Career Close-Up: Commercial Photography with Ali Wolfe

College and Career Clarity

I love being able to have people on the show who are great at what they do, and are able to share their expertise and insight with my listeners. Ali Wolfe is a professional photographer in the greater Cincinnati area and I am a huge fan of her work. In fact, she just finished up a photo shoot with us here at Flourish and I just love what she has created! In this episode, Ali shares with us what it’s like to work in a creative field, and why a college degree can be an important part of what it takes to become a good photographer.

EPISODE NOTES

While careers in STEM fields are growing all the time, it can be easy to forget to look into other areas when planning for the future, especially when it comes to artistic careers like photography or other visual arts. But if you have a teen who has artistic abilities and passions, they will benefit from hearing what Ali has to say about how to build skill as an artist. She also makes a strong case for a college degree when pursuing photography.

As Ali explains, there are so many skills to master in order to be successful in this career. There is much more to the job than having a good eye for a shot and knowing how to use the equipment. Owning, managing and growing a business requires a whole different set of skills, not to mention the ins and outs of interacting with people in a variety of ways, and building rapport and trust with clients.

Whether your teen is interested in photography specifically or simply has a more artistic bent, I hope this episode serves as an inspiration for them to follow their talents and passions, build their personal portfolio, and seek to expand their skills so they can share their gift with others as a successful artist in the future.

Links mentioned in this episode

Launch College & Career Clarity Course

Launch College and Career Clarity Facebook Community

Ali Wolfe Photography Website

Ali Wolfe Photography Facebook

Ali Wolfe Photography Instagram

Timeline

[2:53] Is it worth it to get a college degree for something like photography?

[4:29] The differences between artistic photography (or photojournalism), and commercial applications

[8:06] How to decide which type of photography to pursue

[10:10] How the photographic process works from start to finish, and why relatively little time is spent actually behind the camera.

[12:21] What skills are involved in being a photographer

[15:00] A peek into the schedule of a professional photographer

[17:55] Advice for anyone thinking of pursuing a career in photography

Connect with Lisa:
Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co