- Bonsai Sunset
During our recent trip to Seattle, MHT unplugged had the great pleasure of meeting Sean Bagshaw, a multi-award- winning travel and landscape photographer from Oregon. Not only is Sean a top photographer, he is a really down to earth and humble guy. His huge online fanbase will testify to the him being generous with sharing his knowledge. He regularly shares his tips online, contributes to Outdoor Photographer blog, and has been published in top photography magazines. For those looking to explore the beauty of Oregon, be sure to check out his website and blog. Sean was kind enough to answer some of Winnie’s questions.
MHT : Sean frequently pops up in photo contests and has even written an article recently sharing his tips on entering photo competitions. Can you tell us what impact winning photo competitions had on you as a photographer?
The impact of participating in photo competitions has been multifaceted. If one is fortunate enough to have a winning image in a respected photography competition there is the obvious boost to your public image and it lends credibility to your resume and the quality of your art. Some of the larger international competitions, such as the International Conservation Photography Awards, the Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice Awards and the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year do a great job of introducing your name and photography to a large audience through public exhibits, large web viewership, press releases and news stories. My photography is more widely known due to my participation in competitions. Beyond the publicity, I find a lot of personal value in participating in competitions. They make me be very critical and selective of my work and the feedback I get from seeing which images are and are not competitive helps me grow and become better. There is also a lot of value in the camaraderie that comes from participating with your peers, learning from their work and having the opportunity to get to know them.
A photo montage representing the arc of the moon over the southern Oregon Siskiyou mountains and Mt. Shasta during the total lunar eclipse that occurred on August 28, 2007
There are are many photo enthusiasts who dream of one day becoming a professional photographer, and you have successfully done this. Was there a defining moment for you in your photography which lead to this decision?
I don’t know if I could identify a single defining moment that made me think I could do photography as a full time professional. Looking back I now realize that it was a decision made mostly out of naivety and lack of understanding about what I was getting myself into. At this point I’m very happy and grateful to be doing what I’m doing and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. However, if I had known the odds I was up against at the beginning I might not have had the nerve to get started. Eight to ten years ago, when I started down this path, I had a real passion for photography and I thought I was pretty good, but I had no understanding about photography as a business. Like many of us, the romance of traveling the world with a camera creating art was the attraction. At that time, photography was fairly new phenomenon on the internet. It was exciting to be able to surf the web and see images from photographers from around the world who I had never heard of. When I made the decision to try to make a full time living with photography I didn’t know any professional photographers or anyone in the photography industry. My early business plan was that I would build a website and sell 20 prints a month. It sounded so simple. Every day since then has been a constant learning process. For every hour I spend in the field I spend five in the office taking care of all the administration required to generate revenue streams from my work. While a portion of my income does come from selling prints to individuals via my website and in galleries, as I originally envisioned, it has also been important for me to develop other outlets for my work as well. I work with stock agencies and I also license my own stock. In addition I work with art consultants, interior designers and architects who use my images in commercial projects. I also take assignment work for magazines and companies from time to time and do architectural photography for local architects. Finally, I have begun offer educational opportunities, leading workshops, teaching classes and speaking at photography conventions. I think the outdoor photography business is very different from what it once was. The current state of publishing, the economy and the swell of good photographers is making it even more of a challenge. Still, for someone who is passionate about creating stunning imagery and also willing and able to be dedicated to running a business, there is no better job on the planet.
Red Willow Sea