borrowed from terry ting (fotoboof.ca)

Photography: “one of the harder ways to make a living”, & “you’d have to be good at it to succeed.” – September 28, 2010

One of the reasons why I despise “small talk” is because there’s no meaning behind what is actually being said. It’s just making sounds for the sake of conversation. Talking about how the seasons are finally changing is the equivalent of gargling baby sounds.

“I can’t believe summer is over!
“Believe it. It’s a fact.”
“The days are so short now, yet they drag on!”
“The days are the same length of time as any other day. The earth’s axial tilt is responsible for the ‘shorter days’ that you are perceiving; yet the days are dragging on because of your insignificant comments.”
“It’s so depressing. (Sigh. Si triste.)”
“Talking to me won’t help to elate your mood.”
“Gargle, gaga, thppbbbtt.”

Other small talk conventions apply in the same way. Characteristically, they suppose the blatantly obvious and then make general statements that force routine, unimaginative replies.

***

Obviously, small talk is instinctual curiosity – to say something at least, when saying nothing at all will seem unfriendly, or socially awkward. People who initiate small talk are, in other words, testing their surroundings for an opportunity to engage, like how a snake slithers its tongue to “smell” local terrain for a meal. When rationalized this way, small talk doesn’t seem as fruitless as it appears upon first impressions.

Nevertheless, if greater opportunities is what we’re assessing for then let’s put more thought and meaning into our general statements.

In another example, people have a tendency to state, “photography is one of the harder ways to make a living.” In reaction, I often mask the rolling of my eyes before immediately feigning a sign of concern. I’ve perfected this exact feedback to flash a naive front about the hardships in the photography industry. (I don’t mind allowing people to think they are teaching me something new because they often do, but rarely about how “photography is one of the harder ways to make a living.”)

This statement is another one of those lines people throw at me without much forethought. This cliche is often followed up by another embarrassing statement. That is, “you’d have to be good at that to make money.”

For years, I got frustrated over not having an adequate response to either statements, which I knew to be so ridiculous (much like “small talk”.) People who make such statements often have the intentions of testing my commitment to the trade and sometimes they take it further by persuading me not to pursue photography. Their bottom line lacks forethought, yet reasonable: photography is difficult, period/only the very best make it, period. They assume that hardship and failure is a valid fear. Any reasonable person ought to fear hardship/failure; it is recommended to steer away from it and take the route well paved instead – after all, it’s safer.

Several times, their words of discretion had effectively tested my career choices. It took me a while to think over what they really mean. The dilemma became a battle between my passions for photography on the one hand and the “reasonableness” put forward by the nay-sayers.

Finally, I’ve formulated a response that has effectively turned that original statement from something meant to second-guess myself into an ad hominem.

So I concede. Photography is a damned hard business to succeed in. However, consider this, if hardship is to be avoided, it reveals character about the person who lives by it.

I doubt there are particularly “easy jobs” out there. I doubt there’s a single industry where success comes to people who are not at the top of their game/trade/profession. There are no “easy” legitimate businesses. Everything takes effort, and of course only the best are the most successful. Give me a scenario where this isn’t true. In my case, at least I’m putting in a high level of effort towards a passion I desire.

My advice is to take these “wise-warnings” seriously, but their statements are not specifically true to photography alone. They apply to every reasonable person.