when pictures aren’t enough

Though I’ve always loved words, writing hasn’t necessarily come easily to me. I learned to write because of photography and it has been a great addition to my marketable skills.

In the early 90’s I worked as a catalog photographer for a large production house here in Cincinnati. Our clients included numerous department stores and the studio employed seven full-time photographers and probably around 20 support personnel. It was a fun place for a young photographer and every day was full of learning…at least for the first year. The second year seemed a repeat of the first and we shot many of the same photographs, only with new merchandise. There was plenty of value there, though, in refining basic skills learned the year before.

By years three and four I found myself yearning for more. I arrived at the studio every morning in the dark, worked in the dark all day and left in the dark, it seemed. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great opportunity and a great experience…but it had simply run its course. It was time to move on.

On weekends I’d been shooting motocross (motorcycle) racing, one of my true loves. I decided that’s what I wanted to be doing full-time so I did what any half-crazy young photographer does: quit my job, cashed in the 401k to buy photo equipment and hit the road.

While I found success in selling racing images for editorial and advertising use, the real breakthrough happened when I offered to write articles, also. Now I was in a position to tackle more photo stories by offering a bit of text with them. If a magazine couldn’t justify sending just a photographer to an event, they might find the budget if the photographer could also write the story.

I developed a system where I could attend a racing event and provide a photo / text package for one publication while providing additional photos to multiple publications and advertisers around the globe. My greatest skills were as a photographer but adding writing opened otherwise closed doors.

Combining two of my favorite interests (photography and motorcycling) with the additional skill of writing created a fulfilling six or seven year stint in the timeline of my career. The lesson here, I think, is to pursue what you love and be willing to adapt new skills when they suit your purpose. As a photographer / writer I was more valuable than as just a photographer. And, as you can see (read), learning to write can be of great value if you ever decide to start a blog.

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