Versatility

[Corran]

I have always tried to have a diverse set of skills to use in finding work. I hate the old adage "Jack of all trades master of none." I try to master a skill before adding another to my arsenal. I think the phrase really applies to those people who try to do 100 different things, not 5.

I personally am first and foremost a professional musician. I have three degrees in music (composition, education, and performance). But even playing a lot of gigs it's almost impossible to make a living short of the top 20-30 orchestras. So about 8 years ago I started doing recording engineering, which has grown to become my main source of income. Photography started as a hobby, and then people started asking me to shoot events and portraits, so I ran with it (LF photography is a hobby though, but I'm trying to get involved in the local art scene). I also teach music and photography on the side as well as moonlighting as a computer technician.

Maybe some people can make it as a specialist but they've got to be lucky and in the right area.

[Brian Ellis]

When Qt saw my recent architectural video from a link I posted over ar Google+, he remarked about how versatile I was. It got me thinking. This month in particular is filled with allot of evidence of my very diverse career in photography. Too many links to post here-see the post on my blog.

All these activities have a strange kind of synergy-they build off of each other. At times when I am really busy it all seems like too much, but in this economy I have really appreciated the diversity. Its kind of like diversifying your investments to protect your retirement from economic problems (Retirement? Hmmm I have a vague memory of what that means....).

I'm curious about others versatility, FE I know Petronio does allot of diverse things. Maybe we can all learn something useful.

I understand what retirement means. I don't understand how to "protect your retirement from economic problems." If you figure that one out please let me know. : - )

[Scott Davis]

I understand what retirement means. I don't understand how to "protect your retirement from economic problems." If you figure that one out please let me know. : - )

That one's simple- be born rich, or marry rich (enough) that even if your investments tank and you have to sell them all, you'll still have enough cash to live on and it won't run out until after the funeral.

[Kirk Gittings]

Kirk, I thought your video was outstanding. Very smooth, nice transitions, perfect color grading, and very interesting visuals like the contrast of plants and spars, and the airliner riding along that spar. The only thing I didn't care for was the series of pans and zooms at the end.

Re versatility, sometimes it makes sense to become more specialized rather than less. Is there a sub-specialty in architectural photography in which you could establish a niche which others can't or won't fill?

Thanks I think those are valid points, pro and con. This is unapologetically a promotional piece for the architects and contractors. The end is a compromise because there are some problems in the building that had to be photoshopped-so the stills were the only way to solve that issue (within reason budget wise-this is not Hollywood). So as not to end it with a glaring change in image type I added some more additional panned stills to effect a more deliberate transition. Everyone in the architecture business who has given me feedback have been unanimously positive about the end.

As per versatility, I have been too specialized. As some markets went down the tubes, like magazine work (half my income in 2008), I was left with just shooting stills for architects (the other half of my income in 2008) and needed to expand my offerings.

Understand New Mexico has the highest number of professional photographers per capita by far of any state. Santa Fe is the second largest art market in the country. Photographers and artists are as ubiquitous as praire dogs here. I have faired far better than most. Many of my friends and competitors have filed bankruptcy or have no photography work at all and have moved to other professions. Every little niche has a herd of wild dogs trying to break in.

[Robert Hughes]

That one's simple- be born rich, or marry rich (enough) that even if your investments tank and you have to sell them all, you'll still have enough cash to live on and it won't run out until after the funeral.

One of the smartest things that Bill Gates ever did was to choose the right grandparents...

[sanking]

Kirk,

I also enjoyed the video. And there is no question but that you are one very versatile dude, a master of your commercial work and also a wonderful landscape photographer of the American southwest. I know you have worked hard at your craft and it is nice to see talent recognized.

So a big congratulations to you.

Sandy King

[tgtaylor]

Understand New Mexico has the highest number of professional photographers per capita by far of any state. Santa Fe is the second largest art market in the country. Photographers and artists are as ubiquitous as praire dogs here. I have faired far better than most. Many of my friends and competitors have filed bankruptcy or have no photography work at all and have moved to other professions. Every little niche has a herd of wild dogs trying to break in.

I did a quick google search Santa Fe list 120 "Professional Photographers" including you
http://www.marketingtool.com/channel...ta+fe&page=all
while San Francisco lists 300. Note that many of the photographers in the Santa Fe listing are, like yourself, outside of Santa Fe whereas the San Francisco listing is confined solely to those within the city. The population of SF is approximately 700K.
http://www.allonesearch.com/professi.../san-francisco

I find it intriging that Ansel Adams, with a subject matter as immense as the Sierra Nevada, the California deserts, the California coast..., seriously considering relocating to New Mexico early in his career. Maybe Moonrise started to get the better of his judgement before he snapped out it

Thomas

BTW, I thought the video was well produced. Your client(s) got their money's worth.

[Kirk Gittings]

Thomas, There was an article in American Photographer some years ago about the inordinate number of photographers per capita in NM. I don't remember the source of their stats. That article bowled us all over-no wonder things seem so damn cutthroat around here.

I don't suggest any pro artist move to NM unless they can bring their "big City" clientele with them.

Thanks for the kind words about the video.

[Kirk Gittings]

Thanks Sandy-means allot. You seem to be very versatile in your retirement, writing, teaching, showing. Does it feel that way?

[Jim Jones]

Single-minded specialization has resulted in many of the great accomplishments of humanity. Consider Stradivarius, Galileo, Shakespeare, Beethoven, John M. Browning, Einstein, Edwin Land, and so many others. However, for many of us mortals, diversification is more practical. In my agricultural neighborhood, an ability to fix whatever is broken or improvise whatever is needed is expedient In more structured environments, such ability can be even more critical. Early in a Navy career I was trained to repair communications equipment. However, the Navy can't have a specialist for every task on every ship or at every station. For example, at one isolated duty station, in addition to supervising other communications repairmen, I was the armory custodian, marksmanship instructor, photographer, antenna rigger, movie projectionist, courier, machinist, and perhaps a few other tasks that don't immediately come to an aging mind. It was more satisfying than being perfect at one specialization.