There is a misconception that to be a successful photographer you have to be taking photos for others 98% of the time. When the true reality is I shoot and a lot of photographers I know shoot way, way less frequently.
In fact most of a photographers time is spent in marketing, office work, doing contracts, and invoicing. The computer work of running a successful business.
Last two years I have taken on a handful of shoots, I am talking can count them on two hands handful. I was successful, my business was in profit— mostly 2022 I did basically take the whole year off—, and this year I will probably do less than I did prior to 2020, but more than I did last year. Mostly because mentally I am burnt out, from running a business in this economy and trying to figure out if it’s still what I want to do.
There is a misconception that I need to be out shooting to be successful, that I should be traveling and barely sleeping. That I work every weekend. But my business is slowly becoming more stock and passive income. Which has allowed me to seek a day job, be social and have breaks from running a business.
I am one of the lucky ones, I can afford to do less because my costs for running are very, very low on a yearly basis. That makes picking the sessions I take and saying no to the wrong clients far easier.
Last years break was amazing, the low stress great. I missed being out with a camera, but I didn’t miss the business. So now I waiver back and forth debating what to do.
I love photography but I don’t really love running a business and that’s what this is. I still have to work shoots around client wants not my own photographically so there still is a limit to freedom. Photographers in business rarely get to take on a client and do whatever shoot we are beholden to their wants and needs much to the surprise of how many view photography.
(As a side note, I think that’s why retail photography studios of my childhood failed. Because clients started to decide what they wanted their images to look and that they didn’t want their images the same as everyone else— which is what retail studios do, they have set backdrops and posing guides and deviations are strongly frowned upon.)
So new photographers or those thinking about it. Beware the misconceptions. You don’t have to be the best photographer to be successful. Photography is a business. You do not have to be shooting 98% of the time. You get little say in the images you do take for clients. You won’t get to travel as much as you believe.
