Can art photography pay the bills, or should I give up the dream?

I’ve done gigs.  I’ve done opening night at an opera, I’ve done a film festival.  It’s respectable work, it makes people happy.  One of the photographers I admire most, well two actually, are the couple who photographed my wedding.  They were professional, their equipment was super on point, they had a drone even.  They brought a joy to the evening, and literally gave me memories from an incredible night.  They had been doing the circuit for years, and seemed to really enjoy the interactions with the bride and groom, and the guests. 

There are more than 2 million weddings in a typical year in the United States.  The average amount a couple will spend on their photographer is somewhere around $2,500.00.  That’s an insane amount of money, some of which could certainly be going into my pockets.  Not to mention all the birthday parties and bar mitzvahs, the VIP events, conferences, so many events I could be monetizing.  I have the skills, and there are some great sites like weddingpro.com, weddingwire, thepros, upwork.  I have very little doubt that with some effort, I could make a go at it.

So why would I not?  What’s the downside?  I want to first make clear that I have nothing but respect for event photographers.  There’s so much more that goes into it than just snapping a few photos.  There’s a style, an attitude that sets people instantly at ease, makes them comfortable showing themselves.  They have to be on point at all times.  Miss a big moment, and bridezilla comes down on you, hard.  And of course the work doesn’t end when the event is over.  You may end up spending 30 minutes editing each photo.  It’s a grind, and it takes real commitment to do it well.  And now I see you saying “Oh, I see, you’re just lazy.”  Good guess, but no.  

Is it the demanding clientele?  The mother-in-law who just refuses to admit that she does not, in fact, have a good side?  The groomsman who thinks his drunken winks are just irresistible?  No, it’s not that either.  That easily balances out by the father who tears up when he sees the photos of his darling daughter on her big day.  The bridesmaid who quite literally squeals when you see how you captured her smile.  All the challenges of dealing with crowds, of directing people who aren’t used to being photographed, balance out against the love and magic of 100 moments.  So it’s not that either. 

Maybe there’s just nothing wrong with being an event photographer.  Maybe it’s something about art photography that drags me toward it, rather than being repelled by weddings.  So what is it?

Let me describe to you one of my first experiences with light painting, that might give you an idea.  This happened in Istanbul, with my husband and a great friend of mine, Rasim.  I had just recently discovered that light painting existed, so I didn’t have a lot of gear.  We went out for a dinner, walked a neighborhood that we love looking for inspiration, then had some ice cream.  As we were walking past a dark parking lot/construction site, we noticed some graffiti on a wall.  For the next couple hours, we took something like 40 photos.  We only had some glow sticks, a cigarette lighter, and a basic flashlight.  We’d take a shot, then I’d direct the guys to do this or that for a bit longer, go faster over here, hold your hand a bit lower, I felt like a boss.  Then, the moment came.  That last photo processed and popped up onto my screen.  Let me tell you, the feeling of accomplishment was unreal.  We actually jumped up and down.  We had turned a lifeless piece of graffiti into something that jumped off the screen.  With a basic camera and whatever lights we could come up with, we had created art.  I was hooked on that “Wow”, that was my thing. 

Something about the process of creation excites me as much as the creation itself.  With event photography, you’re responding, recording.  Of course with talent you can record events in a way that’s more beautiful than anyone else, but you did not create the moment.  I want to create the moment.  It’s the outlet I need, it’s the transformation.  Something about event photography just feels too mechanical for me, I feel like at some point the days would just start to blend together.  

I know that art photography is hard, I know it takes years to build a name, to get shown, to build the kind of brand value that makes it possible to make a living.  I’m just afraid that if I take the short-term approach and make money however I can, I’ll get stuck, and be doing the same thing in 20 years.  That feels like some kind of lesson to me, I think I’ll take that.  

So friends and neighbors, I do hope you can learn a lesson with me too.  If you’re lucky enough to find something that makes you say “Wow”, something that makes you feel like you just lifted up the world and shook it, do that again, and again.  Do me a favor, shout out your passions in the comments.  Now I know I probably sound a bit childish, and many of you will say something like “Wow don’t pay the bills”.  But I just can’t avoid the thought that I only get to do this life once, and I have to do everything I can to make sure I have no regrets.  In a word, YOLO!

Big love to everyone for the attention, can’t wait to see you again next week.  It’s been rather cold in Reno, but I’m going to do my best to get out and do another photo-shoot with you.  Hold on to those dreams, and have a bright and focused week.

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