Part-Time Photography

[Deltarat]

Well, I have good news and bad news.

I've been laid off of work for the past 3 months. The GOOD news is that the company that laid me off is hiring me back. I'm going back to work.

The BAD news is, I'm going back to work! LOL!

What I mean is that, for the past 3 months, I have been completely focused on photography. I've had the freedom to study different photographers, go and shoot where and when I wanted to, and set up photo shoots at any time of the day. After I go back to work, I'll be limited to after 5pm on weekdays, and 2 weekend days. It's great that I'm going back to work, don't get me wrong. I'll be able to fund my photography now, which is great. But, I am going to miss my time freely studying photography.

 

[davisphotos]

Unfortunately, even as a full time photographer, I don't get to completely focus on photography....so much time spent marketing, dealing with invoices, taxes, bookkeeping and all the other things that come along with running a business.

 

[Deltarat]

I hope to one day, be able to support myself with photography full time. I'm a designer for Austal Shipbuilding right now. We design ships for the US Navy and a few commercial companies. My background is architectural design and that's what I prefer between the 2. When I worked for the architect, not only did I draw blueprints in CAD, but I got to do a ton of building and landscape photography!

I would love to eventually go into architectural and real estate photography full time. That's my dream.

 

[tirediron]

Win the lottery!

 

[12sndsgood]

I know what you mean, I was laid off from December till about May when I found a job I just couldn't pass up. and i used every bit of that time to get better at photography and to learn the other aspects of running a business. I know that time was very valuable to me for the amount I learned.

 

[Deltarat]

Time well spent. I really feel I took full advantage of my time off. I'm ready to push forward with what I've learned. Having a full time job just means I won't be able to push as frequently, ;p

 

[12sndsgood]

yeah, I was off for 5 months and I never slept in once during the week, and i pretty much spent a good majority of that time studying the whole business side of things, and I enjoyed it. something that made me think that I could make a go at this. And yeah, definatly throws a wrench in the works when all that free time is gone again lol.

 

[Patrice]

As an aside but related to unemployment.

(I recently started a term contract as the learning facilitator for a government funded program to increase essential skills and provide job search and retention techniques to a group of 10 chronically unemployed young adults.)

According to a Statistics Canada paper:

The 2008 recession resulted in 500,000 job losses in Canada. Many had to relocate in order to re-enter the work force. Many others took additional post secondary training before re-entering the work force. A third category did both.

A follow up study shows that three years later, the workers who had undertaken additional post secondary training, regardless of program or length had, on average, yearly earnings $7000 greater than others, regardless of relocation or not.

Relocation alone simply placed the workers in the same type of job, only elsewhere. Retraining placed the workers in a better job, often in the same locality.

My take on this, and what I tell the participants, is that continuing and/or additional adult post-secondary education has very real and significant benefits.

 

[Deltarat]

I agree 100%. I absolutely file myself in the "never stop learning" category. How can knowing a variety of skills be anything but a good thing? It's not just about having something to fall back on. A lot of times, your extra knowledge can be applied in your current occupation. For example, when I was working for the architectural firm, I was hired to do design drawings in CAD. But, I also had a photography degree. So, instead of hiring photographers to take photos of our buildings, they sent me to do it. I was already on the payroll, so it didn't cost them anything but my time away from my desk. They loved it! Being multi-skilled is a great way to get a little job security.

At some point, you do have to draw a line though. I also have modeling skills. I can build both 3D models in the computer, and physical models from scratch. Hiring a 3rd party to build a 3D model, whether it's a computer model or a physical one, is VERY expensive. So, when I started doing that for them as well, I was fine with it, but I also wanted more money. There is a fine line that divides using your talents to help the company, and the company taking advantage of you and what you are able to do.

 

[Patrice]

Back in the days when I had employees I had no difficulties with paying people the market rate for the skills they brought to my company. Good employees go elsewhere when they are taken advantage of, and they take their skills with them.

Once I became profitable I started a program whereby any employee was reimbursed full fees if they passed whatever continuing education course they wanted. Basket weaving, second language, .... didn't matter what it was, if they passed - I paid.