Great stuff Daniel! I'm a 59 year old hobbiest... love photography... although to late for me, I still enjoy listening to people such as yourself that had the balls to do it. I also really love listening to your talks regarding how you operate with regards to professional shoots. Keep up the good stuff!
After a few months from the first time I saw this video, I'm very happy to say I have pushed off and have started my own company. I was a use to drive for lyft, and doordash/postmates, and was so unhappy. I would out in so many hours just driving and dropping people, or food off. Now I'm so much happier doing what I enjoy, and getting a feeling for what I really like to shoot. So I already had the mind set of save, for the slower times. This was great advice. And happy I came across your channel!
I am 51. At 49 I decided among many choices, that I wanted to do photography in my second career. I'd read that 5 years before retiring, you should start preparing for retirement if you're going to do something new (luckily I started earlier because covid sidetracked things a bit). Of all my interests and trials, I have always come back to photography. When I made my decision 2 years ago, I started taking classes, practicing, buying equipment (I have an allowance) and preparing. Then I started getting paid. I'm on track to retire at 55. But lucky me, photography will be bonus income. I don't feel any pressure to "succeed" or support my living standard. My husband has his own business and knows marketing...he'll handle the yucky accounting and the business side for me. He's supportive of my having an in-home studio too. Thank you for your videos! So helpful and inspiring.
Well I am probably in an enviable position. I am retired and I started into photography by taking photos for the school where I taught. As yourself, I read tons of photography stuff, watched videos, and found myself an excellent mentor who help me along with the technical side of photography. I am just starting to charge for my work, I have decent equipment, but I just want the cash to buy more gear. I do headshots and portraits but I do enjoy just shooting for the fun of it. Fortunately I don't have to rely on photography to support myself. I think if I had to though I could make a go at it. Great video by the way. Always good advice.
I had an illness for two decades that made it very hard for me to have a regular 9to5, but I was able to take freelance photo jobs (food photography, hospitality PR, architectural). Over the last 10 years, I’ve been able to build it up slowly. Some months are good and some months are bad, so your comments about saving/spending are very pertinent to me. I always appreciate these types of videos from you.
I shoot full time now, but there's a constant sense of pressure to keep the work coming in. I decided I would rather that kind of stress than the stress of a job I didn't love doing. I worked for a high volume studio in the 90s so was fortunate to get both photo and business experience/training. I ended up following another career path after I left the studio and it wasn't until 2011 that I realized how much I missed being a working photographer so I started doing odd jobs for cheap. It wasn't until 2014 that I had enough money and confidence to open my own small studio, and not until 2016 that I left my day job. To me it has felt as if the job I decided to take was that of businessperson more than photographer. Photography was the thing I already did, being a business owner was the "job." Another great video, always enjoy watching.
25 years later I'm still waiting to quit my job and become a photographer. I've recently started to seriously look into making the jump. Every day I learn things that I'll need to consider that I had never thought of before.
Was photographer in the 90's and house fire lost all cameras, negative scanner files, and negatives. Broke me and walked away. Now have regular job but pays well and live well, but miss being professional photographer now everyday. Work part time as photographer and once son graduates will go back. I am lucky that house and his school are covered and I can soon. I hope for all that you can do it or go back to it. If nothing else just create make art be happy. Sending good wishes to you all.
Coffee sidetracks me too. Not quite ready to pull out of the workforce yet. But I'm at the point where I can schedule sessions and partition my time to work with photography and not affect my main work. As the photography work grows, the other will eventually fade. Thanks for the video, Daniel.
I think your approach makes sense. You are not discouraging people but showing them a methodical approach to reach their goal. So many people are told you have to spend money to make money and I believe it’s true but you must be smart about it. Credit cards to me have become a last resort not a first choice. Thanks for your videos!
Thank you for these talks. Working full time at a job I really don't like pays the bills, but I want to find my way into full time photography. I know it's not a pipe dream. I know it's going to be a lot of work. My game plan is to make the jump when I pay my car off in 2 years. Until then, I'm learning the business and marketing I need to know instead of one day saying, hey everybody, I shoot full time, book me!
Interesting discussion. You reminded me of an article in one of the photo magazines, probably Popular Photography, about a guy who did childrens' portraits, part-time, on the weekends. This would be in the '70's, maybe a little earlier. The guy was a manager in a packaging department of a large company. He liked his job and the people with he worked for and with. He also loved photography. He knew how to make pictures, but nothing about development. He didn't advertise. All of his business built through referrals. He was booked about 6 months in advance. He shot with a 35mm film camera, in black & white, one lens, mostly ambient light (not sure about flash or constant lights). He shot in the client's house or yard or brought the kids to a park or some other area (including without the parents). He hired a high school student to develop his pictures and make contact sheets (I am not sure about 3 1/2 X 5's but I don't think so). He usually took one roll of 36 exp film. This was a very low cost operation. The article said, and I remember how shocked I was, that he was making a "substantial 5 figure income" on the weekends.
Good advice for anyone! I've been a freelancer my whole life, and it's almost always some combination of "great and terrible". If you can tolerate the reality of that, and still love what you do and try hard, it may be worth it. I suppose most difficult decision we have to make is when to call it quits. While it's true that you should "always keep developing", " never give up", etc., it's also true that you can drive yourself into the ground doing that. Each person has to decide when they've given something all that they can, and take action to save your own ass before things get too far into the dirt.
My previous employer and I came to an understanding that I should not longer work there. :) It was their idea, but I fully agreed. Luckily, I'd finally found my passion for photography a year prior and was able to acquire the more expensive gear. That, severance and some savings got me going, but it's a daily hustle and grind. Wouldn't have it any other way.
On December 30th 2022, at 3:31pm I will turn in my keys and walk away. I am moving toward being full time but have to retire a lot of debt and am building up my gear and learning my craft. I have too many obligations to just walk away now. Patience is key to success and longevity. Good fireside chat.
So i have always had a full time job and shot photography for fun and of my family. I did goto school for it. I always felt like I never shot as much as I would like to, especially converting over to film, and being asked by others to shoot photos. So, in 2014 I was in econmic recovery, living out of a Hotel for 4 months in another state, I decided to pick up my camera more to fill up my spare time and brush up on my skills, while being away from home. I began by studying videos like this one. With in a year for the first time I started to charge for my photography. It was cool, I have been doing this for about 5 years now part time. I would love to do it full time. I believe I could, the reason I haven't is because I have a family, kids, etc. a partner in my life that would be effected by making big decision like this. Anyways, its actually worked out well because I am not under pressure to shoot, but I do occasionally have some anxiety to shoot, because I do love photography a alot. I did like you were saying, building up my equipment just a little, saving little at time. I don't need much, in fact I went from a Nikon coopix fully auto to a free Canon t1 rebel kit.. couple vintage lenses from my Minolta with an adapter and boom. Killing it. I went from fun to serious fun, making extra money. I am pretty sure I may just walk right into photograpy full time in the future. The longer you keep at it, the more the word gets out, and you build your clients. You can go hard, or light. You will get out of it what you put into it.
I love honest vlogs Daniel with no BS and good advise. If my technical ability and photography development reaches the level I am after then I hope to jump ship one day into photography business. It's a 3 year plan if not sooner. I work for myself on building sites at 48 years of age and I know my body won't be able as I can feel myself slowing down for manual work. I hope to do my insulation job from Monday to Thursday and photography Friday and Saturday and as I get busier make more days for photography and less for insulation. I started the insulation in a recession in 2011 against all odds but valuable experience for setting up all over again. I love photography with a passion for the last 2 years i am addicted safely to say. I sleep with my iPad playing photography and it's the first thing I grab in the morning to watch while I have my first coffee of the day and while up a ladder planing how to get a certain photo at the best time etc. I don't call myself a photographer yet because I don't feel I have earned it, I just say to people i am very passionate about photography. If I ever win an award, major competition or go to college and get my papers then I might. Love the videos.
Good advice and I think a lot of us are in this same boat. I've got a decent paying job that allows me to cover all of my expenses and sock away some money for retirement and also the kids' college fund, but my passion for it stared to wane several years ago. I've been a 'serious hobbyist' since about age 13 when I got into it as a father-son activity with my dad and we set up a cheapo DIY darkroom in the basement and began developing and printing our own photos. I'm at the point where I'm starting to see if I can put together a few paying gigs here and there, just for some extra income and also to improve my skills etc. but am not yet at the point where I would feel comfortable pulling the trigger on just quitting my day job outright since I do have a family to think about. Not sure what the best course of action is, but I'm going to keep shooting and see where it takes me. Thanks for all of your very insightful and informative videos. I greatly enjoy watching them and have learned quite a bit, particularly regarding using studio strobes.
So glad you made this video especially with platforms like youtube many people can get information straight from profesionals like yourself! I may add to your great floor plan, a good way to get better idea of what it takes is by assisting established photographers that is a freelance job but in the area you wants to be in. Thanks for loving what you do and for sharing such great information through your channel!
For many people the question is not necessarily viewpoint of quitting job, but you can be also totally out of job and in bad position many ways. If you can afford some camera equipment and able to do portfolio on your selected type of photography, you can have some additional income there then. I did some photography just for hobby long time, but then also started doing certain types of photos where also paying clients exist. I do not have a career of photography, but I am glad there is now actually some projects I got paid for and it's sort of nice to see when client contacts year or couple later and says they liked the photos and they want more. I didn't even have money for speedlight, I just use ambient light and long shutter speeds, then give the photos some touch in image editing, and there you can create your completely personal look for the photos you do. If the personal look you create for the photos gets clients hooked, they will call you back. I am not a professional photographer in any sense, but I can only encourage enthusiasts to keep going on with the hobby and find the ways to get it to commercial side some way. If you think moneywise, you probably need easily some 2000 dollars or so to get some camera, lense, tripod, some additional tools and the computer with software to do the editing. It would be nice idea to live with photography, but to be honest I think I am quite happy that there is at least someone paying sometimes creating bit of additional money. Time will tell if there will be more demand for the services, but also value your time you put to this, it's long hours days weeks years when you do just the portfolio. But then again, if you are able to do good photos and you have good terms for it, it makes the talks with clients easier. Thanks for your video it's quite interesting to see in youtube how all the different real professionals do their stuff.
The exact situation I'm in now after hitting 50. I've also realised I haven't picked up my camera on a regular basis in years now. Just putting the business plan together of how and what to shoot while still working, with the intent to swap out in 6-12 mths.
I worked in a photo lab in days of film,just about every wedding photographer would show up for their prints in some kind of works van,no photographer here!,but if you need a plumber, electrician,plasterer?.they could afford medium format.
I am still working my job 32 hours a week. I am pretty much an on call real estate photographer Monday through Friday. I hope to go full time sometime next year. My business is less than one year old and I am averaging about $1200 a month so not too bad for less than a year. Anyway awesome videos man I appreciate the encouragement and knowledge on the subject.
Timely advice. I'm planning to retire from my job as a newspaper reporter/editor and occasional photographer in January 2021. In the meantime, I have created a photography business and plan to shoot dancers and other athletes and portraits. I would like to do this in retirement to supplement my income. I am plugged into the ballroom world and hope to use my connections there to market to the dancers. I was going to cut my work hours to 32 a week so I could do some photography and marketing one day a week but I got cold feet. I figured that fall may not be the best time to start this. In addition, I plan a big year of ballroom dance competitions next year and they're expensive, so I didn't want to reduce my regular paycheck by 20%. If I continue to pick up photography clients I might cut by journalism hours by one day a week next spring. Your idea of planning out a year ahead makes sense, though. I will think about this going forward.
Really enjoyed this insight as I am currently in this predicament myself, although I've actually already made the move of handing my notice in. Would love to hear more about those first stages of your career and the ups and downs.
Good afternoon Daniel! I think a very important bit of information on being a freelancer (self employed, hustler, call it what you will...) is that unless you're sleeping, you're ALWAYS working and I mean ALWAYS. You're either working on the job at hand OR you're working on bringing in the next job and the job after that, and that, and so on. And this is not a joke. Working for ones self is a burden of love and a lifestyle - It's something that needs serious consideration and can be a very VERY expensive life altering mistake if it turns into something, that, 'isn't for you'. I don't know how many times I've seen people start up a business then 6 months or a year later realize that they didn't take into account all the pressure that this brings, then end up folding with a mountain of debt from start up costs and expenditures that were incurred along the way. Best of luck to those that go for it! You have my respect!
Very well explained ! I did it kind of the same way , half a year money in advance , exploring buisyness possibilities etc .. Now I am in my fourth year and sill on " survival mode " It pays for my simple live .. just sometimes when I get a big fish , live becomes more luxurious . But in the end , I do not regret my joice to get into free-lens . Thanks for all the vidéos you are doing ! I like your philosophy a lot . Greetings from the south of France ;-)
Sound advice. I started getting into photography a year and a half ago, and I just did my first wedding as a second shooter, for free, just to get some experience. I also just booked my first payed portrait shoot. My goal at the moment is not to be a full time photographer. I need more experience. And I have a fulltime job that I like, it pays well and the benefits are great. Plus I have a family I need to provide for. I would like to do photography jobs that pay for my gear for starters, then maybe it may become a solid second income. If I still love photography just as much then I might take steps moving into fulltime photography.
My personal opinion; the best thing you could do is get a sales job first. Learn how to communicate, sell and then go into your photography business. I am a college drop out and don't subscribe to the broke artist mentality. This might piss some people off, but hiding behind the work "Artist" and using that as an excuse to make one feel better and stay comfortable will keep you broke. Photography to me is 10% of what I do, the other 90% is knowing how to hunt, work with people and giving a great experience.
I am one of those that do not like the "business" side of things, but I do enjoy photography in the many varying ways, so I offer myself as a second. Sometimes I take the time to pre-photoshop before I deliver, but I do not have to (I doing so usually to hide my compositional errors... all about pride here, right?). For having been in the realm of management, business is very time consuming... management is a drain (and computer based software does not make it less of a drain). It is always, in this day and age, a PAIN (if done legally).
My job quit me (I was let go) and thankfully my wife supports what I love and said I should give full time photography a shot. I'll admit losing $40k+/ yr was not easy and every day is a challenge but I'm loving every minute of it.
Great advice. I ended up making the transition while having a full time job. I decided it was what I wanted to do so I networked and hit the books harder. I transitioned into part-time on my full time job up until I felt I was covered financially for a couple of months and slid to full time phtg. It’s a hustle. Working more than ever but haven’t looked back since. Great Advice Sir.
Fantastic advice, I listened to this as I sit on my lunch break, at my job that I hate but works for family life, editing photos and planning an entry into commercial photography. Your insights and experiences are so helpful.
Cool story. I was young when I started. I worked as a bar back at night for 4 years while I got my photography started. I was lucky and met my business partner at 22. I am not good at business and it made a world of difference. Dealing with stress from money is a nightmare when you start. Learning to save money is a good skill for any freelancer.
I would love to have a job but due to my sight disability I can't work. I do photography as my hobby and love doing it and learning a lot even though each photoshoot I am on absolutely knackers me due to having to concentrate for so long. My brain does not like not getting information from both eyes so it decides to make me dizzy 😵 and very tired Keep up the great videos as I am learning a lot from them
I turned 50 this year. After almost 30 years as an Instrumentation Technician I'd had enough. By most measures it's a great job with great pay, but I just couldn't stand it anymore. (The people I worked with are the best though!! That's the only thing I miss.) I looked at how much I had in investments, and other money I have coming in, no dependents, and my only real debt is a mortgage on a small house. YOLO, as the kids say, so I quit. Or semi-retired. Whichever. I'd been working on a photography business for a little while but now I when people ask what I do... I'm a photographer!! All I need now, though, is some steadier work, but I that'll come with some steady effort and some luck. You younger people should rewatch this video. Don't get to be my age and hating life because you took the safe career. You only get so many trips around the sun so craft a career that is meaningful to you. Don't trade in a life to make a living!
Thoughtful advice. Writing everything down can work wonders in other ways too... dieting... quitting smoking... learning something new... getting in shape. I've found a physical diary carried around for a few months can work wonders as a reminder and motivator to develop positive habits. Question: What kind of car was it?
I have worked as a videographer for 18 years, and photography has been a complementary work, but now I invested in equipment and I would like to switch from video to photography as the main job and keep the video as a complement
Love all your videos, very informative and bang on. Photography has always been a love of my, went to college for it and worked a pro for a few years. How at the time I had to get a regular job in hopes of doing it on my own. I got comfortable as the bills were getting paid, years later now it’s been calling me back. It’s a bit scary to think about starting over, portfolio and the grind but it’s all I want to do. This video just nailed it for me. Keep up the great work motivating others. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Daniel, thank you for your video and for sharing your thoughts. This resonates with me directly as I am on the other end where I am considering this move later in my life vs at a younger age. My concerns are definitely around covering my costs for not just me but my family. I have shooting as a hobbyist for several years now and hope to make the jump to making this a career in time... the right time.
Really usefull video i'l actually on that path luckily as a first job I work in a photography studio so I make money and I learn at the same time but I do mostly ID pictures and I miss creative shoots but I suck it because at least I do something I like before going to the next level
thank you mr. norton ...your advices are always appreciated! about what you've talked today is where i am at the moment. started this spring my own company, working part time self employed as photographer. it's great to have my own business, but at the same time it's hard to work 24/7 since i still have my full time job as a security base. but being able to work as a photographer and having my own company keeps me motivated. My marker in my calendar is set at spring 2021 btw ;) So thanks again for your vids, also those about flash photography. i learned a lot! ps: and as a coffee addicts as well, let me tell you, don't go over 176F with that water to keep that coffee from getting bitter. ...but maybe you already knew :)
On one of your previous videos I detailed, after years away from photography, getting into headshots by helping out a friend that needed one so I'll skip that long story. I'm currently residing in PA helping my parents out after my father had a stroke and commuting to/staying in northern NJ 3 days a week to build my business. Since I don't have the time to commit fully to the business(there's no market here or I'd just do it locally) I still work part time from home for my former employer writing bids for demolition/construction jobs. The advantage is I don't pay rent in PA and only a small amount for a room while in NJ. I was hoping to be back in the NYC metro area this passing summer but it just didn't happen. Anywho... I started my business while working full time at my old job by scheduling shoots after work and on weekends. Were I 15 years younger at the time, with no bills and still living with a roommate, I would have likely quit the day job and picked up a few night shifts bartending or working security to allow me time during the day to build the business. For someone younger, with the advantages available now due to the internet, that would be the route I recommend. Work a night job with flexible hours, keep your costs low by living with a roommate/not splurging on luxuries, and spend your days working on your portfolio/connections/business/etc. On college, if you really need to go but want to become a photographer, I would suggest a business degree and taking photography classes on the side. From what I've seen of college photography courses, they teach you nothing about actually making a career of it let alone running a business. If you fail at your photographic endeavors, and MOST small businesses do fail, you still have a degree that can get you in the door to a decent 'regular' job.
Great info Daniel, def at a point where I have enough gear to do fairly complex lighting (3 lights w/ modifiers, reflectors, free-standing backgrounds), now I need to start the getting freelance gigs. Also great idea about setting a timeline and a goal. I actually really enjoy my well-paying job, I just want to be in charge of my own future. Figuring out the whole 'cost of doing business' and how to price myself in the marketplace is where I am focusing this month.
Such relevant information. Feels good hearing this, I feel like I am doing it right! I still need to apply some of your suggestions, but it helps to know I have the right mindset
I make 200K+/year in my corporate job (I.T. Administrator). I have been taking photo's since the mid 80's. I switched to digital photography in 2005. I started doing paid jobs in 2012. I have more than enough equipment to undertake almost any photography job. I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. I know I have the technical skill. But I don't believe in myself.
Quitting your job is a big decision, especially if you're a federal employee or the fortunate well-benefitted private sector employee. Healthcare, vacation, sick leave, 10 gov holidays, TSP, yada yada. When you're self-employed you gotta factor in the costs of providing all those things you might be accustomed to bec that will suck unless you can acclimatize yourself to not having those, when you throw in the towel and go solo.
dear Daniel, thank you for making this video, finally some one credible makes a video that I have been wondering about for a few months, now I have yet to finish watching kind of running around my side trying to get a good photo of a dam spider, though will watch this in its full in a couple minutes
Work the job you have that you don't want if for no other reason than to use the paychecks to set the stage for the job you want, while being prepared for the possibility you will have to scale back your living expenses if you don't have the ability to find a market for your skills. Not everyone has the talent to live off of their photography skills; some are simply in the wrong market for the skills they have. For most photographers, photography is a hobby, no matter how passionate they are about it. Right market, right skill set can be leveraged into a side hustle, where people are willing to pay for those skills. If/when that side hustle begins to occupy enough time that it's approaching the day job in terms of time spent and income earned, it's time to quit that day job to devote more time and resources to the photography business. I like the deadline, all in approach, but that's strictly a young man's game plan. Not an excuse, but not everyone has Daniel's skills, although if you've been paying attention to his Adorama sessions, you should at least understand how he gets his results.
I was hoping for you to talk about marketing. Any strategies in there? For example: Do you cold call corporates to try sell headshots, or do you rely on advertising, word of mouth, etc etc ? cheers👍👍
Hi Daniel, Great video. Please keep them coming. I would love to see a video on how to get your first freelance jobs. Craigslist? I'm not sure. I've been into photography for a while but would like to start making money with portraits and maybe move into weddings eventually. Any advice for the absolute beginner, in the business end, would be great. Thanks again!
I have a slightly different story which kind of put me of trying to go full pro & wondering if I just prefer to stick at it as just a hobby. I got some work through a relative whose a manager of a corporate business and whilst working for him and understanding his requirments and his workflow I found that I couldn't suggest things to him to get the best results & say things like this might be better because, so I said nothing and the outcome was that I wasn't always pleased with what I was delivery & wasn't enjoying working for him & the project I was given and that kind of put of the whole pro thing all together. Maybe its just not a good idea working with relatives/family members who could be close to you?
Perhaps - The when you are working for someone, you need to achieve what they want and that becomes more important than your particular style often times. It’s part of the job
Thanks for the insight. I work a full time job, and run a small photography business, and i also work for a big wedding studio. Im burning out and really want to leave my job, however i have a family and need the insurance and stability. Not sure what i can do. any suggestions would be appreciated.
all this videos on youtube on how and when you should go pro starting to make me feel guilty about being an amature and being satisfied and proud to be so 😉😂
As always a great video, love your input and thoughts on the subject. Have you considered to do photo reviews. With everything you have to give between lighting and working with models, to your thoughts on business, it would be great to hear your feedback on our photos.
