A Nature Photographer?
Yes, yes, I want to be a nature photographer. Imagine. Traveling the world, taking pictures, in the Alps, underwater, on top of Mt. Everest? I'm doing this for the adventure. But my parents say get a different job. They say that I can't make a living out of photography. They say I'll only earn a little money. So what do I do? How much can I make out of photography? Should I live the challenge, or no.....?
Comments
hahahahaha - you have a very over romanticised view of what a travel or nature photographer does.
Try - spending hours in foreign airports filling in customs forms.
Waiting around in grotty hotels for the weather to change.
Spending further hours waiting for the necessary permissions from governments to allow you to take
pictures in "protected" areas.
Spending hours sitting on your backside in the middle of nowhere waiting for the animals to appear and after spending two weeks in a hide crapping in a plastic bag the financers pull the plug.
When you get back spend hours at the doctors office trying to get pills for all the various bites and things which you collected in some foreign place - none of which the GP will know about.
Then spend days or weeks sorting out whatever pictures you managed to get to maybe get 1 or 2 used in the magazine or whatever and then waiting 3+ months for them to pay you.
Then spend the next few months uploading to the libraries and traipsing around touting them for other publishers.
and that is the good bits.
Then start again by spending weeks/months trying to get finance or a commission for your next trip.
Been there, done it. Don't bother unless you are one of the top 10 in the world which is unlikely.
OH forgot - don't forget that you will need to know everything there is to know about mountaineering, potholing, diving, boating, cross country driving, at least 3 languages, preferably a qualification in zoology or related subject and at least 30k worth of photographic kit - half of which will get stolen on every trip outside of europe or the US.
Well....you're not going to take photos on top of Mt Everest if you're just a photographer. You need to be a seriously skilled climber to make that climb. It's not the most technical climb in the world but it's certainly one of the most dangerous due to lack of oxygen and extreme weather conditions. Believe me, you need to be seriously fit just to get to base camp.
I think you have a worthwhile dream...maybe a good path would be to explore other jobs in photography so you are pushing your skills. An acquaintance of mine (Narelle Autio) worked as a photographer for a number of newspapers in Australia and the UK while she was quietly plugging away at her personal projects.
You should go for it. You can supplement your income by doing commercial photography or working a "normal job" until you save up enough for gear and get a cash flow going. You can get started doing portrait and event photography. You can always use spare time to start exploring. Almost every location has some nature nearby to get started, good composition and exposure can make great photos in any setting. I would recommend you read this book:
Mastering Nature Photography: Shooting and Selling in the Digital Age
by John Kieffer
Be careful what you wish for, you may get it. Travelling the World is not as glamourous as you think, living out of a suitcase, living in hotels, belive me it gets to be boring and a chore you have no 'Life' of your own. It's like eating finest steak every day in soon starts to pall. After a few years you crave for the ordinary everyday things, you crave stability, friends and family. People don't believe me when I tell them this, but it's very true. Travelling as a job it's not the same as going on holiday.
Chris
I have the same idea with you,i love photography,just do it no matter what others say.maybe you can't have enough money,but you can have good times,have some unforgettable memories and experiences. just do them.