Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Barnes.
Nick, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, I was a doodler. Any sort of medium I could get my hands on, I’d use and try to learn. I remember my dad bringing home a Mac G5 Tower that would crash every 5 or so minutes due to faulty RAM, and through that I began teaching myself Photoshop 7. I started freelancing as a graphic designer when I was about ten years old, making a few hundred dollars a month. Over several years I did this through anonymous forums online and decided I wanted to go to school for graphic design. With art school being too expensive for me, I chose to major in Advertising at UT Austin. I was hired as a graphic designer with the UT Football team, and through that job, found my passion for photography. I began taking on freelance photography clients my last couple of years in school and made the decision to graduate early to pursue my freelance business and career.
A few months into my freelance career, I moved to NYC to learn more about photography in the high end commercial space. I worked with people and clients I never thought imaginable, especially just a little over a year into full-time freelancing. I’ve since then made the decision to relocate back to Austin, TX with the hopes of expanding my current freelance photography business into a production company and agency.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Freelancing is anything but a smooth road. I’ve had more rejection than I ever thought I would and have built up a resistance to it. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had was my first winter in New York City. It’s not just the cold that got to me, it was the fact that production shuts down there for several months. I didn’t know this and was drowning in bills with no decision but to figure out how to pay rent. After two months of applying to freelance gigs and full-time jobs, I was finally able to pull through and have one of my best months to date since I began as a freelancer. The stress from inconsistent paychecks is definitely a challenge, but as my business grows, I’ve been able to move past wondering if I can pay rent, and into new needs such as buying equipment for my business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a freelance photographer. I mainly shoot commercial advertising and lifestyle, but I also love to shoot portraiture. I am most proud of the fact that I’ve been able to support myself as a full-time freelancer without having to ever get a full-time job out of school. I’d say, what sets me apart from others is my personality. There are so many talented photographers out there now, but to be able to connect with who you work with and understand that production is so important to them–it’s crucial in building a business like this. It’s what’s helped me start to build back my business after relocating and what I’m working on for these next few months.
What does success mean to you?
Success, for me, is being able to do what I love and make a decent living from it. I’m grateful that every day I can work on my own schedule, choose who I work with, and be so happy doing it. I have endless goals for my business down the road and wouldn’t say I’ve hit any sort of ultimate goal, but to sit here and say I’m a business owner at 23–I’d label that as a point of success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nickbarnes.co
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/nickbarnes.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nickbarnes.co
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickbarnes_co
Image Credits
Marko Metzinger (Main Headshot) Matt Lange (“Horns Up” Action Shot) Jimi Sweet (Looking at iPad Action Shot)
