At the risk of sounding pathetic, even more so than usual, does anyone know of an opportunity to find photography work perhaps on the web? Is there a website that has a good success rate for photographers looking to be hired? Oh my head! I have such a headache from the frustrations of the non-working photographer! I believe I have at least a little bit of talent, right? Why wouldn't someone want to hire me for a photo project? Any thoughts? Andrew The Frustrated

Wish I could help you with that, but unfortunately, I've never been hired through the web either. Do not despair. You are not alone. (C'mon, smile! I saw your online perfolio. You're a good photographer, no doubt about that.) (*

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I hear that it's a tough buisness - unless you're doing weddings (UGH!). My goal is to get my pictures shown in a gallery. ..Wait, I mean shown and BOUGHT in a gallery. I got in a bit of a philisophical argument with a couple people at my last camera club meeting (Maybe I should have waited. I've only been a member for a couple months now). One guy was saying something like "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You're just doing this for yourself - If YOU like your picture, that's all that counts..." I disagreed. My purpose in photography is to SHOW my works to people who are glad I showed them. I read some inspiring words in LensWork Magazine: We will either show them our world, or ask them about theirs". I think I'm just starting to learn how to do that. Let's stick together, and keep working on it. Joe

Book time somewhere to host a little display for a few days, get some other people involved, and advertise the show. If people come, and you give a contact phone number, you never know who'll call...

Good advice, Slynky, but it seams a bit easier said than done. Maybe I'm wrong. I agree with Finder on this one. We all need to stick together. Maybe I should hereby anounce the beginning of D.P.A. - Disrespected Photographers' Association. Meetings will be held on Monday. My name is Andrew...and I'm a loser... Maybe we need our own gallery, and I'm not talkin' digital. One of you guys can float me some cash and I'll begin construction of The Renderosity Gallery of Cincinnati...If Cincinnati is OK with you all! No artist will be turned away (unless you suck!). Sound like a plan? =-) Andrew

Cincinnati? Isn't that where The Artist Formerly Known As Prince is from? Cool place to be. Yeah, fly me over and I'll sub you the cash. No problem. Erm, just a thought, but how about teaming up with a graduate interior designer? watch out for one who's starting out and try to get something going - you photograph their work for them to use, they incorporate yours in their designs.....? I'd love to start a photography shop / gallery / studio. There's a shop on our town that is renting quite cheap, but startup capital....well...... dream on, Mikey! (",)

Jordy, that's what I'm actually doing, but the interior designer I'm working with is not exactly starting out. He's pretty mcuh self-made now. I'm just lucky to be his friend. I'm actually looking into an artist grant of some sort from the National Commission for Culture and Arts here. I should start collecting my guts to write down a proposal...

Has it meant for any work for you Stars? I mean, is it a viable idea? It just came to me while I was typing the first bit, so I might even consider it myself. I've got to produce a small pamphlet of pictures/prices for work, and I'm considering actually posting them around the 'posh' housing estates door-to-door..... you never know, someone might like them, and if I sell just a couple it's pocket money to pay for better advertising..... (Don't know what's up with me - I used to come up with little ideas all the time, then they suddenly stopped when my photography inspiration dried up in about October. Seems to be back with me now!!! phew) (",)

Those are some interesting ideas. Who knows, maybe Ansel Adams got started by beating a path to everyones' front door. You've got to give a little to get a little. i thin I need to move. Cincinnati has it's share of art galleries but I'm just not sure the market is all that big here. I need to move to an artistic town. Any ideas?

Jordy, it's a bit early for me to say if it worked for me or not in terms of getting other jobs. But definitely, it's all pros for me: 1- It's a good springboard for an alternative career (for me anyways, I'm really an illustrator and designer by heart; photography is something I like doing and wish to be doing more). 2- It's practice. I'm more inclined to learn stuff on the job. Moreover, the pressure to turn out good work seems to give me a push there. 3- It's exposure. My friend is using my shots for his portfolio, I'm using his interior work as the subject for mine. People will see our work on both our portfolios. I guess it's a form of cross-advertising, if there's such a thing. 4- It pays. Well, at least I got paid. It already paid off in terms of experience, but the cash was also a gratifying reward. 5- I had nothing to lose-- heck, that was time well spent. :-) 6- It shows promise of more jobs to come. My friend was satisfied with my work. Definitely I'm going to shoot for him again when his other project is through. --- I suggest distribution of well-designed business cards (something that communicates your line of work without saying so much), like something with your work in it. Treat it as your mini-portfolio with contact numbers and e-mail. That pretty much worked for me. (*