This PHOTOGRAPHY Advice Changes Everything

In this video, I'm sharing with you the story of how I became wrong about what success was in photography. I was living the dream, making a good living as a commercial photographer... but was I really happy?

After years of working as a commercial photographer, I began to question my career. Was this what I really wanted? I realized that success for me wasn't based on how much money I was making, but on how happy I was in my photography. I wanted to share my story with you to show you that it's possible to escape the fake photographer trap and find true success in photography!

You can find me on;

[utubepiotr]

Your advice Scott applies to any specialty or vocation. Photography brings us to your channel, but your wisdom is helping guide people in non dead end directions outside of photo world. Keep it going Scott, keep saving naive souls.

[samanthaodonnell]

Bugger all % !! I was bullied off of my uni courses by lecturers, yet out of 40-50ish students per year/course, I'm one of a handful still shooting or even working in anything relatively photography related - I can count on one hand!

[alexanderow]

Thank you, Scott it's always THE PROCESS 29 years and still ALWAYS the PROCESS !!!

[philliphickox]

When you talk about the number of graduates who become professional after completing the Course in Photography it is also reflected by the number of students who after graduation never work in the field that they had studied, for example study law and never work as a lawyer. Study economics and never work in that field. Practice, Patience, perseverance, Process, I am finally in a place where I have gone all in, maybe a little late in life, but now there is only me to worry about.

I am not a still life photographer, but I am learning that craft. Why? Simply to improve and develop my skill set. It is getting me to think about light differently and how to use it to my advantage. For example photographing events, sometimes there is not much anyone can do, other times it is where will the sun be, what is the best time of day, the best season.

[ohnoflicks]

When I was actively shooting commercial, a friend wanted to come by and visit me working. He thought we were going to play with cameras and lights all day. His expectation was dashed I’m afraid. My tasks for that day included wrangling a forklift and driver to help deliver a crate to my warehouse shooting space, unpacking, inventory of the crate, matching it against the packing list, confirming with the client that everything was received in good condition, making up a notes sheet to shoot in the most expedient fashion taking into account light setups, backgrounds etc. Then at the end of the day I cleaned the office bathroom. So it’s not all giggly fun and playing camera shit all day. For active shooting, a very busy week for me was shooting three days. The rest was all support activity. It was quite an awakening for my friend.

[danthienphoto]

We need MORE photography advice like this on the internet!

[EdwardKilner]

Nicely elucidated, thank you. Reminds me, don’t really know why, that there is no free lunch.

As a project manager consultant, it was all about process: did the client’s performers have one? Follow it? Repeat it? Improve it? Continually perfect it? Document it all? Not my invention, all that. But it works.

[mrbob]

Damm, spot on here, you need to go talk to high school students!
Life changing message 😊

[mike_s_media]

More process related goals... I love it man! We get so caught up in the subject matter that we destroy the process and hang ourselves in the details rather than focusing on the process and committing to actually completing the steps. Almost an if you build it they will come approach but without the wasted energy of worrying about results that you can't always control.

[callumrankine]

Process goals are the way forward big man. I recently looked at my goals and began to focus on the journey not the journeys end. I feel I have some control back. Cracking video!

[Media_Indy]

Good video! I'm one that didn't go to school for photography. For many years it was a hobby and I had thoughts of doing it professionally 'at some point'. Well, in '21 there was a force in the road and I left my IT career behind and decided to go all in on photography. I'm doing real estate photo/video & headshots to pay the bills, Landscape and cityscape to get into more of a fine art area. It really is enjoyable. I look at channels like yours for the content on growing and focusing on the process. Thanks again for the great content!

[darrelltheriault]

Excellent advice and a great approach to many aspects of your life beyond photography. In my job were told that goals which we set had to meet the MARC of excellence. Measureable, Achievable, Relevant and Controllable.

[doke]

I often forget the that's my favorite part. Thank you for the video.

[arangodan]

This resonates with me. I find I’m happier when I treat success as a side effect rather than a goal

[IntelWond]

It's an interesting and, I would say, a pretty healthy approach. My guess is through the years I may have come to something pretty close to it mentally, but I didn't think too much about it. Very natural philosophy, that in the end allows you to make better pictures.

[samdub]

I went to collage and graduated, left and got an amazing job shooting motorsport but this was seasonal.

I went on to assist and did post production in studios but money wasn’t great, and other than the odd side job here and there I haven’t worked in photography for nearly 10 years.

Skip forward to this year though, I got my arse into gear and have shot weddings on the side all year, with a decent amount of bookings for next year too so hoping to go part time or quit my job to get back into what I really love! Thanks for the videos Scott, they’re great!

[Diggr]

There was a recent article in the news that outlined the top university degrees that are a waste of money. Photography was at number 1 based on the numbers of those that graduated and went on to do professional work.

[braytonlife]

In the drop-down menu of, "I don't know who needed to hear this..." I did. Thank You. Sometimes this industry can make you, (if you let it) feel really bad about yourself.... like a complete failure in fact. But some of that is comparing oneself to others and not realizing that everyone is different in how they achieve their goals... we're all on different journeys apparently... Anyway, Thank You for what you do.

[GJSsongsmith]

Best advice and best video on photography I’ve seen . Many thanks 🙏 Scott

[ben]

Good life advice, not just photography