If you’ve not read David duChemin’s blog, I highly recommend it. There are lots of good nuggets of wisdom about being a professional photographer and following one’s passion. There are two articles of interest that I read: One yesterday. One today. They are: Know your place: A Sermon in two parts and Know your place, part two. They offer a good amount of food for thought.

Though I’m not in the market, just yet, to be a professional photographer, it’s great ground work for what lies ahead. In the second part he talks about your big red X. That is, the photographer that you are. Your brand, your unmistakable style. He says that there is room for everyone. You may not be Moose Peterson, but you can still be a professional wildlife photographer. You just have to hone your skills and direct yourself to be the best ‘you’ that you can be. You need to be the biggest, brightest X that you can be. He also talks about dilution. Are you the go-to guy for destination weddings, or are you the guy who does weddings, and macros, a landscapes, and … If so, how will your customer find you? How will they see your particular style? How will they choose you.

Zack Aria mentioned something similar to this about choosing pictures to go in your online galleries and especially your portfolio. Choose those that suit your style and are examples of your best work, etc. I wonder, periodically, what it is that I would do as a professional photographer? What am I good at? I point my camera at all types of things, but could see myself photographing the desert southwest, like Alain Briot. Or, closer to home, making a living photographing the Blue Ridge Parkway, of which I miss dearly at this time. By far, I think, most of better pictures are of those subjects. Subjects that I seem to relate to. Also, most anything with water in it, especially rivers and streams.

Food for thought: Where is your big red X? What are you good at? If you are, or were to become a professional photographer, what would be your area of focus? Where is your passion?