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Turning Your Photography Hobby into a Full-Time Career

Turning Your Photography Hobby into a Full-Time Career

Renowned American photographer Aaron Siskind once said: “Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” Photography, in its many forms, continues to be a beloved pastime around the globe with countless individuals engaging in it on a regular basis. While many hobbyist photographers are content with only getting behind the lense when they have the time, others are thinking about turning their hobby into a career. While a career as a photographer may indeed be very rewarding there are a number of things to consider before making such a big decision.  

Don’t rush into anything
Turning your hobby into a career is a very big step to take. It might therefore be a good idea to not quit your day job immediately but rather start your business in a part-time capacity at first. This will give you enough time to gain insight into the industry you are operating in, identify your competitors,  build up a client base and make one hundred percent sure that this is what you want to do with your life. It can take up to a year for you to find your feet after which you can either throw in the towel completely or make a full-time career out of your passion.

Think before you spend
Once you have made the decision to turn your photography hobby into a career you may be increasingly tempted to splurge on the latest lenses, tripods, props, and other gadgets. While having quality equipment at your disposal is paramount if you want to earn a living with your photography, it is very easy to get carried away and make impulse purchases you may later regret. Instead of spending your life savings on camera equipment, you may not need, invest in quality photography software that will help take your photography to the next level. You can always make additional purchases as it becomes an actual necessity and when you have the budget to do so. 

Weigh up all your options
As a hobbyist photographer, it may feel like the ‘next step’ entails becoming a full-time freelancer who takes photos at weddings, graduation ceremonies, and corporate events, there are many more career options worth considering. Although studio photographers also do location shoots, they typically engage in studio photography that can include fashion shoots, portrait shoots, and even pet photography. If you want to be a photojournalist who supplies photos to the media you may require a related qualification although any publications do work closely with freelancers. Other photography careers worth considering include that of an industrial photographer, crime scene photographer, fine art photographer, and fashion photographer. 

Turning your photography hobby into a successful career is a big step to take. As long as you weigh up all your options and don’t rush into anything you will be able to make a well-informed decision.

This Blogpost was created by Kay Collins

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