The Jealous "Pro"


Well, I see a lot of my comments have generated some interesting reaction, some real questions and some flames which I can't get involved with. So...let's take it from the top, regarding a fellow who MIGHT have been semi-serious when asking for tips on becoming a professional...and several fairly mean and sarcastic posts. You know who you are...or maybe you don't and that could be a problem down the road.

1) The Jealous Pro
You probably know who you are, and I spotted more than a few here. You're the guy with some nice gear who's got a day job. Maybe you get a gig from time to time, maybe you shoot a bit more. So why is it that a fellow like me, who owns fairly average gear, is making so much money? It's simple. I don't do weddings. I don't dabble in scenic's. I don't do real estate photography or head shots. I ended up shooting shots of auction items for prints to be sent to clientele. These clients don't usually want to see web shots, they want big glossy prints of the items with accurate color and size references. Years ago I met a fellow who did this sort of work and I was shocked at how well he did with it. In fact he closed his small studio in Brooklyn because all he needed was his smaller setup in his 2nd bedroom. He gave me some work, then left the business to pursue astronomy of all things. I was never jealous of him, or was worried that his M3 was a lot nicer than my STI. I picked up most of his work and ended up with a niche career that paid amazingly well. I'm hardly any great photographer. I can shoot well enough and have had the chance to use a lot of good stuff, so I've learned a thing or two about the nuances that separate them. I never worry about my lady friend who's work is published for money made in half the time I make mine in.
But once in a while I run into people, like several spotted here. They don't like my shots, or rather...they feel there's are better. They're annoyed that I have a new house on 3 acres. They're jealous that I bought 12.5 acres of lakefront. They seem almost threatened by my sailboat and the time we spend on the water. Even my new Subaru LGT and BMW 540 XI anger them, especially when I tell them I like the LGT better!
Those folks dream of being a professional shooter. They don't get it at all that what I do is right in there with baking the donuts. I'm not shooting models at a exotic local and lying to my wife about sleeping alone. I'm just working. And as luck would have it I found a arena where I can make very good money with almost no overhead. I know that I have what I do because I handled myself right around the right people.

2) Bad Behavior
Who am I? Some guy on the web who could be anyone, someone or no one. Or maybe I'm your next good job. Now I'll say straight out that any jobs I have given out in the last 24 months were given to people I know well, but I've gotten work even out of an online forum like this. I once got a job shooting headstones from a girl I met in Starbucks. She seemed like she was a bit full of herself, but I'm glad I treated her right. In other words, I try very hard to not to be mean or sarcastic to people I don't know well. If I get a bad vibe I write it off to bad chemistry and let it go at that. I don't call them liars or openly attack them. It's bad form and never offers ANY kind of reward. If you know who YOU are and feel good about yourself other people will pick up on that. They'll trust in you and in what you can do. That's why I have steady work and have done better than some. If you feel the need to tear me down, why not look into yourself and wonder why? Am I worth so much effort? How has my proclamations of success and knowledge threatened or offended you?

3) Attack of the Stuff
Sure, I have my little yacht, house, cars and more. I'll list it for you in detail if you'd like. I'm proud of it, worked hard to get it. On top of that I worked hard to buy the best of what I could afford. Lots of people have money and still buy an American car. Am I a material guy? You bet!! Sunday I was out on my own boat, sailing along with close friends an my son. We were cruising along, drinking hot cider and listening to Pink Floyd....what's not to like?
So is this bragging? Well, if you're secure in what you have or what you WILL have then you should be happy for me. Who even knows if you WANT a sailboat or even a house? If I can do it, you probably can as well. My good fortune is not a THREAT to yours, unless you're a very angry and jealous person. If you are it's going to be a very very VERY hard life for you until you learn that life isn't a race, except maybe in relation to health and aging. We all want to feel the sun on our backs before we're too old to know where the sun is!

4) In the end, we have only the end
The facts are the facts. I make good money with my camera. I've worked with a lot of good people & gear and have 1st hand experience that many only read about. My observations are fairly valid, and since they are MY observations I feel strongly about them. The very fact that threads about the D300 being "professional" or not persist makes it very clear what type of forum this is. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a more sophisticated discussion at times.
Things I won't do here: Demean or put down anyone else's shots. I might offer strong constructive criticism at most. I won't get into a war calling people names or suggesting that they are liars, especially given the fact that you NEVER know who you're talking to most of the time. I assure you...the last laugh has been mine throughout these threads, but it's been a sad and somewhat condescending laugh all the same. And that's not something I enjoy, since I know there must be people here I can learn from.

Thanks again for reading a lengthy post...and cheers!



Thomas