Chasing Dreams After 50 — Rediscover Your Passion in a Second Career

A Boomers Know How Series – This Installment: Photographer

The experts can argue all they want as to whether 60 is the new 40. What they cannot argue, is baby boomers in ever-increasing numbers are looking to embark on second careers at age 50, 60, and beyond.

Compared to just a generation ago, today’s baby boomers are healthier, feel younger, and with gas left in the tank, are not ready to hang up their ambitions.

That doesn’t mean boomers are not ready to retire from their original careers. Quite the contrary, many boomers are ready, willing, and financially able to walk away from the familiar workday grind in favor of new possibilities as they reinvent their lives.

Some baby boomers are trading their full time status to consultant and mentor in their chosen fields. Others are switching careers entirely to chase a long dormant dream as they enter life’s second act with renewed passion.

As a resource for all things baby boomer, BoomersKnowHow.com will be exploring a number of popular—second acts—in our series, “Chasing Dreams After 50—Rediscover Your Passion in a Second Career!”

Our goal is to provide an informative look, and resources for a number of second career possibilities. As always, our readers’ comments and suggestions for future posts are greatly appreciated!

Featured Second Career: Photographer

Do you have a passion for photography?

If you do, there may never be a better time to jump into the exciting world of professional photography. We now live in a fast-paced, online, connected world that thrives on images!

Think about it—Websites, Blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram—photography is everywhere and the demand continues to grow.

And let’s not forget all the traditional uses for photography—portraits, weddings, events, advertising, art—the need for images from talented photographers is huge.

Perhaps you’ve been told you have a knack for taking photos, but felt you lacked the technical expertise to throw your hat into the professional arena.

Good News—advanced digital camera technology has greatly flattened the learning curve and reduced the time required to become comfortable with the technical side of photography. If you have a passion for photography, the required technical expertise to begin your second career is readily obtainable from books, online sources, weekend seminars, and self-study courses.

• Rewards of a Career in Photography

  • Express your Artistic and Creative side
  • Chose the type of work you do and the people you work with
  • Document cherished memories for your clients
  • Help businesses grow using your images
  • Explore fields of interest / travel
  • Freelance income / tax benefits of business ownership
  • Learn to use and own the latest gear
  • Create a legacy

• Example Photography Careers

  • Photojournalism – local newspapers, magazines, online news outlets
  • Wedding Photography / Events – engagements, weddings, anniversaries, reunions
  • Portraits – baby photography, high school senior portraits, family portraits
  • Executive Portraiture – headshots, publicity photos, online profiles, staff portraits
  • Landscape Photographer – scenery, travel, books, calendars, cards, fine art sales
  • Wildlife Photography – magazine articles, document species, books, calendars, cards, print sales
  • Street Photography – document life, record history, art shows, stock photography
  • Stock Photography – you can turn almost any interest into a stock photo portfolio
  • Product Photography – online catalogs, printed catalogs, advertisements, e-Bay
  • Commercial / Industrial – company photos of all kinds, annual reports, advertising
  • Architectural Photography / Realty – builders, designers, architects, real estate agents
  • Sports Photographer – local papers, team portraits, magazines
  • Pet Photography – portraits, shows, magazines, gift items

  
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• Training Resources

  • Books – Rest assured there is a large selection of how-to books dedicated to the type of photography in which you have an interest. Start with Amazon.com and pay attention to review comments to select worthy reads.
  • Community Collages – many community colleges offer photography training from extension courses to two-year degrees.
  • Online Courses – New York Institute of Photography is an example of an accredited online school offering a range of in-depth photography courses for enrollment.
  • Photography Websites – DPS, Digital Photography School is an example of a photography blog offering free and paid photography tips and tutorials.
  • Mentor / On-the-job – team up with an experienced photographer in the field of your choice as an apprentice.
  • National and Local Photography Associations – most major cities have chapters of national photography associations that offer seminars and training programs in addition to marketing and insurance services. These local groups are also a good place to look for a mentor. Check out –
    • Professional Photographers of America
    • American Photography Association
    • American Society of Media Photographers
    • North American Nature Photography Association
    • American Photographic Artists
    • WPPI Wedding Photography Association
    • National Press Photographers Association
  • YouTube – The time and talent given by professional photographers in the way of YouTube how-to videos is amazing. Search a topic, set back, and watch and learn from experts.
  • Local Photography Retailers – If you are fortunate enough to live near a full service camera store, you’ll have a pool of photo experts and training programs to tap into.

At 50 plus and ready to chase new dreams, boomers are discovering the possibilities of photography as a second career—and unlike younger generations—baby boomers may be perfectly positioned to succeed!

As mentioned above, the digital age has lowered the bar for entry into the professional photography arena. Equipment is less difficult to master, and pro-grade gear has never been more affordable. As you would expect, easier entry into the field has led to increased competition, resulting in lower earnings for photographers in general.

You would need to think long and hard before starting a photography career if you need an income capable of supporting young family.

However, if your are age 50 plus, and are more interested in pursuing a passion than earning big bucks, the time may be ideal to explore photography as a second career.

Try it on for size…

“Hi, my name is, Your Name Here, and I am a photographer!

All the best,

RG
Editor, BoomersKnowHow.com

P.S. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, and make sure to SUBSCRIBE to our updates to catch future installments of “Chasing Dreams After 50!”

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‘Finding Joe’ is an inspiring film about living your purpose, discovering your true self and seeing new possibilities for your life. Click the Food Matters logo to find out more.

*Sponsored Links FTC Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, BoomerKnowHow.com will receive a small percentage of the sale as an affiliate commission. Commissions help offset the cost of maintaining this site, and represent no additional cost to you. We will only recommend products or services we believe will add value to our readers.

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