Photography is a very popular business to get into, but a very difficult one in which to make a stable, successful living. Why is that? What does it take to be a successful professional? This insightful video essay features a seasoned pro discussing what it takes to find success in 2023. 

Coming to you from Scott Choucino of Tin House Studio, this important video essay discusses the difficulties that come with trying to be a modern professional photographer. Of all the great points, I think one of the most important and easily overlooked is that finding success in the field often takes personal sacrifices, some of which might be significant. The beauty of many traditional jobs is that you have a set and predictable structure, and outside the temporal boundaries of the job, you are free to do what you want. That is not the case with running your own business, though. You will find the hours often far less predictable and far more demanding. This means that you have to really ask yourself if you have enough passion to maintain the drive needed to find success. The truth is that if you can see yourself doing anything else, you should probably do that other thing instead. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Choucino.