Starting a career in photography.

I strongly believe that photography is a passion and that during one photographer's lifetime the career activities are likely to meld into one another. If you were going to be a doctor, you would need to choose a specialty, such as cardiology or nephrology or psychiatry, and probably devote many years of training to that specialty. 

In all likelihood, you would practice that specialty for the rest of your life. Similarly, if you want to make a lot of money, you might go to business school or law school, but probably not both. After that training, you would go out and have a career "in business" or "in law." Then you'd (hopefully) get old, retire, and then die.

Photography is quite different

To me, that's not what a lifetime in photography is about. Sure, it can be a way to make money, but there's also a lot of fun and adventure to be had, a lot of opportunities to express yourself and your unique point of view, and the chance to change what you do as you go along.

 Why do one thing all your life? If you want to do that, it's fine, but even if you train to become, say, a medical photographer, and then work in hospitals for your entire work life, that's no reason you cannot involve yourself with all sorts of other photographic endeavours at night, on weekends, and on vacation.

That's the beauty of photography—the vocational goals are hazy, and the training in photography technique and technology doesn't need to be that extensive in most fields. You can be a medical photographer during the workweek and pursue fine art or animal photography on the weekend. Try being a lawyer during the week and a brain surgeon on weekends—it won't work. The requirements, and limits, of many fields are set in stone.

To that end, I view photography more as a lifestyle than as a career. There's no sense of either/or. You can be a medical photographer and a wedding photographer. You can be a photojournalist and a child photographer. It's up to you.

Photography as a creative outlet

 Let's not write off all those doctors, lawyers, and MBAs either. There are lots of professionals in a host of fields who turn to photography to get the creative and expressive satisfaction that their "profession" may not be able to deliver. There are professionals in other fields, who turn to photography to relax and enjoy the freedom it offers. So let's start with the basics.

 As a photographer, you are involved with a very powerful force—photography. And you have the opportunity to shape your career as you move on. But before you can bask in the potential of photography and locate your interests and find success in one or more fields, it is essential to address three things:

·        the nature of this magical medium,

·        what you really want to get out of photography and what skills you bring to the table; and

·         what holds you back—as a photographer and as a human being—the negative emotions that may confuse and inhibit you.

A career to the end

There's one other great aspect of photography. There's no need to retire. Opera singers, supermodels, athletes—even the sharks and traders on Wall Street—all have a prime, and when they can no longer take the rigours or hit the high notes, or when the "new (and younger) face" retires the supermodel who may be "over the hill" in her mid-twenties, it's time to move on.

Not so with photography. You can take great photos while leaning on a cane. Photography will never desert you. How many of us are lucky enough to

find a lifelong friend?

Now that you've found your method of expression, the trick is to move forward and stay optimistic. Perhaps, as you grow, you may find photography is not for you, or that there's something better. Then the trick is to move on to that better something. As for me, I combine photography with other aspects of art (as a professional) such as painting, drawing, graphic design and sculpture which gives me pleasure and a sense of fulfilment as I get busy all the time. Blogging is also part of my life and I do it with passion.