Originally Posted by eprater78 (Post 14993875)

Yes I'm ready and if you and others think I should start out with a bigger investment then that's what I will do. Someone in this thread advised earlier to get a good digital camera and that's what I was thinking of doing. I really good one should run me about $200 or so but I was gonna look around to see what I could find.

Originally Posted by RedShoe (Post 14993149)

I dunno Mike either so I wouldn't know.





Agreed. If this is the start of his own research, then so be it.






I disagree. There are still a few good guys/girls out there. Go get a book on lighting glamour, or lighting for photography in general.




Agreed again. I've never learned much at the shows except who were drunks and who liked to do business. The shows are like frat parties.






All you gotta do is ask man. There is no huge secret to lighting. If you're serious enough, you'll study your pics, and other people's pics. In time you'll start to see differences, and you'll be able to 'see' the lighting setups on a location. From what I've learned and been taught, it's generally best to have a light in front, one or two in the back and (if you got the light) to light the back ground. But that's not the be-all-end-all. Sometimes just a single light will do. It depends on the mood and look you're going for. There is no 'one way' of doing things.

I'm no expert. Not by any means, but that's just what I've learned, and been taught by the mutha' fuckin' masta.





I agree with this as well. I shot for many many... MANY years before I shot a girl. I shot everything from flowers in my yard, to scenics in my town to landscapes in maui. Just shoot everything man. And from time to time, try new things. Experiment with depth of field, start to learn apertures and shutter speeds. Again... there is no magic setting.




Bingo. The single most misunderstood point to shooting content. MARKETING. Paul Markham is by far, hands down the biggest spammer of his own content on GFY. I dunno how he does in sales, but it always seemed like blanket marketing which from my research is the worst kind of marketing.




And now... let me offer you my own advice based on my personal experience.


QUIT WHILE YOU'RE AHEAD!

Hear me out...

I got into shooting photos years ago as a hobby. I never thought about shooting models until one the clients I edit for saw my photography. He could see that I knew how to compose and shoot a good photo, and he wanted to see how I'd do with a model. So he set up my first shot and loaned me some lights. (I still use those lights to this day in fact)

Looking back, I was a disaster. I didn't know fuck all about lighting, or how to pose the model. In time I got better but I never felt comfortable shooting for anyone other than this one client. So I'd shoot for this guy only occasionally for the next few years.

Then one day I had a real opportunity to work with a VERY established photographer right here from GFY, bm bradley. I took a chance and went for it. I became his assisstant/videographer.

For the first time I got to see what being a real shooter was all about. And brother.. let me tell ya'.. you won't want any part of it. Hustling around for work, models not showing up, busting ass to get as much content in a certain amount of time, arguing with clients over money, chasing money, getting paid and then going and blowing all the pay on gear or set dressing. And the pay is shit too, no one wants to pay the proper amount of $$$ for custom content these days. It was a nightmare and a disaster.

We parted ways, and since then I've gone back to shooting for the same client I started with, and I took what I learned and I apply it when I can. For the most part, I show up, shoot a few sets in a very calm and relaxed environment, and get my shots. The pay is the same, and they've hired an office accountant so I send an invoice and get paid the next day. They are always more than happy with my work, and I shoot at least once a week when I'm not editing their DVD's.

The bottom line is, the custom content world is more competitive than you could possibly imagine. My advice, find one or two clients and shoot for them at your own pace, or you'll burn out. If shooting is something you LOVE to do, then don't do it as a job, or you'll end up hating it. For me it was a hobby and now that I shoot at my own pace, I enjoy it again. I still feel like it's a hobby to me, because I don't rely on it for income. The pay is like a bonus now. And when I was doing it as a job, I fucking hated it.

Take from this what you can.

In the meantime, here is a few shots I took recently. And I did them at my own pace, again in a relaxed environment, and had a lot of fun with the models. It didn't feel like work at all.

Alice, (sweet Alice)
http://redshoe.net/photography/alice-01.jpg

Andi Anderson
http://redshoe.net/photography/andi-04.jpg

Andi Anderson
http://redshoe.net/photography/andi-03.jpg

And finally Helen.
http://redshoe.net/photography/helen-04.jpg

Originally Posted by tony404 (Post 14993697)

Wanna know something Deej, when I wanted to starting shooting video. Who I wrote and he said sure come over it was Mike South. No matter whatever question I had he always made time for me.And now in the 6 yrs we have grown to be close friends and I consider him a member of my family. Mike is one of the few people that I know if shit went down,he would be there for me without question no matter where he was.
My advice to eprater is you have a possibly picked the worse time possible to start a content selling business. You really have to look at costs and what you have to sell things for to make a profit. Learn who the competitors. figure what are you going to bring thats different to the table. No one is going to do the homework for you. I wish you best of luck.

Originally Posted by RedShoe (Post 14994084)

That's how Dean is for me. Dean Capture... or as I call him, "Dean Mutha Fuckin' Capture"...

Originally Posted by DirtyWhiteBoy (Post 14995408)

Pffft.

You're not "in" until he lets you call him Maurice.

Originally Posted by RedShoe (Post 14995494)

I call him Jesus H Esquire Preston the 3rd.

Originally Posted by DirtyWhiteBoy (Post 14995403)

CLIFF NOTES:

* Get the best gear you can afford.
* Read everything you can about shooting and your gear.
* Practice, practice and practice! Then compare it with others in your niche. How does it pair up?
* Find someone who will allow you to pick their brain.
* Don't expect pro results overnight.
* Make as many contacts as you can and always hold up to what you tell them you will do. Always deliver.
* And then somewhere along the line you have to learn how to deal with models and talent and get them to do what you want.

Originally Posted by Paul Markham (Post 14995767)

Can't be asked to read all the replies

Originally Posted by Paul Markham (Post 14995767)

Can't be asked to read all the replies as most of them were people trying to be funny or look clever or spamming their sites.

Originally Posted by DirtyWhiteBoy (Post 14996438)

I'll also add this...

With everyone screaming HD or full screen this or that, to date I've made the biggest chunk of my money on a handful of sites that don't have high-res pics or HD video. They have screen caps and the white balance is even fucked up on about 10% of the videos (from early on). The catch is, it's real and it's not easy to get content, so it does very well to this day. Go figure.

So learn all the rules, then break them if you see fit. :-)