Advice Column
Keep On Keepin' On
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a colleague just starting out. We had assisted together for a bit, but he was ready to leave the nest before I was. His observation - The people who make it in this business are the ones who just hang in there. Ironically, he’s no longer taking pictures, and I suppose it’s a circular argument. Those of us who have stayed in this business have, necessarily, hung in there.
This advice echoes something I heard during an interview with the late Frank Zappa, “Well, here’s the secret… there are two things you have to do; one of them is to not stop, and the other one is to keep going.” Even after decades in this career, whenever things start to seem bleak, I think about this. Hang in there.
In the beginning, things like competition can be daunting. Watching other photographers take off while you seem stuck may be one of the first gauntlets you’ll need to endure. Over time there will be other hurdles, many undreamed of. At a certain point, you may not even recognize the territory, but you can always find a way to make pictures.
There are probably more good reasons to give up on this career than to stick with it. Lower fees, increasing competition, dwindling bank balances, radio silence from clients, encroaching technologies, you name it. This is when most people, understandably, reasonably even, give up. However, for those of us who really love taking pictures, there’s a way.
One of the things I appreciate about our business is its adaptability. There are dozens of ways to find some sort of living with commercial photography. These days, you’ll need to be extra clever and industrious to get going and the North Star has to be a love of photography.
Flashback to 1982, Richard Gere in “An Officer And A Gentleman”. Gere, an officer in training, is being exhorted into quitting by his drill sergeant played by Lou Gosset, Jr.. When pointedly asked why he doesn’t just give up, Gere wails, “I got nowhere else to go!” And that, dear reader, is essentially is why this photographer isn’t giving up. I want to take pictures, and am willing to endure the slings and arrows.
So, what’s your motive?
30 professional years in it as well, and I still think it's like Christmas morning when I get a roll of film back from the lab, I still think light is one of the most awe-inspiring things, and I still think there's meaning to the work.
I tell youngsters in this industry they'll succeed - if they stick with it.
Being very stubborn helps. :)