Believe it or not, I have been a freelance photographer for six years. Looking back on it, I have been struggling to make it, truly learning the meaning of the term starving artist. I wish I would have received this bit of advice so many years ago.
In photography, I have this saying: “if it pays, it stays.” What I mean by that is I will grab any paying jobs to keep my dream alive. Those jobs could be real estate, insurance claims, race photography, or any mindless, non-creative paying gig. Much of the time, they are mindless opportunities for which my passion is not aroused.
It’s great in the short-term, because who doesn’t love paying bills? It does lead to a lot of distraction from what one is passionate about. Eventually, it leads to this never-ending loop of passionless photo jobs one dreads to do.
This is what happened to We Eat Together. He bopped around a variety of photography categories but never really found a foothold. Until one day, he discovered passions outside of photography. In turn, he used his camera as a tool to express his passions. By doing so, he got away from the passionless gig loop and gained traction in his photography career.
Photography is a daunting career choice because everyone has become one with their phone. The way to break through the noise is to combine passion, creativity, and focus. Perhaps you could save yourself a decade and the feelings of failure by becoming one of the best photographers in your passionate niche.
