Year one...

Wedding highlights, originally uploaded by ted.sali.

My first season as a professional is drawing to a close, and it's been a very good learning experience.
My work has developed a great deal, and the learning curve continues it steep grade, but not as steep as it has been.
If I have any pointers for people out there who are thinking of getting into this professionally they are:

Practice, and vary what you shoot. Taking the same kind of shots all the time hones your skills to a fine edge on that particular style, but practice other things on the side. A specialty is good to have, but you need a range to be competitive, and the broader the range the better.

Work with someone else - get on with a seasoned professional and learn from them. They've seen and done a ton of things, and they know tricks to make your life easier.

Don't get hung up on the quality of your gear - fancy expensive stuff does not equal creativity, but soaking too much money into hardware before you can be profitable is a quick road to a failed business.

Set reasonable prices that are profitable for you and fit into the budget of your clients - if you do this, both parties benefit and come out ahead in the long run.

Keep it fun - when it stops being fun and starts being work that you don't want to do, it'll show in your work. The best photographers I've had the pleasure of meeting all enjoy it, even after years of doing it.

That's about it for me for now, I have a few more projects to wrap up in the next few weeks, and then I can turn my sights on next year, which is already starting to shape up to be another productive and fun season.