Dream Job?

As a photographer, what would be your dream job?

As much as I'd love to go on tour with my favorite rock band or be track-side at the Indy 500, I think my dream job would have to be serving as the White House photographer. I admire the work of Pete Souza (Obama's photographer), and I like the fact that you don't have to have formal photography schooling under your belt (like Adam Shultz, the current photographer).

So, given a choice of anywhere, where are you working?

It's a toss up for me.

To be like Robert Capa or any war photographer would be fun. I've been in combat so that's not new to me but when I was 19 I was a little busy to be taking pictures. I remember getting into photography by taking to the combat camera guys.

The other would to be paid to travel and take pictures of animals and landscapes. Which are basically the two things I like to take pictures of now.

My dream job - if I had the talent - would be as an aviation photographer.
Something on the level of this guy...

https://www.chadslatte​ry.com/

If I were young then a photographer in the military. Here's an example...

https://www.flickr.com …/usnavy/with/51​439821223/

But I'm neither talented or young so it's all a dream.

My dream job would be/ is surveying.
I wish from day 1 I'd had digital cameras.
I've been "everywhere", into places others can't or aren't allowed to, world heritage areas unimpeded, landscapes phenomenal, sea, air land.
So its not what would my dream job be, but why weren't they invented earlier.
One aspect is I've seen places that now aren't there, have been highly modified, so to start now wouldn't capture what's lost

Probably doesn't answer your question "as a photographer"
Not sure what qualifies "as a photographer"?

avondale87 wrote in post #19282945
I wish from day 1 I'd had digital cameras.
I've been "everywhere", into places others can't or aren't allowed to, world heritage areas unimpeded, landscapes phenomenal, sea, air land.

One aspect is I've seen places that now aren't there, have been highly modified, so to start now wouldn't capture what's lost

I know what you mean. At one time I worked for Pan Am airlines. Back then I was not interested in photography at all.
Security was much more relaxed then, and I could have taken some great photos - take-offs and landings, among others.
Sad, an opportunity lost.

Perfectly Frank wrote in post #19282948
I know what you mean. At one time I worked for Pan Am airlines. Back then I was not interested in photography at all.
Security was much more relaxed then, and I could have taken some great photos - take-offs and landings, among others.
Sad, an opportunity lost.

I wish I'd been more into photography when I was in the Navy. I had a camera with me during cruises, but I never bothered taking many photos...

i wanted nothing more than to be a PJ or shoot for Nat Geo, having worked for my local newspaper as an intern (we were part of Gannett, publisher of USAToday) and i was the photo-editor chief photographer of the local college newspaper all while working in a custom print house.

i enlisted in the Air Force wanting to be a photographer but was sent to school and then assigned as a Graphic Artist. the 2 career fields are side by side in the AF Specialty Code (same as a Military Occupational Specialty) so i got to work as a Photographer and eventually earned a secondary AFSC as one but i was stuck because i couldnt progress up the skill level ladder without being in a Photography billet and i couldnt get a billet until i moved up the skill level ladder.

i wanted to be a combat photographer like Nick Ut (vietnam war) Robert Capa (WWII) Earnest Brooks and (WWI) Eugene Smith (WWII) and i suppose too, like my Air Force friend's wife Stacy Pearsall. she was Military Photographer of the year twice and one of only two women to ever earn that title (through the NPPA). she was medically retired as a SSgt after 5 years of combat duty and 11 years of service.

funny thing (i guess) is both Stacy and her husband wanted to do something ELSE when they enlisted. i WANTED to be a photographer, had had several years experience and schooling and i couldnt...

Ltdave wrote in post #19283121
i wanted nothing more than to be a PJ or shoot for Nat Geo, having worked for my local newspaper as an intern (we were part of Gannett, publisher of USAToday) and i was the photo-editor chief photographer of the local college newspaper all while working in a custom print house.

i enlisted in the Air Force wanting to be a photographer but was sent to school and then assigned as a Graphic Artist. the 2 career fields are side by side in the AF Specialty Code (same as a Military Occupational Specialty) so i got to work as a Photographer and eventually earned a secondary AFSC as one but i was stuck because i couldnt progress up the skill level ladder without being in a Photography billet and i couldnt get a billet until i moved up the skill level ladder.

i wanted to be a combat photographer like Nick Ut (vietnam war) Robert Capa (WWII) Earnest Brooks and (WWI) Eugene Smith (WWII) and i suppose too, like my Air Force friend's wife Stacy Pearsall. she was Military Photographer of the year twice and one of only two women to ever earn that title (through the NPPA). she was medically retired as a SSgt after 5 years of combat duty and 11 years of service.

funny thing (i guess) is both Stacy and her husband wanted to do something ELSE when they enlisted. i WANTED to be a photographer, had had several years experience and schooling and i couldnt...

Appreciate it! I'll have to look!

avondale87 wrote in post #19282945
My dream job would be/ is surveying.
I wish from day 1 I'd had digital cameras.
I've been "everywhere", into places others can't or aren't allowed to, world heritage areas unimpeded, landscapes phenomenal, sea, air land.
So its not what would my dream job be, but why weren't they invented earlier.
One aspect is I've seen places that now aren't there, have been highly modified, so to start now wouldn't capture what's lost

Probably doesn't answer your question "as a photographer"
Not sure what qualifies "as a photographer"?

Same here. I've travelled the world, wish I'd known then what I know now. Even a digital P&S would have been great to have.

I had my dream client thus for over a decade my dream job. He was a billionaire that hired me to come to one of his estates and just document his family. I would spend several days with them just documenting their lives. Usually 6 or 7 times a year. He passed away last year.

I just got into motorcycles around 2 years ago and, as of around 6 months ago, I shoot bikes 9-5 for an online motorcycle dealership. Pretty fun! $20/hr and 0 editing involved.

mbartleyphoto wrote in post #19286804
I just got into motorcycles around 2 years ago and, as of around 6 months ago, I shoot bikes 9-5 for an online motorcycle dealership. Pretty fun! $20/hr and 0 editing involved.

I've got a buddy who was working at the local Ford dealer detailing cars. He took some photos of one car he was particularly proud of (a Roush Mustang) and posted them on his Facebook page. When the owner of the dealership saw them, she was like "Hey, why isn't Mike doing our photos?"

That's his full time gig now...

Heres a book I did of my dream clients America automobile collection. Took 4 years to photograph the collection. Had to do it between other jobs and such. There are some real rare cars in this collection. This book was for him only.
https://www.blurb.com …7f8719796efebb4​9ec06b5ab8

airfrogusmc wrote in post #19287254
Heres a book I did of my dream clients America automobile collection. Took 4 years to photograph the collection. Had to do it between other jobs and such. There are some real rare cars in this collection. This book was for him only.
https://www.blurb.com …7f8719796efebb4​9ec06b5ab8

That's some stellar, stellar work. I'd remove my own left testicle to gain access to a studio like that.

A friend of mine here owns a 1936 Cord. Very cool car:

It is/was the clients space. An old movie studio. Lighting was 4 4801 Blackline Speedotrons with 4 heads each (16 heads total) in a 10 X 30 ft soft box.

Two cars of his that were on loan or being worked on after I shot after the book was finished.

Auburn Boat Tail