Serious question - how many of you are photographers for profit.

"Alan Browne" wrote in message
...
bowser wrote:

what I used to shooting weddings. But I "volunteered" to shoot some HS
sports, and posted the pix for sale, and lo and behold, I made money. I'm
not a pro, just a hobbyist, and shooting is certainly not my prime source
of income. But a profit, even a meager one, is still a profit.

Hang on. Take all your photographic expenses (incl cap dep. at 20%/yr)
minus the income.

Still making a profit? Or merely subsidizing the photography.


Very good point. At some time, you have to replace your gear, and you need
to allow for that expense. However, if you use older technology (film), your
gear usually has a longer life than the 5 year replacement (20%/year times 5
years equals 100% depreciation) quoted, so in year six, you can start to
make a paper profit. Additionally, those older mechanical cameras are
generally more repairable. While repair costs (when needed) are an expense,
they are a 100% deductable expense, so you get to keep more of your meager
profits.
The major point is that to make a profit in any business, you need to have
some training in business. Being able to make "pretty pictures" is no longer
enough.