LOCAL FOREIGNER.
After declaring which fork in the road I wanted to take, one of the most important questions I had to answer was, “How will I support my photography financially?”
Red Tile Selfie, 2022
From the get-go, I already knew that I wouldn’t make the mistake of building a career on the commercial side of things. Because previously, when working as a production assistant in the New Orleans film industry, I had experienced the torture of ruining one’s perception of a creative passion by making it a J-O-B.
I didn’t have time to do anything creative and even if I wanted to, what little time I had available was used for catching up on rest. Assisting other creatives for 15+ hours included menial tasks like fetching food, coffees, and yelling at extras to be quiet on set. There was no way I’d have the energy to film anything after long days like that.
Of course, I understood the importance of working with professionals, however, not having the time to create and making someone else’s vision happen for weeks at a time was getting to me.
WHEN CAN I CREATE?
Ashton, 2022
So…if I wasn’t going to “ruin” my newfound passion for capturing images by working in the photography industry, what could I do to support my art? It had to be something flexible, yet lucrative. And ideally, something involving a lot of movement because I hated being glued to a station. I researched until I got advice from my younger brother Josh.
He told me to drive Uber Eats.
Impatience, 2021
I hadn’t considered it, but at this point and time, Uber Eats was a wonderful source of income. The world couldn’t move like before; the government saw food delivery as a necessity.
Shy at first, I experimented with a few deliveries here and there in Kenner, Louisiana. Once I felt comfortable enough to drive and work the app, I then purchased a car charger and went straight to the Big Easy. Uptown, Mid City, Old Metairie, and Lakeview were some of my favorite locations because of their high order frequencies. And the CBD was a small hell where downtown traffic compounded with NO PARKING zones.
I visited these areas constantly until I acquired the ability to maneuver between drivers, dodge potholes, and navigate neighborhood backstreets. I’m thankful I did too. Because if not, crashing or busting a tire would’ve spelled game over.
On average I’d say I was bringing in $125 after 6-8 hours of driving all over the New Orleans metro.
This was good.
Not only was I making a decent income, but I was also getting a crash course on New Orleanian views and aesthetics. A whole new world opened to me. I became a local foreigner.
front door, 2021
Not too bad of a way in financing my photography.
