It takes years of struggle and experience to learn some lessons as a professional photographer. Knowing them upfront can make the difference between frustration and progress.
Coming to you from Scott Choucino with Tin House Studio, this insightful video outlines practical insights Choucino gathered over his 15-year career. Right from the start, he gets candid about a challenge familiar to many photographers: your family and friends likely won't grasp your career choice. Choucino emphasizes the importance of finding peers who share your vision because their support can keep you motivated during tough early years when financial stability is rare. He underscores adopting a positive attitude toward networking events, cautioning that a dismissive mindset can sabotage opportunities even before they begin. Moreover, Choucino debunks the idea that new gear "pays for itself," recommending a profit-first approach to your business finances.
He also points out a critical factor behind lasting success: consistency and perseverance. Choucino shares his personal journey with YouTube, noting most quit within three to four years due to impatience or discouragement. He stresses the value of committing to a longer-term plan, reflecting that it was after five years of sustained effort that he saw tangible success. He advises limiting your daily goals to three essential tasks, ensuring steady, manageable progress rather than burnout. Additionally, he argues that treating your photography like a regular job—with structured working hours and clear boundaries—sets a firm foundation for sustained productivity and professional discipline.
Choucino extends his practical advice by encouraging regular failure as a sign of growth. He asserts you're not pushing yourself if you're not experiencing setbacks occasionally. In the video, he candidly discusses recent projects that ended poorly, reinforcing the idea that risk and innovation are intertwined. Another important takeaway is handling negativity: Choucino recommends completely ignoring detractors, emphasizing that criticism often comes from those who haven't achieved as much. It's a blunt yet freeing perspective that can help maintain your confidence and mental health. He also suggests strategically managing your exposure to peers' successes online, especially during challenging periods, to maintain your emotional balance.
Expanding further, Choucino strongly recommends maintaining regular personal projects to avoid becoming creatively stale. Personal work, he argues, not only rejuvenates your portfolio but keeps your artistic passion alive, ensuring you're continually marketable. Moreover, he underscores the importance of honest self-assessment. Instead of attributing lost opportunities to bad luck or external factors, acknowledging when someone else is simply better can drive genuine improvement. Lastly, he addresses the issue of plagiarism or imitation, advising photographers to view it as a compliment, evidence of their skill and influence in the field. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Choucino.
