You say “Cheese”, while I make bread…
Well, now I can officially say that I’m a paid photographer.
Today I received a check that covers the purchase of four photos and the contracted location photo shoot where three of the four were taken. The other photo was the one that originally caught the attention of the buyer when she saw it in my Flickr photostream.
My photographic journey began with I received my first real SLR: an Olympus OM-1 that I received as my high school graduation present 25 years ago. I’ve been fascinated with photography ever since.
I dove into digital photography twelve years ago, when I got my hands on my employer’s Apple QuickTake 150, which took horrid, washed-out pictures at 640 x 480 resolution. In 1996 I took the plunge and bought an Olympus D-300L, which created pretty fair images at a resolution of 1024 x 768. Then in 1999 I moved up to the 2 megapixel Olympus C-2000z, my first digital zoom, and promptly thereafter sold my old, unused OM-1 to a coworker. I waited seven years before I got my next camera, but in January of 2006 in preparation for my trip to Seoul I finally acquired my first digital SLR: the 6 megapixel Nikon D50 that I’m using today.
Most interestingly, the organization that bought my work is a nonprofit that funds architectural illumination of Boston’s public historical and cultural sites. That means some challenging shooting: shooting at night with only the existing, provided illumination; and shooting in tight, crowded, confined spaces where sightlines may be sub-optimal.
On the other hand, I’ve always enjoyed both nighttime and architectural photography, as demonstrated by the long exposure B&W wintertime film work I did with my OM-1 in college. So this is an incredible opportunity to practice doing something I really enjoy, and build a portfolio, some contacts, and possibly a reputation in that field.
The assignment has also prompted me to do some studying about photographic technique and the business side of photography, which involves a lot of attention to what rights are granted and reserved, how to price photographic work, plus the legalese surrounding all that.
I’m still very surprised that they found me on Flickr, since I’d only been there a couple months. It’s pretty obvious that they searched on a particular site that they had worked on and I’d happened to shoot. I guess that underscores the value in shooting unique subjects, tagging them well, and posting them online. I’ve only been on Flickr six months and posted 150 photos, but it’s more than paid for itself already, and this work will soon pay for the star filter I just ordered over at Calumet.
So with that kind of positive reinforcement coming in, you can definitely expect to see more photos from me in my Flickr photostream in coming months. That’s doubly true, since they’ve already discussed a list of sixteen other sites they want to have shot!
It might not seem like a huge deal, but I’m really pleased that someone wants my stuff. I’m very proud to be able to say that I’m a paid, working photographer, and I’m delighted with the growth that this wonderful series of shoots should provide.