Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity!

Good morning, Steemit!

It’s a sunny day here in Burbank, CA. It always is, I guess. I’m coming to you from Romancing the Bean, a quaint coffee shop on Magnolia Blvd. For years this was the place I came to work before making my way to the shoots that would ultimately define my career. It’s bringing me a sense of nostalgia, reflecting on this journey that began in 2013. Since arriving, I’ve been thinking a lot about my career and the decisions I made over the last 17 years of shooting professionally. Steemit is the perfect place to share some of my experiences, so that’s what this post is about.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” —Seneca the Younger, Roman Philosopher 65 AD

It’s been said many ways by many people, but Seneca has got to be one of the first. This quote sums up my photography career completely. @thomaskuntzart first introduced me to this concept when I was telling him about the serendipitous circumstances that I got my start in LA. It’s stayed with me, and I’ve recited it to many artist and photographer friends since.

The short version of my story begins with a trip I’d planned for Japan. Every year, I’d set a goal that I genuinely felt was out of my reach. This was intentional, of course. It might be shooting with a model that seemed unobtainable, or it could be a grandiose trip to Europe like the shoot I describe in my previous blog “Capturing the perfect photo in a Paris hotel!”. Japan fell through, I had money saved and reached out to a model in LA and asked her if I came to her, if she’d be willing to shoot together. She said she would, and the rest is history. 

Here’s some context and advice after that short career summary. Remember that Seneca quote and keep in mind, my preparation, and opportunities will be different than yours. 

Preparation meets opportunity 

Most photographers [...and artists in general] grind daily making a fraction of the endless hours they invest in to their passion. Most artists feel broke, discouraged and frustrated. Even now, as I tout my career as “successful”, I make less than $25K a year. If it helps, I’ll remind you that this is what you signed up for. This is the artist life. Once that’s accepted, it’s much easier to move past the hopes and dreams of becoming a millionaire celebrity photographer or artist [...you’ll be pleasantly surprised if it happens but that idea is much more in the “reality” versus “expectations” range.”

The good news is, you’re already underway with the “preparation” part of the equation, even if you don’t know it. In my case, I was mentoring under a photographer named Jim Gavenus. Jim is an incredible documentary photographer telling the stories of Human Rights struggles in Haiti and the Civil Rights movement in The Deep South. He only shoots with available light, and as such, so did I. At the time, I didn’t realize how important that was for me as an artist. The shoot I mentioned; the one that “started it all”, was with a pinup model named Doris Mayday. 

If there was ever a genre that was overdue for a refresh, it was the pinup scene. For 20 years, cheesecake pinup photography was beaten in to an overdone, cliché pulp. Bright colors, seamless backdrops, exaggerated poses and cheesy expressions [...sorry if you’re a fan]. Thirteen years of shooting in exclusively available light, natural light and low light, unknowing prepared me to bring an entirely new esthetic to the vintage and pinup scene. Dark environments, haunting moods and romantic locations, paired with 1940’s and 50’s hair, make-up and wardrobe, created a harmonious image that looked like a still from an old Hollywood film. That first shoot in LA with Doris gave me a platform to showcase my photography with her massive Instagram following, and that was the opportunity.

Put it all on the line

In fact, the “chances” are what will get you a seat at the table. With my first trip to LA, I didn’t have any friends on the west coast. I had to rented a few AirBnB’s on the cheap, slept in my car a couple of nights, and saved the last of my money for an extravagant room for the shoot with Doris. I found a few places for $250 but they weren’t right. The didn’t fit the image or mood for what I wanted for this shoot. I eventually booked a room for $400 at The Redbury in Hollywood. That seems crazy, I know, but I’d do it 100x’s over knowing what I know now. Those images from that shoot began an endless stream of bookings in Los Angeles that are still coming in today some five years later.

Anticipate the baggage that comes with stardom 

This is a theme I’ve heard from many of my friends, and I myself, experienced. We’re so preoccupied scratching and clawing to get somewhere in our careers, we’re completely blindsided and unprepared once it already happens. From logistical hurdles like model releases, contracts and scheduling skills […believe me, to go from booking a shoot or two a month to sixteen in nine days in an entirely new skill set], to just mustering the physical, mental and creative fortitude to actually keep up with and execute the work. When it happens, it happens fast and you’d be doing yourself a service to lay a foundation for your newfound success. This applies to life in general, even Steemit. Think ahead. Imagine that near impossible obstacles that may fall before you and troubleshoot them before they happen.

Charge what your worth

I grew up in a small town and I grew up mostly poor. As such, I’ve realized that I’ve gone through much of my career thinking that everyone was as poor as I was. That’s not true. When I started shooting in LA, I was charging $500 thinking at the time, that had to be the ceiling of a rate I could charge. I spent the first year booking dozens of shoots, barely having enough in the tank to get through each trip. Eventually, I was forced to up my rate to $600 and I was SURE I wouldn’t get any bookings. I was wrong. Same when I upped my rate to $750, then $900 and now I charge $1000. I wish I knew that years ago. Of course, you have to take an unbiased evaluation of your current skill level and land on a rate that reflects that in relation to your competition.

Professionalism

Again, another skill that goes far beyond your career. Be a professional in life and in your work. You know what qualifies make up a professional. The same ones that you’d expect if you were hiring someone to clean your home, care for your children or fix your plumbing. This is essential for those of us who have seized our “preparation meets opportunity” moment, because a lack of professionalism can make it all slip away. Respect, communication, and making good on your commitments. That probably sounds like canned advice, but life gets complicated. You’ll inevitably have complications or a falling our with clients. Can you apply the “respect, communication and commitment” then?

Thanks for reading! I could go on and on with this topic. More to be said than I can fit in on blog, but I hope this offered some insight to up and coming photographers and artists. I post daily, so for more photography, illustration, art and the stories behind the work, follow me here @kommienezuspadt!