Transitions, Passions, and Sacrifices…The path to becoming a full-time photographer for Nick Onken.

“I was recently asked by someone about my transition into photograph full-time. I’ll be the first to say that it wasn’t an easy one, but at the same time I was lucky enough to have a previous job/career that A: was very related to photography and B: was very flexible. I spent 5 years as a graphic designer previous to my photographic journey, and is what I went to school for. Graphic design was my most prominent passion. During my time of freelancing, I picked up a digital camera to shoot content for my graphic design work since most of the clients I had were small and couldn’t afford to pay for imagery.

Eventually I convinced a non-profit client of mine to split a trip to Africa with me to build a photo library for them. Upon my return, I had created some pretty good images, and the client was pleased. It was then, the light bulb went on and thought “That was amazing. I could really see doing this as a career!” a few months later, I connected with another photographer that I was doing some web work for. He invited me out to set just to hang out and see what it was like, so I went. And kept going, and eventually he started paying me to assist him when he had the budget. All the meanwhile, I began shooting weddings, which was great for the learning curve. It taught me a lot about natural light, how to shoot on the fly, etc. It also funded my gear addiction. I juggled assisting, graphic design work, and a few weddings throughout the first year. Graphic design allowed me to make money yet still have a flexible schedule to assist when jobs came up.

I stopped shooting weddings a couple years ago. Simultaneously, I started shooting my pretty friends, then moved on to models with an agency, then got into model testing which became another small source of income. At a certain point my model testing work diverged into more lifestyle, and has evolved to where I’m at now. I’ve been developing my creative vision from the beginning, but the more I shoot, the more I understand what I love.

Becoming a full-time photographer is A LOT of hard work and not an easy endeavor. You have to A: have talent, B: be incredibly self motivated, and C: have a strong business sense. During the beginning and/or transition era there are a lot of sacrifices to be made. The number one sacrifice is consistent income. It was hard enough being single, and going through good and bad times. I couldn’t imagine having a full-time job, or a wife and kids. It takes more time than a normal full-time job to make it work, and it takes a couple years before you start to see the rewards. I sacrificed financial stability, and that’s not something a lot of people like to do. I also sacrificed not having a significant other for the time and ability to focus on what I was doing.

People take all kinds of different paths, and these sacrifices are more of a result of MY path and personal priorities. Just like ISO, Shutter speed, and Aperture, each path is different and has different variables that yield different results. You just have to make the decisions to get what you want and accept the sacrifices that come with them. The most important thing is to figure out what it is you love to shoot, hone your creative style, and build a business around that.” — Nick

You can see more of Nick’s work by visiting his website here. Also check out his blog here.

Are you taking advantage of the social media with respect to your photography?

After viewing the video clip above, how can you not use facebook, twitter, utube, etc. to “broadcast” your personal message to the world? “The times, they are a changin’,” change with them or get left behind! For more on this topic, check out this blog post by photographer Nick Onken, “New School vs. Old School. Adapt & Change or get Left Behind.”

Chase Jarvis does it again…

This was just one of three promotional videos that famous photographer Chase Jarvis produced last summer as a promotion for a talk he gave to a Denver-based art group. Jarvis is just one of many still photographers who are on the cutting edge of their profession by being able to offer clients video as well as still images. With all the new DSLRs coming out, this trend will obviously continue. Check out his blog post here to view two other video promotions, as well as a video of his presentation itself.

You can now minor in photography at LU!

“What? Really? Liberty University now offers a minor in Photography?” Yes, it’s true! Students can now choose to minor in photography! See the chart for the required course schedule. Contact your advisor or Mr. I for more information.

Aperture 3 was my idea!

Well no, not really. It’s here though! Aperture is only available for the Mac and is the direct competitor to Adobe’s Lightroom program for the editing of photographs. It can do it all: from cataloging, to developing, to printing, to the making of slide shows. Apple is even offering a free 30-day trial to test it out. Anyone with a Mac, I would strongly suggest you give it a try. Full purchase price is only $199. See more here.

Announcing spring photography field trip, March 27…

Our semi-annual photography field trip will be to Gary Carter’s backyard wildlife habitat near Greensboro, NC on Saturday, March 27. This will be an awesome photographic opportunity to capture images of birds, reptiles, plants and flowers all in a natural setting without having to hike miles to do so! The National Wildlife Federation has designated Mr. Carter’s property as an official “Backyard Wildlife Habitat.” Mr. Carter is also a veteran wildlife photographer (utilizing equipment by Canon) in his own right; shooting for many national stock photo agencies, as well as numerous respected magazines. Gary and his wife Janice host many “photography weekends” at their home every spring and fall. We are fortunate to be counted among their guests next month. Clear the date on your calendars and plan to join us on March 27. To see additional information about the Carters, visit their website here. More information to follow as the time draws near.

“You’re only as good as the last image you took.”

“You’re only as good as the last image you took.”–Great advice for us as photographers from veteran wildlife shooter, Moose Peterson. In an article he entitled, “What’s the best investment?” Peterson not only extolls the virtues of staying current with the latest in equipment, but also on investing in yourself; by that he means that a photographer should be constantly learning and applying what they have learned to better their photography. I agree wholeheartedly! See his blog here for the full article.

“Phat straps”…fashionable camera straps!

Here is a company that specializes in a more fashion-conscious alternative to your stock, factory, boring camera strap. You can even customize one with your name on it. Thanks to Rachel Jones from VCAR 361-01 for sharing this link.

I got to hear George Lepp, Tony Sweet, and Bill Fortney this past weekend!

WOW! What inspiration! I just got back from the annual meeting of the Carolinas’ Nature Photographers Association (CNPA for short) this past weekend in Greensboro, NC. I got to see and hear presentations from some of nature photography’s living legends, George Lepp and Tony Sweet. I also got to spent some one on one time with my good friends: Bill Fortney, Vinny Colucci, Melissa Southern, Berrie Smith, Ben Williams, and Gary and Janice Carter. Click on the links in red to see each one’s website and work.

Analog vs. Digital…

My good friend and colleague, Patrick Keough, a photo educator on the NC coast, recently wrote a blog post on the technological changes in our everyday lives just in the last 20 years. He wondered if our educational methods have kept pace? He ends his post with this video. Watch it and see if you can identify.