For the past couple of years, I've been making photography zines (1, 2). 'Zine' is short for magazine and it's typically a way for artists to make limited, hand crafted or digital editions of their work.
I got into photography in high school and since then, I've consistently taken pictures on my phone, edited them in Lightroom, and then used InDesign to make zines.
I've explored doing photography or videography for pay but I didn't like it all. There are many easy opportunities where I could justsetup a tripod, record something, and get paid X amount of dollars. But, it just doesn't fulfill me. I view hobbies as ways to have fun. There's also the added pressure and work of dealing with clients, payments, and managing expectations which I don't want to deal with when it comes to photography.
Thankfully, I find making zines fun. Being able to take photos, edit them how I want, and have full creative freedom is a great feeling. Through this process, I've most likely learned more and been more creative by playing around compared to doing easy gigs and trying to impress clients.
Maybe one day I'll do graduation photos or make a film of Ryan and Nancy's wedding but for now, I'm going to stick to my zines.
My latest zine, Golden, is going to be released soon. It's my favorite photos from the full year I was 20 years old.