Getting Personal
by Ian Cartwright of Caramel Photography

Coming from an artistic background, I trained in fine art and graphic design, before embarking on a 30 plus year career as a professional photographer. I have always put great emphasis on doing personal work.

Why are you a photographer?

I suspect most of us who earn a living from capturing still images through a lens, started with an all-consuming passion for photography for its own sake. If we weren’t able to do it for a living, we would do it anyway, as a hobby. Those of us who have been photographers for a long time, may have lost some of that passion and we could have slipped into that “just another job” mode. What a pity for us and our clients, if that is true.

Greater Rewards

If you have a policy of continual development, I maintain you will gain greater job satisfaction, your clients will benefit from your greater creativity, and you will be better rewarded financially.

One good way to get those creative juices flowing is to shoot personal work. Nobody knows your true potential if all you ever show is commissioned work which merely answers a brief. Don’t fall into the habit of working to a formula which you know works, giving your clients just what they expect. Go beyond that, and not only give them what they ask for, but more. I have often heard the excuse that “my clients don’t give me the work that lets me be creative”. There is no excuse for allowing the mediocre to be the norm. If there really isn’t a possibility of adding alternative approaches to commissioned work, then commission your own projects.

If you need another reason to justify taking the time to pursue personal projects, you could go for qualifications, or enter competitions, or perhaps plan an exhibition of your work. Any of these things can provide a valuable source of publicity which will raise awareness of you as a cut above the rest. You might even sell your images through stock libraries or as fine art prints.

“What should I shoot?”

That’s for you to decide. It doesn’t really matter what is the subject. What would you really like to be shooting? If you don’t show it, nobody will know that you can do it. So, I suggest you set aside some time every month to “sharpen your saw” by doing personal work.