Recently, I was interviewed by a local high school student as a part of research she was doing about careers. Here is a re-cap of our conversation:
What made you interested in becoming a photographer? GROWING UP MY MOM WAS ALWAYS TAKING PHOTOS. SHE GAVE ME MY FIRST CAMERA WHEN I WAS PROBABLY 5 OR SO AND ALWAYS SUPPLIED ME WITH FILM. SO I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TAKING PICTURES. THEN MY BROTHER GAVE ME HIS CANON AE-1 (A MANUAL CAMERA) WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL SO I GOT TO PLAY WITH THAT. I TOOK A PHOTOGRAPHY/DARKROOM CLASS IN HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL AND STARTED WORKING GIGS WITH SOME LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS. ONCE IN COLLEGE I TOOK MORE PHOTOGRAPHY AND GRAPHIC DESIGN CLASSES AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ASKED ME TO PHOTOGRAPH THEIR WEDDINGS OR SENIOR PICS SO I JUST KEPT TAKING PHOTOS :)
What college did you attend, and for how long? Major? I ATTENDED MSUM MY FRESHMAN YEAR AND THEN WENT TO BIBLE COLLEGE FOR TWO YEARS WHERE I STUDIED HEALTH AND NUTRITION BUT HAD LOTS OF PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES (WEDDINGS AND SENIORS). THEN I CAME BACK TO MSUM FOR 3 YEARS AND DECLARED A GRAPHIC DESIGN MAJOR WITH A STUDIO EMPHASIS IN PHOTOGRAPHY. MY LAST YEAR I SWITCHED TO ART EDUCATION AND GRADUATED WITH A DOUBLE EMPHASES IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND GRAPHIC DESIGN.
What does your daily schedule as a photographer look like? EVERY DAY IS SO DIFFERENT! I GENERALLY TRY TO STICK TO A ROUTINE, BUT FIND IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE SINCE I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL AREAS OF THE BUSINESS. IN A GIVEN WEEK, MY TASKS INCLUDE BOOKKEEPING, ANSWERING AND RETURNING CALLS AND EMAILS, BLOGGING, PHOTOGRAPHING, EDITING, DESIGNING, CREATING SLIDESHOWS, FILLING ORDERS, PACKAGING ORDERS, DELIVERING ORDERS, BACKING UP WORK, MARKETING, NETWORKING WITH OTHER VENDORS, AND MEETING WITH POTENTIAL CLIENTS.
Is being a photographer time-consuming? EXTREMELY! STATISTICS SHOW THAT 95% OF PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESSES FAIL. I BELIEVE THAT IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE MANY TASKS TO JUGGLE IN A PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS AND 80% OF BEING A SUCCESSFUL PHOTOGRAPHER IS DUE TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PERSON. YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO FIND YOUR CLIENTS, HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIP AND LOYALTY WITH THEM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHERE EVERY PENNY YOU MAKE IS SPENT AND HOW EACH CENT IS EARNED. AND ALL OF THIS TAKES TIME! MOST PHOTOGRAPHERS MAKE LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE, AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ACCOUNTING FOR ALL THE TIME THEY INVEST IN THEIR BUSINESS AND CONSIDERING THAT WHEN THEY PRICE THEIR WORK. TAKING PHOTOS IS EASY AND DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF TIME, BUT THE HOUR IT TAKES TO PREP YOUR GEAR BEFORE A SHOOT AND SET UP, THE HOUR OF TRANSIT, THE 3 HOURS YOU SPENT ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR CLIENT BEFORE AND AFTER THE SESSION, THE TWO HOURS OF EDITING, THE 30 MINUTES OF BLOGGING, THE HOUR OF TOUCHING UP THE IMAGES AND FILLING ORDERS AND FINALLY THE HOUR IT TAKES TO PACKAGE AND SHIP OR DELIVER THE PRODUCT ADDS UP QUICKLY AND FILLS YOUR DAY FAST. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, ONE JOB HAS TAKEN 10 HOURS OF YOUR TIME AND IF YOU ARE CHARGING $100 FOR A SESSION, YOU MADE LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE BECAUSE 35% OF THAT $100 GOES TO UNCLE SAM FOR TAXES, AND HALF OF WHAT'S LEFT COVERS YOUR GENERAL EXPENSES OF RUNNING A BUSINESS. SO THE SHORT OF IT IS THIS: YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS TO MAKE THE INVESTMENT OF YOUR TIME WORTH IT!
Would you have rather chosen a different route looking back?
SOME DAYS, YES, BUT MOST DAYS NO. THE THING ABOUT RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER IS THAT YOU ARE CONSTANTLY LEARNING AND ADAPTING. TECHNOLOGY CHANGES, YOUR FAMILY SITUATION CHANGES, THE ECONOMY CHANGES, TRENDS CHANGE, SO YOU HAVE TO CHANGE TOO. IT'S NOT LIKE WORKING AT STARBUCKS WHERE A VANILLA LATTE IS ALWAYS A VANILLA LATTE, ALWAYS MADE THE SAME WAY. EVERYTHING I DO AS A PHOTOGRAPHER IS CUSTOM MADE, CUSTOM DESIGNED, EVERY SHOOT IS DIFFERENT. THIS MAKES MY JOB A LOT OF FUN, BUT IT ALSO MAKES IT CHALLENGING. SO THERE ARE DEFINITELY DAYS I WISH I WAS A BARISTA AT STARBUCKS, BUT MOST DAYS I ENJOY THE CHALLENGE OF BEING INNOVATIVE AND CHANGING WITH THE TIMES.
What are the ups of being a photographer?
THE MOST REWARDING THING IS THE RELATIONSHIPS I GET TO BUILD AND THE EXPERIENCES I GET TO WITNESS AND DOCUMENT. MY JOB IS SO IMPORTANT! AND I AM REMINDED OF THAT WHEN I HEAR OF A FAMILY MEMBER THAT PASSED AWAY THAT I PHOTOGRAPHED, OR SEE A CHILD OR YOUNG ADULT YEARS LATER AND AM AWED AT HOW THEY HAVE GROWN AND CHANGED. THE MOMENT YOU CAPTURE AN IMAGE IT IS VALUABLE, BUT TWENTY YEARS LATER WHEN A COUPLE IS SITTING WITH THEIR CHILD SHOWING THEM THEIR WEDDING IMAGES, OR TWENTY YEARS LATER WHEN THAT NEWBORN IS NOW AN ADULT--THAT'S WHEN YOUR WORK BECOMES PRICELESS. I AM HONORED TO DOCUMENT INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR LIVES.
Downs?
IT'S A CONSTANT CHALLENGE, ALWAYS A JUGGLING ACT. THE HARDEST PART FOR ME IS TO NOT LET IT CONSUME ME. (AT TIMES I THINK MY HUSBAND HAS FELT LIKE MY COMPUTER WAS A CLOSER COMPANION THAN HIM.) IT IS WAY TOO EASY TO FORFEIT YOUR OWN LIFE AND FAMILY TIME, IRONICALLY TO CAPTURE THE LIVES OF OTHERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Personally, what is your favorite part? I LOVE THE CREATIVITY, DESIGN, AND AESTHETICS THAT GO INTO A SHOOT. AND EVEN MORE I LOVE EXPERIENCING THAT WITH OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS WHETHER SHOOTING A JOB TOGETHER, TEACHING PHOTOGRAPHY, OR ATTENDING A WORKSHOP WITH OTHER ARTISTS.
