How do I know when it's time to quit my day job?

Video chat rooms at Ustream

one of the most common questions to cross my inbox, facebook, and twitter feed, is some form of the following:

how do i know when i am ready to make the jump, from being a part-time photographer to a full-time professional? basically... can i quit my day job?

well... not that i'm any certified expert, but i have quit my day job to follow my dream of being an entrepreneur and a photographer [and yes, in that particular order], and i've been invited to interview regarding the seemingly elusive subject.

in fact, i was so good at quitting my day job that i did it... twice ;)

so, if you find yourself day-dreaming of life as a full-time photographer, from your cubicle chair, check out my interview with dane sanders TODAY @ 4PM PST. just make sure to turn the volume down on your desktop... you wouldn't want your boss to catch you.

here's the link to the live-stream: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/danesanders-tv

stop by. i'd love to continue the conversation...

Katie and Brandon

it was first over a cup of my favorite coffee, that we met katie & brandon. carlie & katie hit it off immediately, both holding a particular dress maker in high esteem, while brandon & i shared surf stories. it couldn't have been a better match.

and as their engagement winds down, drawing closer to the big wedding, katie & brandon, and carlie & i, stepped out on a wintry orange county day for their engagement shoot. although we had plans for a particular location, we immediately changed course as a light rain began to fall. to the east, the sky appeared ominously dark, and brandon claimed to have noticed a patch of sun shining over south county.

so, we jumped in brandon's fj, and made our way towards that patch of sun. the following good times were what followed...










thanks katie & brandon! we can't wait for your big day later this year... and we hope it isn't long before we have the opportunity to share life over pizza & beer like we did last sunday ;)

Jen Berry

a couple weeks ago i (carlie) had the privilege to hang out with the amazing jen berry! this girl is seriously hilarious! she is so stinkin witty and sarcastic and i felt so at ease from the moment she walked in the door. i don't think i have laughed that much in a long time. i immediately felt like jen was a friend that i had known forever. actually i don't think i could keep my mouth shut cause i talked her head off the whole time. sorry jen. :( jen is also one of the most thoughtful and giving people i have ever met. about a week after our shoot i got a package on my doorstep. she had sent me two gorgeous bowls, some GR initial paperweights and a gift certificate to anthropologie. (i think she saw i was obsessed with that store when she walked into our home.) i couldn't believe it. she really knows how to make one feel appreciated and loved. i am so thankful that she contacted me to photograph her for her website and blog, for i have a one HOT new friend.

FAQ.::.HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND PARTY WITH PEOPLE

this morning, i got an email from a new friend of ours, sarah frenzel, and in her excitement regarding the up and coming wppi trade show, she noted "we'll catch up with you guys at WPPI. did you go last year? any tips for a newbie?"

what started as a quick response from the perspective of my opinion, really stopped me in my tracks and made me re-think the choices i made last year as a "newbie." and, in my humble opinion, whether you are a first year amateur (in the fast track photographer sense of the word) or a seasoned pro, we can all find value in asking ourselves a few questions to direct where we might spend our time & money.

if you are going to vegas, or any other work shop, or trade show for that matter:

do you want to come home with new contacts?
do you want to come home with new information?
do you want to come home with a new camera?
why are you taking the time to go?
what is it that you are hoping to receive from that investment?

if you know what you want to come home with, how to spend your time & money will become more clear. if you aren't clear on those things, it can become overwhelming pretty quickly, and other people will dictate where you should spend your time & money.

for carlie & i, at last year's show, we were most interested in meeting people who were starting out, just like us. so we spent our time talking to people, going to parties, having crepes & coffee with our new friends, and hanging out on the trade show floor. we also knew that we wanted to find a good deal on a rolling camera bag and a well balanced set of photoshop actions (having a "shopping list" before we got to vegas, saved us thousands of dollars no doubt). so, every category is fair game. just ask yourself, "why am i going? and what is it that i want?"

don't be afraid to be selfish, in a business sense. but also take the time to realize, that there are tens-of-thousands of other individuals, all rolling into vegas at the same time, who will be asking themselves the same questions and who are also looking out for number one. and since none of us live in a vacuum, my encouragement would be to see if you (and i) might be able to help a handful of folks leave vegas with what they were hoping to go home with... not necessarily out of any benefit to ourselves, but because you & i have a genuine interest in people.

i hope that helps.

Man O Gram

in the early wintery months of 2008, eight celebrated, award-winning and downright awesome photographers from all over the country grabbed their snowboards to ride the mountains of mammoth, california. this marked the beginning of what is now known as…wait for it…the MAMMOTH MEN. what ensued during that getaway was a week filled with adventure, spontaneity, hijinks and storied tales. a bond was forged amongst these men and a commitment made to doing it again, and doing it often!

during the summer of 2008, the MAMMOTH MEN hit the road again. only this time, they loaded up 10 photographers in a prevost rock star tour bus, drove for five days up the california coast and shared it with everyone via their traffic happy blog. so much so that their blog readers actually got to choose their day-to-day adventures while watching them play out the next day. the blog following continued even after the west coast trip ended and garnered media attention in the blogosphere.

well, the guys are back for their much anticipated third installment of the MAMMOTH MEN. watch the mayhem unfold as these 12 photographers board their prevost and head into the american southwest to document their route 66 road-trip. packed with more guys, more miles and more camaraderie, it's not just a roadtrip...it's a lifestyle.


Mammoth Men 4 Trailer | The American Southwest from FRED EGAN on Vimeo.