Looking to change careers

Jeepmedic46

Jeepmedic46

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Orange, Ma
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William
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Domey
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I'm looking to change careers. I currently work as a paramedic and have been doing it for over 30 years. My back is feeling the long years and now I require 3 surgeries. I would like to get into photography. I was wondering how much schooling is involved in becoming a photographer.
 
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I think the community college route is the way to go but it's a VERY hard profession to make a living in, especially since the internet where everyone is a photographer.
 
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I’ve heard it’s a tough field to get into. Looking for something that will make me happy. I’m having extensive back surgery. In the end possibly going to have 9 to 10 fusions. Looking for something that I won’t have to lift very heavy things. All i’ve Done for work is being a paramedic and truck driver.
 
Photography is definitely a hands on career. You have to get out there and practice over and over and over. Takes lots of dedication and determination. Once you get it though the sky is the limit.
 
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Jeepmedic46 said:
I’ve heard it’s a tough field to get into. Looking for something that will make me happy. I’m having extensive back surgery. In the end possibly going to have 9 to 10 fusions. Looking for something that I won’t have to lift very heavy things. All i’ve Done for work is being a paramedic and truck driver.
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Try looking into Creative Live they have a lot of photography courses (some are paid and some are free).
 
No formal education is required but it won't hurt. You can learn alot of information from Youtube for free. Also figure out what type of photography you are most interested in. From there you can find forums on Flickr where people with similar photographic interests share tips and knowledge (like this forum). Check out people like David Hobby (strobist.com) and Joe McNally.
If you can find a genre of photography that would utilize your knowledge from being a paramedic, it would give you an advantage over others and some instant credibility.

I am a architect, and several years ago I needed to find something different to do, so I started doing real estate photography. So go for it.
 
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Jeepmedic46 said:
I'm looking to change careers. I currently work as a paramedic and have been doing it for over 30 years. My back is feeling the long years and now I require 3 surgeries. I would like to get into photography. I was wondering how much schooling is involved in becoming a photographer.
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Well, as an amateur self taught photographer, I would like to say the only things you really need to learn for becoming a photographer is Youtube, Internet Access, and a camera. Oh, and the ability to go out and take photos. Other than that photography is pretty simple, it is considered an art form so when you are looking around you are going to see alot of people and read alot of articles that are going to have some very strong opinions. From my experience take what they say with a grain of salt, especially if they have no real experience. Despite that I will say I have got alot of good information from some of these people but you will quickly learn that you are going to be doing most of the learning working with your camera. I don't believe that you need a $1,000 setup in order to get a good picture. Will the more expensive gear help with better quality images, yes. But the best pictures you take will be with the equipment you have. Anyway good luck with the change.
 
There are some wonderful classes on Lynda.com that are relevant to the craft of photography. The best part is you can get free access to Lynda with a local library card. As a working professional photographer, I would strongly recommend taking any business classes you can as well. I spend more time writing estimates, drafting contracts, sending invoices, and marketing than I do actually taking photos. Hope that helps.
 
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I am a professional photographer (website) and as others have said, it is a ridiculously difficult profession to get into. That said, if you have a passion for it, well... nothing competes!

Don't get me wrong - I consider myself successful - but even then, I do other things to supplement my income. I'm not sure what earnings are like where you live, but over here, EMTs don't make a lot. I'd be surprised if you made more let alone the same $$$ as a photographer. Granted, I do more of the fine art and documentary side of things, so being able to show at galleries take precedence over just making money, but the main difficulty for any photographer is finding steady work. Weddings are good, but a ton of work, and that really has to be your passion if you're going to do it well and not get burned out in the process. Being on retainer for commercial jobs - whether that be automotive photography, food photography, real-estate photography, or something else - is good too. Hard to find, but very helpful if you want to make a steady income as a photographer.

I had two years of formal training, which really helped me hone my "eye" - both with technical skills and aesthetics. Beyond knowing how to use a camera manually and get the most control over your image, I wouldn't consider schooling to be a necessity, though it can be very helpful. I second the online courses option. Community colleges can be very hit or miss. That said, if you have a passion for photography, you're half way there anyways!

If you have specific questions, especially technical ones, I'm always happy to answer. Feel free to PM me. :-)
 
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Having made a career change into photography I’ll add a few tidbits. I spent close to 20 years in the automotive field before leaving and starting a new career as a real estate photographer. Sort of related, I also got tired of the constant body aches and still have lower back and shoulder issues. I’ve been into photography as a hobby since I was a kid and about a year before I left my previous career I was asked by a couple local real estate agent friends of my wife if I photographed homes and at that point I started it as a side gig pretty much working for free. My final decision to switch careers was when my wife got her real estate license. Now, a few years later, I’ve built my business and make a nice living.

If you’d like to make a living as a photographer, figure out what field you’d like to get into. Learn about the ups and downs of your subject. YouTube works good as reference, some local schools typically offer photography course, there’s also a few good books found on Amazon, all knowledge helps. But the best learning experience I’ve encountered is getting out using my camera and all the gear that you’ll be using. Rent equipment first to get an idea of what brand of bodies and lenses you like. Budget wise expect to invest $2000 plus for a good body, a couple lenses, and all the other goodies that works along with your camera. If weight is going to be a factor, because all that gear can get heavy depending on your kit, maybe look into a good mirrorless body like Sony. I shoot Sonys for a living and carry a couple bodies, a few lenses, tripod, and a few extra smaller essentials, and that kit alone weights 20-30ish lbs. Editing software I started with what my old laptop came with, then moved into Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop using a MacBook Pro.
 
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