Make great photos, always charge people for shoots and shyt even if it's like $20 if you dont think you are ready, raise your prices as you get better and clients start to build up. Know your equipment inside and out, get back gear. Really you have to hustle, because now a days everybody knows somebody with a camera who will most likely shoot them for free. I'm just starting out too, I recently made a website, and I stumbled upon a freelance journalist job. It doesn't pay much but it keeps money in my pocket while I build up my clients.
honestly for a career, idk, you can survive, but when you start having kids and stuff idk if the income is enough after you factor in all of the cost involved in getting, maintaining and upgrading gear and also insurance for the gear. Also, when things slow down you're going to need to have some money saved up, I charged $175 for an hour shoot a couple weeks ago, and that would be great if I had clients lined up back to back, plus you're going to have to pay taxes on that. Also, by DSLRs being cheaper than before, everybody think they are a photographer, and those people are killing the market when they shoot for free or really cheap, most people think you just take a pic and then bam, but they don't factor in the time it takes to develop the pics. Good luck on your quest, but I'm just using this to get a lil paper while I finish school. I don't think its enough money to base a career on unless you get into weddings and get really good and then you can charge $5-10k for a wedding.
