Who's Day Job is Photography?

[Robert A. Zeichner]

For me photography has been a side line for a little over ten years, although my first commissioned sales date back almost 40 years. Sales of my prints have been consistent despite some rocky economic conditions here in Michigan. I sell broadcast television equipment by day, which I have to say, has become a real grind. I have met many wonderful people in the course of my daytime activities over the years and a good number have become consumers of my photography. The equipment sales feed the stomach, but the photography feeds the soul. That's fine with me.

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

Photography has been my day job, all day, almost every day since 35 years. The problem is that I am lousy at marketing my personal work.

[Frank Petronio]

I worked full time at it for the first ten years, doing some nicer corporate annual report, but also a lot of tedious low-paying tabletop catalogy stuff and architecture. Moved towards digital imaging, prepress, design, web stuff, book publishing, marketing consulting... and now I'm back at photography, competing with 22-year olds to get some decent editorial assignments.

Luckily I have some money and a very understanding working wife.

I won't do "generic" anything-that-comes-along commercial photography again. I rather do the civil service or be a house husband.

[Kirk Gittings]

Photography has been my day job, all day, almost every day since 35 years. The problem is that I am lousy at marketing my personal work.

This is not unusual, IME it is far easier and straight forward to make money from commercial work, while the personal work is immensely more gratifying. While my personal work has had allot of critical success, I am glad I don't have to rely on it to pay the bills.

As Paul Caponigro told me one time...."if I were a painter and as famous as I am I would be a rich man. As it is I really struggle" (paraphrasing).

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Nope, perhaps when I retire one of these days from my current class of work and I have more time to devote to my photography and writing, ahhhh just 20 more years to wait!

I can always dream!

[billschwab]

Twenty-seven years and counting. What a long, strange trip its been.

[Kirk Gittings]

Nope, perhaps when I retire one of these days from my current class of work and I have more time to devote to my photography and writing, ahhhh just 20 more years to wait!

I can always dream!

Eric,

IMO, You are one of those guys here who has the talent, dedication to craft, and business savvy, who could make a living in photography (which of course is along way from actually doing it).

[Richard Kelham]

It used to be mine. Some good times, but I never managed to find time for my own work, plus the stress of dealing with some real arsehole clients led me to quit more than twenty years ago. I have absolutely no desire to go back to it.

Still don't get enough time for my own stuff though...

[bsimison]

It's my day job, and trying to strike a balance between the commercial, editorial, and personal work whilst keeping the wife and bank balance happy certainly makes every day....interesting. Yeah, that's a good euphemism.

[John Sarsgard]

Full time photographer who is most fortunate to have a retirement check every month from 35 years in the computer industry. Lots of work for charities for which I don't get, and don't need, compensation. Studio and location portraits that come to me, for which I am paid, but with no particular revenue objective. Some commercial website photography, when asked. Personal projects including portraits of strangers in Grand Central Terminal, and creative people in and around New York's East Village. I've had shows and hope to do books from these. I am exploring some new ways (at least for me) of doing landscapes. I'm the luckiest guy around. I do photography full time, with a little income from it, without having to do work I hate, with a retirement check to pay for room and food and wine. Who could ask for more?