5 Things I’m Glad I Didn’t Do in My Photography Career

Sunset light on the Karakoram Himalayas, Pakistan

I don’t have many regrets in life. Things I want to do, I usually get done, or else they’re on my schedule of things to accomplish, so there is not a big list in my head of things I wished that I’d done in life.

However, I do have a pretty big list of things that I’m glad I didn’t do, like buy that $4,000 1968 Martin right before the economy crashed two years ago, move to L.A. and try to become a rock star at 18, or chase that one girl who… well, never mind, it wouldn’t have worked out anyway.

When it comes to my photography career, there are definitely things that I’m glad I haven’t done. They are things that, at the time, might have seemed like a good idea, but in the end, choosing not to do them has made me 1. happier, 2. richer, and most importantly, 3. more focused on my professional goals.

Ok, so maybe not richer, there are plenty of things that I could have done differently in order to get more money, but since I’m driven more by happiness than money, I’m fairly satisfied with the career choices that I’ve made.

Anyway, here is my list of 5 things that I’m glad I didn’t do as a professional freelance photographer. You don’t have to agree with any of my decisions, but hopefully my list will inspire some careful introspection on your part and help keep you focused on your own professional goals.

1. Give My Work Away.

When I first started out, it was sometimes tempting to give my work away, or else price extremely low in order to break into the daunting marketplace. The reason would be to help get my name out there in the hopes that more people would have a chance to see my imagery. I my early years, I probably priced a few assignments lower than I should have, but I never gave work away for free without some sort of VERY worthwhile compensation. A very small number of exceptions have been made for personal favors or as donations for causes that I REALLY believe in.

2. Go Digital Too Soon.

I was probably one of the last holdouts, in fact, I waited until my photo lab closed before I bought my first digital SLR. Looking back, I don’t see that it would have made a difference, except that I’d have a few thousand dollars less in the bank and a couple of obsolete 6MP Nikon D100 DLSR bodies sitting in my unused camera collection.

3. Weddings.

Not that there is anything at all wrong with shooting weddings, it’s just not what I want to do. In the end, I focused my creative and professional energy on pursuing the specific kinds of photography that drive me and that I’m good at, and because of that, I’m a much better and more accomplished outdoor photographer than I ever would have been as a part time wedding, part time outdoor shooter.

4. Get a Day Job.

I made the decision long ago that I’d rather slug it out and work hard to build up my photography business than spend my days doing something that doesn’t fulfill me, even it if meant I didn’t have much money. It hasn’t always been easy, and there have certainly been times over the years when I’ve taken on extra work in order to bring in additional income. Since turning pro, I never took on another full time job, though. I figured that eight hours spent at a job is eight hours that I’m not shooting new work and marketing myself to clients. In the end, I feel that it’s paid off.

5. Listen to All the People Who Told Me “I Should…”

Along the way, there have been countless people who have told me “I should do this” and “I should do that.” Not that all of their ideas have been way out there, but I’ve always felt as if I know better than anyone what I need to do in order to run and grow my business. I’m kind of a control freak that way. After all, it’s MY business. That doesn’t mean that I’m not open to good input from professionals who know what they’re talking about, I just don’t listen to the average advice giver, who happens to be pretty much everyone else.

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Dan Bailey is a professional adventure, outdoor and travel photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska. Follow his own blog at danbaileyphoto.com/blog and see his daily updates at facebook.com/danbaileyphoto.

Tagged as: freelance photographer, inspiration, Photographer, Photography