Back to what is next, or maybe what could be next. Right now it is hard for me to say what is next. I was thinking about taking some photography classes, but now I wonder if doing so will be worth the time and money? The classes I am thinking of taking are not with a traditional school, which means I would only be gaining experience, which is never a bad thing. I have always had a feeling that maybe I need to do more in terms of schooling, but then I remember how tired I was of school after I finished my first bachelors degree this last summer.
In some ways I think I need to go back to school, because right now I have very few contacts, which means I have no client base, which in tern makes it extremely hard to get any work. I know there are a few local stores that hire photographers for studio portraits, such as Sears, but I wonder what kind of experience they want their photographers to have. After all, I never worked for a school newspaper or anything like that, so I have nothing on my resume that has anything to do with photography, other than as a hobby. On the other hand, I wonder if that even matters, as I've been told that they train their employees to do the job, so I might not need a lot of experience, beyond what I have already.
Anyway, here are a few more thoughts on gear, just because it is fun to think about what I would want to use in a professional environment. If I had a choice, I would use a Nikon D700, a 70-200mm VR, along with a 85mm 1.4D, for portraits. I think those two lenses would work well for indoor shooting, with the prime being the first choice. For outdoor shooting I think the 70-200mm VR would see more use, as the added length would allow more flexibility. I would choose the D700, because it offers a great deal of flexibility in terms of build quality and a full frame sensor, without the price of the D3s. I would want a full frame camera for such work, because I enjoy natural light shooting, although I would like to have a couple of SB-900s to go with it. I think the entire setup might cost around $6000-8000 Cdn, which isn't too bad considering.
It is interesting to see that list of items, because it differs a lot from the gear I use the most as an amateur. My most used equipment today is my Nikon D300 and 300mm F4 AF-S lens. All my other gear is used far less often, although I would like to use my 12-24mm Tokina more often. I like the Nikon D300 for my hobby shooting, because the 51 AF points cover more of the frame on the DX semi-pro body, than on the D700. I also own the D300, as a result of not wanting to blow all my money on the camera body. Now if there was a full frame camera in the D300's price range, from Nikon, I would consider getting one in a few years. Back to what is next though!
I think one of the most important things to do is shoot as often as possible, which is why I am always looking for something to shoot. Sometime I wonder if I would find portrait photography a rewarding work for me. Being indoors, is not my favorite activity, but then again, if I wanted to get into nature and landscape photography I would need a good job to pay for such a life style, as it most likely would not pay for itself. Outdoor photo workshops is one possible way to work as a outdoor photographer, but there are many out there. Then again, what better way to do what you love than do it for a living? So many tough choices, and right now I feel that I need to make a choice soon, or I wont ever get started.
The fact that I feel like I need to start soon, or never start at all, is why I am wondering about the value of going to school to learn more technical things about photography. I have learned a great deal about the technical aspects of photography, but right now I feel the best thing for me to do is just get out and shoot more, as I noted before. Then I ask myself, what will that do if nobody ever notices, or takes interest in the photography that I love? Is this the dilemma of every person who is into photography? Are there just too many people trying to make it as photographers for me to be successful? I guess there is only one way to find out, try it!
I may post more thoughts later this week. If anyone has any idea or thoughts, feel free to post comments.
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