The Part-Time Photographer – A Question of Balance

Let’s face it, working part-time as a photographer has many benefits and darned few disadvantages. You can work when you want and not be afraid to turn down photo shoots, if they aren’t what you want to do.

Financial income notwithstanding, the motivation is to have photography has a hobby (albeit, frequently an expensive hobby) and not the primary source of income. May you have a full-time "day" job that provides physical sustenance or you are retired. Photography, then, can be enjoyed as a creative outlet.

Without the pressure to produce, to provide an income, your mind can entertain self-imposed assignments and create the kind of images you want, rather than what a client wants.

Unless you are financing your habit with funds from  your day job, acquiring cameras, lenses and accessories can be problematic. Heck, using your primary job’s salary is not without its difficulties, especially if you are married. Large expenditure must be negotiated and you may have to compromise.

However, with enough photographic experience in your background, you may be able to finance equipment purchases through your part-time photographic endeavor. Of course, getting the occasional assignment from a relative or friend does help to defray the costs, but you could also make some contacts in your community, which, in time, could pay off.

The current economic situation may drive you towards obtaining a second income asn there is no better way than to make your hobby an income source. To start, you can offer your services, with pay, of course, as a stringer to the local newspapers. You can also go to middle and high school sports and events and you’ll probably be asked by quite a few parents where they can get the picures.

While there is a short list of part-time photographers that have stepped into full time, but the majority do not. Enjoying photography as a hobby and picking up occasional assignments can be an enjoyable way to practice your craft. You can never tell where it may lead.

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