Monday, March 14, 2011

Digital Photography

By David James


You might want to consider using digital photography to make some extra money. The fact of the matter is that digital photography is the fastest growing hobby. With a little know-how and some creativity, you can turn your hobby into a money-making business. There are several different ways that you can use your camera to make money.

All it takes is a little imagination, a flair for showmanship, a bit of salesmanship and the willingness to do some work - and you are set.

If you are a digital photography hobbyist, the chances are good that you already have the equipment you need to get started. Things you will need are a digital camera, preferably one with similar features of an SLR film camera, a high-quality printer or printing service, and a good tripod.

Digital photo editing software is also a must have. Adobe products like Photoshop CS3, Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0, and Adobe Photoshop Light room are among the best digital image editing software applications on the market, along with Corel Paint Shop Pro X.

If possible, you should invest a couple hundred dollars in marketing materials.

Now, we should discuss a common misconception before going any further. Many people think that it is not possible to make money taking pictures this day. They point out that almost everyone has a digital camera or at least a camera phone. I can hear you saying, "Why would people pay for pictures when they can take their own?"

You can do it this way. The fact of the matter is that everyone has some sort of camera. But how competent are they at using it?

Take a look at the pictures many people take. Be honest with yourself. These pictures suck. Motion blur from holding the camera incorrectly. Bad color or subjects that are positioned awkwardly. Basically, they do not possess composition skills. Dark shadows obscuring a subject's face. Even those people that know how to use photo editing software may need help when it comes to taking amazing pictures. There is only so much you can do to correct a poor photograph.

Plus, when the average Joe attempts to print their photos, things can go awry. I am sure that you have seen some of these horrible images. The prints have bad, splotchy resolution. The person taking the photograph had no understanding of the camera settings that ensure pictures suitable for printing.

This is where you come in. Use your extensive digital photography skills to work up a few samples that you can show to potential customers and reel them in.

Don't think this is likely? Let me tell you about a birthday party I attended recently. The hostess engaged the services of an experienced amateur photographer who was hoping to start her own business - just like you.

Just about all of the party guests had their own cameras, but most of them were enjoying the party too much to snap many shots. Those of us who did take snapshots were poorly positioned and usually couldn't get a good view of the scene.

The photographer received payment for her services. A couple of days later, the photographer posted the photos on a web site. People that went to the party got the link to the pictures through email. We downloaded the photos we wanted and printed them or saved them to our computer.

This photographer had a good gig, since she didn't even have to bother with printing and delivering the work, although she received generous pay.

Pretty awesome, huh? Anyone can do this! So, learn all you can about photography and photo editing, create a marketing plan, and get out there!




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