Fulltime/Partime?

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Archive 2008 · Fulltime/Partime?

paparazzinick
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p.3 #1 · Fulltime/Partime?

unblinkable wrote:
ChrisDM wrote:

You've got it backwards IMO. Make your free time before you have kids, then get to work when you've got somebody besides yourself to work for...

That's a horrid plan! Kids need parents at home as much as possible... not out working their tails off just so the latest toys can be bought. That's why we've got such a rotten generation growing up now... absentee parenting.

thanks mel...my goal is to work my ass off now and save enough so when the kids do come the house we are building right now will be almost paid off and our only bills will be utilities and kids toys, clothing and food.

so sure missing out on life between the ages of 21 and 30 isnt a big deal to me because when we have kids I will finally get my rest with 1 job (photography) and spending time with my family. people say kids are rough ad you dont get sleep hey any sleep over 4 hours a night i get now is going to be a treat. and if i only get 4 hours then i will e used to it but it will be fun.

Dec 03, 2008 at 05:41 AM

David.G
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p.3 #2 · Fulltime/Partime?

I'm just getting back into doing it part time and never expect to be full time. Getting married and having kids sort of put the brakes to that idea years ago. Now, my day job pays more than I could ever imagine making from photography and the benefits are pretty good too.

Nick,
If and when you have kids, you'll be constantly changing your #1 and #2 priorities between your wife and your kids. If you let photography creep into the #1 or #2 spot, you run the risk of losing something you'll regret for the rest of your life. Once the kids get old enough to be on their own, well, you'll be older and wiser.

Dec 03, 2008 at 05:55 AM

chaloux
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p.3 #3 · Fulltime/Partime?

Full time student (except york u. is on strike right now), part time photog. I'm really not too worried about bookings because I barely have any free time as a student anyway. My goal is to have to turn people away in my fourth year, so that when I finish (if no graduate studies are in sight) I can take on photography full time.

Dec 03, 2008 at 06:10 AM

unblinkable
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p.3 #4 · Fulltime/Partime?

paparazzinick wrote:

thanks mel...my goal is to work my ass off now and save enough so when the kids do come the house we are building right now will be almost paid off and our only bills will be utilities and kids toys, clothing and food.

so sure missing out on life between the ages of 21 and 30 isnt a big deal to me because when we have kids I will finally get my rest with 1 job (photography) and spending time with my family. people say kids are rough ad you dont get sleep hey any sleep over 4 hours a night i get now is going to be a treat. and if i only get 4 hours then i will e used to it but it will be fun.

PERFECT! As long as you aren't abandoning your wife in the process of reaching that goal, you'll be great! There's a happy balance to life... mess with it and something gets abused.

Dec 03, 2008 at 06:12 AM

ai3x
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p.3 #5 · Fulltime/Partime?

unblinkable wrote:
paparazzinick wrote:

thanks mel...my goal is to work my ass off now and save enough so when the kids do come the house we are building right now will be almost paid off and our only bills will be utilities and kids toys, clothing and food.

so sure missing out on life between the ages of 21 and 30 isnt a big deal to me because when we have kids I will finally get my rest with 1 job (photography) and spending time with my family. people say kids are rough ad you dont get sleep hey any sleep over 4 hours a night i get now is going to be a treat. and if i only get 4 hours then i will e used to it but it will be fun.

PERFECT! As long as you aren't abandoning your wife in the process of reaching that goal, you'll be great! There's a happy balance to life... mess with it and something gets abused.

Damn I need to learn that saving money thing....

Me, I'm currently part time, evaluating where I want my path in life to take me. The day job is quite fun, steady and pays well. Photography better suits my personality and I think will ultimately make me a lot happier (if poorer).

Dec 03, 2008 at 09:38 AM

ChrisDM
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p.3 #6 · Fulltime/Partime?

Actually the 2 or 3 gigs I shoot weekly afford me a lot of free time at home (much, much more so than your typical "working man"), plus my wife doesn't have to work either so she's with our young son full time also. In fact one of the greatest rewards of my photography business is that I get to spend so much time with my wife and son together. And I didn't have to sacrifice my 20s to do it either!

But I think the point I was trying to make ealier is that work isn't everything, to me. I gave 5 or 6 years of my life to a corporation and I regret nearly every minute of it. There's too much life, wonder and beauty out there to spend it sitting in a cubicle, or behind a desk etc. I finally had the courage to follow my dream and live free, my only regret being that I didn't do it sooner.

Chris M
www.imagineimagery.com

Dec 03, 2008 at 02:17 PM

Tony Hoffer
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p.3 #7 · Fulltime/Partime?

Full-time here since October 1st.

Not sure what gear lists have to do with this, but mine has lots of red rings.

Dec 03, 2008 at 02:32 PM

paparazzinick
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p.3 #8 · Fulltime/Partime?

the wife is my assistant at the weddings so we get to work together then play together

Dec 03, 2008 at 02:39 PM

paparazzinick
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p.3 #9 · Fulltime/Partime?

ChrisDM wrote:
unblinkable wrote:
ChrisDM wrote:

You've got it backwards IMO. Make your free time before you have kids, then get to work when you've got somebody besides yourself to work for...

That's a horrid plan! Kids need parents at home as much as possible... not out working their tails off just so the latest toys can be bought. That's why we've got such a rotten generation growing up now... absentee parenting.

Dec 03, 2008 at 02:41 PM

Chris Hsieh
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p.3 #10 · Fulltime/Partime?

part time photographer, part time grad student and full time paper pusher

This was my first year in operation and I've learned a TON about how I want to operate my business in the future. Had 19 weddings (gotta love small town america) this year and I really enjoyed it, but I want to focus more on quality than quantity for 2009.

Wife is almost done with veterinary school, so she'll be my sugar momma and we'll see if I want to go full time in the future. The stability and benefits of having a FT job is so hard to give up!

Dec 03, 2008 at 02:47 PM

dmacmillan
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p.3 #11 · Fulltime/Partime?

prof_fate wrote:
I was in theory going to be a stay at home dad and just do a few weddings a year until our youngest get to first grade (2 more years yet) then go into this hot and heavy.
Problem is I can't say no when there's money involved.

Does this make you a DWAC?

I guess I'm lucky. Since going into IT I've really enjoyed what I've done. I've worked with mainframes, minis and PC's. I've seen a revolution in the industry. I've gone from COBOL to C# and Ajax.

Also, I've never defined myself by how I make money. I don't look towards my work to "fulfill" me. If it does, that's all the better, but I'll accept an unfulfilling job that provides the wherewithall for me to pursue my other interests (spending time with family, photography, sailing, traveling, vintage record collecting, reading).

You can be successful in photography, but to do so, you have to be almost totally committed to it 24/7. I got out because I just have too many other things I'd like to do. I don't want to totally commit to anything.

You may also want to consider this. As a happy amateur photographer, I have total control over my schedule. My photographic endeavors are completely pleasurable. If I don't feel like doing it, I don't.

Being a full time professional was pleasurable also, but maybe only 20% of the time. Most of your time is taken up running the business. Unfortunately, I don't find that much fun. I got to do corporate annual reports, but to get the cherry assignments, I had to do a lot of "grip and grin" and other bread and butter photography as part of customer relations. It wasn't bad, but it's not quite the glamorous life outsiders fantasize.

Doug

Dec 03, 2008 at 02:48 PM

Lucky_Dog
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p.3 #12 · Fulltime/Partime?

Part time. Photography accounts for 10% of my income in my first year... hoping for 30% in my second year. My day job is in constant jeopardy... low-level management at a fortune 30 company.

Dec 03, 2008 at 02:52 PM

Amy Koch
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p.3 #13 · Fulltime/Partime?

I am a part time banquet server and part time photographer. I was hoping to be full time photographer this past summer, but now shooting for next summer.

Dec 04, 2008 at 01:23 AM

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