Got a note the other day from an aspiring photographer. He wanted to know what it takes to become a pro. I thought–very pragmatically–that it’s really not complicated. HARD maybe, but complicated, no. And this applies to so many FILL-IN-THE-BLANK things you aspire to be:
1. Declare yourself as that thing. That’s what you ARE in life. You’re not a student, not a finance-guy-slash-part-time-photographer, not a part time anything. You’re a photographer, or entrepreneur, or chef, or fill-in-the-blank. Let it be known.
2. Be in business. Make it real. Get a business bank account, business license (city + county), business cards. Business. Otherwise it’s a hobby.
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3. Read every book you can find at the library or online about the thing you want to do. Understand the rules. Because if you fail at the business part, if you can’t SUSTAIN this business, you’re not a pro. You’re unemployed, or back to part-time this or that. And back to step 1 you go again…wanting to be a pro. NOW then, if read these books and they make sense, and they teach you how to run the books and land the gigs…you gotta then break some of the rules you read in these books. And YOU choose which are the right ones to break. You’ll be right 50% of the time, you just won’t know which 50% until after you’ve taken the leap. Action is the only thing that matters.
4. In order to be the noun, do the verb. Do that thing everyday and share your work, hustle, and promote it like mad. For clients and for yourself. Get creative as all hell. Find YOUR voice through creating more than you thought was possible. Aim to be different, not better than everybody else. Be brutal in judging your own work. Put forward only your best work around the the things you actually want to to do. Break all the rules here too. And again, you’ll be mistaken 50% of the time, but you gotta take your swings to hit anything at all. Don’t forget, the DOING is the only thing that matters here too. What you THINK is nice, but it counts for zilch, zero, nada. Action wins.
5. Repeat.
Now, if you got this far and you’re thinking – Chase, it is a bunch of fluff…. Well, of course. Here’s the truth: This isn’t really about how to become a pro. It’s about how to commit to something.
There are a zillion steps to becoming a pro. Days, weeks, years of work on the craft. But the #1 thing I see absent in people who SAY they want it….it a lack of commitment – a lack of those few last steps to get them over the line, get them off their asses, off the couch, off the internet where people hide behind fake names where they pretend they’ve DONE it, that they are a pro, or have even begun to commit… This is usually because of fear.
Fear that you won’t be able to support yourself and MAKE A LIVING – WHICH IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL. The reality is that you probably either want to become a pro and still need to do the following things; or you don’t want it.
In the former case – that you DO want to become a pro and – then this episode is a ‘you can do this / get off your ass’ message to you. In the latter case – the case of not actually wanting it — then there’s no need to pretend. Maybe it’s just a hobby or an side-interest and that’s okay too.
But if you’re serious, start with one of the hardest things — and that’s point #1: Start by calling yourself a pro in front of your friends and your parents or whomever you come across. Then start. One foot in front of the other.
supertrue
I’d say that it’s way more important to understand the history of photography, shoot all the time, understand the segment you want to enter (it’s impossible to be relevant to everyone), ready about the rules but don’t rush in to declaring yourself a pro. Sometimes it works better for people to get a year under their belt to do the heavy promo. You might regret that work that you started out with. Also, if you are currently a hobbyist then understand that you’ll change the way you think about it once it’s a business. You have to really love photography to survive that jump. I don’t think you should declare yourself a photographer until you’ve shot a ton. Keep it a serious hobby until you’ve studied and shot long enough to call yourself a pro.
Awesome article. Thanks Chase. A question for Chase or anyone reading my comment – recommendations on any good photographer book to read like Chase mentioned?
First, I want to say I almost watched the entire LIVE episode yesterday, and you did a great job playing nice with the other kids on the playground. It’s always tough when you’ve got two leaders like yourself and the head of another photography company working together to mesh two similar but different creative visions. You collaborated, mixed and matched then glued it all together. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
On your post:
Great advice. I disagree with the student part though. I believe you’re always a student (In the most general sense) first, and you choose what you learn second. Gaining knowledge about life and all of it’s intricacies, not just photography, is SUPER vital.
That said, I get the emotion you were putting behind that statement and the overwhelming and consuming drive you’ve got to have to follow your passion.
Thanks for sharing! Off to take some awesome arial shots from a glider over the Everglades!
GoPro Hero+D7000=one badass weekend!
Keep inspiring and sharing.
-Chase