ALBANY - Maybe you just got laid off from a job you've had for years, maybe decades. Now what do you do?

An Albany woman left the corporate world and is now trying to earn a living by following her passion.

This is Pilar Arthur-Snead's first year in her new profession -- fine arts photographer. She used to be a financial planner -- making a solid, dependable living working largely on commission.

When her company was cutting back, she could have held onto her job but at a significantly reduced level. Her husband suggested she pursue her love of photography instead.

"When I made the decision, it was a weight lifted off of my shoulders. It was like finally, I've made a decision and I stepped over the line," she said.

Arthur-Snead has never had any reservations about making her transition. For her it's all about what you love. Now instead of working in an office, she spends her time roaming the Capital Region with her camera.

She uses a low tech 3.2 megapixel model camera. However, she says it's more about composition than it is about the equipment.

"Ideally, my dream is to have a gallery space of my own. An exhibit space where people can look at my work and say, 'That's a print that I would like to have.' For me to be able to go out and shoot pictures that demonstrate my vision, it's a beautiful thing. There's really nothing better," Arthur-Snead said.

Her studio is her living room. Her dark room is a computer. All unassuming, but a lot of effort is going into making this entrepreneurial enterprise work.

Arthur-Snead says getting out and networking with as many people as she can will be the key to her success.

"This is no longer the world of business in which you sit behind your desk, send out your resume and people are going to want to do business with you. If you're dependent on someone else for your future, I think this is a problem. I believe you need to reinvent yourself all the time," she said.

Arthur-Snead is confident that her client list will expand and that her business will be a success