Life is full of unexpected twists and turns as a creative and my photography career is a prime example of that.
Five years ago, I was homeless by choice hoping to "become a photographer"
I was grinding, doing spec work to build a portfolio, living on a few hundred bucks a month, with most of it going to my student loans.
Then, out of the blue, I got a call to shoot a documentary on Denali in Alaska and it was going to pay enough to cover 6 months of living for myself.
Obviously, I said yes.
But, I knew that I wanted to make more out of this opportunity than just flying up, shooting, and coming back to my homelessness with money in my bank. So, I did the only logical thing.
Took my deposit and invested it in gas so I could drive up to Alaska.
I shot the documentary, collected my final payment, and stayed along the Kenai Peninsula for another 2.5 more months with Kristin.
During that time, I hustled to land additional clients. Some paid very little, some paid a few grand, some paid well.
What I learned during those two months have fueled my career for the past few years.
Quoting one of the best movies out there, "if you build it, they will come" is mostly true.
If you put yourself in the right place at the right time, there is a really good chance you can make lemonade.
I have refined this business model over and over again, improving my offer, and figuring out how to be the one in charge of my career as a creative instead of waiting for clients to give me a thumbs up.
In a way, it makes me an influencer, but I like to think of myself as an "amateur adventurer & professional photographer"
The cool part, the documentary I shot ended up airing on PBS, winning a bunch of awards, and proved to me that I can make films as well as photograph.
Join The Adventure:
