The Incredible Journey From 9 To 5 To Astrophotographer

Taking the leap into photography as a career can be a terrifying prospect, but on the other hand, some of us are simply not happy stuck in the tedium and repetition of a more traditional 9 to 5. This inspiring video essay discusses one man's journey from a 9-to-5 job in IT to professional astrophotography. 

Coming to you from Peter Zelinka, this excellent video essay features him discussing his journey from a traditional 9-to-5 job in IT to becoming a professional astrophotographer. It is tough to make it as a professional photographer, and astro work is all the more difficult. One thing that is really clear is Zelinka's passion and commitment. In the beginning, he was living out of his car, but it is obvious that he could not imagine himself doing anything else. That is something important to consider. A lot of the advice I got when I went into music was basically: don't, unless you literally can't imagine yourself doing anything else. You are trading a lot of security for the personal freedom that comes with choosing your own path, and that can end up sucking the enjoyment out of it a lot of the time. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Zelinka. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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2 Comments

Great video and great work. Im in a similiar spot, I´ve quit beeing an architect. I think the most important message is, that it takes time (10 years in my case, and still not where I want to be) and its not easy but woth it. Find what you are good at and do it. Sounds cheese but thats how it works.

This was such a moving piece. There's a part of me (I'd dare say, a part of all of us) that would love to set out on a journey like this. But, for me, the aloneness would be difficult no matter how much of an introvert I think I am. But, those vistas on an every day basis might make tolerable.