Greetings,
Today I announced to my office that I am no longer going to be their office manager, no longer going to be making coffees and buying toilet paper… but rather after two months, I am going to be chasing my dream and going to be joining a very exciting company to become a full-time photographer.
Background STory
I have been photographing (sort of professionally) for my company for 4+ years, and it came to the point that I had really no time to do an office management job anymore. I did the editorial support tasks, providing imagery needed for the articles. With the social media manager, we created content for Instagram. I shot events, I shot interiors, and I shot beauty routines.
As a part of my employment, the company offered once per year to provide training of any kind that would be beneficial for one’s development and I decided to do a workshop with Zach Arias called One Light Portraits. It was a part of GPP Photo Week 2016, and just before this workshop, I got to learn that I won a trip to go to Iceland.
The next thing happens, I finish the workshop and am walking away from the venue, and somebody is running after me and shouting my name in the street. I am quite confused at this point, and as I look around, I see that it is the director of GPP, who is running after me. I stop, turn around, and ask him, ok I know who you are, but how do you know who I am? He says, that he saw my photos from the workshop and was wondering if I am looking for a job as a studio photographer. Me? Am I looking? No, but I can definitely think about it. He says, come talk to me in my office.
Then I go to Iceland and tell this story to people who were there with me, doubting if I am good enough to be a full-time photographer, and they tell me, hey, you won a trip to Iceland for your photography, what other proof you want?
Aftermath
My office pals were very cute and sent me lots of heartwarming messages – some more genuine, some a bit less, but nevertheless I was very excited. Two months couldn’t go quick enough for me to finally be able to dive into the world of studio photography. The salary was decent, and working arrangements were pretty good, but little did I know that one thing that I lived and breathed by at that time – traveling – would become a problem, because not every boss is very travel friendly.
3 Reasons You would want to work for somebody as a Studio Photographer.
- You can learn a lot without having to spend a ton of money on equipment (provided the studio is equipped).
- You will get a salary at the end of the month even if you didn’t have a ton of clients to shoot.
- You will meet clients that you otherwise won’t get by yourself because of the studio credentials.
3 Reasons You WoulDn’T Want To Work for Somebody As A Studio Photographer
- Even if your client is a psycho and you can’t realize this client’s vision, you still have to do it – you have no freedom to say no to projects or clients.
- You don’t have the freedom to travel or take a break, when there is work, you have to do it – regardless of holidays or arrangements.
- The studio will always make more money than you.
Conclusion
I believe everything happens for a reason. I really wanted to be a full-time photographer, but I would never have the courage to do it myself, and working for a Studio for two years until I got fired for wanting to go on holidays was a great thing for me at that time. I have met great people and visited amazing places as a part of this employment. I learned how to shape the light, what each modifier does, and how to deal with reflections and shadows, as well as how to deal with clients of different craziness levels.
Should you quit your corporate job and become a professional photographer? I don’t know really, it’s a job with heavy investments and not such great returns. It is tiring and physical, and it is hard to get your name out there if you haven’t previously worked in the industry. But it is rewarding and after all, no matter what happens, you will hopefully be left with amazing pictures and happy clients.
Honestly, there are days when I wish I kept it as a hobby to do on the weekends, but there are days I am proud of who I am and what I do.
Dare to try, I wish you all the success!
Anna
Playing with the Light 