Photography jobs are just very hard to get as they have always been. Nothing new there. Competition is gruesome but selling your photos as stock is an idea to consider. What that means is stock photo companies show your images on the net for rental. People who need your image will buy the right to use it in anyway they see fit. Check out the internet for stock photo houses. Photos.com is an example of a popular company to visit.
Stock houses are theme based and will specialize in people or animals for instance. They will have their own specialty of what they are looking for in an image. Check around for the house that specializes your kind of photo images.
All photographers are not an Ansel Adams especially not a beginner. Equipment can make a big difference. Get good equipment! That is, do not break the bank but get the best that you can afford. I don’t guess I have to tell you that film is dead so go strictly digital. Nikon, Olympus and Canon offer some very good and very expensive camera bodies and lenses. If you are willing learn what you are doing it can be worth it.
A gadget that is super useful is a light meter. I would not buy one right away but wait for you become more capable. Even though ALL cameras have a light meter provided in them it is strongly suggested that you do not depend too heavily on it. They operate from the vantage point of the camera. They measure only the light that is falling on your subject. Learning about lighting essential is to a photographer.
Look around at your favorite haunts for good on location photos. Make sure the location is easy to get to. What could be a worse than a photo job to go very badly when your bride to be has to march through a ravine to have her portrait taken. Your first commission could easily go awry.
Take lessons from someone who knows. Ask for photography tips. You don’t necessarily have to go to the community college and take a group class but be willing to learn anywhere you go. Take lots of photos all the time and continue to look at them critically.
A stock house will usually ask for your copyright meaning that you are paid once for multiple uses of your image. You don’t make money like that but you will like what you are doing and that counts for a lot.
The most important thing is to take pictures. Take your camera equipment everywhere you go. Don’t ever miss a chance to shoot since you need all the experience you can get. Get up for the sunrise or stay late for sunset. Light is a huge component of a photographer’s craft. Learn how to work with it. Good luck and happy shooting.