Hello! I'm Chris,
An aspiring photographer. For the past year and a bit, I have been trying to make it as a professional photographer.
"How's it going?" you may well ask. To be honest, it's not as smooth as I thought it would be. I thought I would have had a few more clients under my belt by now. I've only had one.
The reason for this blog isn't to talk about my rocky start to becoming a professional photographer, after years of being a hobbyist. It's to try something new and talk about why I chose photography.
Ever since I can recall, I have had a camera in my hand. My parents bought me one when I was a pre-teen. When I was a teen, I wanted to shoot for Playboy. What a typical boy thing to want, dreaming of a career where all you do is take pictures of scantily clad women. Ah, youth! (I'm 31, I don't know why I said the "Ah, youth" thing).
Then high school came around, and I completely forgot about photography for one reason or another.
But, in my twenties, I rediscovered the craft of photography. So much so, I even wanted to go to college to study the subject. I never did, though. I got talked out of it by my mother. So, I settled for it being a hobby.
Now, if you are reading this and still interested, you are probably thinking, "Get to the point, man! why?".
Calm down, I'm getting there.
The reason why I chose photography? Well, it's simple. It's been a part of me for as long as I can remember. It's kept me occupied on bad days, and brought me more joy on good days. Photography has made me more creative in other aspects of my life, like my other hobbies and aspirations, even my day job.
There's nothing like getting up early (this coming from someone who's not a morning person), freshening up, then hitting the road to some random destination. Not knowing what kind of photos you are going to take and just taking a leap of faith. It's the challenge of not knowing what will happen and pivoting to get shots that you will like. Planning the day usually gets better results, but I'm far too laid back for that kind of thing and I'm a glutton for punishment haha.
It's the excitement, the anticipation of all the possibilities that could present themselves. The thrill of driving to a new town or location. You don't know the meaning of excitement until you have woken up at the brink of dawn and driven through northern Ontario on a brisk autumn morning to go to Algonquin Provincial Park. Hiking more rocky hills than you would care to imagine. Finally, you reach the top of a cliff and see some of the most beautiful, stunning landscapes you have ever seen. And when you press down on that shutter button, hear the click of the camera, you check the shot you've taken, and it's perfect! Let me tell you, there is not a more satisfying feeling in the world.
What's more satisfying is going to a completely unknown location, not sure what's going to happen, and bagging one of the best shots of your life. There is a sense of accomplishment in that. It just makes you feel good deep down.
So, when my career stopped doing it for me, I looked to transition onto a new path in life. Photography was the obvious choice. To achieve that feeling of satisfaction on a daily basis, to indulge in your passion every day. Not just on the weekends during a grueling hike.
That's why I have finally devoted myself to my dream after a decade of denying myself the life I've always wanted. I know it's going to take work to get to that point, but that's the point. It's a journey like anything else. I'm excited to see where this path leads me and how it all turns out.
To whoever reads this, I hope you enjoyed my rambling and spilling my guts out about my passion for my craft. I hope this inspires you to take on a new challenge, chase a dream, and follow your passion. I hope you will stick around and follow me as I chase mine. Maybe we will both reach our destinations at the same time, who knows?
Now, I want to hear from you! What is your passion? How do you pursue it? What do you love the most about your passion? Comment down below!
Thanks for reading,
Chris Mayer
Comments