Can you make a living from street photography?

You love taking photos. So could you earn a living from photography?

There's nothing better than being paid for doing what you enjoy.

Many people make a living from taking pictures. So why not you?

A word of warning, however. If you turn your hobby into a career, it changes. The job can take over - becoming your master, no longer your enjoyment. So be careful what you wish for.

Many of us like to keep street photography as an almost illicit hobby.

But let’s consider how you might make money from it.

Who would buy your street photos?

- Art collectors? Not really. They prefer paintings, which are one-offs.

- Art galleries? Nope. They, too, prefer art.  And while you regularly find photography exhibitions, galleries will always see it as inferior to art.

- Online agencies? Yes, you can upload your photos to sites like istockphoto, where people will pay you for their use.

- Visitors to your website. Some photographers sell prints this way.

But almost no one makes a living purely from street photography.

A few earn money running street photography classes.

But most pro photographers are journeymen and women. They shoot weddings, family portraits and team photos. They’re found in every town in the land, and their clients are brides, parents and local schools.

A few pursue their special interest and become known for photographing buildings, models, or product pack shots. They comprise a small number of photographers in the big cities. And their clients are big business, magazines, and advertising agencies.

Then there are those who are employed by the news media, who photograph the events of the day, including politicians, celebrities and burning buildings.

Alternatively you could get a job as a lecturer in an art college, teaching talentless students how to take better pictures.

Like all the jobs mentioned above, this would leave you to do street photography in your own time.

Turning pro

If you want to earn money from your camera, aim for publicity from exhibitions and your online presence.

This may lead to commissions, possibly in markets close to street photography, such as music, fashion, art, performance art, and youth oriented brands.

You may also set yourself up as a photographer specialising in one of those areas.

If a business wants to be seen as edgy, it may want to advertise its products using street photographs. Or it may decide to create a street event for which it needs photographs. But it’s hard to predict which companies will do that. And the decision maker is likely to work in an advertising, design or PR agency rather than the client company.

Sometimes their photos are faked, because it’s quicker and tidier to stage an image than to find a genuine one.

It takes time

Success rarely comes overnight. As Eddie Cantor said, “It takes twenty years to become an overnight success.”

Many of my students (see below) market their services for just three months, decide they have failed, and give up. You have to accept that fame will take a long time.

Take a course

If you're smitten with photography, and you’d like to earn a living from it, I recommend the Blackford Centre's home-study course (full disclosure: I’m the Course Director).

It's aimed at anyone who wants to turn pro. And because it’s distance learning, you can study at home, at your own pace, wherever you live. You’ll have your own tutor who will critique your photos, and help you achieve better results. I'd be delighted to welcome you on to the course.

Mention this book, and we'll give you five per cent off the course price.

The website is here: www.inst.org/photography-courses/become.htm