# Got paid $350 for doing what I LOVE - photography



## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

My rental 300mm f2.8 IS II arrived yesterday.

I went to local high shool this morning to test out the lens - photograph "little soccer league". I took over 500 photos. The coach asked to see the photos and I showed him my pictures. He offered to pay for all 500 photos for $350(about 1hr of fun for me). I took the offer and gave him all JPEGs. I promised to edit some raws and will give him some later.

Should I change my carreer :

*I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT !!!PAID!!! FOR THAT*. I guess, I'm a "PRO" now ;D ;D ;D


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## Menace (Nov 18, 2013)

Pleased for you - well done  it could be nice little pocket money earner for you.


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## duydaniel (Nov 18, 2013)

congratz ;D


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

Menace said:


> Pleased for you - well done  it could be nice little pocket money earner for you.



Thanks Menace,

I got my eyes on this Canon 300mm f2.8 IS II for while. I tried couple times at local camera, but not long enough to see the REAL performance. I decided to rent it before spending $6700 on it....It looks like I got FREE rental there 

If I can repeat that x20 times :... ... ;D


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

duydaniel said:


> congratz ;D



Thanks duydaniel, 

Totally didn't expect that.


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## surapon (Nov 18, 2013)

Dylan777 said:


> My rental 300mm f2.8 IS II arrived yesterday.
> 
> I went to local high shool this morning to test out the lens - photograph "little soccer league". I took over 500 photos. The coach asked to see the photos and I showed him my pictures. He offered to pay for all 500 photos for $350(about 1hr of fun for me). I took the offer and gave him all JPEGs. I promised to edit some raws and will give him some later.
> 
> ...



Great Job, = YOU ARE THE PRO " , Dear Mr. Dylan777
The Best job in this world = The Thing that we love to do + get Paid too + Smiling face and Proud of our self. 
For me = I will tell my wife = Honey, May I use our money $ 6000 US Dollars Plus , I will use the money that I just get Pay to buy the Big L Lens ??
Surapon


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

surapon said:


> Dylan777 said:
> 
> 
> > My rental 300mm f2.8 IS II arrived yesterday.
> ...



Thanks surapon,
Photography is fun, only when it not the "JOB"

However, I'll take your advice and bring that up to the wife ;D ;D ;D


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## lion rock (Nov 18, 2013)

Dylan777,
Sometimes life IS sweet!
Hope they'll contract you in the future. In the meantime, start looking for other paid events.
You may even go for the 200-400 f/4! 8)
-r


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

lion rock said:


> Dylan777,
> Sometimes life IS sweet!
> Hope they'll contract you in the future. In the meantime, start looking for other paid events.
> You may even go for the 200-400 f/4! 8)
> -r



As I'm packing the lens this morning, return the lens back to rental. I heart said "cancel the Sony A7 + Zeiss 55mm and use that money to Canon 300mm f2.8 IS II"


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## distant.star (Nov 18, 2013)

.
You know how those big Canon lenses are. That happens to me every time I rent one. People just keep throwing money at me!

Seriously, good for you!

One question, do you have the money yet?


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## RGF (Nov 18, 2013)

Best of both worlds - fun and money ;D


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## Quasimodo (Nov 18, 2013)

Dylan777 said:


> My rental 300mm f2.8 IS II arrived yesterday.
> 
> I went to local high shool this morning to test out the lens - photograph "little soccer league". I took over 500 photos. The coach asked to see the photos and I showed him my pictures. He offered to pay for all 500 photos for $350(about 1hr of fun for me). I took the offer and gave him all JPEGs. I promised to edit some raws and will give him some later.
> 
> ...



Congrats  It sure feels good!


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

distant.star said:


> .
> You know how those big Canon lenses are. That happens to me every time I rent one. People just keep throwing money at me!
> 
> Seriously, good for you!
> ...


Yes. ...received cash at the field. He will use my photos to post on his site.


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

RGF said:


> Best of both worlds - fun and money ;D


+1...free rental for me


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

Quasimodo said:


> Dylan777 said:
> 
> 
> > My rental 300mm f2.8 IS II arrived yesterday.
> ...


Thanks


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## mackguyver (Nov 18, 2013)

Congrats, Dylan! That's really great to hear that you scored some cash for your work. It feels so good when you get paid to do something you're happy to do for free. I guess you've justified your 300 f/2.8 IS II purchase to yourself and your wife now! I hope this is just the start for you - I see more games, more teams, team portraits and more in your possible future 8).


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

mackguyver said:


> Congrats, Dylan! That's really great to hear that you scored some cash for your work. It feels so good when you get paid to do something you're happy to do for free. I guess you've justified your 300 f/2.8 IS II purchase to yourself and your wife now! I hope this is just the start for you - I see more games, more teams, team portraits and more in your possible future 8).


Thanks. ..it was completely unexpected. I was just testing the lens. I never thought about getting pay in photography.


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## ablearcher (Nov 18, 2013)

Congrats! This is indeed the best of both worlds! It is also nice to see that people still appreciate quality photography even on a somewhat casual level. Hopefully the team will contact you next time they need the pics, instead of hiring a soccer mom with a Rebel kit.


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## mackguyver (Nov 18, 2013)

Dylan777 said:


> Thanks. ..it was completely unexpected. I was just testing the lens. I never thought about getting pay in photography.


It sneaks up on you - my first sale was some prints for a runway show I brought my crappy P&S to in the early 2000s. My first major commercial job was a business that saw my work and hired me for an entire week to shoot an entire ad campaign for them. They simply called me because my phone number is listed on my website. If you put yourself out there, people will find you. In your case, you could probably parlay this into more shooting for the coach or at the very least, the parents, and then word of mouth will probably get you more work. The only caution I'll give you is not to post hi-res photos unless you have been paid for the photos already, like in this case. Anything big enough for a smart phone will just be downloaded and posted to social media resulting in no sale to you. I learned that the hard way with events...

As for the Pro designation, I'm still working on it -- until I can list it as my job on my 1040, I don't consider myself a Pro. My day job pays way too well for me to quit it and shoot full time. The "gilded cage" as it's called - but I can't complain about my good fortune.

Again, congrats on the work and I hope it's the start of something great for you!


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## mackguyver (Nov 18, 2013)

ablearcher said:


> instead of hiring a soccer mom with a Rebel kit.


ROTFL ;D - so true!


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## Cali_PH (Nov 18, 2013)

Dylan777 said:


> Yes. ...received cash at the field. He will use my photos to post on his site.



Congrats, that's a really cool surprise! But that's a lot of cash for him to be walking around with!


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## Dylan777 (Nov 18, 2013)

Cali_PH said:


> Dylan777 said:
> 
> 
> > Yes. ...received cash at the field. He will use my photos to post on his site.
> ...


None of my business, but he seems to have more than $350 cash on that day.


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## iam2nd (Nov 19, 2013)

Dylan777 said:


> ...The coach asked to see the photos and I showed him my pictures. He offered to pay for all 500 photos for $350(about 1hr of fun for me). I took the offer and gave him all JPEGs...



Man, congratulations! That is... incredible, actually. Almost unheard of in the photography business world to have someone offer to pay that much on the spot for unsolicited pics! So uncommon that my brain is trying to rationalize it: maybe the coach and his kid are in Witness Protection program and bought the pics to keep them off the internet. Of course if he does post them on his site, my theory is blown 

In all seriousness, that's great! No, I'm not jealous. Not at all


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## Click (Nov 19, 2013)

Congrats Dylan!


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## Dylan777 (Nov 19, 2013)

iam2nd said:


> Dylan777 said:
> 
> 
> > ...The coach asked to see the photos and I showed him my pictures. He offered to pay for all 500 photos for $350(about 1hr of fun for me). I took the offer and gave him all JPEGs...
> ...



Whatever the reasons were, I got $350 CASH ;D

My 2cents: he truely will post the photos I gave him on his website. Why? I saw he has little Nikon P&S in his jacket


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## Dylan777 (Nov 19, 2013)

Click said:


> Congrats Dylan!



Thanks Click


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## Grumbaki (Nov 24, 2013)

Haha gratz Dylan! You got paid and that wasn't by seeling out, just by accident, even better!

Got in a situation kinda similar last week. I showed a few of my cityscapes to officials I was accompanying in Chongqing for meetings about urbanization. I now have a proposal for exhibition.


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## Dylan777 (Nov 24, 2013)

Grumbaki said:


> Haha gratz Dylan! You got paid and that wasn't by seeling out, just by accident, even better!
> 
> Got in a situation kinda similar last week. I showed a few of my cityscapes to officials I was accompanying in Chongqing for meetings about urbanization. I now have a proposal for exhibition.


Even better ;D


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## Rienzphotoz (Nov 26, 2013)

Dylan777 said:


> My rental 300mm f2.8 IS II arrived yesterday.
> 
> I went to local high shool this morning to test out the lens - photograph "little soccer league". I took over 500 photos. The coach asked to see the photos and I showed him my pictures. He offered to pay for all 500 photos for $350(about 1hr of fun for me). I took the offer and gave him all JPEGs. I promised to edit some raws and will give him some later.
> 
> ...


COOL! ... Congratulations!
About thrice a year, I get offers from a local independent cultural center, to photograph their events for $410 for the full evening (about 5+ hours), but I always politely refuse it for 2 reasons:
1. My employment contract does not permit me (I suppose I could still do it on the sly but that would be a big risk if the company found out and I'd lose a well paid job that allows me the luxury of buying camera gear
2. Whole evening of photographing a very boring event plus editing thereafter and working during my time off (for $410) just puts me off ... but if the offer was more maybe I'd do it ;D


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