One minute you are up... the next you are going down, fast, with a sickening feeling in your gut...

This is the life of a freelance commercial photographer. As I mentioned in a post a while back, we all would like to just have that meager $100k operating cushion... And let me now add, a smart, personable, honest person to market our services. As the chief executive officer of Kevin Brusie Photography, I perform the following duties: photography, accounts receivable, sales, marketing, photoshop tech, IT support, network administrator, equipment maintenance, hardware testing & acquisition, digital asset archivist, accounts payable, and of course, housekeeping services.

...only to be suddenly swooped back up on a slow steady climb...

Ask any photographer what they need to do to bring in more business and you will get a quick list of sure fired actions that will do the trick. We know what to do. We just don't do it. For the majority of us (pardon me for the generalization, which we all know, in general, aren't true) going forth and "selling" ourselves is way down on the list of "things I want to do". So, being charter members of the Procrastinator's Club (is that even possible? Yeah... think about it and let me know) we always find other more important things to do... like post to your blog perhaps? So with all you out of work, or shall I say "underutilized" sales folks wandering around aimlessly out there... any one want to sell some creative services? Of course it is! [That is the answer to your first question: is it just commission based?]

...but as you approach the apex, you are tempted to be lulled into a quiet contentment as you enjoy the enticing view from the top. But... in the back of your mind you know... soon... the next great plunge will begin.