Why I Want to Be A Professional Photographer (and why it's crazy)

I have not yet had a reason to question why I wanted to be a photographer, until today after an unrelated discussion with my father. If you had a conversation with me, I would be able to answer that question before it could even be asked. I'm creative. I'm intelligent. You would get that from me. In a heart beat. But the real question I have for myself is, Why on earth would I want to become a professional photographer?! Really. Why would I do that to myself? The answer surprised me as much as the question itself. I actually enjoy the challenge of running a photography business. Of course, I love everything about photography, but that isn't the main reason why I want to be a professional.


When you're running your own business, you've got to be several people all at once. And you most certainly have to have discipline. As a free-lance photographer, I am my own manager, book-keeper, research team, marketing director, ad designer, website administrator, blog publisher, and networking agent. At the same time, my work has to stand out from my competition, which consists of the already-established pro's out there, and the "free" photographers, which seems to be anyone with a camera.

Some people will hear that you're a photographer and assume it's all rockstars and lollipops, but there is a lot more to it than that. A lot more. Photography may seem like a dream job, and for me it is, but there is a lot of effort and care put into running a gig like this. Including occasional self-doubt.

In all reality, the smallest part of my job is considered the fun stuff. Having professional gear to work with, for one, and knowing how to operate the equipment with my eyes closed, above all, is fun. Attending workshops, experimenting, reading countless books, practicing. All that is fun. Traveling is fun but comes with wheels and an engine, at minimum. Shooting is by far the most exciting part. Meeting interesting people, coming up with new and impressive ideas, capturing the images at new and appealing angles, playing with lights and shadows, being one with your subject. It's all very exciting, and yes, it is fun, but it comes in small doses. When the shoot is over, the job keeps on going. I upload, cull, and begin editing the images, one by one. Processing and doing full retouches on a single image can eat up a lot of time. It can be tedious, but extremely rewarding once the work is completed. Personally, I get a rush sending the final images off to the printers. There is nothing like a professional print compared to seeing it on a computer screen. It honestly is near-magical. That magic is exactly why people hold photo-albums so close to their hearts when they bring it out to show their friends and family.

Another part of my job is to design cards, albums, and collages. Most of the time, the client wants to be involved and so they should be! I want them involved as much as they want to be. The job is not completed until my client is happy. They hired me for a reason, so my job is to leave them more than satisfied. I want them to be proud of their images. I want my clients to tell their family and friends about their experience with me, but more than that I want my clients to show their friends and family their experience.

The least fun part? Taxes. Ha ha! Any job can sound like a cool job, but it's still a job.

We all live in 3-D. Desire, Decision, and Dedication. Make the most of your life, find a way to do what you love, and no matter what, don't give up. It's going to be tough, it's going to be a whirlwind, it will be slow, there's room for highs and lows, good and bad. It's necessary. That's life. Enjoy it. Make Memories. Make History. Make pictures? Don't mind if I do!