This post isn’t meant to discourage or be snarky at all, so please understand that I say this with as much love as possible :). And if you ever have any questions, PLEASE feel free to leave them in the comments section or shoot me an email!
Something you may hear a lot of professional photographers griping about lately is the issue of the industry being oversaturated. With the availability of consumer-grade DSLRs, digital photography has become accessible to anyone with the ability to press the shutter button. You see a lot of people getting their hands on a DSLR and deciding to become a pro because it seems like a “quick and easy” way to make money. I love it when people get excited about taking photos, but there’s something that I think gets lost in the excitement of taking amazing images:
Being a professional photographer is HARD.
Think about it: we’re small business owners. All the taxes, liability insurance, medical insurance, equipment fees? We pay those. We have to stay up-to-the-minute on the newest camera bodies, editing software and legal policies related to the business. We attend workshops, spend hours poring over emails and often work 70-80 hour weeks during wedding season. And during the off-season? We’re scrupulously hunting for new business opportunities, revamping our websites, designing albums and gearing up for the next wedding season. Only about 15% of our time is actually spend shooting. The rest is devoted to the aforementioned, and then more.
Is it worth it? To me, absolutely. I can’t imagine doing anything else. The best moments in photography (like shooting weddings and editing my favorite sessions) more than compensate for the more tedious side of the job, like calculating mileage or banging my head against a desk about owing more money to the IRS.
I know several other photographers who feel the same way- they can’t imagine NOT doing this as their job. It works, though, because we’re passionate about what we do. We love photography so much that we’re willing to take the time to move up the food chain, paying our proverbial dues and filing our taxes.
What I meant to say is that if you’re considering a career in photography because you love photographing people, architecture, landscapes, etc. and can’t imagine doing anything else with your life, power to you! Make sure you find a great mentor to learn from!
But if you’re considering photography as a career because it looks easy and lucrative (and I wouldn’t blame you- that’s what I thought at first!), I suggest you explore leaving it as a hobby. If you’re not 100% passionate about it, you’ll burn out and won’t be able to provide your clients with the amazing experience they deserve on their wedding day. You have to understand that the majority of your time as a true professional will NOT be spent shooting, and that a true professional doesn’t just shoot and burn. They spend hours perfecting their images so that their clients receive finished, professional photographs..
Again, I say all of this because I love my profession and I hate seeing people start up and fail because their heart wasn’t in it. And now that we have that out of the way, I can share how I got my start! Look out for my story, coming later this week!
Happy Tuesday!
Lessons Learned: Getting Started, Pt. 1- The Disclaimer
December 13, 2011
Follow along
@abbygracephoto
info@abbygracephotography.com
WASHINGTON, DC & WORLDWIDE
DESIGN BY TONIC SITE SHOP
© ABBY GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY 2024
Back to top
This is such great advice Abby! I wish more new photographers understood everything that comes with being a professional photographer, especially the relatively small amount of time we actually spend taking pictures.
Abby, dear. You speak SO MUCH TRUTH here! Thank you for sharing THIS side of the photography world — people NEED to know this. Photography (weddings in particular)? Ain’t for the faint of heart…LOVED this post!!
I sincerely couldn’t agree more! This is an industry that is difficult to get into and to survive in but if there is passion and love for every aspect those are the photographers who will prevail. Each session, every person, and every experience is one which makes a photographer better than the day before. Abby, your work is amazing and the richness of your life pours through each of your posts. I always look forward to reading about what you do and what new adventure is around the corner. Thank you so much for sharing, I never miss a post. 🙂
Abby, great post! I think the only thing that bugged me, was the comment about “Make sure you find a great mentor to learn from”. To be blatantly honest, I’ve asked whom I thought were professionals for opinions only to be shut completely out or ignored. While that has not detered me from continuing to learn on my own, I think it sends a strong message. These were professionals that initially offered advice/help, only to turn a cheek when approached. If we are to all flourish collectively in this industry, then I think everyone needs to play fair. BTW, your work is great!
Yes yes yes! Great post! So true! I’m still in my beginning stages and there’s so many “non-photography” things I have to do that if I didn’t love my clients like crazy, I probably would have no motivation to do anything! Thank you for sharing this!!!
Such good words! I see SO many people with DLSR’s that just haphazardly dangle from a strap around their neck or near the ground with the strap in their hand. It make me cringe! Not being a professional, but LOVING photo taking as a hobby for sure make me appreciate the cost of equipment and the joy in taking care of everything I own. It may just be the new generation and how I was raised. I SO appreciate photogs like you who want to share your knowledge to help others understand and become better photographers, hobby or professional! 🙂
Very well written Abby.
Well, I’m not a photographer, or a wannabe photographer, but I still think this is such great advice!! I admire you so much because of your talent… but also for your openness, dedication, and PASSION. I am BEYOND impressed with how much you have grown and matured, both personally and in your business. It is hard to believe that your first solo wedding was less than a year ago!! You have worked so hard, and it is really paying off. I’m proud to say your our photographer! 🙂
<3
Love this post Abby! Thanks for sharing!
put your heart in anything u love in this life…and u will succeed….or if you dont then u r destined to fail…True love brings true happiness and true moments in life!
😉
Thank you for this post. As an inspiring photographer, I love when professionals as yourself are honest and take the time to educate the ones fresh in. Can’t wait for more.
Great words! @jamie im not sure what you mean by ‘play nice’ but it’s a give and take, it’s discouraging when people ask for help and do not offer something back. Perhaps this is why? your success should not depend on others commitment to helping you get better/learn, you are in charge of your own success. There are tons of paid classes, seminars, and workshops.
great honesty Abby – as much as I realize this is geared towards inspiring photogs, I think it’s important for couples to realize the work that goes into their wedding photographs too .. i think I might need to borrow a bit from this and write an open letter to couples …
Way to tell it like it is! I think this is a great post. So many people see something “fun” and then think they can jump right in and be successful… without realizing there’s a ton of hard work, blood, sweat and tears that goes into every successful business owner. Great post and great honesty!
Thanks for the post Abby. As someone who is on the verge of jumping into the business, these are great reminders of the real work involved in the industry!
Amen! Another thing that should be taken into consideration is if you’re not ready to make the full time leap yet– the balance between a full-time job and starting your own business can be overwhelming sometimes. Lots of late nights, frustrations, and bouncing ideas back and forth with my husband/business partner…thankfully running my own business is STILL something I want to do. It’s hard but if your heart is 100% in it, it’s one of the most rewarding things ever.
Well said, Abby. Keep up the good work.
[…] Let me start out by saying that my story is still in the early stages, and that it’s going to be different than, perhaps, your story. Feel free to disagree with how I’ve done things, this is just the particular path that God’s taken me down. Also, my story is kind of long. Sorry I’m not sorry. PS- the photo below on the left if from my good friend Mike. You’ll read more about him in the next post! PPS- Find part 1 HERE! […]
Nice post and all the way true. Many a friend/acquaintance has approached me with wanting to learn go into my profession, and are usually quite dismayed their first time out…hours of cutting stems, removing thorns, hands in water the tedium of putting together 50 or more pieces in one day and delivering and staging without one bruised petal…I agree with the comments about mentoring, but often the ‘enthusiast’ was really looking for flowers and lace…and not the grinding work that it takes. Fortunately, my work reflects later in the beautiful photos, and only a talented and schooled professional can make my work look like it was of the angels…I always do a little eye roll when the fumbling guy with the new play toy shows up to take photos…usually late. We all started somewhere, but you can predict pretty early in the game, who has the salt.
I think it is great that you are sharing your start up experience! It is always good to look back from which you came. Starting up is not for the faint of heart or thin skinned. I think your post is very true in that you HAVE to do what you love… REALLY LOVE…The only way to really be the best at something is to love it 100%. When your doing something your passionate about, all those hours you pour into it seem to fade. If you don’t have the love, others will notice and you will not be successful once the word gets out. It just shows in your work. You can always tell a person who is doing something that they probably shouldn’t be doing anymore. It’s all about passion. follow your passion, follow your dreams and your soul will be rich. – and others will see this in your work.
However I feel we have to be careful not to discourage young, impressionable up and coming artists. Sometimes at a young age they can be discouraged because they don’t yet believe fully in themselves and their potential to succeed. This is where we need to step up and mentor…for they will be the future.
Your work is just beautiful and its evident that you love your work.
Holly- I really appreciate your feedback! I was very careful in the post to balance between encouragement and being realistic. I think often times new photographer aren’t given an accurate enough view on how things actually are, and sometimes people need a dose of realism. That’s what this post was intended to do.Not to bring them down from a high, but so they know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. The truth is that being a wedding photographer IS hard, and I won’t sugarcoat that. Do I love it? Absolutely. But do I think it’s a job that “anyone” can do? Nope. I love being a source of encouragement, but I also want people to know what they’re getting into. Thanks for your opinion!
A to the freakin’ man!!!!! You don’t always have to love what you do in your chosen industry…but for an artist, you have to obsess over it a good portion of the time. (I will admit, though…although I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, there are definitely those days when i don’t want to get out of bed.)
[…] is post #3 in a three-part series. Check out the first post HERE and the second one […]
bravo bravo bravo