Do not become a Photographer

Don’t be negative minded

Photographer one of the most ungrateful careers there can be. But is it?

From low seasons, to people complaining about the most random stuff, to being asked to take pictures, to people with no knowledge or experience giving you advice so absurd you just look at them, smile, and agree. Yeah, I’m sorry you’re right. But where does my discouragement come from? I seem to hate for no reason, so let me remind myself and remember the things that got me into photography.

I really got into photography because I could make someone or something aesthetic. Yes that simple. Just going around and looking for things that look nice and pleasant to the eye. On my 16th or 17th birthday I don’t remember now I got my first film camera from my sister. I don’t remember the brand, but I remember having a lot of fun with it. It was a really simple camera: flash, button, and a turny thing for the film. As time went on, I played around with the camera and moved on with life.

I decided to make a big change and move to Miami. I had a friend who helped me find a job that basically dictated the next years of my life. Yes that one job that leads to everything else. The job was very simple: working in a restaurant as a photographer, going up to people and asking if they want pictures. After approaching a few tables, you go to the computer, lightly edit the pictures, print them, frame them, show them back to the tables, and sell them.

The process sounds very simple and nice. I mean, what could possibly be bad about this job? A steady $15/hour pay with the possibility of making 30% commission on sales seemed amazing, especially when pictures were $20 each. My first day, I did amazing. In less than five hours, I sold 34 pictures. It was training, so I wasn’t actually accounted for tips or commission, but still it felt good. The job seemed nice, and the manager was happy with the result.

During my first month at that company, I became the best starting photographer and even got a $15 Amazon gift card. Everything was going great until I hit burnout.

Burnout is a phenomenon where, once you’re stuck in it, nothing seems to help except not doing the work at all. I started hating everything around me, including myself. Even though I was a 20yearold guy in a new city, hustling for money, I didn’t feel any change or growth anymore. Every time I Ubered to a job, it felt like everything was horrible. People rejected me more and more. Whoever agreed to take a picture wouldn’t buy it, and the process started to feel like I was begging people for money.

I managed to survive like this until December, when I went back to my home country to see my family. After resting for a while, my friend and I decided to start the same business by ourselves. I mean, what could be better than knowing everything about the business and doing it with your friend?

We struggled a lot, but he managed to get us a restaurant that really got us going. We were easily making $3k a month each from a business operating Friday to Sunday. Of course, things couldn’t last forever, and my burnout came back. My friend, who was mostly focused on growth, was disappointed in me, but he stepped up and got us a new location one of the most iconic places on Ocean Drive. If you know, you know.

In just a couple of months, we went from barely affording Wendy’s burger deals to operating a real business and making our own money. Life was good. Even though I was doing most of the “dirty work,” I was still happy doing it.

But as they say, don’t mix friends and business it breaks friendships. And it happened. Looking back, both sides had their wrongs and rights. We ended things on good terms, and I left the business to start on my own. I failed horribly. I didn’t have experience in talks or negotiating.

I started doing different odd jobs, and life led me to working a bartending event, where I met a guy who did the same thing as me same nationality, but in a more lucrative and professional way. We exchanged contacts and started talking. I was ready to be back in business. I had left for some time, but I was tired of slave jobs like washing dishes.

We hit it off quickly, and I became one of his guys fast helping here, assisting there. I had no real job, and I was happy doing that just to prove myself. I started learning a lot about photography professionally. This guy had 20 years of experience, and I gained a huge amount of knowledge from him. I would get invited to the office to discuss strategies and bring in new business.

I got offered a good amount. I put in the work, and I did it. I managed to land a huge client from the hospitality industry. I couldn’t believe it myself when it happened. Something that once felt almost impossible turned into something beautiful.

It had been almost two years since I had seen my family. I had some money, so I decided to move out of my old place, see my family, and start a new life when I came back. Just before leaving, with the contract being finalized, I went to the place with a manager from that company and my credit got taken away. Even though it was my energy and effort that led to the deal, it all vanished just like that. I got a much smaller percentage than expected, and it crushed my soul.

On a 12hour plane flight, all I could think about was how badly I got fucked.

When I came back to Miami and talked to the guy about it, he did nothing. “It is what it is,” he said. And then: “By the way, try to get a new restaurant for us so we can have more business.”

I was pissed. My life went from down, to high, to down again really fast. I got depressed and lost all motivation again. Even though I had just moved into a house with double the rent of my old place, I felt more lost than ever. It was not supposed to go like this. But I kept working. My photography got much better during that time, and I really did learn professionally.

Lately, I’ve been feeling stuck and burned out again, like I want to move on to something new. I told my friend about it and he told me that a restaurant where he works at is looking for an extra person and I could come in and work. With almost no hesitation I agreed, as it was something that I looked for. After finishing an 8 hour shift I realized that I am too entitled and privilaged.

People are working 50-60+ hours a week to make what I make in weekends, and even though sometimes I feel like approaching people and asking them to take pictures is not the highest and best activity in the world, it is definitely more rewarding than having a supervisor under your head giving you tasks.

Restaurant photography with the task of selling like this is challenging as sometimes you get people who belittle you and make you feel like you are subhuman, however, a lot of times it is quite opposite. And here is where this job feels rewarding. Suddenly I would remember all the times where people would look at the pictures and be amazed. They give me complements about how good of a photographer I am, How I made them look fabulous and in that moment I feel happy. I can make a person feel good and proud of themselves and monetize it.

That is the thing about mindset, it is what you make of it, if you believe your life is horrible and everything around you is bad, it will be and vice verse. So it struck me, lately instead of focusing on my daily life, I focus on the bad aspects of it, I focus on how unfair it is that someone has more money than me, or a better car, and honestly, I am in the wrong. Yeah, maybe some people are born into rich families, but why is that my problem, it is what it is, gotta move on and just live in the present moment, we do not know what will be tomorrow.

One of my good friends was training new people into a company she works for, she got sick and told me about how she can make the training, and I offered her that I will lead it, as I am doing this for almost 3 years, I already have some expertise. The training begun and I realized, without disrespect to others, that I am not doing that bad in life. I am a 22 year old with almost 0 dependency from anyone, with already a lot of knowledge on photography who lives off independently. Ofcourse the human nature always keeps us wanting more materialistic things, but that experience gave me new perspective, I am not doing that bad as I am thinking.

Initially, this post was just pure negativity and was just me complaining about how bad it is to be a photographer, but I want to take it all back. Everyone one of us has their own path, journey and everyone has their ups and downs. However, we would not appreciate the sun and bright days if it was not for the rainy ones. The grass won’t grow in a constant heat. I showed this to my dad and he told me it is too negative and after having another read, I agreed.

So, In conclusion, appreciate what you have, you do not know what will happen to you tommorow, enjoy the process, go out for a walk, get a hobby, make new friends, just take life as it is and as whatever it throws at you. Life goes really fast and if you do not enjoy it as it is, you will just spend your time in regret.