Whenever I get down on myself about my life it can be hard to want to stay with photography.
It’s an extremely difficult field to make a living in and with such easy access to cameras everywhere day rates are plummeting.
The supply far outweighs the demand.
How a working photographer gets around to making money is a conversation for another day.
My point today is to talk about what to do when facing difficult times in your career.
No matter what we do we all have struggles that can make us feel hopeless but if you truly love what you do or if you receive a fat check every week that can make all the difference.
When I go out and shoot all my problems seem to dissolve, especially when I am trying to photograph ideas I have drawn out in my notepad.
This simple action fills me with hope and makes me excited to one day make a better living with photography.
So why stress now?
Shit gets hard, yeah but you have to keep your head down and keep doing your best.
But what if doing your best isn’t enough?
Your best might not be enough unless you have a specific goal in mind.
This is something I’ve only just realized about my photography.
I’ve always just wanted to make great photos and to make a living off of it.
I don’t think that’s a specific enough question to ask of the universe.
Looking back on my life everything I ever truly wanted I have received, whether it was my dream girl, a job, a car, a trophy etc. I got it but I always saw it first.
If I didn’t get it I really didn’t want it bad enough and most times I couldn’t envision it.
At the point of my career I am at now I know I need to narrow my focus and to ask to be the best photographer in a specific genre.
Whether it’s to be the best documentary photographer, celebrity portrait photographer, or product photographer.
What do you really want?
I find that the more specific I am the more likely I am to get there.
It’s like driving west or driving versus driving to Santa Monica, California, you’ll get to where you want to be a lot faster if you have an exact location.
Ask for what you really want.
All the best,
Atticus
