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If you REALLY want to become a photographer, then you won't have to ask advice, you will just ignore those who tell you to get a 'proper' job.

However, whatever you do, get as much education as you can. It's much harder to go back and obtain the qualifications that you requre when you have been out of the education scene for some time. Whether you need photographic qualifications is a debatable point. Many people have succeeded without, but education is never wasted. What is in no doubt is that marketing and business skills are equally as important as photographic expertise if you are working for yourself.

Being a vet is a pretty good job - and as already pointed out you can easily combine that with travelling around the world.

You CAN make a living from travel photography - I've done it for a long tme, but it's becoming harder as each year passes.

Whatever you decide, good luck!
Sheila

Another yellowbelly here too
I'm between Wragby and Louth!

Sheila

Just happened on this chapwhilst walking down a street in Prague

Sheila

Not at work at present, but when I am this is my commute:

Hi Ben,
Interesting blog, sounds like you're having a great time

Whether you have a separate website really depends, in my view, on what you are trying to achieve. If your aim is to sell your images, then yes a dedicated photo website is essential.

If the purpose of your blog is to keep friends and family informed of your travels then you don't need a website - if they like any of your photos well enough to want a copy, they probably won't want to pay for it anyway!

Sheila

To be fair, I'm sure that if I had PMd the Foliopic site I would have been sorted out pretty quickly as well.

I still prefer my Clikpic site - but I'll continue playing with the Foliopic template for a while.

Duhhh! Thanks Boyd

Quote:Ps. OK, I know it's a while since I've been around - but what's happened to the 'helpful comment' button???
It's now text in the strip on the forum post "Mark as helpful"



Where????????????????????

ps. OK, I know it's a while since I've been around - but what's happened to the 'helpful comment' button???

Thanks Pete and Chris, that's really helpful - I'll get back to my experimentation!

OK Cheryl - yours is the exception that proves the rule. It looks very classy!

Sheila

Yes, I did that - but can't find a way to actually add the image to this block - only a link to it.

I accept that I am technologically challenged (very!)

Oh, and whilst I've got you - is there any way of changing the typeface and font size on the home page?
Thanks,
Sheila

Just the home page

Well, for example, on my home page I have a grey scale and I'm trying (unsuccessfully) to work out how to add this.

If you go to my portfolio you can find a link to my website!
Sheila

I manage three Clikpic sites and find them very easy to customize. My gripe with Photium has always been that every Photium site looks like every other Photium site

I'm trialling a Foliopic site at the moment - but getting very frustrated as I can't add the little extras that have made my Clikpic site slightly different to others using the same template.

Sheila

The Olympus SP570UZ has both RAW capability and a flash hot shoe.

Sheila

Or Clikpic

The secret is to have a small roller bag. I've got the Lowepro Mini roller, which holds a surprising amount of stuff, but looks pretty small compared to many rollers.

Sheila

How about Brayford Pool, with the modern university architecture? Or the university library building that used to be a railway warehouse?
Or up on the bridge that crosses the railway just near the station?
Or for something completely different, up on the castle ramparts?

Sheila

In my experience a roll-on is always better than a backpack - simply because it doesn't shout 'photo gear' and is therefore far less likely to be questioned.

I have often had shoulder bags and backpacks weighed - but never once had a roll-on questioned.

Sheila

I enjoyed it. I've found a blog to be a useful means of communicating with clients and reminding them that I am still around. The main problem is keeping it up to date - if you are busy, the blog gets put to the back of the must do list, but when people look and see no new entries they assume that you aren't active.

Which reminds me, my own blog is woefully behind

Sheila

Interesting blog, with some useful information. I've bookmarked it.

Sheila

Yes, I use the 3 dongle. At £10 a month it's not too expensive, and it has worked well everywhere - except in my own home where there is no coverage

Sheila

Clikpic

Stock photography is a business like any other. Just submitting 'a few' is unlikely to net you any sales at all.

Stock photos don't necessarily need to be great images, nor do you have to have top end equipment. My biggest seller is a snap taken on an HP Photosmart What they do need to be is exactly what the buyer wants. That means lots of research into what sells and what doesn't.

As has been said already, if you really want to make a living from stock photography you need to market your own images.

Sheila

Good on you, Jane. I'm sure it will work out for you because you have (a) talent, (b) commitment and (c) intelligence.

I went to college in the 1960's - it wasn't a degree course then, but a diploma that took three years of damned hard work. We shot everything on 5"x 4" (and had to buy all our film ourselves), had classes in Accountancy and Business Management as well as Fine Art and Retouching - no Photoshop back then.

But we all came out with realistic ambitions and a sound knowledge that we could build on for the future as professional photographers.

Photography as a profession has always attracted the wannabees - those that think that a case full of gear means that the world owes them a living. There will always be the ultra-talented who can make it without the benefit of a formal education - but for the majority, hard graft and learning from those that have more knowledge and experience is the most sensible way to go.

Sheila

We Yellowbellies have to stick together Welcome from East Lindsey!

Yes, I'd echo that - just a few yards away from the Old Town Square you'll find better quality meals at half the price. The same goes for the bars - look down any side street and you'll find better beer at a better price. Try some of the less well known beers if you can - Kozel, Gambrinus, Herold, Krusovice and Bernard are all worth trying.

Sheila

ps. If you want to bring some beer home go into Tesco's - it's as cheap there as anywhere.

If the hotel Rott is a lot cheaper than the Cloister Inn then I'd definitely go with that. It's in a very central position (but might be noisy at night )

I just uploaded a (not very inspiring) photo of the hotel's facade for you.

You could spend a whole day just in the square, outside the hotel, shooting architecture, the 'sgraffito decoration, the golden lion, the vintage cars, the carriage horses......

Enjoy Prague!
Sheila

For location the Hotel Rott can't be beaten as virtually all the major attractions are within walking distance. Some of the other hotels are quite a way out - and not necessarily too close to a metro station, although everything can be reached by bus or tram in Prague.

I'm afraid I can't speak from personal experience about Prague hotels as I have a room in a private house. However I have had friends stay at The Cloister Inn and they were very satisfied.

Sheila