Creating a Photography Project Fund by Rick Rickman

As I sat with several photographers the topic turned to job dissatisfaction. This industry is rife with photographers who seem to be plagued with the inability to find ways to work on the projects they really want to do.

I've found this dissatisfaction somewhat puzzling because we're in a profession that allows us so much freedom to pursue ideas of our own generation. It doesn't matter whether you're a staff photographer, or you're freelance, you can come up with ideas that you want to photograph, and then you can attempt to pursue those ideas.

Some of my best work has been self-financed, and if you plan carefully you can build what I call a project fund.

Creating a project fund is a very simple process. It takes no real skill. It does, however, take serious discipline. From every check that I receive I deduct 10% of its value, and I deposit that money into an account I've set up with my bank.

If you regularly deduct 10% of your income each year, and place that into your project account, you should be able to self-fund a project or story of your choice after sixteen months or so.

Having the money to do some personal work is truly liberating. It allows you to stretch your creative well-being, and try some things that you may not have felt comfortable doing for a magazine or newspaper client. It'll also give you a sense of added responsibility, because you're now spending your own money.

The next time you hear yourself complaining about a lack of job satisfaction, take it upon yourself to open your own project fund, and begin to deposit money into it. It'll be good for you, because you'll be on the path to growth. It's like investing in yourself, and what better investment is there?

Rick Rickman is a freelance photographer based in Southern California. A Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist with 30 years experience, Rick has worked for almost every publishing interest in this country; Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, SI, Nike and the United States Olympic Committee just to name a few. To learn more about Rick and to view his work, visit his web site at: www.rickrickman.com.