As a part-time job in my junior year of high school, I worked for a local photography business. My job was mainly centered around the bustle of school portraits.
We would wake up at 4:30 AM just to be at a school by 6:00 to set up. By 6:30 we would be full steam ahead shooting portraits of teachers and staff. At 7:30- 8:00 when school started, we began the fast-paced work of taking pictures of an average of 200-300 children. Around 10:30 we would be finished but the work had just begun. Editing pictures, sorting payments, running credit cards, calling parents, and preparing for future shoots all took up time at the studio. I developed a healthy appreciation for the organization and steadiness it takes to run a photography business.
My favorite part about the work resulted in a seldom-recognized skill in the professional world: empathy. I had around 10-30 seconds with any given child. For some, I knew my compliment on their outfit or hair was the only kind word they would hear all day. Watching the face of a small child light up because of something I said or did became my greatest payment. I learned that human interaction, no matter how short or insignificant, can be an incredible force of healing and love.
I established a healthy dose of communication skills during my time in the photography industry. Concrete phone and email communication was a key facet in the studio. Face-to-face connection, especially when a child was on the brink of tears, meant more to me in those elementary schools than anywhere else. Besides, photography by nature is the exchange of information through a visual means. Learning the path to depicting an individual’s heart and soul by means of a lens only increased my passion for breaking communication barriers that face culture today.
The greatest gift my experience in photography gave me was perspective. I got a first-hand view of the educational system and the varying culture within. I observed the interaction between teachers and children and caught glimpses of the bonds of young friendships. I gained an appreciation for the art of a photograph that depicts the beauty of humanity. Finally, I got a bird’s eye view of the work and management it takes to run a successful business.
Empathy, communication, perspective… These are keys I will carry deep in my heart for as long as I live. I have learned that no matter what job I hold, there is a world of impact that is mine if I only search for it!
Special thanks to Daniel Hartman and his family, owners of Hartman Photography, for the incredible part of my education this job was.