A Hard Week

For those who don't already know, I work a full time government job in addition to my photography business. This is the main reason that I accept only 25 weddings per year and rarely do any portrait work that is not wedding-related. Well...this week has been an exceptionally rough week.... and it is only Wednesday.... and Monday was a holiday.

People ask me all the time when I am going to go "full-time" with my photography. Well, I already consider myself "full-time" since I spend 30+ hours per week working on business-related tasks, but I do understand what they are asking. Although I love my day job and find it very rewarding on most days, after a day like today, sometimes I wonder why I haven't given up the "day job".

But then it dawns on me. Yes, I LOVE wedding photography. I love the entire process, from packing up my gear to every shutter release to handing over finished wedding albums. I love it.... but would I love it as much if it was my "job"? Maybe. All of a sudden, it becomes a "have-to" instead of a "love-to". I have thought many, many times of the day that I would be able to lay down the pen and pick up the camera for good.... but I have to ask myself this: If somewhere down the line I begin to love it less, will my work show it? I don't know the answer to that question. And I just won't risk it.

And even though some of the day-job times are tough, knowing that this Saturday I will be in the presence of so much love makes all of it better. I guess you could say I've found my balance.