Go for it!

I'm very fortunate to have a career that I love. I don't dread going to work at 3 am when I have an assignment to shoot and I don't count the days of the week looking for the weekend.

There was a time in my life, like most everyone, when your uncertain as to what career you'll pursue or what you'll do for a living.

Will that choice of career be the right one for me or not? We all know someone, maybe even yourself who has studied and graduated with degrees that are not being used in their current careers. Sound familiar?

I've been thinking about this a lot recently. I have a lot of opportunities to speak with young people about making career choices and I enjoy doing so. I enjoy sharing my experiences and the choices that I've made in my life and career. One group of people I enjoy speaking with are high school and college students. I remember what a confusing period of time it was for me.

This is a very competitive world with vast opportunities everyone. I know that I would rather be doing something I love as a career than dreading going to a in some office cubicle M-F, that's just not for me. I want young people to know that they can follow their dreams and be happy doing what they love, whatever that is. Being a pro ball player, sale associate, doctor and heck, even a photographer. The important thing here is that you pursue something that you are passionate about. Life is to short not to do what you love.

This coming week I will have an opportunity to speak to 3 groups of high school students studying photography. I met with their teacher several weeks ago, I was very impressed with their program. The students are developing their own film and printing in a professionally equipped darkrooms.

I contacted the school in regards to speaking with their students. I know, that if I had met someone like myself when I was their age, I may have found myself sooner than I did. It wasn't until I was 27 years old that I discovered what it was that I had been looking for. The short story about my start is HERE.

When I was in high school in the early 70's, the only people coming to career days where the armed forces. If only I had met a working professional photographer back than and learned that you really could make a "good" living shooting pictures...who knows where I'd be today. Life works out in funny ways. I don't mean to ramble on, but it is my hope that I will make a connection with some young individual that is looking for some direction in their live and may began considering a career in photography.

I remember clearly the time when I "KNEW" what I wanted to be when I grew up. A tremendous weight was lifted off of me, and I had direction for the first time in my life. It's not easy growing up, as I stated earlier, the world is very competitive but there are so many opportunities available to all of us.

If your a young individual seeking a career in photography I'm excited for you! There are so many areas of specialties in the field of photography to consider, wedding photography, portraits, editorial, advertising and corporate. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know where my interest are. You can see my work HERE.

I chose corporate location work for the following reasons. I love to travel, I love the challenge of often creating something out of nothing, I love to learn new things and I love the "creative freedom" that corporate work allows me. The majority of my work is self directed, meaning that I rarely travel with an art director or other creative representative. My clients hire me because I am very pro-active when it comes to taking photos. I don't wait for things to happen, I make them happen, I'm hired to create images. I'm given some general direction for the photography that the client or design firm is looking for and I am expected to deliver. Quite honestly, I consider myself an art director with a camera.

Another reason why I like corporate work is that there seems to be more stability. Companies will always need their assets and personnel photographed. I believe this is particularly true when it comes to corporate annual report work.

I know you've seen those posters before, "If you dream it, you can become it" or something like that. Just do what you love and the money will come.... You'll be a happier person for pursuing your dreams. Just do it!