How crazy are these peoples earning figures?

Damokc

Are these people crazy with they're earning figures or what? and does this course look any good?

http://www.icieducation.ie/photography-course/index.htm

Scamp-

A common belief is that photographers need to shoot absolutely stunning, artistic, prize-winning photographs to make good money. This is not true. Your photographs must be very good, but they don't need to be absolutely perfect. And it's not hard, backbreaking work either.

That's an odd website.

Smells slightly dodgy.

sunny2004

Its an irish site ? its real american in its design and directed at a market where every stay at home mum and dad with a camera are picking them up and trying weddings..

Zillah

Looks and reads dodgy as hell. They claim to be accredited by the IAPCC, but I can't find anything about them other than their own site. Whois lookup shows Australian registration, site is hosted in Canada, as is the icieducation one. Most bizarrely, instead of listing a name for the IAPCC registrant, it just says "The Secretary", which is dodgy as hell. WOT has no entry for either site, which means they're fairly obscure. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if all of this was one guy in a basement with a computer and a stack of print outs.

If nothing else, they make it clear that the course operates by sending you learning materials, so it's basically just a subscription service.

EDIT: Yeah it's a total sham. I did a tinyeye search for the photograph they used for the so-called "President", only other source is a stock image called "free-atorney.jpg". Total fake.

EDIT 2: I'm officially a sleuth. Check out this blatantly suspicious Australian site: http://businessstore.com.au/photo.htm
Recognise any of the photos?
More: http://www.provencesales.co.uk/news.html
Tinyeye is amazing.

So basically every image on that site is stock photography.

They claim to be accredited by these guys (who themselves appear trustworthy) but don't show up on the list. How strange.

PCPhoto

company seems to invest in advertising - the site is advertised on various night course sites.

I can't say whether or not the course will be any good - but from the overview, they seem to be offering more or less the same as you can find online for free and as Zillah pointed out - they use "stock" images on their site.

as regards the earnings - some photographers can earn the figures quoted - but the figures quoted probably don't mention how much those photographers have to spend in advertising and self-promotion (both in time and money).

OP - the best suggestion would be to join your local camera club instead of doing an online course.... as you get to meet like-minded people whom you can learn from instead of getting praise from someone who you are paying money to.

(I know this comment will probably haunt me*) .... but ..... the vast majority of online photography courses are just rubbish - there might be some good ones but I don't know them.

* = I'm currently in the process of writing an photography course aimed at starters in photojournalism in Ireland - its a specific area which I have experience and believe I can teach people how to start a career in photojournalism in Ireland... unwritten rules, techniques used to "get the picture" , how to get work from the papers, PR companies, magazines and other businesses.

PopeBuckfastXVI

I dunno, I trust the testimony of Young woman with brown hair, posing in studio, portrait, close-up

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/200309594-001

tricky D

All the testimonial people photos that I've checked are Getty Images.

Course list page show nothing in Firefox, it's that badly put together.

What a complete fraud.



$25 on some Lynda.com courses would be much better spent anyway.

Zillah

The IAPCC seal

...is freakishly similar to the luxury home marketing seal:


Shenanigans!

Damokc

When do you think your course will be up and running PCPhoto?

mrboswell

Quote from the site:

"Good photographers can “pick and choose” their jobs. They might refuse a 1-day, €2,000 wedding assignment. They'll just say, “Sorry, but I don't do weddings”. Imagine that? When was the last time you refused a 1-day, €2,000 job? Imagine being in a position like that?"

Wedding done properly is a 1-day job me arse!!

Hugh_C

Damokc wrote: »

Are these people crazy with they're earning figures or what?

I don;t know about anyone else on here but I earn 2 grand a day, six days a week I'm rich, me.

Thecageyone

Never mind anything else, the photos they are using are rubbish! That woul turn me off before anything else blatantly obvious.

Buceph

Thecageyone wrote: »

Never mind anything else, the photos they are using are rubbish! That woul turn me off before anything else blatantly obvious.

I thought the exact same thing.

If you're going to sell yourself as doing something, at least appear to be capable of the subject.

smelltheglove

PCPhoto wrote: »

* = I'm currently in the process of writing an photography course aimed at starters in photojournalism in Ireland - its a specific area which I have experience and believe I can teach people how to start a career in photojournalism in Ireland... unwritten rules, techniques used to "get the picture" , how to get work from the papers, PR companies, magazines and other businesses.

Will look forward to hearing about that, fair play you should definitely do it considering your experience. Boardsie discounts necessary though

Gotta love this bit

2. A Photography Business Has Low Start-up Costs
All you need to start is a basic camera with manual controls (film or digital) that you probably already own, could easily buy (new or second hand), or could borrow or hire. You also need a phone and some basic office stationery. You don't need your own studio or darkroom. Studios and darkrooms are available for hire, if or when you need them, and you can bill the hire costs straight back to your client.

Low start up my ass:rolleyes:

CabanSail

smelltheglove wrote: »

Low start up my ass

Is that Low start, up my ass or Low start up, my ass? :eek::eek:

PCPhoto

Damokc wrote: »

When do you think your course will be up and running PCPhoto?

at the moment I'd say 2012.... but could be delayed ...or could be earlier - either way its a good few months off.