How to Become a Professional Photographer

I would suggest doing cheaper sittings for friends and family so you have something to show clients. Craigslist is good but you need a portfolio 1st. If you are on Facebook start a facebook page where you can post some of your pictures. Its a good way to get your stuff out there and show people what you are capable of. Photo software Adobe photoshop has great stuff, as for cameras you cant go wrong with a nice Canon or Nikon. I have a Canon 30D which a lot of my pro friends use (which was why I bought). Good luck!

I would start by taking pictures of your family and friends and start your portfolio that way. You can ask your aquaintances and friends of friends to help out to. To charge $100 from a non-professional is a lot since they are also doing you a favor. A professional charged me $75 for a sitting fee and he gave me all of the pictures on a disk. Another one charged $175 plus I had to pay for the digital pics, but they were worth every penny.Also, you could ask to mentor a professional photographer in your area and help them out for free if they give you lessons. It isn't tacky at all to post on craigslist but if you do not have a good website then most people are not going to trust you to take pictures of their family. Get business cards too with your website URL and pass those around, too. A good and professional website goes a long way. I have hired photographers for three years now and if they don't have a good website then I don't even consider them. Also put together a contract that works for both parties. Come up with a price list etc.

Try your local community college for classes. To be honest, i'd be nervous to answer a craigslist ad all by itself. You might want to build a website to represent yourself and your work and put a link to that on Craigslist. Also, some friends of mine who are interested in photography as a hobby have had work land in their lap because of their blogs or Flikr photo streams. Good Luck!

My neighbor contacted a photographer in the next city and promised not to compete with him. She was his intern for 6 months free and he taught her everything(she helped set up lights and such a couple of times per month).
She makes money off a huge extended family and her church. It was the best investment she ever made.
I know a lady who quit a portrait studio and advertised on the internet.
She had some unusual requests that she did not do, but also did some great family shots. She never has had the success of the first lady because she doesn't have a professional demeanor, equipment, or reputation. If you are not creeped out, some women do the lingerie shots as gifts. Also, several studios pair up with beauticians who do hair and makeup for glamour shots.