read and write.

There are various paths one can take within the field. For many, carving a place in the profession requires being your own boss, and with it, your own motivator. A nightmare for some, but for me, being free from the constraint of a corporate hierarchy is more than motivation enough. There’s always the option of creative agencies if you’re not great at the business side or prefer to have someone else look after your diary. For me personally, being a self-confessed control freak, I very much enjoy being in control of my day-to-day schedule. Sure, I’d love the security of a salaried job, but I seek great enjoyment in seeing progression in my career and take pride in knowing that my achievements stemmed entirely from my own efforts.

Working as a freelance photographer allows you the freedom to dictate everything about your business: your public image, your brand, your calendar, your marketability, your clients — the list is endless. There aren’t many fields that allow you such free rein and so generously. There are also so many tools widely and readily available to help you get there — not least of all, social media.  a similar sense, there is a great deal of variety that comes with being a photographer. As someone that shoots any and all kind of portrait, my job takes me everywhere. I really enjoy the balance that my job brings. Some days, I’m working from home all day, editing images and sending emails, which brings with it the perks of having my own space, sleeping in, and saving money on travel costs. Other days I have shoots or meetings in potentially any corner of the city, meaning I get to visit and explore areas of London that I’d never normally have reason to check out. There’s a great balance as on the days that I’m shooting, I’ll likely be working with a team of creatives, and there’ll be anywhere between 5 to 15 of us on a given set. It’s a great chance to converse with other like-minded people. Quite often, when I’m being hired for a shoot, the client is in charge of enlisting the rest of the team, so I quite frequently end up meeting new people.

Photography is a great creative outlet. It works wonders for stress relief, and many aspects of it can be rather therapeutic. And the best part is, generally speaking, there’s no right or wrong answer. It’s all subjective and, within reason, nobody can really tell you to stop doing what you’re doing. For many shoots, the creative control is left entirely to the photographer, meaning that we get to call the shots (pun intended). We’re free to follow our creative vision and bring it to life. Certain jobs come with a brief from the client, which can often be a welcome change. Sometimes, having no specific end goal can be a bit too vague or overwhelming, and it’s great to have some kind of restriction so as to have something to aim for and hone in on.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to toolbar