Do you know how often I get asked what is needed to be a professional photographer? That the dream of travelling around the world and living it up far outweighs the 9 to 5?
But is it all its cracked up to be? Of course, the answer is no as with anything else at the end of the day it is a job. But it’s not just one job it’s actually several. As soon as you become self-employed you’re not having to be just a photographer. You also have to be a marketing person; an accountant; a social media guru and whatever else you can think of.
Did I mention the hours that you need to put in? That day job will seem like a pushover once you go pro. Why? Because you’ll no longer have access to sick pay; holidays and weekends. They just don’t exist anymore so you need to be prepared to give up many cushy niceties that you currently take for granted.
How about your processing skills? Are they up to scratch? Do you really know Photoshop and Lightroom to the best of your ability? You need to have a thorough understanding of the what and most importantly why when it comes to these software packages. It’s no good just flicking through Youtube when you get stuck. It’s very much worth the effort and sitting down properly with these two programs and honestly evaluating your skills in each one.
And that’s just the beginning of your journey into the heady road of being a professional landscape and travel photographer.
But do we have fun? Of course we do! But you have to be prepared for what’s ahead of you.
