WAKING up at 3am to Skype the US for a business call sounds daunting to most, but for South West photographer Paul Pichugin, it’s just another day in his ever changing career.
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To add to the glowing list of acclaim Pichugin can call his own, a feature in National Geographic is the most recent, with one of his shots of the Whitsundays being utilised for a spread in the Spanish version of the world wide publication.
According to Pichugin, it is the search for fresh content continually that has seen him travel all over the world, taking snapshots of life as far flung as Egypt and Cambodia to somewhere much closer to home like the Pilbara region.
His favourite place to shoot however was Tasmania.
“By far; It blew me away,” Pichugin said.
Pichugin said he doesn’t believe his business would exist without the help of social media.
With more than 54,000 Instagram followers, Pichugin said he had to market himself like crazy to reach the point in his career where he could start to suggest trips and utilise his talents to help others.
Pichugin has become involved in The Giving Lens for this reason, an organisation that combines travel, photography and a want to give back to world wide communities.
On these trips, individuals pay to participate in a photographic workshop where a professional guides them around an exotic location.
Whilst there, the photographic group gives back to a nearby grassroots non for profit organisation, teaching photo education to children and the community who would otherwise be without it.
A substantial amount of the profit from these trips goes straight into the community they have assisted while abroad.
In terms of his own images, the search for perfection is always at the back of Pichugin’s mind.
“I’m my own biggest critic,” he said.
“We enjoy our work but it’s still work.”
With a young family to add to the whirl wind mix, Pichugin said he had travelled more with children in his life than ever before, with the family even coming along on some of his many explorations.
Pichugin said aspiring photographers better be prepared to sacrifice everything in the pursuit of the career that could lead you both anywhere and no where.
“We’ve seen a measure of success but I feel I’ve got a lot more to give,” Pichugin said.
“It’s only just starting.”