More Than Half of Pros Became Interested in Photography as Kids

Aftershoot’s annual Photography Industry Trends report offers critical insights into the photography industry, how it is changing, and delivers fascinating information about photographers themselves.

In a survey of over 500 professional photographers from different genres and industries, Aftershoot found that just over half of them (50.6%) started doing photography as a hobby when they were a child or teenager. This is by far the most common way a surveyed photographer started their career, followed by developing an interest in photography through creative studies in a distant second place (17.4%).

As for how professional photographers learn their craft, the most common way is by being self-taught and learning through online resources. 36.5% of photographers say they learned this way. Nearly 20% learned through mentorship from other photographers, while 17.2% attended photography courses. Just 14.7% of the surveyed pros majored in photography in college or university.

Aftershoot also asked professional photographers how much they spend each year on photography gear and tools. Despite the constant deluge of new, often expensive equipment, most pros don’t spend much annually. The most common response — 40.8% of respondents — say they paid $500 to $1,000 annually on new photo equipment. 28.2% spend between $1,000 and $2,500 on new gear, while just 6.3% spend more than $5,000 each year.

When it comes to promoting their services and marketing themselves, 86.6% of the 500 professional photographers use social media, and nearly as many — 85.9% — rely on word of mouth. Very few, just 5.2%, use print advertising these days.

Photographers were also surveyed on how much they shoot per job and how long it takes to deliver materials to clients. The most common response on how many images someone takes per session or project is 1,000-3,000 photos, with almost half of photographers selecting this option. As for deliverables, the most common amount is between 500 and 1,000, although it is worth noting that these numbers depend heavily on what type of photography someone is doing. Aftershoot says that the most common specialties among its respondents are wedding, portrait, and event photography, so significant numbers of files make a lot of sense.

Regarding delivering edited images to clients, 31.1% of photographers take two to four weeks, while only 13.4% deliver pictures in less than a week. Other common responses are one to two months (23.7%) and one to two weeks (22.5%).

Image credits: Aftershoot