang out on instagram
that just sounds like you are missing a section of the market. It doesn't cost anything to throw some pictures up on social media
@@mr_offwall I used to have instagram and facebook years ago. That resultet in zero sales. I want the buyer to see my print in real life on real paper in a size you can't view it on a computer. It cost alot of time to throw images on social media. For me I rather have time than money. Life's about living.
How to contact them, do they accept just to hang it on the wall, what is the process thanks
@@normanbalian I fill my van with a few larger (70x50cm) prints and magazines I've been published in, then visit different galleries and try to sell in my ideas and images. They have alot of younger photographers showing up to their galleries with their smartphones trying to do the same.
@@stayuntilforever how much of it you actually able to sell this year?
Thank you for the conversation. I do enjoy getting these perspective refreshers from the community. I had to laugh back at the 0840 area when you said, “their sound looks great . . .” Anyway, good video.
Sweet lord, 2024 has sucked. Luckily this is a side hustle for me but I do use the funds for things like my kids college fund. I had so many “yes I will hire you then crickets”. I have done 35% as much work as 2023. Only “grace” was I shot 2 higher earning shoots to offset the other “losses”.
I really appreciate you sharing your experience. These are all great things to think about. Thanks!
Ive started finding ways to "save money" or "spend less" in ways that I can. As a paid photographer I know not to skimp out on glass, or memory cards, kmor good batteries. But in other ways, such as outsourcing print companies, or save on lighting, or devices for editing, or promotion, etc. I want to spend less and save in ways that are safe. Still a work in progress lol
Question : What is a good budget option for an alternative to an ipad or macbook or PC? I need something better than my olf HP Laptop or my cell phone.
Dang just realized where I somewhat recognize you from lol I was at gsu when the snow hit
Awesome Video!
There will be a decline in UA-cam viewers too in the future when UA-cam starts to integrate heavy advertising directly into the video streams to bypass all the users using ad blockers.
Well said!
Well said 🎊 🎉
Thank you! 🙏
The difference between hobbyist and professionals is that professionals aren't afraid to chase what they enjoy.
I am a videoeditor and graphic designer and I know photography and videography but I don't have a good camera or mobile phone. But if you work in this field in our country, you will be paid 200 USD per month. Therefore, no family expenses can be taken care of
What country is it? Just curious
@@RanftEvan India
I suppose a career in photography is a bit like musical chairs the one still in the game at the end wins.
Counting on Instagram for anything at this stage (especially if you haven't already built a following over the past decade) is going to be a disappointment.
The answer is being prepared when you get a lucky opportunity
I’m the biggest automotive videographer in Atlanta 64k followers on ig with millions and millions of views damn near 100 million views and over 10 million likes and I make absolutely nothing from it at all struggle to get clients what should I do?
This is something I've been wondering about too. Unfortunately, there are tons of people that will take pictures or videos of vehicles for absolutely nothing. How can you persuade someone to pay you for something they can get in spades for free. Best thing I can tell you is monetize your platform and look for brand deals.
2:10 to 3:30 in the video…gotta have a potential customer or market….no matter how good you are, if no market that is prepared to pay..then no money. Your work is great BTW..
My wife is a portrait photographer and has always had a target client, even gave her a name…knows her age, clothing brands, fave food and tv shows …delivers only best experience and product…only sells prints…and understands that not everyone is her client…extremely niche in a market that everyone is hustling and cutting prices like crazy…here in South Africa you can get portrait sessions for $50….so she is currently dormant, while deciding way forward..
Why Photographers are Struggling To Make Money In 2024 & 2025 ? The author of the question doesn't provide the right and main answer. Until the 2010s, we photographers and videographers lived in a Golden Age. With the advent of Smartphones, the professional situation has become uberized. Now, every Smartphone owner, whether amateur or corporate, thinks he can do as well as us because he shoots in HDR or films in 4K. As an example, I found a Contract dated August 5, 2000, my rate for filming a Wedding in New York was $ 5,400 for one day. In 2024, if I had continued to shoot weddings, it would be impossible for me to charge the same amount. Businesses are no better. They go to the lesser said or make the film in-house. They should understand that they're not paying for a Photo or Film realization, but for 30 years' experience.
Do photographers actually make money from photography these days???
Barely.
It’s up and down for me. I made $6,000 last weekend from print sales. And before that I made nothing for many months.
@@tdawg719
I guess the amount of profits you make depends drastically on your geography.
Actual photographers do, don’t mistake them from content creators though.
@@MatSjo
So who has the money 💰 to buy photographs in 2024 when people should be saving their bread? The world is in financial crisis.
these type of videos would be so much more helpful if reels and "content creation" didn't come up. I don't know any photographer that picked up the camera to make photos that is thrilled or even interested in "making content"
I have 0 guilt to get paid 😂
That 5th reason was the biggest WTF moment I've had in a while 😅
bro. I cant even watch this. Its not 2025 yet. its sep5 2024. WTF
Normal people don't talk continually non-stop.
My Situation Video😭
Keep pushing forward 🙌
❤❤❤
Thank you!
Do u have a EIN# for your camera?? 🤓🤑😎📸
🤚
🤝
Photography is dead!☠️
Get a job ! Damn.