Forrest41926
Veteran Member
Thanks!
Not sure about wolves -- they scare my girl quite a bit -- but I'm definately trying to get some mountain goats and Dall sheep...!
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Just Gave Notice -- Wish Me Luck!!
- Thread starter Forrest41926
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joe mccabe
Leading Member
Much prettier than Anchorage or Fairbanks! Lots more mountains and critters (eagles and whales and bears in your trash, oh my!)
Good luck in your new endeavor! I know I'm jealous!
Joe (in beautiful, sunny - at least today - Juneau)
Good luck in your new endeavor! I know I'm jealous!
Joe (in beautiful, sunny - at least today - Juneau)
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
Thanks!Wow! After twenty-three years in business for myself. You bet
I'll wish you luck
Yeah, I've spent the past 3 1/2 years in a corporate finance department ... I know how this stuff can pile up endlessly. And I'm also not going to let a bunch of numbers intimidate me.
Yeah, I can already invoke the better-or-worse clause, though...Assistants. A necessary evil if you're going to be interacting
with clients on site and need to do an onsite studio setup. If you
don't want to grow and just stay a lone wolf, your girlfriend will
be an add but a commitment of marriage is even better, cause then
you can invoke the better or worse clause
This seems to be the consensur, reading the Pro Forum.
That sounds like it'll get difficult at times ... but maybe that gets back to good customers?
This makes plenty of sense to me ... especially thinking back to when I'm buying something expensive!
L
Lee Rothman
Guest
The IRS loves to get into BOTH of your pockets while they mess with your genitalia at the same time. Otherwise you should have a blast. I feel fortunate as I get to travel on the company card from Ohio to the West Coast and everywhere inbetween. Been to all the large national parks and wonderful coastal areas. The Cascades alone offer some amazing shooting. Pay close attention to the Olympic Penninsula as there is a ton of things to catch there alone. Check out Glacier Natl. Park and also the Northern Canadian end Waterton Park as well. Enjoy as I am sure it will be memories you will NEVER forget.........
great frog
Member
Its no life to be wandering around the country trying to sell photos.
You'll get many rejections. Just settle down in one place and maybe open up your own studio raise a big family and attend your kids soccer games and
piano recitals. You could put your business experience to better use that way.
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
I don't have an answer worked out, yet, but I can see how important this is.
I think this particular case would be one where I'd rent the equiptment ... but I do know that I'll be competing with very good people, and I need the best gear to back my skills up.
This describes my corporate job pretty well ... so it won't be a difficult transition!
Yeah, one thing I've learned in the corporate world is it's either a job I can do, or it's a job that I'm just not able to do. You need to be able to tell the difference very quickly, and very well. I think false confidence is as bad as not having "real" confidence.
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
I'm probably going to do some consulting for the company I work for now. I've been doing a lot of work with our Marketing Dept ... so I'm talking to their VP and keep showing her my photos. She loves them, and promised if we ever run an ad campaign featuring ducks, they'll use my photos...!
I'm not sure how some of the newer "integrety" policies affect this? I know a lot of companies won't allow a person to make a decision to go with a vendor, if that person knows one of the vendors vieing for a job...?
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
I would have ... but then my friend flipped a car I was in in Oregon ... and then when I finally started healing from that, a minivan ran a light in San Francisco and I spent a lovely night at St Luke's emergency room ... set backs.
anastazi
Member
Well first... BEST O' LUCK.
Second where do you intend to shoot in the Rockies? Are you open to suggestions? If so you might look into some of the Colorado ghost towns. [after the snow melts!!]
I live in northern Colo and have been a "mountain rat" for a long time.
I won't load up the forum with all kinds of specific "stuff" but I will answer your questions via e-mail if you like. See profile.
Some thoughts; The mountains in the Spring. narrow gage railroads, ghost towns, [shoot em before the tourists tear them down!!]
'Nuff said....
**** D
All things are relative, timeing is everything!!
rcd -- 73's
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
Yeah, but at least the other two cities have roads going into them...! Actually, I'm very interested in backpacking through Gates of the Arctic ... so Fairbanks makes a lot of sense on the map...
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
Thanks. And whenever I get a set of prints back from the lab, people keep asking me why I don't work for National Geographic, what I'm doing here, and stuff like that. So I seem to have the first part down ... I just hope I'm determined enough!
Amy Kleck111811
Forum Enthusiast
Honestly, please let us know how this goes. The rest of us slogging away in the corporate world will live vicariously!
I've always read your posts because I know you're from the Bay Area (I'm in Walnut Creek.) You really do excellent photography.
Did you read the article on the Luminous Landscape? There's a recent article on going pro. Very interesting, and full of good information.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-03-03-23.shtml
I've always read your posts because I know you're from the Bay Area (I'm in Walnut Creek.) You really do excellent photography.
Did you read the article on the Luminous Landscape? There's a recent article on going pro. Very interesting, and full of good information.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-03-03-23.shtml
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
If you're in the Bay Area and know Access very well ... send me an email. Hopefully, though, I'm going to do some consulting for them ... so they probably won't replace me.
Forrest41926
Veteran Member
Making a very large mental health insurance company slightly more effecient, well, just isn't fulfilling. I know my way isn't going to be easy, but the idea of true freedom is pretty appealing.
Glacier is awesome! We're going to spend a few weeks hiking and backpacking there this summer. Probably a week or two in Olympic, North Cascades, and Ranier as well. Naturally we're going to stop in Rocky Mountain; I was 11 days old the first time I crossed the Continental Divide, on my way to the back entrance to RMNP...
Glacier is awesome! We're going to spend a few weeks hiking and backpacking there this summer. Probably a week or two in Olympic, North Cascades, and Ranier as well. Naturally we're going to stop in Rocky Mountain; I was 11 days old the first time I crossed the Continental Divide, on my way to the back entrance to RMNP...
Dave Reiser
Member
Safe corporate job? hmm. Not sure such a thing exists...
There are a lot of costs involved in launching any business. You make out a budget, including health care, food, rent/mortgage, auto, all the business operating costs, etc., and then see if you can foresee making the hurdle. While health care is a big chunk, it probably won't really turn out to be the deal breaker.
If you're going to have a local presence, check out the Chamber of Commerce. Many of the chapters provide access to group rates for their members (and members' employees). The rates are certainly higher than the portion one normally pays in a major corporation health benefit plan, but they are a lot better than what you can get solo. On top of that, the chamber events will give you many oportunities to make contacts that turn into real business for you. I'm trying to launch a corrosion consulting business, so the average chamber member is less likely to be interested in my product than in yours, but you really never know how your next contract will be initiated.
Another option might be trade associations -- at least some of the technical trade associations with which I'm familiar offer group rates to members. Again, they'll make the old corporate copay scheme look mighty cheap, but they could turn out to be a decent deal.
Dave
There are a lot of costs involved in launching any business. You make out a budget, including health care, food, rent/mortgage, auto, all the business operating costs, etc., and then see if you can foresee making the hurdle. While health care is a big chunk, it probably won't really turn out to be the deal breaker.
If you're going to have a local presence, check out the Chamber of Commerce. Many of the chapters provide access to group rates for their members (and members' employees). The rates are certainly higher than the portion one normally pays in a major corporation health benefit plan, but they are a lot better than what you can get solo. On top of that, the chamber events will give you many oportunities to make contacts that turn into real business for you. I'm trying to launch a corrosion consulting business, so the average chamber member is less likely to be interested in my product than in yours, but you really never know how your next contract will be initiated.
Another option might be trade associations -- at least some of the technical trade associations with which I'm familiar offer group rates to members. Again, they'll make the old corporate copay scheme look mighty cheap, but they could turn out to be a decent deal.
Dave
joe mccabe
Leading Member
LOL, who needs roads when you've got ferry's?
I hear ya tho (but if you haven't been to SE you really should see it - we don't have Gates of the Arctic but we do have Glacier Bay!)
Again, good luck!
I hear ya tho (but if you haven't been to SE you really should see it - we don't have Gates of the Arctic but we do have Glacier Bay!)
Again, good luck!
Rob Martin
Veteran Member
if it's not posted soon, email me and I'll give you the details.
It's on stock photography and it's quite the eye opener.
I'm hoping to one day sell photos in my early retirement.. (he he) and I'm researching.
Remember, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing photo that sells the best... Otherwise there would be 1000 National Geographic Photographers here alone.
Be wise, research your target markets. Take photos specifically for those markets. The "Hard" way is to take photos and then to find a market.
Be positive and get your head down. Setbacks are a part of life, so expect a few. But once you're on your path you are the author of your destiny. God I sound like a "Napoleon Hill".
But you get the point.....
keep us posted.
--
------------------------------
if you take the time to do something urgent, make sure it is important .............................
It's on stock photography and it's quite the eye opener.
I'm hoping to one day sell photos in my early retirement.. (he he) and I'm researching.
Remember, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing photo that sells the best... Otherwise there would be 1000 National Geographic Photographers here alone.
Be wise, research your target markets. Take photos specifically for those markets. The "Hard" way is to take photos and then to find a market.
Be positive and get your head down. Setbacks are a part of life, so expect a few. But once you're on your path you are the author of your destiny. God I sound like a "Napoleon Hill".
But you get the point.....
keep us posted.
--
------------------------------
if you take the time to do something urgent, make sure it is important .............................
Wiley Denson
Leading Member
Forest:
Good luck, and when you get here give me a call or look me up...I'll be glad to help you any way I can. We have a small business on the Homer spit, so look us up when you get around this way. Homer, Alaska, by the way, is one of the "artsiest" places I ever saw, and your girlfriend should feel right at home.
Besides all that, you can get a lot of these pictures:
http://www.pbase.com/wileydd/look_up
For what it's worth, when photographing Alaska, I think you should start in the south in the spring and follow the snow north, ending up on the north slope in late August.
After the snow flies everywhere, it doesn't matter.
Good Luck, and see you when you get here.
--
Wiley D
Pictures can't do the real thing justice, but you gotta' try.
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