Why and How I became a fashion Photographer

I first got interesting in taking pictures when I was about

10 years old. Back then, I thought I would be an Ansel Adams

photographer. I loved his landscapes, as almost all young kids

do, and it got me dreaming about the great adventures I could

have, taking beautiful pictures all over the country. Through

the years, my dream has changed somewhat a couple of

times. I used to want to be an artistic photographer in

high school, and that fascination lasted for quite a few years.

I knew that I would have to take some time as a

wedding photographer or something like that to make ends

meet, but I never expected it to be a career. It seemed like

just a step on my path.

I never expected to be a fashion photographer until I found

myself suddenly answering to that job description.

Fashion photography was just a lucrative side project.

The only problem was that it was too lucrative. If you can

break into the field, taking fashion photographs can make

you a lot of money. Most famous fashion photographers

make thousands of dollars every single day just from

snapping a few pictures. Although I am not that caliber of

fashion photographer, it pays much better than anything

else I could do. The problem is that it pays too well.

When I took up fashion photography, it didn't pay very well

at all. I had no idea how to become a fashion photographer,

and as a result my business suffered. I couldn't make the

contacts I needed, and my models were mostly nobodies

who could only afford to pay me a little bit. Then I hooked up

with a high-profile fashion photographer, I finally was taught

the tricks of the trade. I realized that I could make a lot of

money as a fashion photographer, and I decided to put off

art school for another year or two while I worked at it. It was

meant to be a temporary step, but somehow 10 years have

passed and I'm still at it. Maybe one day I will get into serious

art photography, but for the time being this is where I'll stay.

Besides the money, there are a lot of good things about

being a fashion photographer. You get to meet a lot of

interesting people including fashion models, fashion

designers, and celebrities of all sorts. It definitely isn't a bad

life, but it isn't the life I dreamed of originally. I guess things

could have turned out worse!