By Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor
No matter where you work or what your title is, every job has its ups and downs. No job is as glamorous as it may seem. Working through two jobs that are heavily based in the media has opened my eyes to the realities that come with working in this industry.
I am not complaining about where I work and what I do. I consider myself blessed to work both of my jobs, and I would not trade mine for any other college experience. However, media is a competitive field full of talented individuals in a market that is always evolving. Like any job, there are moments of clarity when times get hard.
One of the realest things I have experienced, and related to many photographers about, is creative burnout. When you are shooting every day and are expected to produce high-quality work, burnout will slowly start to reveal itself. I believe it’s in the nature of any right-brained job.
It’s not necessarily the act of doing something over and over again, but a lot of different factors contribute.
Responsibilities will always exist outside of the job. Some days are harder than others and knowing you have a meal to cook or homework to do after a long night at work is frustrating. Sometimes you will be assigned to take pictures of something you have no interest in. Being on the clock most weekends makes it feel like there is always something that has to be done. Life catches up to you quickly in these moments and sometimes it can be extremely unforgiving.
With stress comes competition. Like any role, there will always be someone more talented than you. With photography and videography, it feels like you can’t get away from seeing the work of talented people all the time.
Any time I pull out my phone to relax, I am reminded through social media whether I am actively looking for it or not that someone is working when I am not. Being on my phone is a constant reminder there are so many more talented people that exist and it is hard not to compare yourself to them. It is easy to be overly critical of your craft when all you see every time you open your phone is high quality work.
Social media is the driving force of photo journalism and media. Always comparing your work to others is normal when you have to be on social media for your job. What makes it interesting is that while the comparison is probably going to happen, it also provides you with the means to learn and become better. You can actively go out of your way to learn almost anything online but even just viewing the work of others is learning in itself. Consuming any type of media in a creative job can serve as inspiration for any of your projects.
I am speaking from personal experience and this might not be the case for everyone who works in media. Everything I’ve stated are struggles I have to this day but along the way, there are things I have learned from others in the field to keep me sane.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Someone will always be better than you and there is no getting around that. Rather than viewing yourself as inferior, learn from those that are better than you and really pick their brains and their work.
This perspective change is essential for growth. You will always be the biggest critique of your own work. It is natural to hold yourself to a higher standard.
Things will not always be perfect. Bad photoshoots happen to everyone because sometimes there are things out of your control. Learn from your bad photoshoots because mistakes are what make you better.
On that note, don’t hold onto your good photoshoots forever. It is important to be content but not satisfied because once you are happy with where you are, you will stop trying to be better. Stay hungry and keep wanting to learn.
Through all the hard realities of working in media, it is the few moments of capturing a photo that you can be proud of and experiencing things that most don’t get to that make this industry worth everything.
