What Does Hell Look Like For Photographers? Illustrated by Alejandra Paton

Illustrator Alejandra Paton brings to life the worst case scenarios for photographers.

photographers hell hero

It goes without saying that photographers love what they do. Whether they’re shooting a road trip travel series or capturing a couple’s wedding day, there’s a thrill to getting that perfect image. But sometimes, just sometimes, it can feel like hell.

Have you ever worked for an unhappy client and dreamed of a simpler life? Got burnt out from too many people asking you to work “for exposure”? And don’t forget about freelance struggles. It might seem like you’re living the dream, but creative people have rough days at work too.

We came across a Reddit thread that asks a simple question: You end up in photographer’s hell—what do you see? The responses were funny and terrifying at the same time. These imagined infernos are full of selfie sticks, comment sections and models playing sports in the dark.

Because we believe in facing our fears, we enlisted illustrator Alejandra Paton to bring these nightmares to life. She uses her signature hand-drawn style to show visions of hell, according to photographers.

Check out more of her work on her portfolio, built using Format. Follow her on Instagram at @alejandrapaton.

What’s your version of photographer’s hell? Tell us on Facebook here.

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“Attractive models are playing sports in the dark, and all you have is a kit lens and their friends on the sidelines have iPhones that are synced up with the stadium lighting as flashes.”

—MajorRedbeard

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“Selfie-sticks everywhere.”

—Rock_or_something_

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“Clients using my images only after they’ve run them through some awful instagram style filters.”

—PenitentRebel

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“You have an endless amount of film but no possible way to develop your photos. You can take all the photos you want but never show them to anyone or see your results.”

—SquigglesMcDeef

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“Every photo mounted on a wall has a comments section below it full of YouTube and DPReview commenters.”

—acanofspam

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