Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Clay Goswick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Clay, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
I think the biggest key to success for anything in life is, “consistency over time”. A lot of folks will be consistent at something for a few months or maybe even a few years but I think it takes longer. Being consistent over time will also build grit and determination which is what equips you to get through the hard times and downfalls of your endeavors. You never see an athlete become pro over night or even in a few years. You see them train and train and train for so much of their life only to maybe make it to the pro level.
Clay, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I grew up playing with cameras and photography but never really knew that much about it. When I was in high school I would occasionally work for local photographers and help with weddings or senior portraits. Honestly I really didn’t know what I was doing at the time I barely knew the difference between different focal lengths. I got married at the age of 22. At the time I was teaching music lessons and felt like I had reached my limits on what I could do without burnout. It forced me to take a step back and think about what else I wanted to do in life. That led me to photography. As many of us know about 1 in 5 people want to be a photographer at some point or another. I knew if I was going to become a photographer and make it my carrier I really had to live and breathe this life style. I had the privilege of meeting a couple photographers who would end up helping me tremendously on the road to become a professional. One of which Josh Geiger who opened my eyes to the world of product photography. He told me, ” Products don’t get tired and you can shoot them whenever and however long you want”. Another local photographer introduced me to the world of commercial photography and lighting. Shoot, at the time I thought you would just put people in the shade and shoot at a low F-stop. I never realized there was a whole other world out there. A world with lighting techniques, styling and crews. I realized photography was much like being chef, there were a million ways to cook in a kitchen. This is when the photography world truly opened up to me.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Before I went full time into photography I worked as a music teacher and shot photos on the side. I ended up leaving my teacher job and taking a part time sales position with a company while I shot on the side. Soon after taking this job I realized the business was outdated and on its deathbed, let alone soul sucking for someone like me. After two weeks I quit the sales position and went full time into photography. It was a terrifying time as I had just bought my first house that same month and didn’t know what was around the corner. It like God created a ledge for me to jump off of.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I guess you could say I was a full time photographer after quitting my new sales position. It was truly a moment of burning the ships. There was no turning back. I didn’t have a degree and my positions were already being filled at my previous jobs. It was truly a time to do or die. Sometimes these moments in life are the most powerful and give us that extra fuel we need to find success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Claygoswick.com
- Instagram: @Claygoswick
- Facebook: Clay Goswick
Image Credits
Clay Goswick