Has your job killed your love for photography?

<p>I recently saw a photographer say something to this effect, to someone who was looking to get into photography as a career:</p>

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<p>Making it your work will rob you of a significant part of the joy you now relish. At first, being paid for your photography will be a thrill - it will affirm your deepest hopes about your photography (that it matters to someone else and that you are skilled enough to persuade someone to pay you for it). That thrill fades after the challenges of running a legal and compliant business begin to dominate your waking hours.</p>

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<p>For me, I have almost found the opposite. </p>

<p>At the beginning, there were challenges of starting up a business (legal compliance's, making a balance for working hours). I still enjoyed personal photography, but probably fair to say my subject interest changed and perhaps some enthusiasm did fade a little. But not long after starting up, I continued to gather an even greater understanding and love for photography, and my personal work continued to grow... perhaps to a place where it is even more rewarding than those "first thrills" of photography.</p>

<p>A few months ago a friend told me that "personal work is so important for keeping that balance". And I really agreed with what he was saying. </p>

<p>Yet I know so many who basically take no personal photos at all after becoming photographers... not meaning to sound condescending, but I find this really sad. I'm sure you know what I mean? In that the very reason you might do photography and what you do for your clients, is then almost entirely lost on yourself.<br>

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So, if anyone reads this thread and relates in some way, perhaps it will make them go pick up their camera for a few days next week. And I know, it's big and heavy, so just take something small! I've always loved using my fixed-lens rangefinder camera, so quick, small, light - just a fantastic day-to-day camera. I recently replaced it with something digital... seems to brutal (high contrast) in comparison. I've just sent my last batch of sequences from my film camera (hi-matic) to print, so will look forward to seeing them. Going to try this digital for a while now, but not sure if I'll return ;-)</p>

<p>Happy shooting.</p>

<p>Shooting professionally (part-time newspaper PJ, youth sports league photographer, family portraits, events) definitely and absolutely killed my desire to shoot for personal enjoyment, save the occasional vacation I take. <br /><br />However, I bought a Leica M5 with just one lens (35mm Summicron) and started shooting B&W film again (and some color here and there). Shooting 35mm film again with this camera has been nothing short of joyous, in spite of losing shots, struggling to get the right combination of aperture, shutter speed, and focus, and taking things much more slowly. Shooting 35mm film again was my anecdote to my deeply fading interest in personal photography. Might work for other pros out there as well.</p>

<p>I enjoy the challenges of professional photographer more than i do personal work. It has introduced me to people I would have never met and subjects i would have never thought of. <br>

I don't like being the book keeping, marketing, some of the other stuff.</p>

<p>Without personal projects I would imagine most professional photographers will start to feel jaded. When I adopted the Olympus OMD my attitude towards personal photography changed completely - suddenly I had a tiny and very competent system which I could easily carry with me. Carting around a big pro DSLR on a personal outing is no fun, and it's even risky, if you're prone to aches and pains. I've now added an EPL5 with a small pancake lens, which I can fit into a jacket pocket or waist pouch, and I can have it with me wherever I go. It's completely reinvigorated my interest in street photography. Of course the real problem is trying to find time, so dedicated personal outings are very rare, but just having a small camera with me every time I step out of the door (even if I'm going to the shops, out for a quick walk, or to a meeting) has proved very fruitful.</p>

Ten or so years ago I had my own photo business that was mostly weddings measured by the amount cash flow they generated. At that time I worked for a newspaper also. My business was a one person operation. Me. I did the marketing, bookkeeping and took the pictures and did my own albums for delivery. I had a darkroom and printed my own B&W as I could not find a good processor nearby. I did the sports page and general photography for a local newspaper. The other photographer and I did the developing and processing of mostly TMax. I carried three bags of gear to each wedding which included Bronicas, Canons and all their supporting stuff like extra flashes, backup bodies etc. I did weddings in a seaside town and eight hour weddings tired me out. I beat my competition with delivery times so processing post wedding to meet a two week delivery time for proofs wore me out. I became somewhat successful and mostly got my business from referrals. All of this was after I retired from a forty-one year career in aviation. So after a few years I got really tired of working so hard. I did not want to expand and hire others, so I cashed out the business in 2003. I really loved most of my brides and took great satisfaction in making them look good. I really enjoyed shooting local high school sports. Through all this I never lost my love for making pictures or taking satisfaction from my work and doing my own personal printing both film and now digitial. I did lose my enthusiasm for working so hard because I am no Spring chicken. I converted to digital when I closed the business trading my wedding gear for a Canon D60 to start. I have way too much gear now for an old amateur nee pro and I take a lot of pictures. I am still shooting swimming meets and whatever else strikes my fancy. My last real job was about four years ago. I still take great pride and satisfaction when I print a picture that I like and I still take a camera with me any time I go out the door. I did not get tired of taking pictures nor did I get jaded; rather, I got tired of being tired but never of photography. As you can see I am still at it.<div></div>

I know that by the end of a season, I've just about had it with weddings. I use Winter to recharge my creative battery (and forget...forget...:-)). By the time Spring and Summer come around, I'm ready to face the wedding music again.

<p>I make sure I do a few different things with my career, that way I don't burn out on one of them.</p>

<p>I got out of the business when it started to be a problem, rather than a pleasure. I enjoy making pictures much more these days.</p>

<p>Yes it did. Running a high volume portrait studio, some years ago, doing all the darkroom and non computer retouching, made me hate photography. Finally I quit the business and sold all the cameras. It was 3 years before I wanted to photograph again.</p>

<p>One person's business is another person's pleasure. </p>

<p>Haven't said that, it's nice to have work that you enjoy. Consider yourself very fortunate. On the other hand, many people who do enjoy their work, rather not take it home with them. If you were a first class cabinet builder who spent 8 hours a day making furniture for others, wouold you want to come home and measure and saw and bang some more? Or would you rather go out a play a round of golf. Or just sit on your butt, relax, recharge your batteries and spend time with your family? </p>

<p>I sympathise with the argument - I actively chose not to become a professional musician precisely because I didn't want a passion to become something as mundane and restrictive as a meal ticket.</p>

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<p>I sympathise with the argument - I actively chose not to become a professional musician precisely because I didn't want a passion to become something as mundane and restrictive as a meal ticket.</p>

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<p>Yeah, your right. I'm sure Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones and Beethoven were or are outright depressed by the notion of what they do being as mundane and restrictive as a meal ticket.<br>

<br /> As for the rest of the topic, the only time I was not loving photography as a career was for about a year after the 2008 economic crash, I simply had no idea what could ultimately happen. Now it is fantastic, better than ever actually in that most of the work I do is personal...and I get paid well for it.</p>