Best Business Practices for Photographers [245]
Photographer Rick Rickman, in an article for the SportsShooter.com website, makes several excellent points:
One of the most interesting things about this business is the fact that so many photographers I know are more interested in doing well in some contest than doing well with nurturing their family or relationships. This business is brutal on relationships! The amount of hours spent at work is relentless. The amount of time spent away from home is endless, and the numbers of times photographers choose work over family needlessly is mind-boggling…. If we examine our photography carefully, in most cases we will find that if we work for 30 years at this craft, we may have a couple of chances in our lives that our pictures will actually have some effect or benefit to society or the world. If we're very fortunate, we may have an opportunity to do something good with our images…. Capturing a great moment is a wonderful thing, but does it hold a candle to having an opportunity to direct and shape the future of another human being? Truly having the chance to bring real good into the world is an enviable position to be in…I'm concerned that this industry has lost sight of what is truly important in the world. Photographers seem to think that winning a contest validates their existence…. I think that a prerequisite for a photographer to enter any contest should be a letter of recommendation from their spouse or significant other saying that they have done well with their lives and duties at home and they should be allowed to enter said competition. No letter, no entry!
Consider that divorce is an option for the ignored spouse, and as the statistics noted earlier, the likelihood is extremely high that you will not only lose your spouse, but almost all access to your children if you're a man. Do not exchange a meaningless award (in the grand scheme of things) for the sorrow you will feel each morning you wake up alone without your spouse, and, if you're a man, for the sorrow you will feel due to the great likelihood that you will also lose your children, save for a few visitation days a month.
Solutions for a Happier Spouse/Partner and Children
Unless you are on a critical deadline, you should make the time when your two-year-old says, "Wanna play with me?" Or when your six-year-old says, "Can you come and play outside?" Or when your teenager says, "Can you come help me with…?" And even if you are on a deadline, finish the deadline work and then seek out the now-departed child to reengage him or her. When your spouse says, "Sweetheart, please come to bed/to dinner/home," be responsive.
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NOTE
When the first edition of this book came out, more than one colleague pointed out that this was the shortest chapter of the book. I noted to them that it also has the longest chapter title and was purposefully made into a chapter rather than being a part of some other chapter because of its importance. The messages in this chapter focus squarely on the family and provide background and insights into the importance of family. (And, actually, in this edition, this chapter is no longer the shortest in the book!)
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One solution is to make certain you not only make time for dates, but you also are the instigator of planning those dates. Agreeing to go out and then showing up at the appointed time is not the same as telling someone not to make plans for Friday or Saturday night and then making reservations somewhere and arranging for tickets to a show or movie. Pack a picnic basket and head out for a nice lunch, or even plan a trip to a museum. Demonstrating that you are thinking about the other person and how he or she is important to you can ensure that your spouse or partner is happy.
For children, recognize that your schedule can and should make time for attendance at school functions, sporting activities, and such. Do not take the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. Be a participant in their homework and