Spartans, What is your profession?

[Velo Steve]

I'm a retired aerospace engineer and computer programmer, with the intention to retool myself as a marine biologist. I have the time and money to do amateur photography, but not so much that I feel justified in buying the 600mm lens I have been craving for years.

Part of the fun for me is understanding how everything works and what equipment is available, so I end up on forums like this. I have sold a few photos to support local fundraisers, but most of my images never get past my computer screen.

 

[offfocus]

Working as IT consultant to feed the family and funding photography hobby.

 

[stochasticmotions]

Worked as a physicist, systems engineer, and IT and Info Security exec. I lived below my means when working, saved money and retired early with no debts, no mortgage, no car payments. I live well in retirement with my husband who has no GAS of any kind - just give him books and he's happy. We travel several times a year and I satisfy my GAS by saving or forgoing a trip. I go out with my camera several times a week at home to take bird photos but I never sell anything.

Sounds like you got your priorities right and have a good life I have the money I need to buy whatever my GAS tells me to, but not enough time to enjoy it, as much as I should. I think I have a thing or two to learn from you

I am also a physicist (optical and solid state) and have been working in financial modelling and high performance system design for bank risk management for the last 15 years or so. I'm trying hard to work towards similar goals, not sure in current markets if I will get there soon. Until that time I will continue on the with nature photography as my major pass time and sell a few shots here and there in water and nature adventure markets.

 

[mjbehnke]

I'm a System Engineer for a large Healthcare organization in the midwest. I shoot weddings, senior, family, and private photo sessions as a limited part-time hobby.. for fun, I love shooting wildlife and landscape!

 

[keemikpoiss]

I teach chemistry and biochemistry courses at a large public university. Mostly biochemistry labs, where I get to share some of the camera equipment and photography knowledge with our students.

 

[Omni Images]

Bowser boy at 13, started to make my own surfboards in 1974, left school in 76 and worked a year in a fibreglass factory.

Did you ever come across Wayne Miyata in your surfboard activities?

No, name doesn't ring a bell.
I remember walking into Midge Farrally's shop to buy some surfboard materials late 1980, walking up the road I saw Simon Anderson's old brown ford parked there with a 3 fin surfboard sticking out the back window .. I asked Midge what's with Simon's board with 3 fins .. he brushed it off, saying Simon is "out There" and each to his own ... Simon won the Bells Beach surf comp Easter 81, one round was 12- 15" and the "thruster" ripped it apart, that was a huge change in surfing. I made plenty 3 fin boards from that day on. It was only ever a hobby for me.

 

[docfrance]

Astro Engineering professor, academic department head, faculty liaison to the college track team (I travel with them), and active duty military officer--I get some unique travel opportunities thanks to the US taxpayer. ;-)

 

[Sunnystate]

Working as professional artist my entire life. In the niche and the region that I am active, relatively accomplished and respected.

I am amazed that majority of professions here are representing group of population using predominantly left side of the brain, and apparently pretty secure financially as well.
That probably explains why CR discussions in general seem to be detached with reality of the true market out there
Honestly, I was expecting more of an artists, poets, writers or musician to be in to photography than pilots, engineers, physicists or economists

Now it is clear to me why we don't have here enough posts (in my humble opinion) that are able to voice large group of users that beside the logic also follow intuition, gut feelings, emotions, or trends based on whatever (mode, looks, cool factor or social demands)

As a note I like to point out that most accomplished leaders in technology were/are people claiming to listen to intuition and gut feelings beside numbers, formulas and statistics, just like Tim Cook stated only couple of weeks a go

 

[AlanF]

University chemist/biochemist, research and admin, author. Lots of travel and always pack a camera.

 

[sleepnever]

Software Engineer (which I love) that pays the bills and funds the photography toys

 

[eml58]

Professional Soldier for 16 Years, retired early & bought a Coal Mine in Indonesia, developed that with my Wife for 22 Years into the 10th largest exporting coal mine in Indonesia, then retired for good @ 55 into my current best job ever, learning to be a lazy non professional Travel/adventure/photographer, love my current job.

 

[Secrest302]

I have been in the semiconductor industry most of my career and have lived in Colorado since college. Currently I am product line manager for an aerospace & defense business focusing on satellite and space applications. In the past 6 months I reentered photography as a hobby. I used to be strong in the 35mm film days but wandered away as digital began taking over. I did not care for the complexity of Photoshop etc. I have the benefit of traveling around the globe in my business dealings and wanted to take up photography again so I could capture the amazing locations I travel to. I now enjoy a full 70D kit and LR. I have a good bag the holds my MB Retina Pro and kit so I can have it with me wherever I go. My travels take me all over the US, Europe, Russia, India, South America and Asia. I wish I had had this kit earlier in my career. SO many places traveled. Over 34 countries to date and some of the most exotic locales. I enjoy reading the entire forum. Cheers!

 

[CanadianInvestor]

PhD in engineering from Imperial College, London, ex-tenured professor at a leading US univ., and went into industry with stints at Oracle Corp’n., and Big 5/4/3 and now CEO of a management consulting outfit specialising in Mergers and Acquisitions. Started photography in ’76 with a Nikkormat during my Doctorate days and used it extensively to make transparencies (Kodak slides) for my lectures. Great camera and later learnt darkroom techniques in a pay-as-you use lab in downtown Toronto. Never did colour processing.
Happy with the gear I have {5DMkII, 70-200 L f2.8 IS USM MkII and 24-105 L f4 IS USM) even though can easily afford the latest and most expensive Canon kit there is. Still trying to become a good photographer after 40 yrs of trying. Bought Canon since I did a stint in Canon’s European HQ at Amstelveen (NL) and saw a 3m x 10m poster in their foyer of sports photographers at a major sporting event and all of them had the white lenses pointing at the action. Never looked back. Wife is extremely supportive… she is the one who said I should accompany Sanj on his Safari trip to Kenya in February even when I said it would be an insult to him with my mediocre skills.

I travel the world and I pack my camera on every trip but rarely get to spend time sightseeing in the cities I visit. I do know, however, the hotels, the airport lounges and locations of my clients in most major cities around the globe.

Never sold my photos, but a local band uses a picture I took as their Facebook wall or landing page (or whatever it is called). I AM proud of that!

 

[IMG_0001]

Working as professional artist my entire life. In the niche and the region that I am active, relatively accomplished and respected.

I am amazed that majority of professions here are representing group of population using predominantly left side of the brain, and apparently pretty secure financially as well.
That probably explains why CR discussions in general seem to be detached with reality of the true market out there
Honestly, I was expecting more of an artists, poets, writers or musician to be in to photography than pilots, engineers, physicists or economists

Now it is clear to me why we don't have here enough posts (in my humble opinion) that are able to voice large group of users that beside the logic also follow intuition, gut feelings, emotions, or trends based on whatever (mode, looks, cool factor or social demands)

As a note I like to point out that most accomplished leaders in technology were/are people claiming to listen to intuition and gut feelings beside numbers, formulas and statistics, just like Tim Cook stated only couple of weeks a go

I would have to be surprised of you being surprised, and for a few reasons:
1- Photography is an expensive and technical 'art form'.
2- Liberal professionals are surely more likely to state their jobs and say that they enjoy photo as a hobby than people working at the grocery store as they have less chance of feeling shy about their work. (No offence meant to store clerks as there are no bad jobs), I'm sure everyone gets the point...
3- Engineers like to say they are engineers (by the way, did you know I'm an engineer?).
4- The amount of creativity required in scientific, academic and technical careers is much higher than is usually believed, although the expression of that creativity is different than than of those perceived as artistic.
5- CR is about photographic equipment.
6- I see a lot of very emotive posts about DR, crop vs ff, color spaces and evf vs off!
And so on.

However, I'm curious about you 'working as a professional artist'. I thought being an artist was a condition you were born with, not a form of employment... Ok, that's a bad joke of my part I guess...

 

[meywd]

A Software Developer, Photography is my main hobby, along with Computer Games - is that a hobby? ;D - played WOW for 4 years, Baking Cookies, watching movies, reading fiction books, and trying to dedicate time to Astronomy.

Programming is my only way to support my GAS which unfortunately is not limited to photography, also time is limited as everyone in the IT business need their projects done fast which only means 12+ hours of work.

ha, I know that feeling.

"But honey, I need this water cooled, 32 GB ram, 8 drive Raid array box..." ;D

Hahaha yeah, if i hadn't started photography 2 years ago i would have gotten a new pc

 

[Brooklyn161]

Jack of all trades, master of some.
I am a Firefighter/Paramedic, additionally I am a Volunteer Firefighter/Paramedic and do professional Real Estate Photography 2 days a week. The Real Estate gig pays for my hobby, which is photography and started in 1993 with a Ricoh KR5 Super II.

 

[Click]

Welcome to CR, Brooklyn161

 

[deleteme]

Full time photographer.
Been taking pictures since I was 6. Was given an Instamatic 50 by my Dad who loved the latest gadgets.

Wanted to be an ornithologist and photograph birds all over the world. Didn't work out.
Got a business degree figuring whatever I did would need business knowledge.
Started as a commercial photographer in 1979 but could not get anywhere and worked for photo labs before opening my own.
Clients started referring jobs to me. Built up my business and have been fortunate to make a decent living shooting architecture, editorial, product and portraiture.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Brooklyn161.
Great respect to you and your colleagues willing to protect life and property and often putting yourselves at risk in the process. I am currently re assembling a car for a firefighter from the London (UK) brigade, a very nice bloke with a slightly warped sense of humour, and most humble about his line of work.

Cheers, Graham.

Jack of all trades, master of some.
I am a Firefighter/Paramedic, additionally I am a Volunteer Firefighter/Paramedic and do professional Real Estate Photography 2 days a week. The Real Estate gig pays for my hobby, which is photography and started in 1993 with a Ricoh KR5 Super II.

 

[candc]

Working as professional artist my entire life. In the niche and the region that I am active, relatively accomplished and respected.

I am amazed that majority of professions here are representing group of population using predominantly left side of the brain, and apparently pretty secure financially as well.
That probably explains why CR discussions in general seem to be detached with reality of the true market out there
Honestly, I was expecting more of an artists, poets, writers or musician to be in to photography than pilots, engineers, physicists or economists

Now it is clear to me why we don't have here enough posts (in my humble opinion) that are able to voice large group of users that beside the logic also follow intuition, gut feelings, emotions, or trends based on whatever (mode, looks, cool factor or social demands)

As a note I like to point out that most accomplished leaders in technology were/are people claiming to listen to intuition and gut feelings beside numbers, formulas and statistics, just like Tim Cook stated only couple of weeks a go

I would have to be surprised of you being surprised, and for a few reasons:
1- Photography is an expensive and technical 'art form'.
2- Liberal professionals are surely more likely to state their jobs and say that they enjoy photo as a hobby than people working at the grocery store as they have less chance of feeling shy about their work. (No offence meant to store clerks as there are no bad jobs), I'm sure everyone gets the point...
3- Engineers like to say they are engineers (by the way, did you know I'm an engineer?).
4- The amount of creativity required in scientific, academic and technical careers is much higher than is usually believed, although the expression of that creativity is different than than of those perceived as artistic.
5- CR is about photographic equipment.
6- I see a lot of very emotive posts about DR, crop vs ff, color spaces and evf vs off!
And so on.

However, I'm curious about you 'working as a professional artist'. I thought being an artist was a condition you were born with, not a form of employment... Ok, that's a bad joke of my part I guess...

Point proven.