Is it possible to make a living as a street photographer? No

Not unless you're a phenomenal talent and can sell prints.

Since I know you made this thread and are asking this question, the answer is no.

Your best bet would be documentary shots.

Pair with a writer and sell a book about something.

Straight answer: No. Forget it sugar, you won't profit.

You can add some money to your monthly income by selling prints or documentary something. But to make a living, you would've to live in a RV....

>>2915685
Don't listen to these Debbie downers, all you need is a Canon 5D Mark III, a speedlite, decent L glass, and a ticket to Hollywood where you can work as as a street photographer aka paparazzi. $180k and up

>>2915717
>paparazzi. $180k and up

damn, do they really make that much?

not sure if this is some obvious troll.

Many street photographers has other jobs.. some of them do commercial work but their street photography gets recognized more than their commercial work like Elliot Erwitt and William Klein. Most of them work for the press.. and as far as i know many started off selling prints to magazines or the press.

I say dont quit your day job just keep shooting street on a daily basis.. go work part time for a magazine or newspaper.

>>2915685
Short answer? No, absolutely no

>>2915688
This is the long answer

You can become the next Bill Cunningham

You could try get work at the papers as a PJ and shoot street while doing your day job. Any famous street shooters who are around now make more money from lectures and courses because their stuff is too shit to sell as prints

>>2915805

are we talking about Eric Kim?

Street photography has always been just a hobby. It began as a recreational activity done by war journalists during their down time.

>>2915833
Any of them

ITT: frustrated losers try to demotivate someone who might do it.

>>2915688
>>2915697
>>2915755
"Whoever says 'it cannot be done' should not stand in the way of the one who tries it."

Go away you cringy given-uppers.

>>2915899
Considering OP never even posted one of his own images, I don't think he has much motivation himself.

>>2915899

Lmao. How exactly do you propose someone make money as a street photographer?

>>2915899

Notice how this anon offers no advice or suggestions.

>>2915926
That's his problem. I'm in fine art and I would know something to say about this field, but every field is different.
My best hint: get an agent.

I heard stuff like in this thread alot when I was a beginner and unsuccessful. All people telling me it would be impossible were wrong. It is possible.

Funny thing is, for the people who say it is impossible, it is impossible indeed. If you don't try you fail in the first place.

>>2915939
Still better than
>hurr durr imposiblu because Im loser

... and actually my advise is the best of all: try it.

Also - you moron - OP's question was IF and not HOW. Ape.

>>2915940

>locally successful fine arts photographer

>>2915955
Indeed. Locally. Not world-wide. Correct.

>>2915964

It's an old /p/ meme.

>>2915965
I know. Made by people who think everyone here is a 'XYZ photography' retard. .. well, most are to be desu.

>>2915970

I don't think you knew that.

Either way, let's see your successful fine art.

>>2915726
ya

>>2915726
What they're not telling you is that works out to like $10/hour.

To make good money as a paparazzo, literally every moment has to be looking for shots to sell.

>>2915978

What kind of 18,000 hour years are you living in?

>>2915985
>what is hyperbole?

>>2915987

You really think that can pass for hyperbole and not just a retarded comment?

180,000 a year divided by 8760 hours works out to just over 20 dollars an hour. That's if you're working 24/7, which is literally impossible. Let's say you're working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. That takes it up to 40 dollars an hour, which is pretty fucking terrific and well above the average wage in America.

I mean, there's just no way to work it out so that 180k isn't a lot of money, no matter how much you work.

>>2915988
Wow, it's like you just discovered how exaggeration works! I bet you were born yesterday.

>>2915991

>i was talking out of my ass and got caught
>HURR DURR IT WAS JUST EXAGGERATION

and for your information, i wasn't born yesterday. i was born 11390 days ago.

>>2915994
...wow, you literally are autistic.

>>2915973
pff

Just so you all know, paparazzi's lives pretty much suck. You have to get really lucky to get an exclusive image of someone who is in demand (a real money shot).

In reality they're just below 100k on average (I couldn't find median income which would be far more descriptive, averages can easily be very misleading when you have a large range -- like there might be a handful who are knocking on the door of 7 figures, with most others making some significantly lower amount like $40,000/year...it does though, appear that these figures are coming from companies but I don't feel like digging in to figure out how reliable the number is).

Anyway, here's the shitty thing: if you're living in some part of Kansas where the median income is like 25k/year, 100k, sounds like a lot. In LA, especially having to spend most of your time in the expensive parts of LA, 100k isn't shit.

http://www.laweekly.com/news/it-takes-nearly-100-000-a-year-in-income-to-rent-an-average-la-house-5289964

>>2915685
>make a living as a street photographer?
Can you live off of $10-15 /hour plus tips? They're constantly hiring photogs at Disney, Universal Studios, and other amusement parks and tourist traps to photograph people. Check the craigslists for photographer jobs in Los Angeles, Orlando, and other cities. I see "photographer wanted" ads for a helicopter tour company, an alligator zoo (Gator World), and many media outlets looking for photojournalists.

>>2915685
ask in the local newspaper, now that they have sites and post articles about every single shit that happens in the city the want underpayed photographers. you have a reason to always go around and shoot whatever you like, just remember to take a clear pic of what's happening and you're done.
also you don't need particular gear, they'll be alright with smartphone snapshits so you'll be quite free on how you do your job

>>2915999

... says the guy who had an obvious joke whoosh over his head

>>2915685
You better sell a looooot of prints.

>>2916093

or sell very few prints for a lot of money.

>>2916089
>If you submit a satiric item without this symbol, no matter how obvious the satire is to you, do not be surprised if people take it seriously
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law

>>2916095

Poe's law was written by retards who can't into reading comprehension.

Sell one print, billion dollar.

Is easy.

>>2915697
>But to make a living, you would've to live in a RV....
Living in an rv is more expensive than a house

Possible? Yes. Hard? Very.

I know some pro photogs and only a couple really shoot what they want to as their day job. The rest are doing stuff like real estate, school photography etc.

Aiming to do something as a living is a bad goal honestly. I'd say chances are you'll be more successful when you just do it in your spare time as much as you can. If you at some point realise you can, make the switch to doing it full time.

>>2915685
It's possible if you're really good and sell prints, books, and do shows

Although it's damn hard

With less than 10 years' experience, only by dumb luck. With as much or more, only after lots and lots of hard work.

Most likely you'll make a bit of cash doing workshops for people who want to do street photography as a hobby, or to study it in order to cross-apply it to their other photography.

damn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLishDbwy9c