Natwerk Designs

When should I start seriously considering my career?

I know I am young. I'm only 13 years old. I'm going to college early, at around 16 or 17 years old, due to how fast I'm progressing in my home school education. I've gone through many different stages of things I'd like to do, but I'm pretty sure I've narrowed it down. I recently discovered I have a really good knack for photography. I'm actually quite talented with a camera. I absolutely love editing pictures. Then I thought about interior design. But I think it's the actual looking for things to piece together and the actual decorating process, but, I feel stronger towards photography. I have considered setting up a business. The whole thing confuses me, with business making. I understand that I can't plan out a future; Things will go off course, sometimes. But I've really thought about it. It is not like I haven't just enjoyed life as a 13 year old girl. I'm still young and shouldn't think too hard about my future. But it's going by faster than I thought it would, being home schooled now. Anyways, I have planned out the following: At 16, I will become a preschool teacher assistant. My aunt is a preschool teacher, so I will most likely help her with that. I already help her now, but I can not legally be paid until I am of working age. While I am assisting her, I will be getting the education( which takes about a year or two) to become a preschool teacher, so I can make better money and be more productive rather than working at Food Lion, or McDonald's, and such. At 18, I'll become the preschool teacher. You have to be 18 years old to be one. I'll still be doing college throughout my teaching. After college, I'll quit preschool teaching. I want to go and buy a decent sized building, and start my own photography business. I have absolutely no clue how it works though. And there is another problem. I'm not sure that I'm really into the science with lighting. I'm not sure, but what do you study in college for photography? What is it like and how do you start a business? What do you need in order to be a photographer? How many years does it take? Excuse me. I'm sorry, but I wasn't asking for a lecture. Why would I be serious about something that I wouldn't love doing?

Public Comments

1. That all sounds fine and dandy aside from the fact that a legitimate photographer does not need a building, nor do they usually do it full time -- most photographers do it as a side job. If you are talking about a photo-printing business, yes, you'll need a building. Otherwise, a spare room in your house would do the job for a lot less. All you'll need is a studio and a computer. Another thing, make sure you're serious about it. I'm 16 years old and I work for 2 professional photographers and absolutely love it, but it seems like everyone I know claims to love photography. How ironic that the only pictures they have are of themselves! Make sure you really love it, for the sake of the art.
2. Hey.. Im 16, from Singapore. I actually wanted to start a photography business in Singapore when i'm 21. Maybe i can answer "What do you need in order to be a photographer?" There are many types of photography business in the market. Some are studios, events, DnD, weddings, pets etc.. So what's your forte in shooting photographs? Candid? I shoot nice candid photos and closeups. But cant seem to shoot general shots. I wanted to open a photography company that specializes in event photography. So i will take up DnD, weddings, functions, churches etc.. i need to know how to capture expressions and what the event is like at a glance through the photo album. You are into Science with lighting? Maybe studio will suits you more.. but studio shoots are challenging.. i see people able to capture the expression of the models and shows how the model is "feeling".. Hope you can develop even more photography interest =))
3. You can legally be paid at 16, but you need to fill out a work permit form and get a permit for working. It may differ depending on the state you live in, but in my state kids have certian times they can and can't work and there is a limit to how many hours a week a kid can work. It's really easy to get a permit. Also depending on the state, you have to have a certain amount of years of college to be a teacher. In my state, it's 4 years or more of college to get a teaching degree. I'm not sure about teaching preschool, though. You seem like you are well educated, so it may be easier for you. It took me forever to figure out what I want to do, finally. By 9th grade, I had about seven differnt things I really wanted to do all at once, even after narrowing down my choices. I'm at the end of my 10th grade year and I have narrowed it down to atleast three things, so maybe for you it will just take time to realize what you truly want to do. You seem to have a pretty good plan though. To be a photographer it just takes time and practice, and getting used to things. It would be a good idea to go to an art college to find out more about photography if you're that serious about it. You're still really young so worrying about it too much isn't necessary. If I were you, I'd find a local photographer's shop and ask them questions about the whole buisness. Maybe go get some books on it and read. I've done that before for something different and learned a lot from it. Good luck! :D
4. Wow. Judging by your thoughtful comments, you seem like a very impressive young person. I know a lot of 40 year old adults who don't have the vision you do. That said, keep it loose with life plans. You may not want to hear it, but it is the truth: you are still very young and learning new things about yourself everyday. As a 13-year-old, you will be changing a tremendous amount in the next several years. There's no textbook that can teach you those the lessons regardless if it is in school or at home. I'd encourage you to contact professionals in your area and ask to shadow them for a day. That's an excellent insight into the life of the modern photographer. Make a school project out of it. Don't be afraid to be a little bit of a pest and ask a lot of the questions you have asked here. Shoot pictures, lots of pictures. Seek critiques from your professional sources. During this process, be sure to pursue your interests outside of photography too. They may cause you to rethink and reevaluate your career options. If you continue in photography they will give you a broader knowledge basis which always helps artistic expression. Have fun, and do what you love. There you will find your purpose.