Making Money With Your Camera

A low-budget guide to turning amateur photography into a money-making venture, this two-tape set features host Richard Riesenberg, a professional photographer for nearly 40 years, pointing out the opportunities in photographing weddings, dinners, families, conventions, glamour subjects, real estate, aerial subjects, sports leagues, and more. On the plus side, the program will provide viewers with a wealth of new directions to pursue in trying to make their hobby profitable--and for many of the services suggested, Riesenberg offers price ranges, giving the photographer a good idea of potential earnings and some ballpark figures to use when pricing services. On the minus side, there is a full-blown commercial for an upcoming wedding photography video (conveniently placed in the segment on weddings), a fair amount of repetition, and a tendency to mix personal exhortation ("don't be greedy") with professional advice. The set comes with a free video, Tips, Tricks & Techniques of Photography, which includes some good tips, but is mostly filled with basic stuff that anyone who is serious about photography would already know (i.e. "keep your lenses clean," and "use a tripod"). Still, the idea-generating aspects of Making Money With Your Camera can't be overlooked. An optional purchase for larger collections. (R. Pitman)