I guess this is goodbye.

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No idea whats going on here, but all I can say is that pro photographers pull my shots to pieces all the time and I'll admit that I can't do portaits or action shots to save my life - yet people still ring me up wanting to give me money for taking photos of what I do because they like the style I shoot in, the look of my images and above all else me.

I was flicking through one of the fu club mags the other day and thought some of these shots are lacking, turns out they have a resident club tog and he was clearly living the dream. So he's not perfect but is a sports tog - is he really better then you?

As has been said already - pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on the horse, it applies to everything in life.
 
Was wondering when you would post James :)

Like i said Mark, you made some mistakes (and continue to do so) and were very naive

But thats life, mate if i told you some of the **** ups i've made in my "Day Job" you wouldn't want me near an engineroom

Also remember your never ever going to get on with everyone, and there will always be people who don't like you. There's one particular guy in the Northwest who doesn't like me just because i have "A Bag Full Of Kit"
 
I appreciate the responses but no...Im not being dramatic.
Or looking for attention as some of you obviously think.

But the truth is...At my first match I met someone who really helped me, After a dispute "we fell out".
Before I knew it everything started to go downhill, my work responses were getting more and more vigorous!
Now the whole sports photography industry knows me as an "no*ob"
It's not worth continuing!
 
markiemc13 said:
I appreciate the responses but no...Im not being dramatic.
Or looking for attention as some of you obviously think.

But the truth is...At my first match I met someone who really helped me, After a dispute "we fell out".
Before I knew it everything started to go downhill, my work responses were getting more and more vigorous!
Now the whole sports photography industry knows me as an "no*ob"
It's not worth continuing!
Click to expand...

At 16? Yea, this has to be a wind up.
 
Two responses to this sort of thread:

1: Man-up and come back fighting; don't be discouraged; you're only 16 etc etc etc.

or

2: good riddance - more work for the rest of us.

You decide which is appropriate and apply accordingly.

Since the age of 16 I've sold my entire camera kit twice and tried to go along a different path - but photography keeps calling me back. So I guess time will tell.
 
the-drama-llama.jpg
 
markiemc13 said:
I appreciate the responses but no...Im not being dramatic.
Or looking for attention as some of you obviously think.

But the truth is...At my first match I met someone who really helped me, After a dispute "we fell out".
Before I knew it everything started to go downhill, my work responses were getting more and more vigorous!
Now the whole sports photography industry knows me as an "no*ob"
It's not worth continuing!
Click to expand...

actually, you are being dramatic - no offence to the sports togs here, but the industry is full of ego's, it HAS to be, it's the only way your survive such knocks and insults. It's a cut throat industry, like so many in the photography world and trust me, a month from now they will have found the next person to pick on and you know what, a year from now you will be doing it with them.

Look Mark, you may find this hard to believe, but we were all 16 once and we do know that when something like this happens it feels like the end of the world, its absolutely mortifying - hell, it still happens now to most of us, difference is, we have enough life experience not to let it get us down as much anymore, or perhaps see the bigger pictures, however you want to phrase it.

Yeah, I know, you don't believe a word I say, I don't understand how bad it is and what has happened, blah blah blah....I have kids that are 16 and 19, so I have heard it all before and they don't believe I have been there and done that either.

Your call mate, but let me tell you one thing, a motto by which I have tried to live ever since I was your age....NEVER regret what you do, only what you don't do - will you look back in week, a month, a year, from your armchair in 30 yrs and think 'what if....?'


Last chance . . . . *hovers finger over close button*
 
trencheel303 said:
feeling any better this morning?
Click to expand...

Funny you ask actually, I woke up ILL :LOL:

Its the fact of losing friends that put me down to this!
I'd much rather quit photography but still have friends than be a pro with all the kit in the world without friends.

It's no longer my call.
Yv Thanks for your advice - Really shed some light for me!
 
Not related to photography but art.

Have you ever seen the wildlife, aviation or transport paintings of David Shepherd.

Have a look at www.davidshepherd.com

When he applied to Art School he was turned down as "not worth training"

He proved them wrong...... can you?
 
Yv said:
actually, you are being dramatic - no offence to the sports togs here, but the industry is full of ego's, it HAS to be, it's the only way your survive such knocks and insults...
Click to expand...

Damn right it's full of ego's...and mine's the biggest, which makes me the best! :D

BOW DOWN!!!!




























Really I just wanted to get that in before :lock:
 
markiemc13 said:
Now the whole sports photography industry knows me as an "no*ob"
Click to expand...
You obviously have a slightly high opinion of yoruself Mark. I bet 99% of the people in the sports industry have never actually heard of you.

You may have burnt one or two bridges but if you work at it I'm sure they could be repaired and there are always other avenues to go down.

You may not think you are being over dramatic but you are and one day you'll realise that.
 
Arkady said:
Two responses to this sort of thread:

1: Man-up and come back fighting; don't be discouraged; you're only 16 etc etc etc.

or

2: good riddance - more work for the rest of us.

You decide which is appropriate and apply accordingly.

Since the age of 16 I've sold my entire camera kit twice and tried to go along a different path - but photography keeps calling me back. So I guess time will tell.
Click to expand...

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
 
I have just seen this thread now after linking to it from facebook where marks posted a link and has 20 comments about this thread..

Its only a couple of days ago I was praising you (on TP) for having the gumption to make a go of this.. for getting off your backside and doing something about what you want...and for having a clear goal in life at 16.... lots of others agreed...

Where we all so wrong?
 
Do you not think it may be a case of them putting you off so you aren't a future threat? There are a lot of people in certain industries, (photogrpahy seems to be one of them), who will try to put people off as they dont want future competition and are generally selfish. (edit: not everyone!- anyone I have dealt with on here been most helpful!!!)

DONT sell your stuff yet, put it away for a week and go don something completely different. Then get yourself down to a local game and start picking up where you left off.

You need these things to happen to encourage you to keep going- dont let one or two people ruin your dreams, sooner or later people accept things and you'll never look back. Trust me- from experience!
 
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Sheesh, 16 and all done, life and work finished, yadda, yadda :wacky:

I wish i had a goal at 16, wish i had one at 41:razz:

Get back to it, sod the knockers, ignore em they are not worth it.

If you love it get on with it, if not do something else(y)
 
One final post from me.

If you want to throw everything away, dont expect any sympathy and dont bother posting threads like this.

There are a number of people (who have posted in this thread) who have invested time in helping you and your going to throw it back in our faces and cry off :shrug:

Your point about stopping because you dont want alienate people is rubbish

You have alienated people because you post ridiculous attention seeking status's on your Facebook page and name drop, that is not going to stop by giving up photography, that will only stop if you choose to grow up and show some maturity.

Keep your head down, work hard and people will soon forget about the past.
 
-Rob- said:
You obviously have a slightly high opinion of yoruself Mark. I bet 99% of the people in the sports industry have never actually heard of you.

You may have burnt one or two bridges but if you work at it I'm sure they could be repaired and there are always other avenues to go down.

You may not think you are being over dramatic but you are and one day you'll realise that.
Click to expand...

I have to agree here...

Mark, the entire industry doesn't know who I am and I work for one of the big guys...they won't know who you are outside of Preston/Wigan/Blackpool. OK fine, you've burned a bridge for now...I did that too (read the story) oh well, it's no great loss.

You can pick yourself up and move on. Produce better images, it takes time and practice. When you eventually get up to a level where you are consistently producing images of very good standard, then go back to whichever agency you approached before. I bet you £10 that they don't even remember your name.

Trust me...I know it sounds stupid to say that, but seriously...we've all had visions of giving up, in our darkest days (usually a sunday after you got an amazing shot and STILL none of the papers picked it), but the reason most people do this is for precisely the reasons you want to give it up for...

I do this job for:
1. Seeing my shots in print, I love being sat in Starbucks and seeing someone looking at a paper with my photo and thinking "you don't know...but I took that".

2. Getting the shot in the first place. It's bloody tough, all the elements of a photo and of the sport in question have to slot into place for you at the precise moment you press the shutter. There IS NO BIGGER RUSH than realising that the light, the weather, the sport, the player, the exposure, the focus, the lens, the spot you sat in, the goal, the time, the decision of the player to run towards you and about 100 other things ALL HAPPENED JUST RIGHT. I mean bloody hell, it's the equivilant of realising you're not the only planet that's inhabited in the universe...we're talking a sodding epiphany here.

3. The thrill of competition. You get that shot, you get it out into the wide world so fast it would make your head spin if you sat back and thought about it. Seriously, Chris Kamara is still fumbling over his words about the goal on Sky Sports News when you've got your shots to the picture desk and it's being punted out to the newspapers. And yet, there's another 20 blokes all sat around you who are trying to get the shot out first. Adrenaline is a brilliant thrill.

4. Knowing when you walk into a press room after a big shot in the papers that everyone is thinking "ah, that's James he got that massive back-page shot last weekend". Sod the fact that it's massively egotistical and a little bit distateful...I don't care. I got the photo and no-one else did. They'll probably get it next week. I walk in and I am "THE GOD" (NB. this is mainly in your head - you're never really the god)

5. Ego - you'd better believe it. British sports togs are THE BEST in the world. By proxy that makes me THE BEST IN THE WORLD and I will damn well make sure I know it, you know it, and everyone on Facebook/Twitter/TP knows it. You doubt that for a second and while you're wondering if you're the best in the world, that bloke has just scored a screamer and is running towards you celebrating with a brilliant photograph and you've just missed it. OK, so this clashes horribly with my personality away from sports togging but it allows me to console myself and horrible self-doubts (which I guarantee you, EVERYONE who has commented in this thread has every so often) and keep me from a) going mad and b) selling all my kit and getting an office job.

If you don't want to handle one knock-back from ONE agency (and I'm guessing I know which one) with ONE tog then you need to realise that this will happen ALL THE TIME. Perseverence is what is required, that and a very thick skin. I dread to think what some of your facebook friends say about me (the "names" I mean here)...in fact, I know what some of them say about me...but you know what I couldn't give a French Connection UK. I'm where I am on merit and so are you. If you weren't supposed to be there - then by christ you wouldn't be. Develop a very thick skin very fast or you will hate this job rather than love and extol the brilliantly exciting 5 things I've listed above. My heart is racing just THINKING about the 5 points I made above. This is as close to a RELIGION that I will get...I am positively Zealous about it. You reach that moment and you HAVE ARRIVED my friend.

Right....I'm all riled up now...I'm going for a walk, and when I get back you'd better bloody well be carrying on with Sports Photography and asking about kit and photos.
 
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Give up the photography as your job, stick to it as hobby. Go work in an office for a couple years and see how much it opens your eyes. I say give it a max of 2 years before you're halfway insane, and wanting out. ;)
 
Many years ago some one was critising one of my favourite pics pointing out all the so called bad points. At the end he "hoped I was not offended by his comments" No I replied as I had been critiqued by better photographers than you! The pic he was ripping to bits then went on to win a first in a portrait competition. If I had taken to heart this guys comments I'd proberbly thrown my camera in the bin and never taken another photograph from there on.

I think its fair to say most of us have through the mill of trying to be a sports photographer. Seamingly endless refusals or none reply's to emails or being told the portfolio was nothing special. I remember one agencxy telling me to go away and practice real races and not a bunch of of beer swilling wannabees on a track day! 12 months later I had as many games as I wanted from him. Not because of what he told me but based on a different portfolio I sent (didnt have any footie pics at that time).

In Marks situation I agree with him, not worth loosing friends especially if his images are no good. My advice would be to sell all his gear and get a proper job at Tesco or similar.

To be a sports photographer you have to be thick skinned, mentally tough, determined and persistant. Knowing what to to shoot and what sells are totally different to taking "nice" shots for yourself.The last part mainly comes with experience. If you dont have all of these attributes then dont waste your time as you'll never make it and "throwing the towel in" at this stage only proves you are not mentally determined enough to succeed. If you dont have the ambition at 16yrs you'll never have it!
But at 16yrs you have plenty of time to prove different!
 
trencheel303 said:
Give up the photography as your job, stick to it as hobby. Go work in an office for a couple years and see how much it opens your eyes. I say give it a max of 2 years before you're halfway insane, and wanting out. ;)
Click to expand...

Best.

Post.

Ever.
 
Mark, you've expressed an interest in coming along to Preston Photographic Society. We have some that are fairly competitive in there but it is all good humoured competition. We have some that are very good photographers and even their photos can get critiqued to death in the competitions but they still come back and enter again. Maybe you need to get used to the light hearted side of competing with other photographers before you get ready for the cut throat world of professional sports photography. At 16 no one would expect you to be ready for that.

Come along on Thursday nights, enjoy your photography again then when you've finished your education you can start thinking about actually getting a career.
 
Whenever I walk into a press room at a ground I hear some people b*tching about other photographers and having a go at folk all the time. I just keep a low profile and only engage in the odd bit of small-talk/banter.

Another guy from the agency came with me to a game and he was basically saying "watch out for this guy" etc.

My response:

"I couldn't give a t*ss who's who.... I'm here to get the best pictures I can and if the people I'm working for are happy with the pictures then that's all that matters! I'm here to do a job...not to get involved."

Anonymity can sometimes be a good thing!
 
jamesb84 said:
I have to agree here...

Mark, the entire industry doesn't know who I am and I work for one of the big guys...they won't know who you are outside of Preston/Wigan/Blackpool. OK fine, you've burned a bridge for now...I did that too (read the story) oh well, it's no great loss.

You can pick yourself up and move on. Produce better images, it takes time and practice. When you eventually get up to a level where you are consistently producing images of very good standard, then go back to whichever agency you approached before. I bet you £10 that they don't even remember your name.

Trust me...I know it sounds stupid to say that, but seriously...we've all had visions of giving up, in our darkest days (usually a sunday after you got an amazing shot and STILL none of the papers picked it), but the reason most people do this is for precisely the reasons you want to give it up for...

I do this job for:
1. Seeing my shots in print, I love being sat in Starbucks and seeing someone looking at a paper with my photo and thinking "you don't know...but I took that".

2. Getting the shot in the first place. It's bloody tough, all the elements of a photo and of the sport in question have to slot into place for you at the precise moment you press the shutter. There IS NO BIGGER RUSH than realising that the light, the weather, the sport, the player, the exposure, the focus, the lens, the spot you sat in, the goal, the time, the decision of the player to run towards you and about 100 other things ALL HAPPENED JUST RIGHT. I mean bloody hell, it's the equivilant of realising you're not the only planet that's inhabited in the universe...we're talking a sodding epiphany here.

3. The thrill of competition. You get that shot, you get it out into the wide world so fast it would make your head spin if you sat back and thought about it. Seriously, Chris Kamara is still fumbling over his words about the goal on Sky Sports News when you've got your shots to the picture desk and it's being punted out to the newspapers. And yet, there's another 20 blokes all sat around you who are trying to get the shot out first. Adrenaline is a brilliant thrill.

4. Knowing when you walk into a press room after a big shot in the papers that everyone is thinking "ah, that's James he got that massive back-page shot last weekend". Sod the fact that it's massively egotistical and a little bit distateful...I don't care. I got the photo and no-one else did. They'll probably get it next week. I walk in and I am "THE GOD" (NB. this is mainly in your head - you're never really the god)

5. Ego - you'd better believe it. British sports togs are THE BEST in the world. By proxy that makes me THE BEST IN THE WORLD and I will damn well make sure I know it, you know it, and everyone on Facebook/Twitter/TP knows it. You doubt that for a second and while you're wondering if you're the best in the world, that bloke has just scored a screamer and is running towards you celebrating with a brilliant photograph and you've just missed it. OK, so this clashes horribly with my personality away from sports togging but it allows me to console myself and horrible self-doubts (which I guarantee you, EVERYONE who has commented in this thread has every so often) and keep me from a) going mad and b) selling all my kit and getting an office job.

If you don't want to handle one knock-back from ONE agency (and I'm guessing I know which one) with ONE tog then you need to realise that this will happen ALL THE TIME. Perseverence is what is required, that and a very thick skin. I dread to think what some of your facebook friends say about me (the "names" I mean here)...in fact, I know what some of them say about me...but you know what I couldn't give a French Connection UK. I'm where I am on merit and so are you. If you weren't supposed to be there - then by christ you wouldn't be. Develop a very thick skin very fast or you will hate this job rather than love and extol the brilliantly exciting 5 things I've listed above. My heart is racing just THINKING about the 5 points I made above. This is as close to a RELIGION that I will get...I am positively Zealous about it. You reach that moment and you HAVE ARRIVED my friend.

Right....I'm all riled up now...I'm going for a walk, and when I get back you'd better bloody well be carrying on with Sports Photography and asking about kit and photos.
Click to expand...

Made me really think...
 
Yv said:
NEVER regret what you do, only what you don't do - will you look back in week, a month, a year, from your armchair in 30 yrs and think 'what if....?'
Click to expand...

Ain't that true! Story of my life, literally. I could have and should have done better with my life - much better!

Let me share with you a poem that I wrote a while back, mocking myself. Eventually it could very well be my epitaph.

Life is a gift, a precious thing
A part on stage to play
A sheet of paper clean and white
To write the book your way
A tale of reckless gambles
Of chance, of win or lose
Or boring safety, take no risks
It is for you to chose

Just think which book you'd rather read
If the tale were not your own
One of squandered chances (yawn)
Not straying far from home
Or packed with high adventure
Each page a store of wealth
Of treasures seen, of new things done
You'd like to do yourself

To set a course on chartered seas
Is the tempting, easy way
Making sure you cannot fail
The same routine each day
Settle for obscurity
In comfort, snug and warm
Have only mediocre aims
From the day you're born

Though long your life may seem just now
There will come, at last, a day
When it is time to judge yourself
And the Judge will surely say
"Stand still while I pass sentence
And look me in the eye
You had the chance, you didn't fail
YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY!"

It's your choice - fight and fight again for what you really want to be - or end up a sad old man like me, full of regrets.
 
Rovers_Andy said:
One final post from me.

If you want to throw everything away, dont expect any sympathy and dont bother posting threads like this.

There are a number of people (who have posted in this thread) who have invested time in helping you and your going to throw it back in our faces and cry off :shrug:

Your point about stopping because you dont want alienate people is rubbish

You have alienated people because you post ridiculous attention seeking status's on your Facebook page and name drop, that is not going to stop by giving up photography, that will only stop if you choose to grow up and show some maturity.

Keep your head down, work hard and people will soon forget about the past.
Click to expand...

Harsh, but I suppose true :LOL:
 
MrFigjam said:
Whenever I walk into a press room at a ground I hear some people b*tching about other photographers and having a go at folk all the time. I just keep a low profile and only engage in the odd bit of small-talk/banter.
Click to expand...

soooooooooooo true.. i know because i am on the end of it a lot based on internet gossip and one pro togs life ambition to disscredit me.... water off a ducks back.. leave em to it ....

You smile.... I smile...
 
Mark, many (most?) of us have suffered setbacks and disappointments, and got over them. I'm a lot older than you, but I remember the trials and joys of being 16, and I have grown up kids who rode the roller coaster of euphoria and despair too.

There are plenty of people here who will offer you support and good advice, but you're behaving like a drama queen. A sulky, immature, teenager. Take some time out, let things settle down a bit, and move on. Don't keep coming back here with another sob story, insisting that it's all over for you. People will start to believe you, and move on.

I would love to be 16 again. I wish you well, truly.
 
soccersnapper said:
Mark's laughing face sums up everything. In no way is it harsh, in fact I think Mr Rovers has been kind.
Click to expand...

Oooooooh, a newbie!!!! Who are you, who do you work for, have we met? You aren't another lancastrian tog are you?! :bang:
 
I wish to comment on this thread.

I am not in the business of name dropping, naming names or giving my identity away, however whilst it is apparent that the posters here have every intention of helping each other, seem warm, welcoming and extremely enthusiastic, it is simply not a case of what most are assuming.

I am not in the business of knocking a guy when he is down as it is totally unfair, however feel that some posters of this forum are making opinions without any knowledge or criteria to form a valid opinion.

Some of the best photographers in the business had mentors. Some are now at the age where they appreciate where they are and want to mentor back.

I am one of those photographers.

Mark has somehow managed got to corresponde with at least 3 major football photographers that I know of. Quite simply Mark has had some amazing opportunities via personal email addresses of some of the world's best football photographers.

I wish to make it quite clear, Mark has not had a knock back from any agency as such or been rejected because of his pictures. He is only 16. All we want to do is nurture him, offer advice and help him discover his dreams as we saw an unique enthusiasm and initially warmed to him.

He quite simply has spectacularly not listened or taken important advice. We have got totally fed up of him and moved on.

The knock backs have come, not because of his work but of his attitude and seemingly lack of dedication.

Two major players in the industry are still awaiting DVD's from him to asses his work and give him 1-1 advice, support and help. This work is no way classed as job interview material, but simply to look, judge, help and train him up.

Our philosophy is to train photographers to first look through a 50mm lens, use it, love it understand it, and then go to an 85mm. Then a wide and then 400 and 600mm. Mark does not know this but we have big expensive lenses that he could have borrowed but in short we are now fed up of him. I know what I am taking about, I am a very open and honest person and I like to help people. There are ways of educating photographers, the industry is on its knees and many are looking in going into teaching.

Mark has self-carved out amazing opportunities for himself which when I was a youngster starting out in photography I could only dream of.

Our compassion has run out and I am sincerely sorry but he only has himself to blame.

I then got to know of Mark and was warned of him by this person. I make my own judgements but my friend was not wrong.

We are not nasty mean horrible people, we like to listen, understand and help. From my point of view we are professional people and the company that MRFIGJAM mixes with are not the guys at the top of their game.

People in the industry DO know who Mark is. He writes emails to individual photographers as well as Action Images, AMA, Getty Images and then cc'd them to other agencies without changing personal details.

As one poster suggested, he has caused offence to at least two photographers who have between them done 11 FIFA World Cup Finals by causing severe professional embarrassment by emailing major newspaper picture desks when advised and then told not to. One colleague labelled his actions as a tornado causing havoc - yes it was that bad. His actions on facebook have not been well received either.

It will take a spectacular effort on his behalf to even get his foot in the door again.

Sorry I am not wanting to publish my name or my background, but 'we' sadly no longer want anything to do with him.

If Mark wants to list the 4-5 photographers who have helped him, of which I am one then so be it. Hand on heart I have NEVER given so much effort to anyone and had it thrown back in my face.

Another photographer even feels more strongly than I do! He is one of the best in the world and has been there and done basically everything there is to do, Marks emails to him when all he was doing was offering advice that money can not buy were shocking. I do not want to come across as patronising but as I said with the deepest respect some wannabe photographers would be wetting themselves with excitement if they had received detailed replies from this guy in particular.

PS

KIPPAX : I know who you are and have heard many people knocking you behind your back. I want to make it quite clear that the guys at the top never mock others like the people I have personally heard. You are quite right in ignoring their immature actions. Keep snapping.


Good luck everyone -

** Mark, just be a teenager and channel your enthusiasm differently next time. I so want to help but sorry, you have blown your chances. And what is more sad is that you have never learnt from your mistakes.
 
jamesb84 said:
I do this job for:
1. Seeing my shots in print, I love being sat in Starbucks and seeing someone looking at a paper with my photo and thinking "you don't know...but I took that".

2. Getting the shot in the first place. It's bloody tough, all the elements of a photo and of the sport in question have to slot into place for you at the precise moment you press the shutter. There IS NO BIGGER RUSH than realising that the light, the weather, the sport, the player, the exposure, the focus, the lens, the spot you sat in, the goal, the time, the decision of the player to run towards you and about 100 other things ALL HAPPENED JUST RIGHT. I mean bloody hell, it's the equivilant of realising you're not the only planet that's inhabited in the universe...we're talking a sodding epiphany here.

3. The thrill of competition. You get that shot, you get it out into the wide world so fast it would make your head spin if you sat back and thought about it. Seriously, Chris Kamara is still fumbling over his words about the goal on Sky Sports News when you've got your shots to the picture desk and it's being punted out to the newspapers. And yet, there's another 20 blokes all sat around you who are trying to get the shot out first. Adrenaline is a brilliant thrill.

4. Knowing when you walk into a press room after a big shot in the papers that everyone is thinking "ah, that's James he got that massive back-page shot last weekend". Sod the fact that it's massively egotistical and a little bit distateful...I don't care. I got the photo and no-one else did. They'll probably get it next week. I walk in and I am "THE GOD" (NB. this is mainly in your head - you're never really the god)

5. Ego - you'd better believe it. British sports togs are THE BEST in the world. By proxy that makes me THE BEST IN THE WORLD and I will damn well make sure I know it, you know it, and everyone on Facebook/Twitter/TP knows it. You doubt that for a second and while you're wondering if you're the best in the world, that bloke has just scored a screamer and is running towards you celebrating with a brilliant photograph and you've just missed it. OK, so this clashes horribly with my personality away from sports togging but it allows me to console myself and horrible self-doubts (which I guarantee you, EVERYONE who has commented in this thread has every so often) and keep me from a) going mad and b) selling all my kit and getting an office job.
Click to expand...

Originally Posted by trencheel303 View Post
Give up the photography as your job, stick to it as hobby. Go work in an office for a couple years and see how much it opens your eyes. I say give it a max of 2 years before you're halfway insane, and wanting out
Click to expand...

yea well not sure if I have a place in this thread but thought I'd give an outsiders view from someone who has a desk job - or well its not even a desk job as such but I'm an IT engineer half internal office support half on site customer installation and support.
Do as trencheel said - do it, I dare you....
...and then realise what a big ****ing mistake you've made. I've always had IT down as my chosen career path simply because that was the only thing I was naturally gifted at and didn't particularly have to graft to acheive a decent job - I have always been lazy and as I'm growing up I realise just how much of a mess I've made of my early life, hindsight is a wonderful thing eh. I'm only 25, yet I'm working in a job I find quite boring (more on this in a bit), I have a 4 year old son (who I love so don't get me wrong I don't regret him himself) who lives 100miles away and costs alot in finances and time, currently living at home with my parents after 8 years away from the nest and I owe a sizeable chunk of money to various financial and retail institutions. Oh and I lost all my friends (for various reasons) and my time is such that I have little to make new ones - I get home from work at 8pm every night and my weekends are either filled with my son or my girlfriend who is 200miles away - the only two things (aside from photography) keeping me remotely interested in life.
I am completely locked into this life at the moment and desperate for change but for various factors it is just not possible

Now, my job - it's terribly boring. Not so much as its a boring desk job looking at facts and figures all the time, I go out and meet clients and visit all parts of the country, but there are no challenges, no excitement, I've been there done that, who gives a flying **** if Dell release a new server or Microsoft bring out Office 2010..whoop de bloody doo. I am so bored.

And then I read James' description above of sports togging - (thanks James, you've made me have a sad :( lol)..all that friggin excitement doing a job that constantly changes, constantly keeps you excited even x years into it, if there ever was an advertisement for sports togging James' post should be it. It sounds great - I would love to be a pro togger of any sort not in the least a sports one!

and now on to you - you're 16..sorry but you've got a lot to learn about life itself. You can't be a veteran expert at 16, you will learn - and you should be damn grateful and happy that you have the chance to. I don't know the ins and outs of the situation and I assume you feel pretty ****ty about yourself at the moment, but another day another dollar - get back on your horse cowboy - work for what you want because it will pay off in the end, there is always chances to make ammends and if you give it up now and get a "regular" job, trust me, you'll regret it. I envy you - make sure in 10 years time you're not sat at a desk making the same post as I am now.

edit: ok wait..reading long post above :-/

edit2: err ok..sorry :confused: after soccersnappers post it seems my 'advice' means little. Umm..leaving now
 
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Hi Soccersnapper, excellent post and a very good read. I hope you stick around as i for one could learn an awful lot from you :)
 
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