Photographer wanting to move to Atlanta (Dallas, Nashville: best city, 2015, employment)

[tcason14]

Hello world I'm a 29 year old photographer and I'm planning on relocating to Atlanta to pursue my dreams after I graduate next year....am I on the right track? I'm currently in Houston and I don't feel like I will be as successful here. Help me please how is the life out in Atlanta, night life, family oriented, African American success rate

[Ant131531]

I think you'll be fine personally. Atlanta is obviously known as a place for African American success, it's family oriented in the suburbs, but more single-life oriented in the city and more urban suburbs. Nightlife is great especially for Rap/Hip-Hop. You'd probably enjoy Atlanta.

[afdinatl]

Atlanta is the best city in the country for African Americans

[Tarzanman]

I am sure that someone will accuse me of bashing Atlanta for this. Nevertheless, I'm going to advise you to ignore the last two posts. Atlanta is not the african american 'El Dorado' and making it here is not easy for a few reasons. I will list just a few:

1. The city is extremely segregated (The Racial Dot Map: One Dot Per Person for the Entire U.S.)
2. The city has extremely high wealth inequality (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-0...ome-inequality)
3. Our employment market is mediocre at best

I am not telling you to not come to Atlanta... I am telling you to not come here with the preconception that it will be any easier for you than in Houston. Most of the few minority business owners I have come into contact with have expressed the difficulty of making their business work and attracting mainstream clientele. In a business like photography where a large portion of your clientele comes to you via networking, referral, or word of mouth... this is an added difficulty.

I would encourage you to seek out Atlanta photographer groups, message boards and forums for a more accurate picture of the market here.

[afdinatl]

Originally Posted by Tarzanman

I am sure that someone will accuse me of bashing Atlanta for this. Nevertheless, I'm going to advise you to ignore the last two posts. Atlanta is not the african american 'El Dorado' and making it here is not easy for a few reasons. I will list just a few:

1. The city is extremely segregated (The Racial Dot Map: One Dot Per Person for the Entire U.S.)
2. The city has extremely high wealth inequality (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-0...ome-inequality)
3. Our employment market is mediocre at best

I am not telling you to not come to Atlanta... I am telling you to not come here with the preconception that it will be any easier for you than in Houston. Most of the few minority business owners I have come into contact with have expressed the difficulty of making their business work and attracting mainstream clientele. In a business like photography where a large portion of your clientele comes to you via networking, referral, or word of mouth... this is an added difficulty.

I would encourage you to seek out Atlanta photographer groups, message boards and forums for a more accurate picture of the market here.

Since you obviously don't travel much......

1. Every city in the world is segregated by class and/or by race....generally speaking
- The Best Map Ever Made of America's Racial Segregation | WIRED

2. Doesn't have anything to do with the average professional. If you are poor, stop having babies, go to school and read a book.

3. Atlanta area job growth rate second highest in U.S.
ARC: Atlanta area job growth rate second highest in U.S. | Gwinnett Daily Post

Atlanta could add 140,000 jobs this year
Economist: Atlanta could add 140,000 jobs this year - Atlanta Business Chronicle




You are correct in that the city they live in is important to be successful but the main part about being successful is that person. Just because you move to Atlanta doesn't mean you will be successful. You have to have it in your heart to be successful.

FYI...I didn't post this reply to go back and forth about this

[Tarzanman]

Originally Posted by afdinatl

Since you obviously don't travel much......

No, not lately, but I've been here and there a little bit.

1. Every city in the world is segregated by class and/or by race....generally speaking
- The Best Map Ever Made of America's Racial Segregation | WIRED

Since the OP is asking about moving from US city to another, the link I provided (which uses USA census resluts) is probably more appropriate to the discussion than comparing segregation in Atlanta to Botswana, et. al.
Judging from the visualization, I would say that Atlanta is at best the 3rd most segregated large city in the USA. Whether you think D.C. and Dallas are worse/better/equal is a largely matter of opinion. I'd say that Houston (which certainly has ethnic zones) is definitely less segregated that Atlanta is.

2. Doesn't have anything to do with the average professional. If you are poor, stop having babies, go to school and read a book.

A. Yes it does.
B. It is certainly a big concern if you are starting a business whose clients will be the public at large. A healthy, large middle class with enough money to spend on wedding photography is a better market to offer such services in than a stratified one where 40% of people are too broke to easily afford your services.

Out of curiosity, do you even know any wedding photographers?

3. Atlanta area job growth rate second highest in U.S.
ARC: Atlanta area job growth rate second highest in U.S. | Gwinnett Daily Post

The growth rate is a function of how many more jobs there are this month/week than there were last month/week. So, if you're a city like Atlanta, whose 5.9% unemployment rate is still higher than the national average (5.5%), a jump in numbers will register higher than for a city with a more healthy economy like Nashville

Atlanta could add 140,000 jobs this year
Economist: Atlanta could add 140,000 jobs this year - Atlanta Business Chronicle

The year is only half over and unemployment jumped last month. Its probably better to work with concrete numbers when you're starting a business.

You are correct in that the city they live in is important to be successful but the main part about being successful is that person. Just because you move to Atlanta doesn't mean you will be successful. You have to have it in your heart to be successful.

FYI...I didn't post this reply to go back and forth about this[/quote]
I'm not sure what you're getting at with that statement. If he wants to run a successful wedding photography business then he's got to get out here, get a portfolio up and start marketing and networking like crazy. The technical and creative aspect of the business is the easy part. Heart is nice, but it certainly isn't necessary to run a successful business.

[Ant131531]

You also have to think about the industry, Tarzan. Photography and media is way stronger in Atlanta than in Houston because of the type of cities they are.

And Atlanta's income disparity refers to the city itself. Atlanta city proper has a high income disparity because of the extremely wealthy Buckhead and the extremely impoverished Southwest and West neighborhoods. It doesn't include the suburbs where a lot of the black wealth is located.

Atlanta is racially segregated, but it's not like it's the only city. You want to see where blacks are really marginalized? Go to SF or LA. Blacks are relegated to a very small part and their voices aren't heard at all. Blacks control a sizable amount of power and voice in the Atlanta metro. Only other metro is D.C where blacks have as much power and say.

And Atlanta's job growth is high because of a lot of corporate relocations, especially recently.

[afdinatl]

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