As a professional bird/wildlife photographer myself, I agree with everything you said and need to keep hammering home the point for others that if you're in it for the money only, you're in the wrong field! haha
Hey, these are great tips and great thoughts! I love the realization that people can connect with you so much more if they see your face and you have to engage with people, I think that's what I've struggled with over time. I feel like I've grown in my photography, but I have always struggled with the people aspect. Thank you for these realizations! Take care!
Been trying for years to try to make a little extra, but admittedly as you said quite hard. But over the years added a website, started writing for a nature magazine, and sharing more on forums. Started submitting to a stock website, but have made very little. Only issue with RUclips or Tik Tock is I don't do any video things - just stills. One thing I think is helpful is to be a part of a camera club, a tough one, where you'll get feedback and be up against other very good photographers. I hear you on video, but I do not consider myself a videographer - I do stills only for competitions, nature salons, and try to sell prints here and there. I do think video and stills are still kind of separate things even though there's a lot of crossover. I'd also suggest doing more than bird photography, but nature photography for instance; do landscapes and other prints. And, as you said, do other work in photography like you did with real estate. I do have a full time vocation, but were I trying to really make money at photography I'd suggest getting your name out in local camera or photo groups and consider doing some photo shoots for people; wedding/senior photo shooters are a dime a dozen, and many say "professional" because they own a camera that says "professional" but vastly overrate their skills and charge way too much. Many folks are looking for a good photographer on a budget, and there's a market out there for that and this could support your other interest of nature/bird photography.
self marketing or self branding is a very hard disciplin. I agree 100% to your approaches. A lot of people starting to understand the difficulties of this job when they try to start on their own. You are doing a great job!
Yep. The self-marketing/salesmanship side just kills me. Sadly, I'm too introverted to be able to get over that hump despite a number of attempts. For example, I have managed to push myself forward to the extent that I got hard-card media credentials for 2 different national motorcycle racing series on 2 different continents, but could barely sell a picture because I couldn't bring myself to hawk my stuff around teams/riders or even magazines (of which there are now almost NONE covering racing).
Hello Jan and Glenn. Actually I am a budding Nature and Wildlife photographer and I am 17 so this video was definitely helpful for me and the #birdphotoshow segment was also great.
I’ve been a fan of your show for a while, it’s my go-to for learning more about bird photography. Your passion for what you do really shows through your willingness to mentor and educate others, thanks for all you do!
Great video. It’s interesting to hear about the journey to being a professional. I take photos and videos at work (nothing to do with birds) as part of my job, but do bird photo gifts such as calendars, cards and I made bird photo mugs for the team at work. I don’t want to be a pro bird photographer but steps like the calendars illustrate what’s possible. I just made 5 or so as gifts for close friends, now I have to make 40, so it can snowball, because you produce something people like. Much appreciate your content. Take care, Lachlan.
Another excellent video Jan, With reference to the yellowtail cockatoo and the twigs I must admit lately I’m enjoying seeing birds and the habitats they hang out in and find myself being just as fascinated by this more then isolated photos of birds
Great honest video. Just having nice photos is not enough to make a business out of bird photography. I’ve toyed with the idea of selling bird photos but haven’t pursued it at this point. Many components to consider before diving in. Thanks for the insight.
What a great way to start the day. Loved the episode. Some episodes ahead, would be intersting to see the BTS from the show. Even tips and tricks you two use to make the video so great while staying miles apart.
Well said lads. I think your first point is particularly salient. There is a huge difference between a good image and a great image. Everyone has a camera these days and there are a lot of good images floating around out there. There are far fewer great images and, to stand out, an image really has to ‘speak’.
As of now, I'm just doing this as a hobby and my current target is to make a calendar for close friends and family and see how that goes. Both as a process of getting better images for the calendar and also on how to actually create a calendar layout and stuff.. Let's see how that goes.
The Cockatoo is my photos and I have to admit I was over the moon when I saw it featured. A couple of points about the twig, 1. I have no idea how to remove it, I guess you need Photoshop, which I don't have. 2. While "perfect" photos look great, to me they become somewhat boring, we live in a far from perfect world after all. I love your photos Jan but my favorite lately was the Cassowary with the bush in the background. My 2 cents worth, love the show btw.
Hey Paul, That's why I said it's totally personal choice and a great talking point. I don't mind it either way. It's a fantastic image of a really nice looking bird, too. The easiest way to remove it would probably be in Photoshop, correct. Yes, with everything in life we always evolve, so I have been enjoying experimenting a bit more with the 100-500 and not so super clean backgrounds
not trying to make any money at this. just enjoying the ride and seeing the birds! Always enjoy the Bird Photography Show... I forgot to tag my posts though! haha. Thanks for your prosets. I use them every day.... on all kinds of images, not just bird photos. Real time savers.
Great episodie thank you! I am on this boat. I have years trying to grow from my small IG account to being a full time pro one day...still stuck on the IG small account. From Panama, best regards to you guys and keep up the great inspiring work you do with this show.
I'm still a long way from making any money doing landscape and wildlife photography. But I'm having a lot of fun doing RUclips videos, and I meet a surprising number of other aspiring RUclipsrs when I'm out and about. I hope to one day get monetized or make enough image sales to finance an occasional trip or piece of kit. I actually have family in Costa Rica but haven't been there since childhood. I'll definitely make a pilgrimage to the Old Country in the next year or two and I will definitely go hummer hunting! 📷
Great video! I am literally just going through the whole process you just mentioned. Just hit 1000subs on RUclips but still need some hours to get monetized and same with social media platforms. It’s good to see that the plan I thought of worked for others so good vibes ❤️
I'm currently doing bird photography as a hobby but also with an end goal of bringing awareness to wildlife and showing people all the amazing species. But definitely my mindset has started to change since i've started spending a lot more time editing my images and investing more money into gear, editing programs and also fuel / servicing vehicle, I don't have plans to attempt to make money from photography anytime soon, but it would be awesome to get some 'pocket money' from it. But... i'm still just learning photography so i'm a long way off. I currently get $100 quarterly from my RUclips channel which I have unfortunately neglected but I treasure that small amount of money. Great photos in the end segment! I enjoyed it myself looking through other people's images that also watch the show.
Great episode !! I know its a bit too much to ask, but personally I would love to see you render one or more of those PP suggestions in the selected images. That could bring out the potential of these images with a professional Post Processing and would be a great learning showcase !!
Great Show guys, and love the Photo photo of the week segment. Such a great insight into the 'business' of photography. Happy doing it for fun as a looming towards retirement hobby, but it would be a buzz to see an image of mine in print. Keep up the good work!
Enjoyed the video guys, sometimes the joy can disappear from photography when it becomes about the money, so striking that balance is important. I really like the Bird of the Week segment, good idea Jan and Glen.
Love this series guys! But due to my job have very little time to site and watch your conversations at home. Have you ever considered uploading the audio from this series as a podcast on Spotify for example? Would give those of us that drive a lot a good way to experience your content and continue learning.
Hi Jan & Glenn. great episode, and the new photos of the week is very engaging and community-building topic!! you're both checking all boxes to be a versatile pro birder. As a key element (beyond pure photography skills) I'd isolate your presentation and training skills. Those skills were badly underexposed during my own education (so when I attempt to brighten it up in post, there's more noise than even dxo can handle, heheh), but that aspect has been significantly improved when I look at my kids. Nevertheless, I did already earn a lot with birding: a true passion, a good counterbalance for a hectic daytime job, friendships with people on different continents, a colleague taking me out on a boat trip for shooting birds, a hole in my pocket .. and even AN ABSOLUTLY AWESOME HUMMINGBIRD BOOK 😀 Glenn, you were completely right about the Santa Marta Sabrewing at the time of printing .. but last month it was sighted again for the first time in over a decade .. when shall you head down to Columbia to make your next print more complete ??
@@GlennBartley Indeed it is! And straight after reading about it, I went to check what you (&your co-author) already knew about it .. and it was actually quite a lot 👍.. so now I'm wondering whether the article (and/or finder) actually picked up the background info from your book 🤓
Not really looking to make money in photography, being 77 years old it’s a little late for that. I do have prints made and I make frames and give them to friends and relatives for holidays and birthdays and I’m happy doing that for now. Thanks for the great videos on all the subjects you cover.
Nice video as always, Im in NSW and would like to get into bird photography, may i ask any place you would recommend for a bird photography beginner ? Thanks
This is exactly what I needed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You both are so incredibly helpful and kind. This is invaluable. I'm finding it quite difficult to grow on Instagram posting photos; the push towards reels has taken a heavy toll on the exposure of my page. I've been trying to shift over to reels but it's hard because of the sheer amount of uni work I have. I find taking and composing photos takes way less time than producing a video. Hopefully after I graduate this year I can spend more time with video while also working some field jobs (I find working a field job + doing bird photography is quite challenging). Hope to see you both in the field one day. Cheers from Ithaca, NY.
The thing with social media is, the more you post the more you grow, Instagram is a challenge for sure, but if you find the right content you can still grow fast. Time is always an issue, so we have to prioritise. One photo per day will also not get you far.
Thanks guys, great video, I enjoyed your critique of other peoples images and the constructive comments you provided. Something I would like to hear about is a little of the history between you two. How did you first meet, where and how that has evolved into what appears to be a good friendship? Have you done photography trips together etc. Cheers.
Thanks for your great video with experiences. In these days to take money in social media means no need to have a high coalification or professional talent but you must be ACTIVE and capable to content something UNIQUE. That’ll! 😀 I think bird photography is not just like that. Bird photographing is an art. It is a special way to communicate with our beautiful nature environments. This wonderful art could not be achieved by all people. It can be done by one or two artists from thousands like you guys. According to my philosophical nature sometimes our jobs and arts must be separated. Sorry for if my comment hurts someone. It’s just my personal thought. You can ignore it. Thanks again for sharing your wonderful show.🙏
Making money from wildlife photography would be fantastic but I wouldn't consider myself any where near good enough. I think, though, it would take a lot of the enjoyment out of it for me.
I have heard that a lot, and believed it myself, but it's not always true, at least for me. Making money with what you love is quite freeing. Still work, but it's "work" I'd do even if I wasn't paid as well :) If you focus on money the fun will disappear, if you focus on fun and providing great content, you're having fun and the money is a nice side effect
Hi guys, Thank you for this wonderful video and tips. I am trying to become a fulltime wildlife photographer, but I am still struggling. One of the things I find difficult is "am I good enough" and people trying to take advantage. What I mean is that they won't pay you or little, but should you do it anyway because of exposure. Know your worth and what are "normal" fees? Also social media can be quite stressful...you have to continue posting because of the algoritms.
Yes I agree. I think you have to have a line where you just wont sell your images for less than X. And teh social media stuff you also need a line. FInd out how much time you are willing to allocate and dont let it run your life. More time to be out in nature!
I don't give away anything and usually I don't sell any image for less than $50. Exposure means nothing, who really reads the fine print in some magazine? Image sales are probably the smallest portion of my income. Yes, with social media, I think many people overthink it. The single most important thing, as you say is posting a lot, which can be stressful for sure, but is the fastest way to get an audience at the moment. Posting on RUclips 2x per week versus once every 1-2 weeks has made an enormous difference for me. I would post 5x if I could manage it somehow.
@@GlennBartley Thanks for the advice Glenn! You're so right, I hsve to find the balance because now it is taking too much time and I barely get the time to spend time in nature.
@@jan_wegener Thanks a lot for your advice Jan, much appreciate it. I will try to post twice a week on RUclips, I just need to get a bit faster at editing 😉 Thanks again for all the tips from both of you. I know this type of career means basically figuring everything out myself, so getting some tips or a bit of help means a lot 🙏😊
A matter of taste: The picture of the Kingfisher with the lizard I don't like. It's a great shot, and for me the perch is fine. (You two seem to have very rigid ideas of how a perch "should" look). But the colours are way over the top! The saturation looks so unnatural! Personally I would not remove the twig from the Cockatoo. I basically don't really understand why you'd want to. But now to answer your questions: Do I struggle as a bird photographer? A lot of the time yes. I often struggle to make good pictures, because frankly I'm not that good. But I never struggle to make money, because I don't even try! And no, it was never an ambition of mine to be a professional. I'm an amateur photographer in the truest sense of the word. Besides bird photography is only one of my hobbies, and not the most important one for me.
This is the episode I've been really really waiting for. Thank you so much! I have the advantage of living in Costa Rica and I've been trying to get to a spot where it can at least be a serious side hustle if not a full time thing. I was glad to see that I'm pretty much on the path you laid out. I actually do a lot of content development and proofreading for my day job and love writing. I was curious if you had any suggestions on writing for magazines in terms of what magazines are most looking for bird photography content? Likewise I imagine some (travel magazines) prefer narrative articles and others (photography magazines) want technical articles.
The joy and feelgood of photographing birds might fade a little if I was in some way economically dependent on it. However, making SOME money, mayby to afford an camera or lens upgrade would be nice! Any ideas on how to best make a side incom on photos? Selling prints, through which channel? Selling images, through which channel?
Super video guys!! Until 2020 I worked as a birding guide in brazilian Amazon and publish my photos in social media and platforms like eBird was a good way to found more clients.
Agree! I am a terrible photographer (working to get better of course) and mostly just took photos for documentation purposes in ebird, yet somehow I managed to make some money just from magazines who wanted to showcase certain species in certain locations. If I was more serious there were opportunities to get future commissions from these publications.
How much of success is gear and getting the shots vs computer skill in post? It seems to me that just being a good photographer is only a fraction of the skill set required!
In Ireland it's hard to sell your wildlife photos since a ton of people are doing it i only know 2 people who sell photos of wildlife out of 30 people I know that do wildlife photogrqphy and been doing it 40 years places like America it's definitely easier to sell your photos I'd say
I like to practice photography as a hobby, wouldn't mind making some chump change on the side, but no, never as a business. There's gonna be a ton of marketing and branding etc. 95% of the time and that will suck the fun out of photography.
I waited and waited, and you guys never answered the question.....HOW to make make money photographing birds. Do you sell to stock, do you make money selling prints? The biggest percentage of your income, as a bird photographer, comes from what source?
@@GlennBartley thanks glenn i will start following u on insta. i have been 2 years in bird photography and i strongly believe i found my passion and i fell in love with this hobby
Tbh Many publications news outlets often use images posted on social media . Ie the chap that captured the Woodpecker with the weasel on its back whilst flying . . Fellow togs i know one does weddings , calendar work another does Models , fashion work another does Models , landscape wildlife etc . if you get a job or create a online magazine that deals in Wildlife etc . its one way ... As I also do fishing there is guys on here make that living from this site . 2 brothers chucked there day job to soley do Carp Fishing Ft , other channels sell merch , accept donations
@@GlennBartley Indeedy .. I guess sending pics into NG or some other noted Publications is another way of getting noticed . I think many would be happy to get a image published ....
That's what has ruined the market ultimately. Many people with digital cameras who are happy to do it "for exposure". If everyone charged $100+, then there wouldn't be any freebies and all photographer would be much richer haha
Some interesting comments. However, how many people actually buy books? Most people can just have a look online. I am yet to see a bird pic that I would want to have hanging on my walls. Yarrow would be the best wildlife photographer at present.( not birds though)
The two most noticeable problems I find are that the world and is wife thinks they are professional photographers as they have a mobile phone and give away all their work for free, and that I have yet to fully understand social media. If I post on Instagram I may get a handful of likes. I have a clip on you tube of a playful ferret that has over the years had maybe 50 likes, inexplicably I have a motorsport clip that had had more like 23,000. What is immediately noticeable from your photo of the week is that you do not need to be a professional to take incredible photographs.
And that's why I take photos for fun and self satisfaction.
Excellent. Everyone has to find their path.
We hope you all enjoy the show!!! Thanks for watching and keep those #BIRDPHOTOSHOW images coming!!
As a professional bird/wildlife photographer myself, I agree with everything you said and need to keep hammering home the point for others that if you're in it for the money only, you're in the wrong field! haha
Thats for sure!
Almost all things you're in "for the money" will not really work out and will not provide happiness
Hey, these are great tips and great thoughts! I love the realization that people can connect with you so much more if they see your face and you have to engage with people, I think that's what I've struggled with over time. I feel like I've grown in my photography, but I have always struggled with the people aspect. Thank you for these realizations! Take care!
Been trying for years to try to make a little extra, but admittedly as you said quite hard. But over the years added a website, started writing for a nature magazine, and sharing more on forums. Started submitting to a stock website, but have made very little. Only issue with RUclips or Tik Tock is I don't do any video things - just stills. One thing I think is helpful is to be a part of a camera club, a tough one, where you'll get feedback and be up against other very good photographers. I hear you on video, but I do not consider myself a videographer - I do stills only for competitions, nature salons, and try to sell prints here and there. I do think video and stills are still kind of separate things even though there's a lot of crossover.
I'd also suggest doing more than bird photography, but nature photography for instance; do landscapes and other prints. And, as you said, do other work in photography like you did with real estate. I do have a full time vocation, but were I trying to really make money at photography I'd suggest getting your name out in local camera or photo groups and consider doing some photo shoots for people; wedding/senior photo shooters are a dime a dozen, and many say "professional" because they own a camera that says "professional" but vastly overrate their skills and charge way too much. Many folks are looking for a good photographer on a budget, and there's a market out there for that and this could support your other interest of nature/bird photography.
self marketing or self branding is a very hard disciplin. I agree 100% to your approaches. A lot of people starting to understand the difficulties of this job when they try to start on their own. You are doing a great job!
Thanks for watching Klaus!
Yep. The self-marketing/salesmanship side just kills me. Sadly, I'm too introverted to be able to get over that hump despite a number of attempts. For example, I have managed to push myself forward to the extent that I got hard-card media credentials for 2 different national motorcycle racing series on 2 different continents, but could barely sell a picture because I couldn't bring myself to hawk my stuff around teams/riders or even magazines (of which there are now almost NONE covering racing).
I’m early to the video! Have an awesome day/night Jan! 😊🙌
You too!!
Great episode, guys! Thanks!!
Glad you enjoyed it Chris!
Hello Jan and Glenn. Actually I am a budding Nature and Wildlife photographer and I am 17 so this video was definitely helpful for me and the #birdphotoshow segment was also great.
So great to hear you enjoyed it. Keep it up!
I’ve been a fan of your show for a while, it’s my go-to for learning more about bird photography. Your passion for what you do really shows through your willingness to mentor and educate others, thanks for all you do!
Awesome, thank you!
This is gonna help me a lot.... Thanks and congrats on the 50k subs
Glad to hear you enjoyed the show!
Thank you!
Great video. It’s interesting to hear about the journey to being a professional. I take photos and videos at work (nothing to do with birds) as part of my job, but do bird photo gifts such as calendars, cards and I made bird photo mugs for the team at work. I don’t want to be a pro bird photographer but steps like the calendars illustrate what’s possible. I just made 5 or so as gifts for close friends, now I have to make 40, so it can snowball, because you produce something people like. Much appreciate your content. Take care, Lachlan.
Thanks for sharing
Btw, what a cool opening of The Bird Photography Show. Sometimes I saw the opening before go to the field to get inspired 😃
Glad it gets you pumped!
awesome!
Another excellent video Jan, With reference to the yellowtail cockatoo and the twigs I must admit lately I’m enjoying seeing birds and the habitats they hang out in and find myself being just as fascinated by this more then isolated photos of birds
Great show again guys....thanks for all the tips..
Great job once again guys! Get good, promote yourself, get a reputation and sell workshops. The only way to make money with a camera.
One way for sure...
Great honest video. Just having nice photos is not enough to make a business out of bird photography. I’ve toyed with the idea of selling bird photos but haven’t pursued it at this point. Many components to consider before diving in. Thanks for the insight.
Cheers Doug!
Selling photos is the smallest part of my income
Happy to see Bonnie Block’s photo was mentioned. I’ve been enjoying your videos.
It was a great shot!
Awesome! Thank you!
Love the episode!! Congrats to all the Photo Of The Week winners - amazing shots!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the feature and thoughtful feedback!
Cheers. Nice pic!
Our pleasure!
You guys are so awesome.. thanks for always making great videos.. I’m a huge fan! And what great quality!!
Our pleasure!
By the way, your Prosets are fabulous. I’m using them every day, and they are so incredibly useful to me. Worth every penny (speaking of money).
Awesome to hear!
Glad you like them! We used them daily as well and really wanted to help everyone to speed up the editing
What a great way to start the day. Loved the episode. Some episodes ahead, would be intersting to see the BTS from the show. Even tips and tricks you two use to make the video so great while staying miles apart.
Ya we might be able to do a little bts 😎
It's not that pretty when you zoom out further haha!
That was am awesome episode, always learn at lot from you fellas, thank you! great work
Our pleasure!
Great segment today guys! I really appreciated the great tips, as usual. Those prosets and Jan's master class have been a huge help to me!!!
Glad to hear it!
That's great to hear! :)
Well said lads. I think your first point is particularly salient. There is a huge difference between a good image and a great image. Everyone has a camera these days and there are a lot of good images floating around out there. There are far fewer great images and, to stand out, an image really has to ‘speak’.
Well said
As of now, I'm just doing this as a hobby and my current target is to make a calendar for close friends and family and see how that goes. Both as a process of getting better images for the calendar and also on how to actually create a calendar layout and stuff.. Let's see how that goes.
Sounds like a great goal!
SOunds great, the biggest issue when it comes to selling calendars is the cost of making them, which makes the margins quite small.
@@jan_wegener Very true. But it's only for close friends and family. So I don't think I mind what I get. The experience is what that counts.
Great points. Especially letting people get to know the photographer outside of photography. We photographers like to hide behind the lens.
The Cockatoo is my photos and I have to admit I was over the moon when I saw it featured.
A couple of points about the twig,
1. I have no idea how to remove it, I guess you need Photoshop, which I don't have.
2. While "perfect" photos look great, to me they become somewhat boring, we live in a far from perfect world after all.
I love your photos Jan but my favorite lately was the Cassowary with the bush in the background.
My 2 cents worth, love the show btw.
Hey Paul,
That's why I said it's totally personal choice and a great talking point. I don't mind it either way. It's a fantastic image of a really nice looking bird, too.
The easiest way to remove it would probably be in Photoshop, correct.
Yes, with everything in life we always evolve, so I have been enjoying experimenting a bit more with the 100-500 and not so super clean backgrounds
not trying to make any money at this. just enjoying the ride and seeing the birds! Always enjoy the Bird Photography Show... I forgot to tag my posts though! haha.
Thanks for your prosets. I use them every day.... on all kinds of images, not just bird photos. Real time savers.
That's great to hear our PROSETS are helping you a lot!
Good stuff, guys! Seems like the hottest trend right now is workshops, after a decent RUclips presence is established.
Also doing workshops long before any sort of presence is established haha!
Instructive video thank you. I am to old to start with this , so I keep it on hobby level. I hope I can do it in my next life😃
Best of luck! hehe
Loved the #birdphotoshow segment a lot. Very nice engagement guys.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great episodie thank you! I am on this boat. I have years trying to grow from my small IG account to being a full time pro one day...still stuck on the IG small account. From Panama, best regards to you guys and keep up the great inspiring work you do with this show.
Gracias Osvaldo. Mucha suerte con todo!!!
If it's not really working after a while, a change of strategy might be a good idea
@@jan_wegener Thanks for the advice I will review my strategy!
fabulous show - expert advice and video editing.
Thank you very much!
Was waiting for this video
Hope you get a few good tips!
@@GlennBartley Hope I get few dollars😅
I'm still a long way from making any money doing landscape and wildlife photography. But I'm having a lot of fun doing RUclips videos, and I meet a surprising number of other aspiring RUclipsrs when I'm out and about. I hope to one day get monetized or make enough image sales to finance an occasional trip or piece of kit.
I actually have family in Costa Rica but haven't been there since childhood. I'll definitely make a pilgrimage to the Old Country in the next year or two and I will definitely go hummer hunting! 📷
Sounds like a great plan. Some great birds down there for sure!
Thanks for sharing. Persistence is a big part of being successful
Great video! I am literally just going through the whole process you just mentioned. Just hit 1000subs on RUclips but still need some hours to get monetized and same with social media platforms. It’s good to see that the plan I thought of worked for others so good vibes ❤️
Great work!
I'm currently doing bird photography as a hobby but also with an end goal of bringing awareness to wildlife and showing people all the amazing species. But definitely my mindset has started to change since i've started spending a lot more time editing my images and investing more money into gear, editing programs and also fuel / servicing vehicle, I don't have plans to attempt to make money from photography anytime soon, but it would be awesome to get some 'pocket money' from it. But... i'm still just learning photography so i'm a long way off.
I currently get $100 quarterly from my RUclips channel which I have unfortunately neglected but I treasure that small amount of money. Great photos in the end segment! I enjoyed it myself looking through other people's images that also watch the show.
Thanks for sharing your experience Kurtis. Maybe try writing and article for a magazine sometime and a way to make some gas money??
Thanks for sharing Kurtis!
Great episode !! I know its a bit too much to ask, but personally I would love to see you render one or more of those PP suggestions in the selected images. That could bring out the potential of these images with a professional Post Processing and would be a great learning showcase !!
We did indeed think of doing that. Maybe next time!
We will in the next episode, but I am also careful with other people's images, because we don't want to upset anyone
Great Show guys, and love the Photo photo of the week segment. Such a great insight into the 'business' of photography. Happy doing it for fun as a looming towards retirement hobby, but it would be a buzz to see an image of mine in print. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much!
Enjoyed the video guys, sometimes the joy can disappear from photography when it becomes about the money, so striking that balance is important. I really like the Bird of the Week segment, good idea Jan and Glen.
Yes, that's why it cannot be about the money in the first place, but rather something that you do because you love it.
Muchas gracias por estos videos
De nada!
Thanks....
Love this series guys! But due to my job have very little time to site and watch your conversations at home. Have you ever considered uploading the audio from this series as a podcast on Spotify for example? Would give those of us that drive a lot a good way to experience your content and continue learning.
you can still listen to RUclips as well without watching? I do that a lot.
More awesome Bird Shots1
Hi Jan & Glenn. great episode, and the new photos of the week is very engaging and community-building topic!! you're both checking all boxes to be a versatile pro birder. As a key element (beyond pure photography skills) I'd isolate your presentation and training skills. Those skills were badly underexposed during my own education (so when I attempt to brighten it up in post, there's more noise than even dxo can handle, heheh), but that aspect has been significantly improved when I look at my kids.
Nevertheless, I did already earn a lot with birding: a true passion, a good counterbalance for a hectic daytime job, friendships with people on different continents, a colleague taking me out on a boat trip for shooting birds, a hole in my pocket .. and even AN ABSOLUTLY AWESOME HUMMINGBIRD BOOK 😀
Glenn, you were completely right about the Santa Marta Sabrewing at the time of printing .. but last month it was sighted again for the first time in over a decade .. when shall you head down to Columbia to make your next print more complete ??
Yes I saw that. An exciting discovery!
@@GlennBartley Indeed it is! And straight after reading about it, I went to check what you (&your co-author) already knew about it .. and it was actually quite a lot 👍.. so now I'm wondering whether the article (and/or finder) actually picked up the background info from your book 🤓
Not really looking to make money in photography, being 77 years old it’s a little late for that. I do have prints made and I make frames and give them to friends and relatives for holidays and birthdays and I’m happy doing that for now. Thanks for the great videos on all the subjects you cover.
That's a great way to share your art!
Thanks for sharing!
Nice video as always, Im in NSW and would like to get into bird photography, may i ask any place you would recommend for a bird photography beginner ? Thanks
The local duck pond
This is exactly what I needed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You both are so incredibly helpful and kind. This is invaluable.
I'm finding it quite difficult to grow on Instagram posting photos; the push towards reels has taken a heavy toll on the exposure of my page. I've been trying to shift over to reels but it's hard because of the sheer amount of uni work I have. I find taking and composing photos takes way less time than producing a video. Hopefully after I graduate this year I can spend more time with video while also working some field jobs (I find working a field job + doing bird photography is quite challenging).
Hope to see you both in the field one day. Cheers from Ithaca, NY.
Hi Elliot,
Yes instagram is a mess these days. Still worth posting. But they've kinda killed it.
The thing with social media is, the more you post the more you grow, Instagram is a challenge for sure, but if you find the right content you can still grow fast. Time is always an issue, so we have to prioritise. One photo per day will also not get you far.
Thanks guys, great video, I enjoyed your critique of other peoples images and the constructive comments you provided. Something I would like to hear about is a little of the history between you two. How did you first meet, where and how that has evolved into what appears to be a good friendship? Have you done photography trips together etc. Cheers.
I think we talked about that in the very first Episode
@@jan_wegener Ok, thanks, I'll have a look.
Thanks for your great video with experiences. In these days to take money in social media means no need to have a high coalification or professional talent but you must be ACTIVE and capable to content something UNIQUE. That’ll! 😀 I think bird photography is not just like that. Bird photographing is an art. It is a special way to communicate with our beautiful nature environments. This wonderful art could not be achieved by all people. It can be done by one or two artists from thousands like you guys. According to my philosophical nature sometimes our jobs and arts must be separated. Sorry for if my comment hurts someone. It’s just my personal thought. You can ignore it. Thanks again for sharing your wonderful show.🙏
I agree, bird photography or photography in general is not something everyone can do, kinda like every other job :)
Making money from wildlife photography would be fantastic but I wouldn't consider myself any where near good enough. I think, though, it would take a lot of the enjoyment out of it for me.
Yes sometimes it's fun to just do it because you love it...
I have heard that a lot, and believed it myself, but it's not always true, at least for me. Making money with what you love is quite freeing. Still work, but it's "work" I'd do even if I wasn't paid as well :) If you focus on money the fun will disappear, if you focus on fun and providing great content, you're having fun and the money is a nice side effect
Great video, thanks
Thanks for watching!
Glad you liked it!
I would definitely remove that twig from the cockatoo photo. Bit by bit using content aware fill would just take a minute or two.
Indeed!
Hi guys,
Thank you for this wonderful video and tips. I am trying to become a fulltime wildlife photographer, but I am still struggling. One of the things I find difficult is "am I good enough" and people trying to take advantage. What I mean is that they won't pay you or little, but should you do it anyway because of exposure. Know your worth and what are "normal" fees? Also social media can be quite stressful...you have to continue posting because of the algoritms.
Yes I agree. I think you have to have a line where you just wont sell your images for less than X. And teh social media stuff you also need a line. FInd out how much time you are willing to allocate and dont let it run your life. More time to be out in nature!
I don't give away anything and usually I don't sell any image for less than $50. Exposure means nothing, who really reads the fine print in some magazine?
Image sales are probably the smallest portion of my income.
Yes, with social media, I think many people overthink it. The single most important thing, as you say is posting a lot, which can be stressful for sure, but is the fastest way to get an audience at the moment. Posting on RUclips 2x per week versus once every 1-2 weeks has made an enormous difference for me. I would post 5x if I could manage it somehow.
@@GlennBartley Thanks for the advice Glenn! You're so right, I hsve to find the balance because now it is taking too much time and I barely get the time to spend time in nature.
@@jan_wegener Thanks a lot for your advice Jan, much appreciate it. I will try to post twice a week on RUclips, I just need to get a bit faster at editing 😉
Thanks again for all the tips from both of you. I know this type of career means basically figuring everything out myself, so getting some tips or a bit of help means a lot 🙏😊
A matter of taste: The picture of the Kingfisher with the lizard I don't like. It's a great shot, and for me the perch is fine. (You two seem to have very rigid ideas of how a perch "should" look). But the colours are way over the top! The saturation looks so unnatural!
Personally I would not remove the twig from the Cockatoo. I basically don't really understand why you'd want to.
But now to answer your questions:
Do I struggle as a bird photographer? A lot of the time yes. I often struggle to make good pictures, because frankly I'm not that good. But I never struggle to make money, because I don't even try!
And no, it was never an ambition of mine to be a professional. I'm an amateur photographer in the truest sense of the word. Besides bird photography is only one of my hobbies, and not the most important one for me.
Thanks for sharing!
From all the pics I have seen, I think the colours on this guy are pretty off the charts
This is the episode I've been really really waiting for. Thank you so much! I have the advantage of living in Costa Rica and I've been trying to get to a spot where it can at least be a serious side hustle if not a full time thing. I was glad to see that I'm pretty much on the path you laid out. I actually do a lot of content development and proofreading for my day job and love writing. I was curious if you had any suggestions on writing for magazines in terms of what magazines are most looking for bird photography content? Likewise I imagine some (travel magazines) prefer narrative articles and others (photography magazines) want technical articles.
The joy and feelgood of photographing birds might fade a little if I was in some way economically dependent on it. However, making SOME money, mayby to afford an camera or lens upgrade would be nice! Any ideas on how to best make a side incom on photos? Selling prints, through which channel? Selling images, through which channel?
Neither will get you a lot these days unfortunately.
@@jan_wegener Thanks for answering! Well ... I simply have to decide what kidney to sell ... 😆
Thanks!
Thank You!
Super video guys!! Until 2020 I worked as a birding guide in brazilian Amazon and publish my photos in social media and platforms like eBird was a good way to found more clients.
Good tips Tomaz. Thanks for sharing.
Agree! I am a terrible photographer (working to get better of course) and mostly just took photos for documentation purposes in ebird, yet somehow I managed to make some money just from magazines who wanted to showcase certain species in certain locations. If I was more serious there were opportunities to get future commissions from these publications.
Thanks for sharing!!
How much of success is gear and getting the shots vs computer skill in post? It seems to me that just being a good photographer is only a fraction of the skill set required!
You need to be good at everything if you want to stand out and make this a career
Outstanding episode. The review of photos by subscribers was superb. Please keep doing that.
Thanks Scotty. We plan to keep it going. Cheers amigo!
Thanks, will do!
In Ireland it's hard to sell your wildlife photos since a ton of people are doing it i only know 2 people who sell photos of wildlife out of 30 people I know that do wildlife photogrqphy and been doing it 40 years places like America it's definitely easier to sell your photos I'd say
I like to practice photography as a hobby, wouldn't mind making some chump change on the side, but no, never as a business. There's gonna be a ton of marketing and branding etc. 95% of the time and that will suck the fun out of photography.
That is absolutely a possibility!
If you do it right, there's not much of that at all :)
I waited and waited, and you guys never answered the question.....HOW to make make money photographing birds. Do you sell to stock, do you make money selling prints? The biggest percentage of your income, as a bird photographer, comes from what source?
is the bird photo show on instagram ?
We each have our own Instagram: @bartleys_photo_workshops and @jan_wegener_
@@GlennBartley thanks glenn i will start following u on insta. i have been 2 years in bird photography and i strongly believe i found my passion and i fell in love with this hobby
How do you guys feel about VERO?
Not sure what that is???
It failed once in like 2018, it's interesting, but Insta can also change the algo again....I still have an account but haven't jumped fully into it
love photography of birds, landscape and astronomy as a hobbyist. just sent a request to join #birdsphotoshow.
Its key to speak bird lingo and learn how to get those little feathery guys to pose....
That helps for sure!
Tbh Many publications news outlets often use images posted on social media . Ie the chap that captured the Woodpecker with the weasel on its back whilst flying . .
Fellow togs i know one does weddings , calendar work another does Models , fashion work another does Models , landscape wildlife etc .
if you get a job or create a online magazine that deals in Wildlife etc . its one way ...
As I also do fishing there is guys on here make that living from this site . 2 brothers chucked there day job to soley do Carp Fishing Ft , other channels sell merch , accept donations
Yes you have to diversify at first for sure!
My first ever money was from photographing sports.
@@GlennBartley Indeedy .. I guess sending pics into NG or some other noted Publications is another way of getting noticed . I think many would be happy to get a image published ....
That's what has ruined the market ultimately. Many people with digital cameras who are happy to do it "for exposure". If everyone charged $100+, then there wouldn't be any freebies and all photographer would be much richer haha
I'm still on the "making 'not so great" videos phase'" phase 😆
Me too!
I would definitely remove the twigs in front of the yellow-tailed cockatoo
no iwill not remove the twig. i much more prefer a more natural environment...branches leaves etc.
To each their own!
Some interesting comments. However, how many people actually buy books? Most people can just have a look online. I am yet to see a bird pic that I would want to have hanging on my walls. Yarrow would be the best wildlife photographer at present.( not birds though)
Takes money to make money it’s always in marketing you have to invest into yourself
Investing into yourself is always a wise decision
Step 1 for me would be to move to a country that has great looking birds besides seagulls and crows.
The two most noticeable problems I find are that the world and is wife thinks they are professional photographers as they have a mobile phone and give away all their work for free, and that I have yet to fully understand social media. If I post on Instagram I may get a handful of likes. I have a clip on you tube of a playful ferret that has over the years had maybe 50 likes, inexplicably I have a motorsport clip that had had more like 23,000. What is immediately noticeable from your photo of the week is that you do not need to be a professional to take incredible photographs.
Nobody would pay for my out of focus, overly-backlit, blurry, and far away bird photos. :-)
Haha
Click Bait ! the thumbnail should only have one $ and a single nickel instead of bank notes ! That's the reality of photographers nowadays...
Another clickbait, they'll never tell you guys where do they sell their images but they'll promise that on their thumbnail. Such a waste of time.
I don’t sell that many images and if I do it’s to random people and companies.
We we we me me me, what 🤮
Can finally pay the debt of the R6 to my mom and get photoshop Lightroom then the masterclass. Haha
Nice!
well done