Not long ago I had the great opportunity to do a Virtual Tour on a home for some friends of mine. They were going to be selling their home, so hiring a professional for the photo shoot and Virtual tour was a must.
With little to no hesitation they called you know who. I was so excited and really wanted to do this for several reasons, one I knew their house would show really well -- because of the decor and the architecture of the house -- and I knew it would look good on screen. With the right touch, the pictures would stand as a great set of images to use later down the road to show off on my website or as a portfolio piece. Secondly, I wanted to have fun with the house. It was for close friends and I loved the house. They were very insistent on paying something, but I wanted nothing for it. That is not so uncommon for me to do, I mean it's fun for me. Right?
This is what brings me here.
The question I was recently asked was how do you draw a line between fun and work? My quick answer was "money"! Of course I laughed when I said it, but it made me think. What is the line between fun and work?
The first truth is that any time I grab my camera for any reason it's work. The second truth is that any time I grab my camera for any reason it's fun. From the click of the shutter to the processed image ready for delivery, it has taken time, energy and talent. All of which comes at a price to me now more then ever. I know the importance of energy thanks to my daughter and how limited time is when I want to spend more with my wife.
I would have to say that I would draw the line at this: I really like what I do for a living.
I will have to change my thoughts of being a photographer for fun and understand it's now what I do for full time work. So work is what you need to do, and fun is how you need to think about work.
The home has since sold, and the family has started a new project. But for me, my desire to shoot well decorated homes stays.
