Aside from any inferred reasons, I never did explain *why* I decided to go out of business.
I've told you that "I quit":http://revjim.net/2006/08/25/out-of-business/ and mentioned some of the good things that will come from doing so. I've listed in detail all of "the dreams that are going away with it":http://revjim.net/2006/08/28/whats-really-lost/. I even gave a small display of my "recovered joy":http://revjim.net/2006/08/29/the-good-side-of-a-bad-thing/ that comes from no longer spending so much time and energy on the potentially money making aspects of Photography, and just doing what I love.
So now the hard part.
My reasons for quitting all boil down to time, money, and support. I work a full time, 40+ hour a week job. I spend 2+ hours each day commuting. I have a house to maintain and a wife to spend time with. With all of this and more, free time is scarce.
In this very limited free time there's a lot to be done. Even if the work was rolling in by the carload, I still have to work the sessions I've scheduled and prepare new images to place online in hopes of selling. Unfortunately, the work isn't rolling in, so I lower my prices a bit to give myself a small advantage and I spend a lot of time advertising. I scour the Internet for new potential customers. I post images and commentary in multiple local message boards, photography forums, modelling hubs, parenting sites, and community portals looking for work and trying to keep my name out there. I spend time conversing with small business owners and people selling products in hopes of finding scraps of potential commercial work. I create advertising material, and dream up new products and services to advertise. I consider new projects and write compelling descriptions and announcements in order to find support for my effort. I look for local art shows and photography contests that I can join. And much, much, much more.
I accept that my free time will be a scarcity until I can get big enough to quit my day-job. But, I spend so much time, money, and effort advertising and so little of it actually taking and editing photographs that it begins to feel utterly fruitless. And, when I finally do get a job or two, I can't perform them, keep up with advertising, and maintain my day-job without gasping for air.
I've tried raising my prices, I've tried lowering my prices, I've tried offering different types of products. My prices are not the problem. In a world full of cheap digital cameras where everyone and their dog is a "photographer", it's easy to get lost in a sea of wanna-be photogs. EXPOSURE is the problem, and I just can't seem to do enough to get the exposure I need on my own.
I've suggested, asked, pleaded, begged, and offered compensation to my friends, family, acquaintances, and past subjects to help advertise both my prints and my services through their word-of-mouth. I've undertaken countless hours of rather boring portrait sessions with no payment and, in some cases, free prints being offered because I think that subject will bring more paying business. I've managed to get a handful of referrals from various people for which I am eternally grateful. Sometimes those referrals even manage to turn into paying sessions. But, that is a very rare case indeed. I've booked very few paying sessions.
With the exception of a small group of friends and my dad, I've gotten very little support, encouragement, or advertising from my friends and family, the people I would expect to get the most from. In fact, on the whole, I've gotten more support and respect from the people that I've met through photography and my endeavors than I have from those that I knew before I started this. If I can't get my friends, my family, or my wife to take me and my business seriously, how am I ever going to find enough clients to make a living doing this?
Now, don't misread what I've said. I don't in any way feel that my friends and family are obligated in any way to advertise for me. If I offer you free or discounted services, then a small tip, website credit, or bit of advertising is certainly appreciated and often expected. But, I don't believe that the majority of my friends and family are in any way obligated to support me in any fashion. However, if I do happen to manage to actually make it through all of this, you better believe that I will shower my appreciation on those that helped me get there. But please don't feel like I'm accusing anyone because I was unable to get my business where I wanted it. I put the blame on only myself, fate, and good old-fashioned luck.
So, I talked with the people that would listen (some of whom continued to use the word "hobby" even though I continued to use the word "business") and came to a conclusion. It just isn't worth it to pour more hard-earned money and limited free-time into dealing with the business aspects of it all and advertising myself when I don't have the support I need to actually get a foot hold. Instead, I can put that time into doing what I enjoy, and put that money toward travelling the world, equipment to make it easier to enjoy this art form, and savings for the future of my family.
I think it's best to move on with life, relegate myself to staying put for the time being, and get back to enjoying photography and meeting new people. In the future, if our progressing life happens to leave a hole and an opportunity to get started again and the conditions seem right, then I'll go for it.
