Once upon a time I was a wedding photographer, and this is my tale.
Thankfully, I realised this wasn’t for me and I became a commercial still life photographer instead, which is much better suited to my personality type.
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Comments
43 responses to “Why You SHOULDN'T Be a Portrait Photographer”
Come and see behind the scenes of my career over here https://www.patreon.com/tinhouse
You have a real problem: you are incapable of making a video that even remotely sucks. This is an unbelievably fantastic channel. In fact, simply the best. The problem you will be challenged by is burning out with getting hundreds of thousands of subscribers by blowing up because you will. It is obvious that you put tons of thought and work into these beautifully produced videos,. We need the vids to keep coming. So play with your dog to stay balanced, but keep them coming! You are killing the game. (and sell your jackets as swag for many hundreds of pounds/dollars per limited edition. The buttons alone are worth the price.)
Scott, I DID enjoy the video at the end. Cheers, Ken (in Prague : )
I've been a headshot photographer for over ten years and it does actually suit me but I hear you about the stress. I'm able to run shoots my way luckily because I work with actors and a long, talky, collaborative approach seems to work for them and that's my preference. The odd time I've done product photography though I've found it to be really relaxing being slightly scientifically minded myself too so that resonated. Thumbs up!
I am a very happy 72 year-old hobbyist photographer / videographer. My adult career started in 1972 as an apprentice to Monte Zucker then one of the most popular and successful portrait/wedding photographer/teacher/author in the US, followed by three years working as a lab technician at National Geographic moonlighting a college printing technology halftone/color separation instructor, production manager at a high quality web offset magazine printer, a brief career tangent in 1980-82 as a computer system manager / application developer then a 29 year career in the US Foreign Service, 11 of them in Manila, Philippines where I ran a 140 person USIA publishing center as production manager, executive (admin) officer and director retiring in 2010 with a pension and savings which allow me to buy whatever photo gear I want 😊
In retrospect going to work for Monte spared me years and thousands of dollars it would have taken me to realize I could do the sales and marketing and back-end work needed to be successful as a solo photographer but I would not enjoy it and would get burned out, which is what happened around the one-year mark working for him when I stopped learning anything new and it became shooting the same ‘formula’ poses and lighting patterns known to flatter ordinary people who don’t have slender, perfectly symmetrical faces like top models.
What working for him did was open doors because of how well known he was. Luck played a role too. I got my interview at National Geographic because my next door neighbor was the asst. manager of all the photo labs there, but I got the job because I’d taught myself the Zone System, portrait lighting, photojournalism, underwater photography with flash and photo halftone silkscreening while in high school and the two years I attended college before dropping out to find a photography job and a mentor like Monte.
He had millionaire clients and we worked at the best hotels in DC in tuxedos but it had taken him 20+ years and lot of intuitive marketing savvy and skill as a salesman to get there. Had he decided to sell cars instead of photos he would be the guy who became sales manager and then dealership owner. I realized by observing and trying to imitate how he manipulated people I just didn’t have the right temperament for it.
As younger sibling as a kid I spent a lot of time as an observer of whatever my three-year older brother did and that is what attracted me to photojournalism. I have an INTP temperament and love change and solving new problems which doing PJ assignments involve. In college as a freshman I had been selected for a 10-week off campus program living on farms in rural Wisconsin because I proposed documenting it as one of my independent study projects. That experience motivated me to drop out to try to make a living doing it.
Working for a top photographer like Monte made me realize that skill taking the photos was only 10% of the work or skill needed. His wife was his business partner and their entire life revolved around the business 24/7, 365 days a year. I was recently married to someone who worked M-F at a bank and got paid vacations. Working every Saturday and coming home totally exhausted mentally from dealing with sometimes uncooperative guests burned me out and told me I needed to recalibrate my career goals.
shooting my last wedding next weekend…. been doing weddings for 14 years. So excited to be done. I love weddings, but they are the worst for photographers bodies. Now specializing in portraits and simplifying my kit. Love it.
Nice! And great to see that older footage of the younger you, doing your stuff! Polite question, and sorry to ask: How do you say your name? Is it "Scott Chowcheeno?" It's a good name!
The money is getting worse! So many people undercutting each other in the portrait world.
The media offline changed my life.
Some actual stories of the bad clients, or the trips (travel) would have been entertaining
Great video content, for years. Thanks dude, appreciate ya and these talks very much. Damn cool BTS, cool to see that throwback!
Cool video. Now shave the beard 👍
The hunch n scoot features heavily at the end
Thanks for sharing your history. Nice to see the behind the scenes. Didn't recognize you with the black hair and no beard. It's nice to learn a little bit more about you. Great work.
I never considered that the stressful thing about commercial portrait photography is dealing with difficult sitters and nightmare PRs. You said the money wasn’t great when you were doing it. Is there big money in commercial portrait photography?
The Clubs video was a nice bonus. Cool to see how much town has changed, even walked past my old flat on New st
I would love to have an endless supply of varied portrait work. Think I need to update my portfolio first ;))
damn younger scott looks like bradley cooper hahaha
I feel cold just looking at those videos! I feel your pain being from Ireland but it’s interesting how much flexibility there is in colour grading now compared to back then.
The one of the man at :57 with the hands on the face, reminds me of the cover of Gregory Heisler's book.
Your portraits looked incredible! You are such a talented photographer Scott! You could take a picture of a gray card, and make it look interesting 😃
Jasper carrott!!
You give me a young Bono vibe, with your look back then. Fun flashback.
so many useful videos and wholesome videos as well.. but still no how to sort and name your files!
come on!! that's what the people need, even thought they have no idea it's what they need lol
Was momentarily confused by the shot at 7:54, but it shows I was paying attention – is there a prize?
Did you only wear one jacket in those days too? The current one is definitely an upgrade!
A 5DMII with pocket wizard mini and flex. Those triggers took years of my life. Interesting video and for me to reflect on my own work.
As a concert or music photographer in the UK, did you go on tour with bands? Also how was it covering your local music scene? Did any of the bands you photographed make it big?
fabulous
Thanks for the interesting experience you're sharing.
It’s actually how I found you! You took photos of Elizabeth Gracie!
Thats why I do architecture.
"photographing things that don't talk back to you".
Very very funny 😂😂
I'll open a studio just so I can wear a shirt like that. And for everything else you been clickbaiting about for the past few years. Hope your back's getting better, and hope you're staying awesome, guv!
Great video I'm really looking forward to watching the rest.
For someone who used to cycle at a high level why don't you shoot cycling and other sports in general? It would be great to hear your insights on what that side of photography is like. How to get into it, where is the work and the do's and don'ts. Love your other work and the this channel is hugely helpful, thank you!
I think we'd all like to see you do some more portraits for the channel
TYPO BROTHER!!!! UseD.
Great video and historical perspective of your work.
The 85 1.8 @ 2.2 is epic!
Now with the VR madness, I can imagine 3D product photography will be a thing. Have you tested how that could work? Product photographed in a room where people can look around and maybe interact or open new product rooms?
God bless the guy who shows up in a VANs tee shirt. Good stuff, Scott.
Can't recognize you without the beard. You could shave it off and rob and bank and get away with it. But it sounds like life is much better doing still-life photos.