Johnston Press, owner of 24 newspapers across Scotland and the Midlands, is reportedly firing its photographers.

This is not sitting well with my childhood dream. When I was a kid, I knew two things. 1) I wanted to be a photographer, and 2) I wanted to work for a newspaper or magazine.

My favorite publication at the time was Life magazine. Yeah, I've always been attracted to those urban assignments. The National Geo guys had too many hardships for my taste.

As it turned out, I landed a few staff jobs for publications. (Not Life, unfortunately, but it was still fun.)

I know I'm lucky to have had those experiences. Because now, we're all independents.

It's tougher than ever to make a living as a photographer. You have to be part craftsman, businessman, social media expert, and a bit lucky. I'm not saying this is good or bad. But there does seem to be some sort of secret sauce to survival.

Now, instead of working for a publisher, I am a publisher. Who would have ever thought that? There's probably more opportunity now than ever for journalists. The trick is seeing it.

And after all these years, I'm still finding my way.

-Derrick