I was a photography assistant way back in the 1990's, pre-digital. I learned a tremendous amount about photography and the business of photography. I worked for commercial and advertising photographers in Chicago. Even though the experience was incredible in terms of learning and skill development, eventually I realized that I needed to, at some point, decide on an exit plan IF I wanted to become a professional photographer myself. I met a lot of full time professional "lifer" assistants who would never break away and start their own studio.
LicarioSpin
joined 10 months ago
How about hanging a few framed prints in a photo gallery? Could be in a coffee shop or restaurant? Sometimes, I enjoy having my prints shown, even if not for money. It forces me to really think about just a few really good images, instead of hundreds or thousands going to social media. Print up some of your best images and show your portfolio. Small galleries and cafes are a good place for photography.
"...since it's all the hype now"
There have been other periods of time where this has been hyped up as well. I remember in the mid/late 90's a lot of museums and galleries showcased solo and group shows, usually with the big names (Sebastiao Salgado, Walker Evans, Robert Capa, Helen Levitt, Vivian Maier (not 90's but 2000's) , etc....). So, nothing really new here, just another wave that somehow has become trendy. I think there are some reasons behind this, maybe certain new artists springing up, new cameras designed for this purpose like Fuji XT (and resurgence of pivotal old film cameras such as Leica M), and of course there's social media. I try not to get bogged down by the trends and hype. To me, great photography is great photography no matter how it's categorized. I love "street photography", but I am a little curious as to why it seems necessary to define this with people in public places, the decisive moment, and a gritty old urban background. I'd love to see a photographer pull off some good "street" shots in a new glitzy shopping mall, or in a bland quiet suburban neighborhood, or maybe even just their own backyard.
This is one of the reasons I no longer pursue professional (paid) photography. I love the craft and the art, but I was never very good at the business side of things. As others have said here, sales and marketing skills are key to growing your business, and the quality of your work should speak for itself but it doesn't always work that way.
The Library Of Congress has many high resolution files for free download, such as historical FSA photographers. You probably won't find any Magnum photographers here, but many other greats....
Wow! I didn't know that.
Digital cameras and phone cameras that make a simulated film camera sound on shutter release. The sound is not even remotely close to the sound of any film camera. Same in movies too.
Check out Scott Mutter's work. Pre-Adobe Photoshop. All done in a darkroom.
Photographer Cindy Sherman did lots of self portraits, experimenting with identity.
In the late 1990's, I worked for a stock photography house doing Photoshop editing work. Average sale per licensed image = $800. This was before the age of Royalty Free images and Microstock. Yes, $800 was a premium amount of money to spend on an image, but the images were top notch, and everybody was happy including the buyers. A few things happened since then. Royalty free imagery (very cheap) came about. Film went away in favor of digital capture (more shots available, more photographers in the market). And the web became the primary vehicle. Cultural expectations (for cheap photography, or cheap anything) naturally followed.
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I don't agree with shooting in sRGB, even if your intended output is only the web. I shoot in AdobeRGB and find that web browsers do dumb down the colors due to reduced gamut, but not nearly as much in some cases as if I shot in sRGB. You should always capture with the widest possible color range (and hopefully in a RAW file format). For one thing, browsers and displays are always improving. It's not the 1990's. Do an experiment sometime with an image that is highly saturated with colors. Shoot in AdobeRGB. Save out a jpeg with this color profile. Convert profile to sRGB (in Photoshop), and save out another jpeg. Post both images to a website and there will be a difference.