A Photographer's View of Entrepreneurs
I have a passion for many things: supporting startups and entrepreneurs, family, strong values and photography. I personally enjoy the challenge of learning the camera and I love photographing the heavens: taking stunning shots of the moon and planets. While peering through the viewfinder one evening, I realized that photography and an entrepreneur's mindset have an awful lot in common. 1. Photographers and entrepreneurs have to be committed to learning. To thoroughly learn a digital SLR camera, you have to have commitment. You may never use or understand all the features but you have to enjoy the challenge. An entrepreneur has to be committed to absorbing as much knowledge about his industry and potential businesses as well. 2. They both have to be prepared to fail, repeatedly. An entrepreneur generally has a lot of ideas percolating in her head...many of which will never take off. The same is true for a photographer. Most shots end up deleted or in the recycle bin. 3. Entrepreneurs and photographers have to have passion. Many people buy a camera and never really explore what they can do with it. A great photographer and a successful entrepreneur keep pushing forward because they are excited by those challenges! Photographers take their cameras everywhere, always on the hunt for the next photo. Entrepreneurs have bulging notebooks and contact lists, ever at the ready for the next big idea. 4.They both have to be solutions-focused. An entrepreneur looks at those failures and examines what went well and where the ball was dropped. A committed photographer examines every shot for lighting, focus, detail to see what he could do better next time. 5. The best of both have an uncommon vision. Entrepreneurs and photographers both have an "eye" -they see things others around them don't: great shots, solutions to problems, a way to meet a desire that others will never see.What's your vision? Do you need guidance in getting it "to print"? Give me a call and let's discuss your options. by Steven Schlagel