There was an article in Slate about David Hobby. Formerly a staff photographer for The Baltimore Sun, he was laid off in 2008. Another victim of news media downsizing.
For those in TV and print news, I don't have to tell you what happens next, there just aren't that many full time jobs available these days. There are plenty of freelance or perma-lance jobs out there. If your good and can work at a moments notice, you can get work, minus benefits - and the potential of the gig drying up without warning.
Then there's David Hobby. He took a buyout from The Sun and instead of trying to find a new employer, launched The Strobist, a lighting for photography blog. The site instructs novices and hobbyist's how to get professional looking photo's, without spending lot's of money. There are plenty of low cost tips on lighting, to help create a unique look for people who are starting out.
The best part to me is that he found a niche within his field and ran with it. It's been so successful it's spawned imitators. Not only does his website attract two million unique users annually, equipment manufacturers have named gear after him. He also just returned from a sold out 29 city tour. The tour sold about $1 million in tickets. He and National Geographic and Life photographer Joe Mcnally gave talks about their craft.
I'm just doing a summary of the article. It's a good read on the state of professional photography as well as the reinvention of a career.
David's website - The Strobist
Here's a little video USA Today did with David talking about his craft.
