The Journey from Beginner to Pro Photographer
episode
The Carty Method Podcast - the Art of Making a Living with Your Camera
1h 12m
1 speaker
8 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Why does Steve Carty share his personal health struggles at the start of this episode?
This is the Cardi Method Podcast. Find your creative and business genius with the Cardi Method.
Hey, did you know within the first year of starting a photography business, 60% of photographers give up? In the second year of business, another 20% of photographers throw in the towel because they lack the clear strategies to effectively market themselves, to book clients consistently, and to turn a profit. Zig Ziglar said if you're not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you're determined to learn, no one can stop you. Today's commercial-free episode is brought to you by our members. Hit the join button, by the way, to access my special submissions folder, which allows you on Discord to have your photographs reviewed by me. I'm a 30-year pro. I've almost 100 members participating in live shows this way.
I'd love to have you as part of this amazing Cardi crew. Welcome, everybody, to another... episode of behind the picture today we are unpacking the roadmap that every emerging budding new photographer should consider and i'm gonna mix in my own experiences from picking up a camera first when i was in high school to running a photography studio, to having a full time photography business. Today, I'm going to take you through the trials, the lessons and the triumphs on my photography journey, as well as giving you a little bit of a roadmap to help you on yours. So I hope you're charged. I hope you're ready. Let's talk about number one. Number one in how we all start with photography is the pure love, the pure passion of capturing moments.
For me, that started at 14 during high school. But whether you're starting at 14 or 40 years old, it's the spark that matters. It's the passion for the craft of photography that matters. For me, I started when I was 14. My dad bought a camera. He didn't know how to use it. I showed him how to turn it on, take off the lens, load the film, advance it, focus. And I had never touched a camera before. But I didn't think anything of it. I snapped a couple of shots. I passed my dad the camera. And then a week later, he got the film developed. He brought the film home. And he's like, hey, Steven, these are the shots that you took. And when I saw them as a 100% accurate representation as to what I pointed at and took pictures, my brother, who is an incredible fine art painter and would spend weeks and months perfecting his photorealistic painting,
I was doing in a 1 25th of a second. I'm like, my brother's silly for taking so much time with his art. It was a place for me to express myself creatively. And I was 14, but it doesn't matter whether you were 14 when you started like me, or you were 40 or 50 or 60. It doesn't matter what age you start photography. The thing that's most important is your passion for the craft. Beginners, by the way, often get like tied up in equipment. They're always thinking, oh, if I just had this lens, if I just had this camera, then I would really be able to be a photographer. But really minimal equipment minimal gear great idea makes you a photographer so that initial spark that passion my god if you're not into photography if you're just kind of doing it if you're just kind of mailing it in
Come on now, you're shooting with the lens cap on? Welcome, by the way, if you're watching live, thank you. Today's episode, as I mentioned earlier, is brought to you by our members. This is a commercial free episode because the people in chat that you see with a crown next to their name is making it so you can watch this commercial free. If you'd like to be a member, hit that join button. All right, so let's talk a little bit about the learning curve. Oh, look at that. I'm reflecting myself perfectly. In the back of my screen. Epic. All right. Let's talk a little bit about the learning curve. Photography is all about trial and error. And I think a thing that many photographers forget is trial and error.
How many photographers that I know that actually shoot click a picture and they're like, I got it. Oh my god, for real? You have it?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why does Steve Carty share his personal health struggles at the start of this episode?
0:00–8:04
2
How did Steve’s early passion for photography begin at age 14?
8:04–20:03
3
What lessons does Steve emphasize about trial‑and‑error and shooting hundreds of frames?
20:03–29:58
4
How did working in a camera store help Steve develop his technical skills and niche?
29:58–38:16
5
Why does Steve recommend building a physical portfolio instead of relying on Instagram?
38:16–46:29
6
How can emerging photographers identify and carve out a niche that fits their interests?
46:29–54:00
7
What strategies does Steve suggest for active client outreach and converting leads into paying gigs?
54:00–1:03:23
8
Why does Steve stress continuous education, video content, and accountability for long‑term success?
1:03:23–1:12:02
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The Carty Method Podcast - the Art of Making a Living with Your Camera
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