Welcome to UpStartUp

I've been thinking about starting a blog for some time. So here it is. Welcome.

What is it about? I've been thinking about the trials and tribu/trivializations of an emerging photographer. It's difficult to navigate the journey from student or amateur to professional. As it stands, I'm still on that journey. Technically, I've graduated to "professional" photographer since my full time job is now devoted to making images. Whether or not I actually spend all of my time taking pictures is another story entirely - one that I'm sure others of you are living as well.

There is a serious divide between what you learn in school, what you know you should be doing, and what actually happens once you decide to become a photographer. How do you balance looking for work with paying the bills? How do you decide what equipment to invest in now vs. what you should lease until you can better afford your own rent? Which jobs should you take and which ones are quicksand for your time, energy and effort? I don't claim to know all of the answers, but I'd like to let you know how my decisions in these areas are panning out. More importantly, I'd love to hear how others in the same position make the leap from photographer in name only to your name on the photographs.