LINDA BERGONIA
AAS Digital Photography, May 2010
Company Name: Bergonia Photography
Job title: Principal
How did you get this job?
I wanted to pursue Chicago food photography after graduation. I met a number of chefs from a project I did at the Chicago Gourmet food festival (on a press pass) during my photojournalism class. I have pursued those contacts in an attempt to access the food industry from a slightly different tack. Thus far I have shot for a number of Chicago chefs as well as for commercial clients that I met through these contacts. I network quite a bit -and send out slideshows of recent work to potential clients. I worked with a social-media company and re-did my website to include a blog, and I try to Twitter and Facebook often (probably not often enough).
What do you do?
As of late, I am adding HDSLR video to my workflow and am currently shooting my first still/video commercial shoot. I am also doing a bit of demonstration/doc/storytelling — and shooting a promotional piece as I pursue my first cookbook assignment. (Wish me luck!). I feel that the combination of still and video will serve me well in an industry that is moving more and more into Web applications. I hope to develop a niche that will take me farther afield than just Chicago.
Biggest piece of advice to further job seekers at Harrington:
As I am just starting out, I don’t know that I am qualified to really give advice at this point — but in my portfolio class, one statement (from a fellow student) seems to have stuck with me. I was presenting some of my work with chefs and lamenting a bit that I wasn’t sure how I could really make a career financially feasible pursuing this avenue — as chefs in general have great food, but not much in terms of a budget for photography. A buddy in the class said to me that it was obvious that I loved what I was doing, and that I could figure out how to make it work. I think that it is true. Perhaps I may have to balance it out with other jobs to make the numbers work, but if you truly love what you do, give it all you’ve got, and you can figure out the angle to make it work. Passion, joy — and commitment to doing the job right — will shine through. Clients will recognize it.
Recorded March 11, 2011
This graduate story is unique and may not represent typical experiences or outcomes for our graduates. Graduates should expect to pursue entry-level opportunities in their chosen fields. Examples of such entry-level opportunities are listed in the Harrington Career Guide.