any photographers here need advice?

Erwin said:

as a job

Are you able to get by on a relatively small salary by doing bits of work here and there for clients or were you hoping for a full-time role?

Stock photography has done a good job of killing most work for photographers so making a full-time living is hard.

There used to be photographer roles in the media, but often now a reporter takes along their phone + snaps some shots.

So, phones have downgraded photography too in the professional sense, making it much easier to take your own photos without a professional camera.

There's a photographer I know of who just does family photos in a studio setting at her own home.

She has all the professional lighting and props and clothes for the children and seems successful.

Erwin said:

do you find photography hard when meeting new people and doing weddings?

I just do photography for stock sites, with only occasionally family members but when I do I find it very hard, especially children.

There was a time when good earnings could be made with stock photography but sadly that has been downgraded enormously.

The most common payment by Shutterstock for a sale is 10 cents.

My husband has done wedding photography quite a few times and finds it very stressful (and he isn't autistic).

You can have so many things go wrong, least of all the weather, and there are huge expectations on you for capturing those special moments perfectly.

I was his assistant for one wedding of Greek people who didn't speak any English and it was like herding cats.

All the best.

Erwin said:

as a job

Are you able to get by on a relatively small salary by doing bits of work here and there for clients or were you hoping for a full-time role?

Stock photography has done a good job of killing most work for photographers so making a full-time living is hard.

There used to be photographer roles in the media, but often now a reporter takes along their phone + snaps some shots.

So, phones have downgraded photography too in the professional sense, making it much easier to take your own photos without a professional camera.

There's a photographer I know of who just does family photos in a studio setting at her own home.

She has all the professional lighting and props and clothes for the children and seems successful.

Erwin said:

do you find photography hard when meeting new people and doing weddings?

I just do photography for stock sites, with only occasionally family members but when I do I find it very hard, especially children.

There was a time when good earnings could be made with stock photography but sadly that has been downgraded enormously.

The most common payment by Shutterstock for a sale is 10 cents.

My husband has done wedding photography quite a few times and finds it very stressful (and he isn't autistic).

You can have so many things go wrong, least of all the weather, and there are huge expectations on you for capturing those special moments perfectly.

I was his assistant for one wedding of Greek people who didn't speak any English and it was like herding cats.

All the best.

Thank you. earning massive income isn't a big problem for me. I just wanna do something fulfilling and something that I enjoy even doing alongside other stuff.

Do you only use Shutterstock? I have thought about selling prints of pictures I have taken in small batches. 

I really appreciate your feedback.