You know

[Rufus]

I was just checking the "Status" poll, (please vote), and thinking:
"OK Rufus, if you are an experienced photographer, how come you dont earn from it, and how come you can produce such mediocre results 90% of the time?"
You know the answers??
I think I do.

1/ I've experienced a pleasurable hobby turn into a nightmare before. See, I used to write music, record it in my own modest little bedroom studio, and sell it quite successfully as background music, music for amateur videos etc. Then I got mixed up with agents, copyrights, promotion, lies, more lies, deceit, and slimy "experts", so I quit. Totally quit.
Now I wouldnt like to have my photography destroyed that way, even if I thought I was good enough, (which I dont really).

2/ Mediocre results.
Hmm, my pictures have improved over the last year or two.... Strange that, since I've been taking pictures for 30 years. Oh, hang on, ....... This is why:
Film costs, processing costs, darkroom chemicals, new enlargers, fixer on the cat, girlfriends in the darkroom (:D ), faulty blackouts, dog hair in the dev tank, etc etc.
All good fun, but not exactly condusive to progress..........

OK.
Now I've told you about me, tell me about YOU.

I'm listening......................................... ..................

:)

[Rufus]

I'M LISTENING................

[Brendan]

STOP, the voices in your head are taking over.
and hey just get out their, sell prints, or subit to mags/papers
itll work out
-Brendan

[JamieAU]

I can't get the idea of Rufus making elevator music out of my head, next time I'm in an elevator I'll be listening and wondering if its his :)

My story.. well I got into photography back in high school where I had a ball and incidentally took photos of the school ball in my final year and decided that I wanted to get into photography professionaly, unfortunately the cold hard world that is out there turned against me! *gasp* Ok so its not quite that dramatic, I joined a local club and I hated it, they were all old men who were very traditional in their approach and methods and not overly friendly, to this day I've found photographers to not be very friendly or social but that may just be a stereotype.

Anyway dejected after trying to enter their world and outraged at the cost of processing and film I gave up. I came back into it about a year ago when I got my G2 and I've loved it since then, I can't get enough of it.

I just ordered two books from Amazon on starting a studio so hopefully in another few years I can head down that path!