“The number one thing I tell people is ‘don’t be afraid of the work.’ The biggest miss I see with folks coming into this industry is this mindset that, ‘ok I have a college degree in photography or creative writing and therefore I am a professional.’ I wish more people who want to get started in this look past the collegiate box-checking and go get their hands dirty. The best thing I did for my career was the season on the Ponoi. Working in a fly shop was also invaluable. I was hustling rods and shuttling vehicles on the river and I had a camera with me all the time. I was sleeping in a cot in the corner of what was essentially a shed for eight months. It was not a glamorous thing but it was so much fun and I learned so much. Do the work so you can authentically speak to the industry. If you have done it and taken the educative steps rather than trying to parachute yourself in or taking some kind of short cut, brands recognize that honesty.”

Our issue 27 profile, fly fishing photographer/writer Jess McGlothlin on what it takes to make a living doing what she does. Read the story below. As always, it’s free.

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