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Photography as a Career
Photography as a career is a highly volatile and risky undertaking, although it could be lucrative. It is also very difficult to say for how long or how often one can make money. It is not different from any other business because any business undertaking deals with some kind of uncertainty. What is good about photography is it is possible to start it as a sideline and see if it works at an individual level. Since the entry barrier is low, where all it takes is one good camera and a few lenses, there are many people trying it as a career, while at the same time the number of people abandoning it is also high because it lacks the security such as retirement regular jobs are offering.
Nonetheless, if one decides to try it, as long as the expertise is there, it could make a big difference because it will make marketing oneself and the business easy simply because most of the time it is the portfolio that would attract business. It could also take a while to get established. Due to the uncertainty that surrounds it making future plans will not be easy compared to a regular job where it is possible to know what kind of paycheck to expect. In fact, that is true for any business, where the possibility of not being successful is there, although there are certain businesses where knowing what kind of success rate is attainable, by looking at how similar businesses are doing.
Many individuals look at the security a particular job offers, to make it their first choice. It is only when a given job has some security individuals can start making plans they can fulfill because they know exactly what kind of money they are making with a full-time employment, with a given employer. It is because of that kind of stability why people choose to go to work 5 to 6 days a week putting at least 8 hours a day on the job. Sometimes, even such jobs might not be secured since there are layoffs because of downsizing and the like. Whether people enjoy what they are doing or not is a moot question to ask because there are those who like their jobs, while there are others who are doing what they are doing simply because it is a source of steady income, while some careers might not be enjoyable but could be rewarding in the long run.
In spite of the uncertainty, some people choose to quit their secure jobs and take on jobs like photography, which for the most part harbors art more than anything else because it is one of those works people openly say they enjoy doing it, in spite of the uncertainty involved. Luckily, a good number of people succeed in it because there is demand for it, where sometimes the demand could be steady, while at other times it could falter because it is not something people need to exist. To make things worse, the number of people who want to enjoy the creativity photography avails had always been high and the outcome had been the supply of service givers surpasses the available demand. The outcome could be some who might not have anything better going for them would fight to survive and since there is a natural check and balance, at one point they will come to their senses. When that happens they could scurry to find another career and they could be forced to make their passion job a sideline or a hobby. Even individuals who cannot be successful in finding a full-time regular job might not succeed considering that the effort they would exert could be much higher than others.
What is quirky about this kind of art oriented and enjoyable profession or line of work is some will really get lucky and will manage to make a living for a prolonged time. For others it will become a lifetime career availing them what they need for the rest of their lives, while others could be disappointed. What this shows is photography is not for everyone on one hand, while on the other it is because if it works for some it should work for others too. Probably, like most businesses. it requires a high level of determination and the rest is competition because the lucrative employers themselves are savvy and demanding. It also depends on the genres because some genres have a very stable demand such as wedding photography, where some have become wealthy because a more or less same number of people get married every year and photography is among the unavoidable expenses for newlyweds.
As a result, the key might be to take a photography business seriously, because it could be lucrative for some if it is done the right way, while others scurry back to the secure traditional jobs, whether they enjoy them or not because they provide a regular paycheck. In a situation like this, the truth is it works for some, while it does not work for others. Other than that there are not many businesses that can be started with a shoestring budget and hold a high promise, while at the same time the opposite could also be true. But what is unfortunate is this particular line of business is crowded even in bigger cities and the reality is while there are a good number of people leaving it in droves, there are also many others that are giving it a try. However, it is good to join this crowd as a professional after gaining a good experience and the benefit could be it is easy to advertise one’s business, while working for others is also possible. Those who can anchor in a given industry that has a continuous need for photographers such as fashion, products, food, wedding etc., are those who are doing well, while those who advertise their service also could be successful.