As of late, I have been considering a change in my career. I am 31 years old and have been a show and parade performer at Disney World for the last 15 years of my life. It started as a high school part time job and, here I am, still doing the same thing. Don't get me wrong, I actually happen to love what I do and NOT ONCE have I felt like I was "working" for my money.
For many years, I portrayed characters such as Aladdin and Prince Charming and four months ago was the last time I played any of those "face characters", as they are referred to at Disney World. Now those roles are going to the high schoolers and guys in their early/mid twenties. I still continue to perform as other masked characters and dance in several other productions throughout property but I'm very conscious of the fact that all of us in this line of work have an expiration date. I'm still a great dancer but I know that one day I'll be outperformed by the younger generation. Yeah, Disney will keep me employed until the day I retire but I don't want to be stuck playing Pluto or Eeyore for the rest of my life, standing outstide in the heat signing autograph books and posing for pictures. Nor do I want to transfer to another department and become a ride operator or a gift shop cashier. That will be the day that going to Disney actually starts to feel like I'm going to WORK.
After graduating high school, I didn't go to college. Sitting in a class room, listening to lectures and pouring through text books, never appealed to me. The only thing that I would consider a "real job" (my dad says I don't have one LOL), and that actually interests me, is photography. I am always fascinated when I see amazing photographs and even more fascinated with what people are able to do with Photoshop, Aperture, etc. After watching that video on how McDonald's photographs their food, and after looking at this guy's unbelievable talent, I am convinced this is the type of thing I would love to do.
What would be the best way to approach this? Should I start off by taking private classes from local photographers, maybe join a vocational college? Am I perhaps too old to even start from scratch at this point? I'm not trying to find a hobby at all. I truly want to make a career out of it but I'm completely clueless on how or where I should start.
Right now, the only camera skills I have are toggling the HDR and Flash buttons on my iPhone, and the only photo editing skills I have consist of adjusting exposure and saturation. -- Then again, I knew absolutely nothing about dancing when I started working at Disney. I'm very eager to learn and I have the desire, I just don't know what the first step should be.
I know there are a lot of skilled photographers on here, so I would be very thankful for any advice any one of you can offer me.
Thanks!!
For many years, I portrayed characters such as Aladdin and Prince Charming and four months ago was the last time I played any of those "face characters", as they are referred to at Disney World. Now those roles are going to the high schoolers and guys in their early/mid twenties. I still continue to perform as other masked characters and dance in several other productions throughout property but I'm very conscious of the fact that all of us in this line of work have an expiration date. I'm still a great dancer but I know that one day I'll be outperformed by the younger generation. Yeah, Disney will keep me employed until the day I retire but I don't want to be stuck playing Pluto or Eeyore for the rest of my life, standing outstide in the heat signing autograph books and posing for pictures. Nor do I want to transfer to another department and become a ride operator or a gift shop cashier. That will be the day that going to Disney actually starts to feel like I'm going to WORK.
After graduating high school, I didn't go to college. Sitting in a class room, listening to lectures and pouring through text books, never appealed to me. The only thing that I would consider a "real job" (my dad says I don't have one LOL), and that actually interests me, is photography. I am always fascinated when I see amazing photographs and even more fascinated with what people are able to do with Photoshop, Aperture, etc. After watching that video on how McDonald's photographs their food, and after looking at this guy's unbelievable talent, I am convinced this is the type of thing I would love to do.
What would be the best way to approach this? Should I start off by taking private classes from local photographers, maybe join a vocational college? Am I perhaps too old to even start from scratch at this point? I'm not trying to find a hobby at all. I truly want to make a career out of it but I'm completely clueless on how or where I should start.
Right now, the only camera skills I have are toggling the HDR and Flash buttons on my iPhone, and the only photo editing skills I have consist of adjusting exposure and saturation. -- Then again, I knew absolutely nothing about dancing when I started working at Disney. I'm very eager to learn and I have the desire, I just don't know what the first step should be.
I know there are a lot of skilled photographers on here, so I would be very thankful for any advice any one of you can offer me.
Thanks!!
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