batskeets | Good Gigs

Man, some days just fill me with hope about my business. Today was one of them: I went out on a shoot for a company that needed photos at several local shops. It involved pizza, pastries, and coffee, and the shooting was centered around locally-grown businesses and their owners.

Said company also started their business here in PDX, and their business model is about supporting local shops and coming back to them regularly. The company owner who came along with me today wasn't shy about his opinion that supporting local business is an economically Good Thing. AND, this is the sort of company that can actually pay my rate without hesitation. They saw my work, asked about booking me, and when I told them my rates, they said, "okay." I know I'm not wildly expensive, so I can actually be accessible to local businesses, but it's still not an insignificant investment they're making.

So, I got to photograph things that I love (I mean, food and coffee? YES PLEASE), support the local economy, work with a company that is actually doing something pretty neat, and not make even the slightest compromise on pay. So often, the work that pays well is uninspiring, and the work that excites you pays peanuts, so it's really, really cool when you get paid to do something you're excited about.

It's not happening super-frequently yet, but it's happening more often. This is good. This is possible.

P.S. I don't know how I made that Will Save vs. Free Pastries, but oh, it was close. And I did nom some excellent free pizza and a downright amazing coffee. Oh, life is good, indeed.