THESE DAYS…
We’ve opened a gallery in Austin, Texas and have hung some of my work, but mostly the works of others. I really do enjoy encouraging other young photographers…and a few old birds as well. Texas Photo Workshops was formed to educate photographers about two things killing our profession, Viral Mediocrity & amateurs/pro’s desperate to get noticed giving away their work or charging next to nothing. Then everybody losses! Through TPW I strive to train photographers to shoot for excellence and help them understand why it is important to the business to charge a fair wage for their work. So far so good! Finally, I also still shoot assignments when I’m not teaching workshops or writing photography articles for magazines like Rangefinder.
To circle the wagons, I’ll leave you with this…my dad listlessly waned in his death bed a few years back as I visited him for the last time. I gave him an 11x17 print of the photo attached and he mustered all his strength to hold the photo above his face and gazed at it with a smile that lit up his face for the final time. He then slowly turned to me and mouthed, “I’m proud of you son”!
If I may be so presumptuous, I feel like you are kind of talking to me on this topic.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your message here, but at the same time struggle with these decisions as I slowly work my way into the professional ranks. Creating a brand and a following takes time. So while I still give a lot of (mediocre) stuff away, I am making a conscious effort to brand my (excellent) images and sell them at a fair price.
Do you agree with this slow transition strategy or do you see it as an all or nothing proposition?
Randall
If you are wealthy or have a good passive income, I would go all in and prayerfully give it all you got for the next five years. There is always room at the top! If you need it to support you right away, then ease into it prayerfully with strategery. In truth, you never want to leave one income until you have a solid replacement income. For what it is worth, that's my two cents.
ReplyDelete