© Jacob Pritchard
Cross-posted from pdnonline.com
[by Conor Risch with Contributions David Walker]
For photographers who are interested in creating documentary, editorial and fine-art work, advertising jobs can be an important part of building a sustainable career. Income from advertising work can provide the financial security that photographers need to live and to pursue the personal work or low-paid editorial projects that they’re passionate about.
British documentary and fine-art photographer Venetia Dearden, for instance, says she was “about to give up photography because I couldn’t earn enough money being a photojournalist.” Then she got her first advertising jobs. She’s been juggling personal and advertising work since. “It’s really hard to survive as a photographer if you’re not doing advertising,” she adds. The remuneration from ad work meant Dearden felt “much more comfortable accepting the really low-paid assignments that I loved doing because it wasn’t so terrifying only doing that.” And the low-paid assignments and personal work, which gave her something to show to potential advertising clients, led to more ad work. “Everything goes hand in hand,” she explains.