Can photography pay?

     Over the years people have asked me numerous questions about what it takes to be a financially successful photographer, and I have found that the best answer I can give them is “I don’t know, I’ll let you know when I become a success.”  Of course I mean this in a joking manner, but there is a thread of truth to it.  You see with the advent of the digital image processor the marketing of photographs got turned upside down and inside out.  Before the digital camera came along professional photography was only practiced by a few dedicated individuals that were willing to
suffer long hours in a dark processing lab, exposure to caustic chemicals, and hauling around a truckload of equipment that cost as much as a middle class home.
     Not so today, even our phones are now capable of capturing a comparatively good image, not to mention the prolific assortment of really fine SLR  and sports cameras available to photographers.  Everyone takes pictures and videos of everything today.  As a matter of fact I really believe that if famous film and plate photographers such as  Alexander Gardner, Ansel Adams, or Yousuf Karsh were to come back today they would probably look for another career field.  The advantage of having a device that can just keep capturing images one after another in rapid succession with the only limitation being the size of your memory card is mind blowing.  Photo enthusiasts can capture  thousand of images of a subject without incurring so much as the cost of pack of chewing gum!  So how is one to make money from an occupation where the number of competitors might number in the hundreds of millions?  Well as you might have guessed that’s the point of this post.
     Strangely enough the key to success still lies in what made photographers like Gardner, Adams, and Karsh practiced.  First of all they didn’t just go out into the world and start taking pictures of every subject that struck their fancy.  They specialized in something that peaked their interest, for Adams it was nature, Karsh loved the infinite expression contained in the human face, and Gardner sought to destroy the deluded notion that there was something romantic or chivalrous about a bloody battlefield.
     So the first element of success I recommend is to pick a subject that peaks your interest and become immersed in it.  If you read my first post you will remember me talking about what my dear old Granddad had to say about things,  Well here’s another one of his gems, “you can make a million dollars selling pencils on the street corner, if you make sure you are selling the best damn pencil money can buy, and you work your butt off every day.”  In other words a half hearted try will end up in failure before you can even get started.
     The second element is learn your market, for example if you choose flowers as you field of endeavor you might think of getting a booth at a local flower show and exhibit your work to the people who have a real interest in your subject.  Doing this will give opportunity to hear both criticism and praise for your work, but a word to the wise develop a tough skin as people can be cruel.  Another good way to get your work noticed is to contribute to local newspapers and TV stations, they are always looking for “stringers” to provide free work.  In other words start small but not slow, the more ways that you offer yourself to the world the quicker the world will respond.
     The last element is quality of work, all modern photographers use a photo paint program to adust their work, learning to use one of these programs is essential, and I really mean learning to use it, just hitting the auto correction button will not get it in today’s competitive market.  Well good luck, next time we’ll go over some of the software and hardware that can help your work to achieve an individual look.
 

A wonderful life!

      I suppose that you may have guessed by the title of this post that I have made the most of my sixty-six years here on this little planet of ours.  I have been what many might call a “Jack of all Trades” and what some of my detractors might call a master of none.  I have changed careers almost as often as people change their choice of cell phone.  I have built commercial buildings and private homes, owned my own home improvement business, sold cars, owned my own motorcycle business,

and when my body began to show the signs of wear and tear I switched to author, photographer and videographer.  I have sold over five thousand photo products, twenty-five thousand books, and three thousand DVDs in National Park Service Book Stores.  I have had better than average success in nearly all of my endeavors by maintaining a simple philosophy that my good old granddad imparted to me in my youth.  One day when I was feeling particularly anxious about my future I asked him for advise and he looked me straight in the eye and said, “don’t talk foolishness boy, go ahead and try whatever you think will work, besides what’s the worst the world can do to you if you fail and end up on your butt, hell they can’t eat you!”  He went on to say (by this time he was wound up) “that no one ever really succeeded by clinging to what they had, it’s the person who learns to let go that finishes near the top.”
     Well I took my grandfathers advice, (at least for the most part, wives and children do not appreciate a total devil may care attitude in their bread winner) and made the most of my meager talents.  Now that my demise is nearly staring me in the face I have decided to have a little fun and perhaps share what little knowledge I have gleaned from my experiences with anyone fool enough to listen.  By the way on the subject of dying, I think that like the aging poet when asked what he wanted engraved on his tombstone said, just put “I just knew something like this was going to happen.”  In any case back to the original subject, my posts will cover, history, creating good photos, making video products, riding motorcycles, favorite travel spots, otherworldly matters, and how to become a great lover!  The last one I threw in just for fun, after all, if I was a great lover would I have time to write a stupid Blog.
   

 By the way, the main title “The real fun is in the curves” in case you hadn’t guessed by now doesn’t just pertain to roadways, motorcycles or young women in bikinis, it's my incredible sly use of a metaphor to describe  how one should take on life.  After all driving down a perfectly straight road might be safe and sure, but it tends to put one to sleep.  It’s only when that hairpin curve pops up out of nowhere that you really begin to pay attention and thereby live life to the fullest, unless of course you were asleep when you got to the hairpin curve in which case you probably aren’t reading this post.  So sit back and try to enjoy my humble effort to entertain you, who knows you might even end up  as illiterate as I are.