Why do some photographers seem to make money while others don’t? You may have seen that some photographers are able to quit their day jobs, replace their income, and charge premium rates and you might be in a position where you’re wondering, “How did they do that?” And maybe you’re wondering too why some photographers simply can’t seem to get out of that “hobby stage”. In todays’ video, I’m identifying 3 reasons why I think why some photographers will make money in their business and why others won’t or maybe can’t in addition to some solutions.
You Must Be A Business Owner FIRST
When it comes to making money with photography, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I do NOT think it comes to to raw style or talent. There’s more at play here than just talent. It would make sense for the most talented photographer to make the most money, BUT what is often missed or overlooked is the business element. Often times, the most talented service providers are not automatically the most profitable business people.
Maybe you’ve seen people doing really well but they aren’t the most talented. I was that person! However, I was able to make a solid income because I first embraced building a brand and a recognizable business right from the start. I didn’t hyper focus on just my talent and skills in the beginning.
When you embrace building out a brand and crafting a marketing plan, you are acknowledging that you can’t just be an artist, you have to also be a business person. We need to have both. If you want to get great and running a business and building a marketing plan, I HIGHLY recommend investing into some books. Below is a curated list of books that have revolutionized my business. In addition to that I’ve also linked some videos at the bottom of this post for you too.
These are my top books that I recommend to any creative small business owner who is looking to get better at running a business, marketing, branding, and more!
Waiting For Things To Happen In A Certain Order
The second thing reason I believe most photographers never get out of the “hobby stage” is because they are waiting for things to happen in a certain order and waiting for others to give them permission. So many photographers get stuck because they haven’t taken the steps needed BEFORE they raise their prices. There are things that need to be setup in your business so you can get out of the “hobby phase”. If you’d like to learn my step-by-step process to all of this, check out Hobby To Pro Toolkit where I deep dive into how can you step out of the hobby phase and into the pro phase confidently.
I know how overwhelming it can feel when you simply don’t know what you don’t know and how to get your business to the next level. Things like purchasing your domain name, separating your business and personal finances, getting setup with professional contracts, and so much more! If you want to see the complete checklist, you can snag Hobby To Pro. Feel free to leave a comment below too if you have any specific questions!
Mindset
The third reason I believe so many photographers don’t make money and some do, is their mindset. Your mindset and what you think impacts EVERYTHING. This is such a critical and crucial piece as to whether or not someone will make money with their business. Some photographers are thinking the wrong thoughts and asking the wrong questions. They constantly say things like, “The market is so saturated”, “There are so many photographers”, “I can’t find clients”, and the list goes on. While other photographers, the ones who are growing faster and seeing their income increase see where they want to be and ask themselves how they can get there.
Listen to your thoughts, check in on them frequently, and make sure this isn’t one of the things holding you back from your income. Because when you believe more you see more possibilities. When you believe more, you do more and you try more. Henry Ford said, “Whether you believe you can, or you believe you can’t, you are right.”
So, check in with yourself and figure out if you are getting in the way of your own success. I also have a book recommendation on this topic as well by Jon Acuff. It’s called “Soundtracks” and talks all about overthinking and how we can take our own thoughts back.
Now, this is not all the reasons but it’s definitely a starting point why I think some photographers make money while others don’t. So which category would you say you fall into? What will help you confidently step into being a pro? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
If you decide to use any of the links above and buy through them, I’ll receive a small commission back. All of those affiliate income commissions really add up over time and help generate revenue to help support this channel
**Disclaimer: These are my honest opinions and thoughts. Some links may be affiliate links, meaning that at no cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you choose to buy it.
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