Thanks for the info re: the Facebook ad. Don’t know how that trailing slash got there

Web design can be expensive. There are ways in which you can reduce the learning curve when you do it yourself, but there’s more to web design than just a pretty website.

I’ve got a few posts in the pipeline regarding this topic. I’m also working on an affordable service that is aimed at photographers in your position. It’s a common hurdle that so many photographers face.

Stay tuned.

I’m interested to see where you go with this. I’m an amateur photographer, but have been paid for several projects (weddings, engagement photos, portraits, etc.) I’ve considered doing a side business of photography and working to promote myself a little more, but creating a website is my hang up. I can’t afford to spend lots of money on outsourced web design. I know a guy who could do it, but then would charge me for every update. Ideally I’d love to do it myself, but then there’s the learning curve. I look forward to hearing more of your advice and thoughts.

This topic is quite controversial and I think professionalism can mean a number of things when it comes to photography. In my view, a professional is someone who charges for the work they do under assignment, whether it be weddings, funerals, events, portraits, etc. Just like a professional football player gets paid to do a particular task i.e. play football for a professional level club.

However, having said that, I agree that there is a level of “professionalism” that can be judged by the consumer, based on the quality of the photographer’s work.

I’ve witnessed a few discussions in forums that’ve got quite heated between so called ‘professional’ photographers and amateurs who are attempting to sell their work on stock photography websites etc.

The quality of a photograph, or ‘product’ as you have put it, is what makes someone a professional, not the fact that they sell their work. Yes, sales and quality normally do go hand in hand but if a consumer is able to produce a product of similar quality then it makes sense that the media and other sales avenues will turn to these cheaper sources more and more for their images.

There are other challenges presented to photographers through ever increasing levels of technology. Video with enough resolution to print poster size from a single frame from 30fps cameras are just around the corner. Why have a film crew and still photographers cover the same event when you can send one and are able to cover both mediums?