answer:I have 2 friends who are working successfully as photographers. One is a high fashion photographer, and the other is an art photographer. The former lives in a large city and knows everybody who knows everybody. He advertises extensively by word of mouth. The latter took years of slaving away to finally be discovered for his talented eye and now displays in galleries in several large cities in the US including San Francisco and New York City. Both of them have a way of seeing past the immediate everyday image. They see what’s below the surface. In the case of the high fashion photographer, he sees the inner beauty of models of all types and has a way of speaking to them that brings out the emotions they need to display for the client. The artistic photographer sees details I would often only notice after seeing his work. As to how one becomes a successful working photographer, I believe talent is important and so is luck. Knowing the right people doesn’t hurt. I am no expert in the field, but I imagine a certain level of education might be of assistance, too. I hope other people will come along and add more. I know my answer is missing a lot of important points.