How I Got Where I Am Today....Which Isn't All That Far

"Desert Sunrise" - © James Wilson 

One of my first images playing with silhouettes, Spring 2007

The other day I was messaging back and forth with a friend on Twitter about where he was going with his photography and and one point he stated, "One day I would love to get in a gallery like yourself." I was a bit thrown off from the comment because I don't really think I'm successful at all. Sure my images are in a gallery, but it's a very new and very open business with about 25 other artists including crafts people selling jewelry and other small items. It's really more of a shop than a gallery and I honestly didn't do much of anything to get in, other than put myself out there. That doesn't mean I haven't worked my ass off to get this far.


But let me start at the beginning. From the moment I sat down in my Photo I class at SCC I knew I wanted to be a fine art photographer. Nothing against anyone that does commercial or portrait work (I even enjoy that too) but I really wanted to make things people openly displayed on their walls. Big things too, none of this 8x10 stuff (hence why my images are available as large canvases). I wanted to make images that stopped people and made them look closer, really think about what they are looking at, and I've worked to create a style that does that. That was four years ago.

So what have I done in four years that's got me here. One word, work, and not just on my photography. I don't have much in the way of investment funds so I have to be a true one man band. That means every day I come home and play with my son or make diner and when he goes to bed I go to work. While most people are snuggled up with their significant other watching TV, I’m editing photos, writing code, writing blog posts, matting and packaging images, thinking up new ideas or learning something new. It puts a strain on our relationship, but Steph and I know it’s all for the better (or at least hope it is) and eventually I will start to see an income from my creative endeavors.

I have also learned about every little thing that is involved with running a photo business. From marketing, to web development and design, and of course becoming better at my craft (and I still don't know it all). I probably spend 20% of my day reading, whether it's on Twitter, Facebook or my RSS feed, I'm constantly looking for posts that I can learn from and expand on. You hear it time and time again, but you should never stop learning. Even the most experienced professional will learn something new from time to time. Lately I've been trying to read more books, but no matter what, as long as the things I'm reading are pushing me forward, I'm not really picky about the format (though nothing will replace the experience of a real book).

Making connections is also important. As much as I loved Flickr for meeting other photographers and seeing everyone else's work, it wasn't doing anything to push me out there. Other photographers aren't my target audience, they aren't the ones who will buy my images and they aren't going to recommend my work to their friends when they are also trying to sell their work. I needed to network with people from outside the photography world and Twitter and Etsy have played a big influence in that. On Twitter I only follow a hand full photographers but I follow a slew of designers, marketers and and artists from other mediums. While they might not necessarily be my target audience, they are not competing directly against me to sell a similar product (and I hate to think of photography as a commodity, but that's how buyers think of it). Etsy is great for getting your work out in front of buyers specifically looking to purchase from small artisans. As I continue to use both services I continue to expand my web of connections.

"Contre-Jour #1" - © James Wilson

The first image in my Contre-Jour series exploring architecture as silhouettes, Summer 2010

Four years. To some that might seem like forever—to others a single tick in an infinite timeline—but that's how long it's taken me to get where I am and like I said before, it really ain't that far. Along the way I've realized there is no easy way, there are no shortcuts. I had to stop believing the hype, sit down, and figure it out. I've mentioned it before but I really suggest everyone read “Rework”. It’s an amazing book and in addition to breaking a lot of the hard rules about running a business, it will inspire you to go out and give it your best. Some people are lucky, they catch an early break. Others (like Zack Arias) have had to struggle and work their asses off to get where they are. The majority struggle and if you’re not ready for that possibility, you may want to reconsider your plans. Hopefully four years from now I can say I feel like I've finally gotten somewhere.