‘You’re not just a photographer though!’
This was said to me the other day and it got me thinking about how I’ve described myself for years. Whenever anyone one asks that inevitable question… ‘What do you do?’ I say ‘I’m a photographer!’ It’s what I am! The next usual response to this is… ‘Oh wow, that’s cool! My sister (insert appropriate relative, distant or otherwise) is getting married soon how much do you charge?’ To which I reply ‘NO WEDDINGS! NO BABIES!’ These seem to be everyone’s go-to reference points for photographers generally!
Anyway, I digress! Back to the ‘You’re not just a photographer!’ statement the other day. As I said, it got me thinking. Maybe I’ve pigeonholed myself into this one ‘title’ for too long and maybe now, I’m slowly starting to accept that, as pretentious as it sounds, I am more than JUST a photographer!
Let me try and explain what I mean without sounding like a douche! Some of it is obvious and applies to most self-employed people. You are more than just your one ‘title’ when you work for yourself. There are all the other things that come with it; Sales, Marketing and Social media, Accounting, Project Management, Networking… The list goes on!
For me, as a self-employed photographer, my own list is no different. I have all of these things to tackle and all of which I’ve had to learn how to do. I have learnt the basic skills I need as I go (some better than others) to keep myself afloat and in business and making sure the tax man is happy-ish! But I’ve also picked up some skills along the way that might be a little more specific to the creative industry and that have helped me realise that maybe I’m not JUST a photographer after all.
I’m a Retoucher!
It goes without saying these days that as a photographer you have to have some basic retouching and post-production skills whether that’s basic photoshop cropping and resizing of images through to more complex skin retouching and composite work.
I’m a Director!
With digital cameras now having the capability to shoot High-Resolution video, there have been more and more requests to quote for moving image work alongside stills jobs. It was a natural progression really! The compositional and lighting elements of photography and film are so closely linked so it makes sense that companies are looking to use a photographer to produce film work and maximising both the stills and video output. The production for each of these elements is often different though due to the differing lighting equipment needed for still and motion but that’s boring technical stuff. I’ve shot lots of videos now and should really try and pull together a showreel of work. Something for the to-do list!
I’m a Video Editor
Another one that has just evolved through technology. We as photographers can now shoot the high-quality video work so it made sense to learn how to edit it as well. I taught myself Final Cut Pro with a little help from a good friend who shoots video and who got sick of me asking him to edit my videos for me! I watched him for hours working on videos, learning some of the clever shortcuts he used etc and I started to work on some of my own moving image pieces. I find it quite therapeutic for some reason especially if I’m editing clips to a good piece of music. Don’t get me wrong I’m not sure I will be editing a feature-length movie just yet but who knows in the future what might happen?
I’m a Web Designer!
Basic web designer, I should say! With a whole lot of help from Squarespace and Youtube. I’m not getting above myself, I’m not coding or anything but I designed my own site and I have also designed some sites for fellow creatives as well as a couple of business clients. I got tired of waiting for my very talented, yet very busy web designer friend to help me out so I got on Youtube and watched some Squarespace tutorials and away I went. As a photography site mine was relatively easy to do as it is all bold images really but it is another string to add to the creative bow.
I’m an Art Director!
Sometimes when I work with smaller brands who perhaps aren’t at the stage of working alongside a creative agency, there is an element of art direction involved. This is helping a brand come up with a concept and idea to help ensure that their product, message and identity is conveyed to the consumer in the best way. I really love helping with the idea and concept from start to finish and seeing it come to life as a finished piece of work.
I’m a Writer
Yes, it might only be a blog, but I’m writing every week consistently. I’ve been sharing the blog posts on other platforms like Medium too which means I’m actually a paid writer haha. Ok, I might have only made something like $0.32 (it’s an American site) but still counts right? Writing is something I have always done, mainly creatively. I should share more of it but there is an element in my head that no one would want to read any of it and maybe it’s not relevant to the blog on my photography site but I need to get out of that mindset and be braver. Is anyone interested in reading anything I write?
I’m an Artist
Cringe! I don’t know why but saying this always makes me feel like this despite it being true. I think it is something inherent in many creatives, something that is drilled into us during school; ‘You can never make money being an artist so you better get a proper job!’ Well, I’m glad I never got the so-called, ‘proper job’. Don’t get me wrong, as a commercial photographer there are jobs that perhaps wouldn’t be called art but creating is still my passion so it’s something I will always do I imagine. Away from being booked to shoot commercial photography jobs some of the personal and fine art work that I’ve created and sold have been the most rewarding. Creating to my own brief and selling work is something I really want to explore much more and not just in the photographic medium so watch this space if you’re an art lover!
In the above list are just some of the things that ‘I am’ or that I’ve learnt to be as someone in the creative world. There are a whole heap of other things that I am and that make me, me! Things that aren’t anything to do with being JUST a photographer. The important stuff like personality traits, beliefs, emotions, life experiences, friends… again the list is endless and always changing and evolving as I do.
I know I’ve rambled on again but I guess what I’m trying to say is that in a time when we’re all being pigeonholed into boxes of identity whether that’s through race, sex, politics, religion etc… DON’T PIGEONHOLE YOURSELF! In your work life, personal life whatever it is! No one thing defines you! You are not just your job title or your gender or your race. We are all unique and complex human beings capable of all sorts of wonderful things so experience them and learn as much as you can. Know yourself and evolve with that. Be as many different things as you want to be because life is short!
Woah! Got all deep at the end there! I thought I was just going to talk about some of the skills I have acquired that have helped me realise that I’m not JUST a photographer and that actually there are lots of other strings to my creative bow. Well, there is and hey, I threw in some philosophical stuff at the end there too! Bonus or ranting? You decide!