And If I migrate?

Just about two years!

Yes, two years ago I was introduced to Digital Photography and I realized that I was lucky! I was taking an opportunity to change my professional and personal life and to do a job regarding something that really I love: photography.

As I described in my biography I always have taken photos: for fun, for art, for everything. And everywhere, like everybody. Honestly speaking I don’t know anybody that has never taken a photo during all life.

Photos are part of our life, our memory, and the way everybody chooses to tell stories or trip adventures, to describe a journey or to remember his parents, his children, his loves.

But photography as business is quite different. Migrating from a career to another one is not easy, especially in a country like Italy, very “conservative” from this point of view. But when I decided to try to do that I was not really “conscious” about how fascinating but also how difficult this challenge could be.

First of all it is “everything” except for … taking photos! Probably my previous experience as Project Manager is helping me in managing this business. For example it’s helping me to realize my website. I confess a thing: when I was a student at Catania’s University (TLC Engineering) I hated Programming and everything regarded with it. But the interest in developing a code for myself, something very important with me and with my activity as photographer, broke my barriers!

The fact is that we are in the Internet Age and if you want to do a widespread business you need a website. But if you know how to design a site probably you can turn it to you personal advantage. Because you perfectly know what you want from your site and you’ll be responsible of your first means of communication.

Yes, a web site is above all your “business card”, where you can put photos, reportages, articles, forms for mailing list, etc. So I learned how to design my website, how to write an HTML code, how to use CSS, how to manage a form with PHP and how to create dynamic slideshow using your dB tools.

Then you have to start-up your new business! Photography as a business? I told to myself, trying to understand if it is more an hobby than a business. Why not! Obviously I spend days and days shooting with a camera and optimizing photos with my computer. But a business is a business so I am also studiyng all business stuff! Market Analysis, marketing, promotion, database management, site management, business plan, budgeting, taxes, etc.

As a student of project management teachers usually do an example: you can play different roles in a project like someone who wears different colored hats.

The same now: photo shooting, site development, financial budget, dB management, all different features so different hats.

That’s the most difficult part of this job: managing all in a effective and efficient way, “organizing” properly time and resources.