I am working on building my website and my social media and basically setting up my business.

I have experience with shooting weddings as a second photographer/helper. Generally, I would say I have decent experience in order to work for myself and scale. The gear I had before was not mine, but from the photographer I was helping.

My plan is to start out with family photography and portraits. Of course, if there is some opportunity that I think I could handle, I would take it.

I currently own a sony a6400 with sigma 2.8 18 - 50 + sony 50mm 1.8. When I was originally buying the body, I was trying to get a good value and wasn't planning on trying to do this as a job. But my wishes have changed and my passion for photography only grew. My plan is to be a photographer full-time in the future.

I am struggling to decide between trying to make money with my current gear, and then upgrade when I earn enough, or do I get a loan and get a full frame camera with a good overall lens. If I do get a loan or use my credit card, it would probably make money a bit tighter than I am comfortable with. I feel like I can't present myself as a professional with the gear I currently have. Furthermore, I am worried that the gear might not handle harsh situations well, and it could result in bad customer experiences.

I would really appreciate any advice. Thank you.

I live in a large metropolitan area and I'm new to photography. I want to get pictures of cars, the outdoors, architecture, etc but I'm too nervous I'm being looked at or judged. What tips do you guys have to manage this. Any other tips you may have would be appreciated too. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m heading to Japan soon, and I need advice on a reliable portable LED light. My cheap Chinese one just bricked, so I’m looking for something lightweight, durable, and easy to carry. One of my friend recommended this huge 40w light from neweer and it just to big for my use. I’ll mostly use it for night photography. I have heard about apature pro is the best but I have also seen the zhiyun 20mc. So which one should I buy, or if their is any that is better.

Hello, I’m having an issue with posting my photos to instagram which I’ve never had before. When I select my photo in the app, the colors are how they are on my phone. Then when I post it, the colors are almost entirely desaturated. Happens whether I post it solo or with other photos, is happening with particularl low light pictures. Any knowledge about this would be much appreciated!

I recently got curious about where my photos might be appearing online, so I started looking into reverse image and face search tools. It’s fascinating (and a bit unsettling) to see how these tools can track down where your images are being used across the internet.

For example, there’s a tool called faceonlive face search that works like a reverse image search but specifically for faces. I tried it with an old photo of mine and found it linked to some ancient social media accounts and even forums I’d completely forgotten about. It made me wonder:

• How many of us know where our photos are being used online?
• What are your thoughts on tools like these for privacy or managing your online presence?

I feel like these kinds of tools can be both helpful and eye-opening for privacy-conscious folks, but they also raise concerns about how much of our data is out there. Have any of you tried something like this before? How do you feel about these tools in general?

Would love to hear your thoughts! 😬

As law enforcement becomes increasingly tech-savvy, one issue in the field of photography continues to bother me: I am not aware of any cameras that can encrypt photos, requiring credentials to view them. This is important because if you take a photo as evidence or an alibi, law enforcement could potentially abuse your right to privacy.

Are there any cameras you know of that can encrypt data directly on a flash card?

I recently got into photography and videography again, so I picked up a sony a7c ii. Out of all the accessories Ive gotten for it so far, my favorite has actually been a hair tie I stole from my mother. Its low profile but stretchy and strong enough for a decent support whenever I wanna hold my camera off the shoulder strap.

https://imgur.com/gallery/camera-gear-life-hacks-XfBYS9q (fixed link- I hope)

This got me curious, what other “life hacks” am I possibly missing out on?

HI, does anyone know what is safety way to clean Lowepro Flipside 400AW backpack from sweat? Dust and mud are not problem, I can clean it mechanical by hands but the side next to my back has got a lot of sweat an I am not sure how to clean my backpack. Can I clean it in water by hands (using detergent for washing machine) or is it safe to put it in washing machine at low temperature and without centrifuge?

I did a Christmas mini a few weeks ago and client loved the pictures. Fast forward to today and I posted a collage on my instagram that included recent sessions I did. Now that client is demanding I take down the post because apparently the child is going through an adoption process and it isn’t finalized yet and doesn’t want the child to be in the collage. What would you do?

Edit: I replaced the picture, was just curious what yall thought

Hey folks,

I went on a hike recently and my friend and I both got poison ivy very badly. We're not sure if it was being burned nearby or if we both just brushed up against it. Regardless, I'm cleaning everything that I took with me on that hike like crazy. How do y'all suggest I go about safely cleaning my Nikon Zf? I have dawn dish soap, tecnu, isopropyl alcohol, etc. I'm just not sure what won't damage my camera but will still be effective.

Thanks!

I am from the UK and i am on holiday in the Carmargue, South France until friday this week to take photos of the wildlife in this area. I was an idiot and completely forgot my camera battery charger, and now have little to no charge. I am devastated as that was the whole reason I paid for this holiday. I have tried fnac, e.leclerc, DARTY and smaller electronic shops. Amazon can’t deliver before friday as I don’t have a french prime account.

I have a Nikon EN-EL9a. Can anyone recommend anywhere I can go to get one, or put me in touch with someone with a french amazon prime account who could get one here by thursday and would be happy to be repaid through paypal?

Thanks in advance!

(Flair is only used bc it wouldn’t let me post without despite rules saying flair is for portfolios only ?!)

Does anyone have a good recommendation? Im in the process of setting up a new site for selling my work, Would like a reputable printer that is ok with printing tasteful nudes. (Nothing explicit) and POD. (Print on Demand, ship to client) Preferably one that integrates with shopping sites like Etsy etc.

Hi all, we had a lively discussion at uni today about the ethics of nudity in photography. To keep this post blunt and to the point, it was hypothesised that many artists are simply creative perverts (whether you read this as good or bad)!!!

I guess my talking point here is whether the line is between artistic nudity and exploitation?

I am reading the Juergan Teller book and some of his work is not flattering to say the least even though it is considered "fashion”.

What are people using to fire a B or C camera remotely these days? Are pocket wizards still the go to? Are there any other options in 2024? All of my research leads back to 10 year old posts saying Pocket wizards….

I’d love to have the option to be able to trigger additional bodies when I press my handheld A camera shutter OR press the trigger to only fire the B or C cameras… I’ve got a cheap Pixel 2.4GHz trigger which does ok, but I can’t fire simultaneously with my A camera. I should also mentioned Bluetooth and WiFi triggers are not options for me as their connection reliability is too I stable for my use.

Please help!

I’m not a photographer but I am trying to print pictures smaller than the smallest size picture optional at London drugs where I get my photos printed the size options I have are 4X6 or 4X4 inches but I’m trying to print pictures to fit in frames that are even smaller and are irregular shapes… think christmas tree ornaments.

Sorry this is going to be a lot… What I’ve been doing is using Microsoft word to first use “insert shape” rectangle, left clicking on the shape going to “more layout options” then the “size” tab to input the measurements London drugs has so either 4x6 inches or 4x4 inches. Then I copy that and paste it into paint with a work area that is much to small so that when I hit paste.. it automatically adjusts the “canvas” to the size of the rectangle from word. Then I recreate the shape of the frame in word Then I do the same size adjustment to whatever shape I need… Then copy the picture I want in the frame into word adjusting the size to fit the shape.. then copy that to paint moving it to the center saving as a png file which is what I upload to London drugs website and have printed. It works for the sizing but the quality of the image is shit.. there has to be a better way to do this…

I have recently come across pulsepx, created by 500px to host photography contests. I just wanna know how legit this site is. Also if there are any other legit sites.

Hello,

I am a photography enthusiast - I wouldn’t consider myself a seasoned photographer, however I do shoot in manual mode most of the time. It’s more of a hobby for me.

I have a trip coming up to Puerto Rico and I want to get good shots of the streets, buildings, beaches and also will be going to the rainforest and would like some nice shots there as well.

I’m pretty much looking to buy an off brand lens so im looking for budget options but i dont know if im on the right track, so I thought id ask here! Since I am going budget route, what features should i look for?

I have a Sony A6000 with the kit lens and i purchased a 35mm F1.7 lens awhile back that i love.

I'm a sole proprietor and have run a small photography business for weddings, portraits, and a mix of lots of other small projects over the past 17 years. A good friend of mine works for a large communications firm in Europe and wanted to recommend me for an assignment here in the USA.

I received an email this week inquiring about my availability for their project, which the terms were 8 full length portraits of 8 people. They said they provide stylists and the shoot would be for 2 days, and the budget was $20-25k.

Once I saw the budget I felt way in over my head. I'm meeting with the company today virtually to go over their specific requirements and to make sure they understand my background has never included anything on this scale before.

I definitely would not accept the assignment if I felt like I could deliver the types of images they want, but beyond that, can you offer any advice?? Should I hire a local assist who's familiar with commercial shoots to help keep me in line? What other expenses should I be aware of for preparing my final estimate for them? This is an out of state shoot, so there would for sure be travel, hotel, and studio rental fees.

Any encouragement or advice would be appreciated.

Has anyone else recently experienced issues with Lightroom rewriting filenames while tethering? When I tether, I like to keep the original filename from the card for backup/archive purposes, but now the filename selection in the tether settings rewrites my files to Capture000X upon import. I’m not sure if it is an issue I can solve in Adobe or if it is in my camera settings as I updated both around the same time and then noticed the issue. I have poked around in the settings but haven’t had much luck. My camera settings still have the same filename settings so I’m really not sure. Shooting on Z6iii and Z8 if that makes any difference. Experiencing issues with both cameras. Any help is appreciated!

Hello obviously not a photographer myself, but have been looking for professional photographer services as I plan for my wedding. I was wondering how pros felt about the current state of how finding a photographer works?

This is how I understand the process currently:

1. Finding a photographer you want to work with is typically through online search or social media recommendations.

2. You contact each photographer individually to determine availability and if the style/service offerings match what you're looking for.

I was just thinking that these steps seem like they can very much be improved using a marketplace style platform/database but a quick search online it seems like pros typically do NOT like working with freelancing platforms like upwork, bark and thumbtack which is understandable if the business models suck, but do these platforms really not provide good enough leads? What are your experiences?

My thoughts are that:

• If finding a photographer is all based on online search and maybe a little word of mouth, it seems hard for newer photographers to break into the market.

• I feel like it should be easier to find out availability instead of having to contact each photographer individually.

Maybe I'm comparing the environment too much to other services I pay for and these expectations aren't appropriate but was wondering what other's thoughts were.

I recently got a Nikon Z8 and I want to print some books, but I used to print a lot of photo books through Apple's service and used Aperture for creating the book layouts; However, since this has been discontinued, what would be a good choice for a printing service in Germany and even more so, a software to create the layouts?

For editing my RAWs I am using Capture One and Pixelmator for some more advanced edits; Of course I could make layouts in Pixelmator, but ideally I'd like to use something with a similar balance of ease and customisation I had in Aperture in the old days.

I want to learn to take b/w portrait photos similar to this example. The extreme detail and many greys and blacks-- it a medium format camera being used? I have a Canon R6 mark ii camera-- is my camera good enough to take such portrait images? What type of lighting setup is being used in such photos?

Hi, I am an amateur photographer but I have been doing photos concerning a criminal investigation going on in my area. I have been approached by a producer of a major production company looking to use my photos. I have almost 3000 photos that they want exclusive rights too. I have no idea how to approach this and they have not offered any compensation or anything. Any advice?

Hey all,I'm absolutely shocking with any to do with editing pictures, I'm wondering if anyone knows an app that easy to use to help me unblur a pic of my late mother. Thanks in advance

to photographers who use shootproof, can you clarify for me a question i have? my photographer sent me my proofs for my photoshoot to favorite by end of day Sunday, central standard time. I kept going back and forth with trying to choose the pictures i liked most, but was well aware i needed to choose by end of day, so it was about 10pm, almost 11pm, central standard time,(this would have been 12am in est, next day) and i chose my favorites. her receipts came back showing i chose my favorites the day after, just the date…. so she said i was too late in picking my photos and i didnt receive my edits. i looked up shootproof and they are based in Atlanta, GA. will the time i technically chose my favorites automatically have based the date to the next day,(after 12am) in georgia, since their system is in eastern standard time? can anyone who uses shootproof advise on this? my web history shows nothing of me going into my gallery after sunday, after i chose my favorites.

https://imgur.com/a/Zgr8EFN

Perhaps a silly question, but I'm just curious to know what others think.

Here's some of my editing work: https://imgur.com/a/LD94iCx

I have a background in visual arts using traditional mediums, so my approach to editing is a little... intense; completely disregarding reality, in favour of elongated lines, and no abrupt shadows.

I spend hours going through the entire photoset to find the best head, arm, hand, body, etc. and then I spend an additional 8-10 hours to collage everything together to fulfill my vision.