Possibly School Portrait Job

I'm a young photographer in a bit of a position. I was offered a job tonight shooting school portraits and what not. I'm getting about $500 a week at my current job which has nothing to do with photography and the guy said he'd start me at about $400 a week and I could get up to $500 eventually. Its a nice job because i get out by like 2 unless theirs some sports to shoot for the school. Thing is all the photogs get laid for part of the spring because there is no work. But he says most pick up jobs shooting the school proms and events and sometime make more than they normall would. He needs someone RIGHT away. The place i'm at hasn't given me a raise like he said he would. BTW I am an accomplished photojournalist and wedding photographer so I know my equipment and know how to handle it. Need a little training in portraiture but thats it. I'm not sure what to do. I'd def be leaving my current employer hanging as he doesn't have anyone that can do my job really. Plus a good friend of mine is getting hired as well so it would be cool to work with him. The guy has all high end equpment so I don't have to provide my own. Also supllies laptop to process pictures. Any insight would be very helpful. Thanks!

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http://animenick65.smugmug.com/gallery/392644

Thing is all the photogs get laid for part of the spring because there is no work.

Sounds like a good gig to me.

Seriously, many of the school photogs around here have NO EXPERIENCE before getting hired. You set up the camera 1-2 times a day, take couple calibration shots, and it's done. Shooting proms and dances are not much diffferent from wedding receptions. Posing the kids is another matter, but not something you can't learn. If you are an accomplished wedding photographer, you've probably posed a kid or two for that right?

If you like where you are at, stay. If not, tell your current boss you need more $$$ if he balks, leave. It's pretty easy to leave a job when you have another lined up. I don't reccommend leaving without another source of income though.

BTW Spring is a good time to do Senior Portraits on the side. Find a park, setup a day, get the word out that you are offering a great deal on prints. You'd be amazed at how much business you can drum up by offering a free sitting to a couple seniors if they get 5-10 friends to by photos from you.

Yea i'm def going to bring it up to my boss..he won't be happy i'm sure. He doesn't have anyone there that can do what I do. Any other thoughts?

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http://animenick65.smugmug.com/gallery/392644

It's assembly line-type work. Just fine if you like that sort of thing.
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Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net

assembly-line work.. got a monkey?

please define 'eventually'..!?

if you are accomplished in weddings etc, why not market yourself and see if you can fly?

the lay-off period makes me a touch suspicious (but I am not in this biz, so maybe it really is normal) - I would wonder why this 'studio' cannot secure such gigs to keep its employees working?

how desparate are you for the job? you say you are young - how young? 'high end gear' is a lure.... the working reality for a significant portion of working pros is that the Canon 350/400 are more capable camera bodies than what they are actually making a living with (wedding/high-end excepted) - I'm referring to sports, PJ, basic portrait, landscape...

I would be careful to ask around about what this prospective employer 'says' with regard to other opportunities - can he provide references of previous employees? if not, why did they leave? this employer sounds to me like an opportunist - wanting to grind the meat out of anyone who is willing to sign on - as opposed to Michael (who posted above, and has a thread running on 'assistants') who is looking for 'quality' and is having a time finding it..

think about the 'good friend' - why do you want to work with him? how about the two of you work together (pool resources) and freelance - build a bit of a rep for yourselves without this schmuck? - I am willing to be wrong about this employer - but from what you have said, I wonder at motive..

that's enough from me, getting tired after a long day..
Scotty
--

• How deep does the Rabbit Hole go? *

My XT IS Full Frame -- APS-C/FF of course!

Two rules to live (work) by:
1. Never work for promises
2. Never work for bonuses

You can't spend either one. Now if you like the job and can live with the pay being offered to start, that is one thing. But a lot of times promises and bonuses don't come through.

But like another poster said, if you are an accomplished wedding photographer, why do you need this guy?

--
Greg
http://www.pictureroanoke.com

Photography is a journey, not a destination.

From my perspective I would go for it.

1. It will teach you a lot about the photo BUSINESS.

2. You are young and ambitious. You can go anywhere you want in this business if you pick up enough tools and experience.

3. As for it being assembly line work.... it is. It is also about solving problems , developing relational skills, meeting deadlines and solving technical problems. These skills are transferable and valuable.

You can still do weddings and senior portraits. This gives you some income to pursue your growth without the panic of no weddings booked.

Unless you have a chance at assisting a pro for a couple of years who wants to pay you, this is an excellent opportunity for paid education. In addition, if you are as enthusiastic as you seem, the boss will feel like he died and went to heaven when he called you. Many of his employees are not what he really wants but will make do. Good people are hard to find.

FWIW: Most of the posters on this forum are not working pros. I am. Do not wait til you are 50 to decide you are finally going to ditch an unfulfilling life for your passion.

I decided not to go for it. I brought it up to my current employer and he is going to pay me a bit more. I'm only 20 and i'm pulling in about $3000-$4000 a year in weddings. I think he just wants a young guy who doesn't have ambition for a large income. I'm decently happy where I am and it is secure. I don't have to worry about being laid off in the spring and they treat me well. I don't want to mess with a good thing. I don't honestly think i would gain much from it. All their work is done with strobes and such indoors. Its assembly line work as mentioned above. I don't think it would be much of a challenge. I work as a PJ on the side and the weddings should give me enough of a challenge to keep me growing and keep me on my feet. I also don't know if I want to photograph 40 hours a week. I could get burnt out and I love photography and don't want to ruin it. The guy that I would be replacing got burnt out after almost 10 years and I don't want to walk away from a job not liking the hobby that I've come to love. Thanks for all your input fellas. I appreciate all your help and experience.

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http://animenick65.smugmug.com/gallery/392644

Burnout only happens to people who don't like their work.
I've been a school photographer for the same company for 23 years.

I also own my own wedding business and another business that specializes in sports photos.

The company check I receive from shooting school pictures just adds to the money I make from weddings.

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http://www.mikegoebel.com
http://www.belmontstudio.com
'Evil prevails when good men do nothing'

500/wk? - what's that? 25k a year?... I wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning for that little.

4000 a year for weddings? If you're good at it, you could be earning that PER WEDDING.

I know you've decided to stay where you are, but really... you're getting very little compensation for your work, even if you do enjoy it!

Do a rew calcuations, and see if it all makes sense. Don't forget the cost of things, or the times that this is done

I hope you like fixing the clipon tie of about 1000 kids per day.

By the end of the day, you will probably feel like standing on your head and taking picutres of the kids upside down.

--
A true pro is something to aspire to!

Not sure if this is an issue for you, but what about benefits?
401k? health insurance? Does your current employer offer you anything?

If not, I'd take the photog job.

--
Jesse A.
-------Ultra-Amature Time Capture Snatcher--------
My stock photo portfolio
http://www.dreamstime.com/resp155987
and other photos http://jascher.smugmug.com/

Photomonkey said:

Do not wait til you are 50 to decide you are finally going to ditch
an unfulfilling life for your passion.

Click to expand...

Second that. I'm turning 40 in a couple of months and have only just realized that I wanna take pictures; no, I'm not a pro. If you don't need that $500 a week, to pay bills or sustain a family, go for it. I regret every moment of life that I wasted in unfulfilling work, even if it did pay the bills (most weeks...). You say you're young - now is the time to do it.

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Rob

If you're bored...
http://braveulysses.deviantart.com/

Some posters here have sneered at the prospect of low pay and the putative low status of school photography. Frankly, if it is your passion to get into photography, why would these things stop you? I know of many pros who started out assisting a pro for NO PAY. Sleeping in the studio, sweeping, mopping taking out the trash....whatever it took to learn the trade. Some of these people went on to make a fabulous career in the field some did not. What was important was they tried new things and had the flexibility to change.

The guys (and women) who left were not losers, they understood that they did not want that life. Good for them. They are now happy elsewhere. Those that stayed are happy in the field..... and some of those guys are school photographers.