The Coffee House

[Gary A.]

I got my first "real" job offer today. It's basically at the opposite side of the career spectrum from photography but it gives me a stable schedule that is easier to plan around.

It's helped to quell some of my existential panic. Yay. I guess.

Real jobs never work well for me. When I work full time, I have zero energy for photography. I miss editing and magazine submission deadlines, and eventually I just stop shooting.

I love photography...

But I'm just tired of being a martyr for art.
I'm tired of having no money to go do things worth photographing.
I'm tired of having to tell my family I can't come see them because I can't afford a $250 plane ticket or 3 days of driving.
I'm tired of not having steady photography work and having to tell people I placate middle-aged adult tantrums all day (part-time retail).
I'm tired of lying to my parents about how successful I've been.

I can always come back to photography. It's a pretty open-ended career. But, I'm a very anxious person for whom luck doesn't generally favor. It has taken me two years to get an interview where they didn't ask, "Okay, so you've done a lot of photography. Can't you do anything else?"

I'm terrified of waking up at 40, poor, bored, with 15 years of what is essentially seen as an employment gap. I'm much too neurotic to handle that possibility.

The "starving artist" trope is only appealing if you are making progress, which you have. I've been spinning my wheels for the past two years.

That all is very sad. You were born a few decades too late. The darkroom made the photographer valuable and necessary. I hope this is just a change of the road you take and does not reflect changing of your goal as a full time photographer.

Good luck and Keep Shooting.

 

[jcdeboever]

Tigers lost a heart breaker. Long, 45 minute ride home.

 

[limr29 2]

Morning, hosers.

It's the 3rd week of my morning bike routine. It's rough going some mornings. I'm fine once I'm out of bed, but getting there is an issue this week. I've been having some trouble sleeping, so the waking up process is harder than it needs to be.

Yeesh, taking care of these stupid meat sacks humans have to be shoved into is such a hassle.

 

[terri33 4]

Yeesh, taking care of these stupid meat sacks humans have to shoved into is such a hassle.

Could not agree more!! Time consuming, too. Our bodies should simply act the way our brains tell them to, and be done with it!

 

[Gary A.]

The nervous system and associated feedback is overrated.

 

[Gary A.]

Buenas Dias Coffee Hosers. Gary has started his day with a cup of coffee and rating his parade images on Iridient. The images load slowly making the culling time painful. But, the Fujinon 100-400 is a winner. Gary loves his Fujinon lenses.

 

[JonA_CT]

Sounds like I'm heading to DC next week with 225 8th graders.

 

[table1349]

Sounds like I'm heading to DC next week with 225 8th graders.

Better you than me. By the time you get back I am sure you will understand why tigers sometimes eat their young.

 

[Gary A.]

Sounds like I'm heading to DC next week with 225 8th graders.

I'd request some help. That's a lot of squirrelly kids.

 

[Gary A.]

Sounds like I'm heading to DC next week with 225 8th graders.

Better you than me. By the time you get back I am sure you will understand why tigers sometimes eat their young.

I thought that was Saturn.

 

[tirediron]

Sounds like I'm heading to DC next week with 225 8th graders.

I'd request some help armed escorts, tasers and CS gas. That's a lot of squirrelly kids.

FTFY

 

[table1349]

8th Graders - Kindergartners. Not a whole lot of difference other than the Kindergartners are smaller and better behaved.



Good Luck, and remember the gang will save a place for you.

 

[table1349]

Gary A. We have a guest bedroom available for you and Mary Lou if you like. You can bring the cook as long as he likes other dogs and cats.
Midwest Winefest wraps up Saturday with Grand Tasting

 

[snowbear114 46]

Sounds like I'm heading to DC next week with 225 8th graders.

You have my sympathies. I would try to arrange a meet up but with that many ride-alongs, "difficult" would be an understatement.

 

[JonA_CT]

I am the extra muscle on this trip...the principal asked me, and since she is calling in favors to several different school districts...I figured out how to make it work.