PHLEARN Magazine

I peeked out the window and saw some beautiful birds flying around. I was fascinated by them. Maybe it’s my own naiveté, but I had never realized how active they were in a snowstorm. Those birds, unaware of course, saved my sanity that day.

Ideas for reducing certain risks when venturing into the full-time business of creating.

Take a look inside the bag of commercial and advertising photographer Christian Rudman. Besides shooting commercial work, Christian is a creative director and makes mixed media/art/conceptual images, so his gear is quite versatile.

Learn to stray off the path a little, lose the fear of taking risks. It may be a scary step, but when you do take that first step, it could change your life.

Take a look at the stunning photos from this year’s National Geographic Travel Photographer of The Year 2017 awards.

If you think this sort of risk sounds enticing, I would caution you that taking a leap may not be a wise course of action. At worst you could lose possessions, or shelter, your reputation. That’s heavy stuff. Prepare yourself.

Pop a lens on a camera body – don’t think too hard about the combination – put it in a lightweight bag and go for an adventure. Let’s see familiar and new places with wonder.

The fresh new batch of college photography students are now staring blankly at me. All those faces looking to me for hope in creating a photography career.

After mulling over how to make money as a photographer, I dug deep into my experience to see how I could use some of the strengths acquired over my past career to build a business now.