Photography has been a fantastic career. And I’m still at it. But things have changed for me over the last couple of years, as they have for probably most people. I was an Art Director of a popular magazine in the Bahamas –until the company I was working for became one of many unfortunate casualties of the huge volatility that resulted from Covid-19. Last year I was working as the Managing Director of a high-volume studio company where I was laid off two days before I left to go to my mother’s funeral. It’s ok. I knew it would get me eventually, as I had dodged their first two rounds of layoffs due to my charming personality and remarkably good looks.
Although this has been a seriously stressful time for me, I decided to try and rise to the challenge. I had done good work during my time there and would try to leverage that experience and work to make my next role a step up rather than a lateral or a backward move. I interviewed for positions all over South Florida, sometimes doing 5 interviews for each position. I got no offers. In the meantime. I have experience with design and I was excited for this opportunity to not only pay rent but also to build and broaden my portfolio. It went great, and just as I was about to really run with it, I received two job offers.
One was a Creative Director role which is blowing my mind, and the other was a Photographer role photographing for an antique auction house. I spend a lot of time imagining what my next career steps will be, and I split my future reality in two as The Avengers did in Endgame. My natural path was a creative one. It’s what I’ve always done, so naturally, I’d continue doing it. My diverging reality was in Marketing. I have a good instinct for business and had been paying close attention over the years as I’ve supplied marketers with good creativity and followed their decisions and results. So here I am… A freelancer in a world of amazing creative talent.
Doing new things is uncomfortable, but I love learning. I want, above all else, to become more than I am. In my current role as a freelance photographer, videographer, audio tech, graphic designer, web designer, and educator. I’m solely responsible for all of the following:
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Design
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Website
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Photography/Video
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Marketing Strategy
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Business Analysis
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Ad/Media
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Email list & Campaigns
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Running Sales/Discounts
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Influencer Relationships
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Increasing Revenue
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Managing Relationships With Ad / Brand Agencies
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Monitoring & Understanding Customer Behavior
There’s probably more, but so far so good. That’s quite a set of responsibilities for a photographer to handle. And it sure has been. But it’s going great and I’m having a great time learning new skills. I feel like I’m in an incubator, growing and learning until one day I’ll emerge more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
I love photography, and will still continue doing it; as the major income in my business, however, I want to have the same mastery of all aspects of the business. I have 21 more years until retirement, and it would seem a shame to do nothing but what I’m comfortable with that whole time. There’s so much more to learn.
2022 has been a year to remember so far.