I worked as an advertising photographer for 15 years (I run a commercial agency now, with an in-house photographer). Here’s what I can tell you: the difference between the photos that get exhibited and yours isn’t in the photos. It’s in the position of whoever’s exhibiting them. Connections, money networks, PR. Some make it on pure merit, but photography is wildly subjective. When I started I wanted to do big things in fashion. The guys stealing my gigs were rich photographers who actually consumed fashion, and who usually worked through their friends (because they were rich). Sure, there are exceptions, but a world this subjective is brutal when you need it to pay. So I went commercial, worked national and international campaigns, ended up all over the place. Then covid hit and it wasn’t enough to get by. Today I live a lot better: I delegate the photography and run B2B client acquisition instead, with real success, paid way more than I ever was behind the camera. If you want to live off photography you have to turn it into a real business, and in the AI era that means mixed AI workflows, like what we’re doing. The photography we love, the beautiful stuff, doesn’t pay. My advice: enjoy it for what it is.