I used to have an attitude that to be a photographer you had to BE a photographer. Working a day job and all that meant not being a photographer.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was recently reminded of how wrong this type of thinking is as I’ve gotten to know a guy named Wes Quarles. Wes installs residential Internet service. I first found out about him via my BFF Kevin. Kevin told me about Wes on instagr.am and I love his IG feed.

Wes is learning and pursuing photography the old school way. He drives over an hour each way once a week to take a dark room class at night. He recently traded all of his digital gear for an old Leica. He’s shooting some 4x5. I let him borrow my Hasselblads for awhile.

He’s a great effing photographer… when he’s not on in a bucket truck hooking up lines to houses. Which he does full time and then some. To support his wife and kids. He’s doing it for the love. Not the money. You know what? I’m jealous as shit of him. It’s easy to be jealous of folks like Jeremy Cowart. I am. But I’m equally as jealous of Wes Quarles as well.

There’s no promotion campaign. No over head of a studio and staff. No constant fretting over when and where the next check is coming from. Benefits. Go to work. Do your work. Turn it off when you get home. How awesome would that be?

Grass. Greener. Other. Side.

Cameras are always going to be around. Your kids aren’t. Don’t trade your kids’ youth for lenses and lights. I’m a photographer and do what I do because it’s the only thing I can do beyond an 8 or 10 dollar an hour job. I have to make this photography thing work because it’s all I know how to do. I love it. I wouldn’t have another job in the world most days but it comes at a cost. I have to get on a plane and go to where the job is or where the next teaching gig takes me. I say no to a lot of things because I have to be home for my wife and my kids. I’m at a point in my career where I could hitting Diamond status with Delta right now but my family would never see me and I wouldn’t see them and you can’t give me enough money or business class upgrades to take me away any more than I am already.

Sometimes money is great. Other times money is tight. Sometimes we know where the next check is coming from. Other times we don’t. It’s a hustle and it effects your whole family.

Sometimes I tell folks who want to leave the day job for photography to be careful what they ask for. They might just get it. You’ll be trading your day job in for a day and night job. The first half of your career is going to be an uphill battle. The next part of your career doesn’t look much different but it’s easier because you’re accustomed to it now.

Kill your television. Kill stuff that takes time away. MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF TO GO SHOOT ON A REGULAR BASIS! You have to make time for yourself. Meg and I struggle with this a lot. I’ve learned how to turn things off and go do something for me. It seems totally selfish and Meg has a very difficult time doing it for herself but when she does it’s productive.

Grow. Slow growth. Do whatever you want. You’re free. You don’t have to shoot stuff you don’t want to. You can plan personal projects. You have a job that can finance it. You have the gear. Time is the hard part but if you put a few hours a week into it you can get a lot accomplished. You’re in a good spot. Go do your shitty job you hate and take an hour later that night to shoot pictures. Build a darkroom. Buy some film. Learn to live with less sleep. Teach your kids how to print a photo. Know how awesome that would be?

Jeez. I want a day job sometimes.

Cheers,

Zack