The other day I was chatting with my wife about a short trip I would be making for DIVER which would necessitate a lift to the airport (airport parking and taxis eat into the profit margin - and if you don't make a taxable profit for most years the Inland Revenue will want to have words with you). Her reply took me back, "I'm getting a little bit tired of all the time I need to put into DIVER."
This set me thinking - being a part time photojournalist isn't just about giving up your time for what per hour is a lousy rate of pay (my newspaper delivery boy gets paid more!) and it isn't just about your time, your family will give up theirs as well.
If you are lucky enough to be able to take your partner on an assignment with you they may eventually prefer not to. The tightly controlled itineraries, the early starts, the formal and sometimes very boring meals with tourism reps, they all take their toll on what from your partner's perspective initialy appeared to be a brilliant sounding holiday.
And then there is the time they give up when you have to go and hide in your "cave" to write up your copy.
No - it's not you that gives up your time and your life, you get something out of it and it doesn't seem like any kind of hardship at all. But try telling that to your partner.
The only thing I'm struggling with is how to make it up? How do you repay your partner who stands by you in what is essentially quite a selfish and self indulgent pastime?
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