Anybody Making Any $$Money By Way Of Their FILM Photography?
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How recently? And do you mean a profit or just having sold something?
Andrew O'Neill
Moderator
I used to make a few bucks printing for a railroad photographer several years ago, but quit after I realised that he was seriously ripping me off.
Whenever I have an exhibit in Japan, I make money. Or if I have a workshop there. I've spent way more than I have made. I will never get back it back. But... who's in it for the money, anyway?? Photography...taking....making... just makes me feel good, and that's enough for me. Not to mention, all the friends I've made along the way, too.
Whenever I have an exhibit in Japan, I make money. Or if I have a workshop there. I've spent way more than I have made. I will never get back it back. But... who's in it for the money, anyway?? Photography...taking....making... just makes me feel good, and that's enough for me. Not to mention, all the friends I've made along the way, too.
I did a job on Kodachrome back in the 80's. Made a nice profit. Haven't fooled with selling photos since.
I used to make a few bucks printing for a railroad photographer several years ago, but quit after I realised that he was seriously ripping me off.
Whenever I have an exhibit in Japan, I make money. Or if I have a workshop there. I've spent way more than I have made. I will never get back it back. But... who's in it for the money, anyway?? Photography...taking....making... just makes me feel good, and that's enough for me. Not to mention, all the friends I've made along the way, too.
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I am good at making it disappear with photography, does that count?
I used to sell a lot of my prints, many made from film (I shoot digital and film both). Covid killed that business; I sold almost nothing last year, though things are picking up this year. I've sold a few prints, all from film, this year so far.
Last time I made money in still photography was in the early 1980's shooting slide presentations for a doctor.
A man once told me the business of photography was making silver into shadows and then turning those shadows back into silver (coin).
I have the first part down, but not much luck on the last part...
A man once told me the business of photography was making silver into shadows and then turning those shadows back into silver (coin).
I have the first part down, but not much luck on the last part...
Selling involves framing, marketing, shipping/delivering all of which sound like work and I’m retired so motivation to sell is very low. However. one of my drawings just sold at our contemporary art museum’s annual auction. It was a stippling that took about 40-50 hours to complete. When I subtract the cost of the matting, frame, and the split with the museum I made about $3/hour.
It has been over a decade. I use to do okay with architectural photography shooting 4x5 chromes and scanning them. Simce then it is just the odd one off.
I've sold b&w prints on occasion and in the past, photographed models and want to be models for their books and sold them prints and charged most for film, not working service.
I suppose I could return to that sort of work again, but I'm more interested in selling b&w prints, 'arts' type stuff, and might even try setting up random photo "sets" or environmental portraits on the streets at random times/places.
I'm still inspired by Tribesmen in Borneo, people on isolated beaches, workers at work, before or after, etc.
I don't know how much of this category of analog film photography exists today, but at times I picked up some easy cash photographing houses for sale, for booklets, College Graduations for a large, casual regional company that worked in many states, etc.
I never did Cars and Boats, but that work is there too, should some photographers, (all need their own cars or motorcycles) can supplement their camera budget with.
In all of these, the only personal skill you need to start with, is the willingness to approach the work, subject, job and stick with it at least let ng enough to move up in your skill levels, and, your personal confidence that will allow you to continue to expand your skill sets, to put away in your personal toolbox.
I suppose I could return to that sort of work again, but I'm more interested in selling b&w prints, 'arts' type stuff, and might even try setting up random photo "sets" or environmental portraits on the streets at random times/places.
I'm still inspired by Tribesmen in Borneo, people on isolated beaches, workers at work, before or after, etc.
I don't know how much of this category of analog film photography exists today, but at times I picked up some easy cash photographing houses for sale, for booklets, College Graduations for a large, casual regional company that worked in many states, etc.
I never did Cars and Boats, but that work is there too, should some photographers, (all need their own cars or motorcycles) can supplement their camera budget with.
In all of these, the only personal skill you need to start with, is the willingness to approach the work, subject, job and stick with it at least let ng enough to move up in your skill levels, and, your personal confidence that will allow you to continue to expand your skill sets, to put away in your personal toolbox.
I’m reading some past (some of which is v e r y past), a bit of potential future hope, and nothing in the present.
A rather telling situation yet not surprising. Same answers probably would have been given had the question been asked a decade ago.
A rather telling situation yet not surprising. Same answers probably would have been given had the question been asked a decade ago.
Andrew O'Neill
Moderator
Oops! How could I forget my very short time as an architectural photographer in Japan, for an architect friend?
This was not a staged photograph. My wonderfully patient wife was busier than me. Holding the ladder and baby Jeremy (Jeremy's 30 now!) Photo by Miki, my architect friend...
This was not a staged photograph. My wonderfully patient wife was busier than me. Holding the ladder and baby Jeremy (Jeremy's 30 now!) Photo by Miki, my architect friend...
Wow, great shot, Andrew. Multiple stories there.
MattKing
Moderator
I doubt that many who are currently making money with film photography are spending much time on this (Photrio) sort of internet resource.
Successful commercial and professional photography consumes large amounts of time and effort, and the sort of internet resource that may be most useful for current participants would be more likely to have a marketing orientation.
@Carnie Bob is one person who makes money off film photography - he works as a printer for others, as well as creating his own work. Photrio is more likely to be interesting to him than to someone using film to photograph weddings.
Successful commercial and professional photography consumes large amounts of time and effort, and the sort of internet resource that may be most useful for current participants would be more likely to have a marketing orientation.
@Carnie Bob is one person who makes money off film photography - he works as a printer for others, as well as creating his own work. Photrio is more likely to be interesting to him than to someone using film to photograph weddings.
A lesson I learned, by selling small works of art, paintings, drawings, photography, etc is, making your own mats out of a QUALITY Alpha Mat/100% new cotton rag board, and using archival materials and museum practices, married with with cheap, plain Wal-Mart plastic frames, is an easy way to sell your every day arts.
Most buyers of small works will stay away from expensive frames and many will strip out the mounted works for a new standard sized frame, straight off the bat, and they appreciate not paying for an expensive frame or good, but expensive, well mounted and archival, white rag board matting.
You can easily learn how to cut and mat your own small works and put them into standard sized frames (be warned, some of these plastic "Main Stay" frames, etc have thin glass panels that a thicker, archival matted work might pop of the intact panel, but its easy to take the glass off and pack the work, with the glazing separately packed.
For small works I use a medium large drafting board, a steel rule and angles, together with a thick mat for avoiding cut throughs, with a good, hand held "Logan" mat cutter for beveled windows.
A #2b pencil and white "Mars" plastic eraser and a good sized lump of a couple or three soft, moldable grey gummy erasures, plus, a small square or good Stanley "Odd Job" tool pretty much fill out the tool list, with consumables including A Lot of new, blades for the Logan cutter.
Even with small mats, blades need to be changed long before their corner cutting edges start pushing, rather than slicing, the surface of the mat and that's the top "Rule" of matting, besides sharp corners and both the window and mat square cut to each other.
One last thing, I really dislike traditional "Dexter" cutters.
Those big, chromed tools have no proper stops for 90⁰ or 45⁰ angles, overly thick blades and I suspect, spoiled fat more mats than cut to perfection.
Cheers
Yep, I have a Logan Compact cutter that I bought at Freestyle over 30 years ago and have straight and bevel heads for it so I always do my own matts and use archival materials. Frames I have bought (Frame Destination is good) but, as a woodworker, I have also made my own.
A few years ago I did a trade out with a friend who works in stained glass and other media by making the frames for his glass work in trade for either stained glass or his drawings.
I was at a big (read: expensive) wedding a number of years ago and there were at least 4 photographers and a videographer or two covering the event. At least one of them had a couple of film cameras around her neck. I think there is money to be made with analog photography, but it probably needs to be combined with digital.
everytime this sort of thing comes up, I feel like a wanna be super hero like in the movie Mystery Men. WE all wanna say we "fight crime"AND SUCCEED i.e. make money selling awesome FB B+W prints. . .. . .. . But in reality we are the shoveler, mr. furious, the Blue Rajah, spleen, waffle man and son of waffle man, Baby bowler, pencil head. . . . etc. . . . so / . . .. .. not really is anybody making money selling prints, and um. . . . no one really can fight crime, like "Captain Amazing". BTW, here on APUG/PHOTRIO we have no Capatain Amazing. if you haven't seen the movie, then reading this will be dumb, and maybe you did see the film and see thi/unk this is dumb. anyway no we are all nerds. Like "american splendor" i.e. TOBY!!!
Nah. It's a hobby. 20-25 years ago I used to get scans from Walgreens or Target, adjust them a little, and make inkjet prints for parents of other girls on my daughter's gymnastics team. Several offered to pay but I knew that would give them the right to complain and I ain't taking no complaints. In retirement I am doing it purely for the pleasure.
The possibilities of making some money by way of your photography are many, if you work at it with that in mind, you'll begin to see some rewards for your work, but you've got to be willing to do the work and do it in an intelligent way.
There are always those doofs, that just expect their photographs to sell themselves, and later on, they become nay sayers, posturing the proposition as an impossibility.
You have to MAKE your own possibilities, even if you are only making instant prints on Golf Courses for folks come together for a game or two on a long day on the green.
Years ago, my little sister and a couple of friends worked at a few courses, taking pics of players together for small, color transparencies they sold inside miniature viewers you held up and looked through with light passing through.
Discos and Country Western clubs are possibilities for folks that fit in, selling quickly developed b&w and colour prints and instant pictures often in pre-made folder 'frames'.
While cell phones are always present, I think you will find that a number of people at such venues, relaxing on dates and nights out, like having someone there to make an, on the spot, memento of their evening out, like a pretty girl or buff guy on a date, some friends celebrating a birthday, promotion, college grad or military enlistment or on a leave, home.
Amusement venues, such as miniature race tracks, or other places where the owner likes having a instant photographer on hand on occasion, to take snaps of the punters are not that rare, especially in the summer months.
Home Portraits are still wanted, and well heeled Family get togethers or parties still happen to want photographers, and older clients like well made film and prints from capable photographers.
I had an older lady, an art patron, wealthy and with a large family reunion coming up on her place, try to hire me to come and just wander around talking analog pictures, even though she has only just seen my artwork and a few photographs in my studio space, while out with her adult granddaughter on the art crawl.
Had I taken her offer up, I certainly would have made at least one or more "contacts" that might have liked my work and had their own events or other analog projects of their own, more possibilities.
While younger photographers are best suited to the first type of opportunities I wrote about, older, experienced photographers may be better suited to these type assignments, having more experiences at helping people relax in their presence and a more mature person doing the 'work' in intimate settings and events.
Will you make a full time income doing small jobs, it's not likely, but until you try, especially doing the small jobs, you'll never know what will happen.
That's the real challenge, IMO.
There are always those doofs, that just expect their photographs to sell themselves, and later on, they become nay sayers, posturing the proposition as an impossibility.
You have to MAKE your own possibilities, even if you are only making instant prints on Golf Courses for folks come together for a game or two on a long day on the green.
Years ago, my little sister and a couple of friends worked at a few courses, taking pics of players together for small, color transparencies they sold inside miniature viewers you held up and looked through with light passing through.
Discos and Country Western clubs are possibilities for folks that fit in, selling quickly developed b&w and colour prints and instant pictures often in pre-made folder 'frames'.
While cell phones are always present, I think you will find that a number of people at such venues, relaxing on dates and nights out, like having someone there to make an, on the spot, memento of their evening out, like a pretty girl or buff guy on a date, some friends celebrating a birthday, promotion, college grad or military enlistment or on a leave, home.
Amusement venues, such as miniature race tracks, or other places where the owner likes having a instant photographer on hand on occasion, to take snaps of the punters are not that rare, especially in the summer months.
Home Portraits are still wanted, and well heeled Family get togethers or parties still happen to want photographers, and older clients like well made film and prints from capable photographers.
I had an older lady, an art patron, wealthy and with a large family reunion coming up on her place, try to hire me to come and just wander around talking analog pictures, even though she has only just seen my artwork and a few photographs in my studio space, while out with her adult granddaughter on the art crawl.
Had I taken her offer up, I certainly would have made at least one or more "contacts" that might have liked my work and had their own events or other analog projects of their own, more possibilities.
While younger photographers are best suited to the first type of opportunities I wrote about, older, experienced photographers may be better suited to these type assignments, having more experiences at helping people relax in their presence and a more mature person doing the 'work' in intimate settings and events.
Will you make a full time income doing small jobs, it's not likely, but until you try, especially doing the small jobs, you'll never know what will happen.
That's the real challenge, IMO.
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Why didn’t you take the job with the old rich lady? That would have been proof of the pudding!
I have found photography to be a successful way to remove money from myself, although it is almost always done in a pleasant manner.
Because, as much as I'd like to have done, I did not have an appropriate wardrobe, nor a large enough selection of typical lenses for that venue.
I also had but did not realize for several more years, that I had a lot of PTSD stress from working at the Eniwetok Cleanup, for years, still do.
I suppose she wasn't that old, about my age now, at 66, and she carried herself well.
This reminds me of another opportunity or two photographers can take advantage of, if film is the preferred medium the client wants or the photographer offers.
Marathons and other foot races, where you'll find the runners you're photographing wearing placards or signs with their registration info on them and the master list of registered runners or a central online site, where you csn post either B&W or colour print offerings.
I've worked with a photographer who travels to photograph these races, advertising as needed for race town photographers to hire for race events and I've had a blast doing it, though the morning air was a bit cool.
Wear a wind breaker and light sweater and carry water.
Also, conventions and conferences.
I've done a few conferences of professionals getting together l, for other commercial photographers, usually studio owners, who may or may not supply the camera kit and films, in nice venues, the cameras fairly quiet and no monster lenses and, again it's fun.
I've mentioned this before, I think, but big floral shows with a couple of skilled assistants are fun, with one bringing up designer's best arrays, in order, positioning them for the photographer, on a small, open still-life set, and removing them as the other assistant sets the next arrangement up with you, and returns it while his/her coworker repeats the needed steps.
A LONG time ago, when I was just out of the service, my first temp job was doing The Big, Annual Regional Show, here in Charlotte, with a couple of Photographers from Texas.
Their arrangement was similar to the above but while I was the assistant to the photographer shooting the flowers, the other one spent most of his time in the Coliseum, in the Home Hockey team's dressing room, with an enlarger, a 23C IIRC, printing small proofs of the colour film he'd just developed.
These would eventually would be displayed at a wide corridor walkway, pressed onto the wall with blue tacky putty, each with the correct nomenclature, which I and a temp girl took orders from the very interested florists, decorators, etc for their own prints.
The same might be done at a flea market, gun show, Motorcycle show, Christmas Show, etc, depending on the demand for prints from show goers and vendors.
Air shows, which I've never done, are ripe for quality photographs of the planes, flyers, accessories, and the prints could be shown online for sale.
Just as I don't do weddings, social get together are a potential stressful experience for me, but that does not mean people wanting to try these approaches, should not try it for themselves, they might have a blast doing it.
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