I first got interesting in taking pictures when I was about 10 years old. Back then, I thought I would be an Ansel Adams photographer. I loved his landscapes, as almost all young kids do, and it got me dreaming about the great adventures I could have, taking beautiful pictures all over the country. Through the years, my dream has changed somewhat a couple of times. I used to want to be an artistic photographer in high school, and that fascination lasted for quite a few years. I knew that I would have to take some time as a wedding photographer or something like that to make ends meet, but I never expected it to be a career. It seemed like just a step on my path.
I never expected to be a fashion photographer until I found myself suddenly answering to that job description. Fashion photography was just a lucrative side project. The only problem was that it was too lucrative. If you can break into the field, taking fashion photographs can make you a lot of money. Most famous fashion photographers make thousands of dollars every single day just from snapping a few pictures. Although I am not that caliber of fashion photographer, it pays much better than anything else I could do. The problem is that it pays too well.
When I took up fashion photography, it didn't pay very well at all. I had no idea how to become a fashion photographer, and as a result my business suffered. I couldn't make the contacts I needed, and my models were mostly nobodies who could only afford to pay me a little bit. Then I hooked up with a high-profile fashion photographer, I finally was taught the tricks of the trade. I realized that I could make a lot of money as a fashion photographer, and I decided to put off art school for another year or two while I worked at it. It was meant to be a temporary step, but somehow 10 years have passed and I'm still at it. Maybe one day I will get into serious art photography, but for the time being this is where I'll stay.
Besides the money, there are a lot of good things about being a fashion photographer. You get to meet a lot of interesting people including fashion models, fashion designers, and celebrities of all sorts. It definitely isn't a bad life, but it isn't the life I dreamed of originally. I guess things could have turned out worse!
