5 Steps for Turning your Photography Hobby into a Full Time Job

Are you looking to grow your hobby or side hustle into your full time gig? It sounds awesome, right? If your answer is yes, I want to tell you something. I’ve been in your exact shoes. I’ve sat in your seat. I’ve googled the same things that made you land on this page. And I came out on the other side. And today I want to share with you 5 things you can start doing NOW to take those steps towards going full time with your photography.

First, I want you to know that wherever you are at in this journey, you’re doing great. It can be overwhelming no matter what step you’re at. Deciding on which camera to get started on, figuring out how to find clients, having the confidence to finally put you and your work out there, actually charging people for your work- this seems overwhelming. Figuring out how to actually use a fancy camera or pose people, or where to even start with editing images, feels like it will take years to learn. Maybe you’re struggling with balancing a full time job and this burning creative itch to do more (that was me!) or maybe you’re so consumed by your current job you don’t feel like you have any extra time or energy to pour into this hobby to grow it. Have I said something yet that made your heart beat a little faster? Okay good, that’s a sign that you’re in the right place. Let’s continue.

1: Set yourself up as a business

You may have started in photography because you admired the art of it or it just seemed really fun and creative. These things are true. However, to run a photography business (and go full time in it) there is so much more to it than just taking photos. So if having a photography business is what you dream of, I’m going to encourage you to start treating your photography like a business right now. This is laying the groundwork for your future success and ensuring you are getting started on the right foot. I also think that something shifts in our minds the moment we invest in ourselves and our business, suddenly this business becomes real.

So first, I’m going to encourage you to look into setting your business up legally. Look into what your state requires to obtain a business license (I promise it’s not as scary as you might think!) Additionally, start tracking your business financials. I’d recommend keeping a separate account for all things business related so it’s easier on you to track, but the earlier you make this a habit, the better. When someone pays you, it goes into this account. When you buy a new lens, it comes out of this account. When someone buys an album from you, that money deposits into this account. That monthly subscription to Adobe Lightroom comes out of this account. You get what I’m saying here? Keep track of it all. When the time does come to make that leap into full time, you will only be able to confidently do so if you know how much are you are making.

2: Show of your work to your network

A lot of your early clients will come from people you know. That’s how this goes, the people you are connected to in this world are going to be the first ones to see your business take its first steps and therefore will likely be the first clients or the referrals for your first clients. You want everyone in your network to see what you are doing and know what you are doing, so they can tell their friends and they can tell theirs. Yes. I think you should set up a separate account for your photography (both on Facebook and Instagram) but I also think you should actively share the work you share on BOTH accounts (photography and personal).

Here’s the hard part. Even if you are not getting bookings immediately or directly through these posts, and even if you don’t feel like it’s doing anything, I want you to keep sharing your work on both platforms. Because the person who saw it three months ago and didn’t need a photographer then, might need one now. And because you have been sharing your work consistently, that person now thinks of you, or sees your most recent posts and decides to hire you. Putting your work out there one time every now and then is not good enough for the digitial world we live in. You need to constantly show up and show off your work so people actually see it.

3: Building your portfolio

In order to get future clients, you need to have some work to show off. This is where that network I talked about above- your friends and family, comes in to play. If you have nothing to showcase for work, it’s time to ask some of your closest friends and family to be your models so you have work to put out there. It’s also great practice while you develop your style and get comfortable posing people. This learning phase is a lot easier with people you are close to than complete strangers. If you are just getting started, this is the best way to learn those camera settings hands on with the patience of someone who already knows you.

Another way to grow that portfolio is to attend style shoots and workshops. These are normally hosted by other photographers or wedding vendors and are a great opportunity to photograph the type of content you ideally want to shoot. These are not normally free though, so you will be looking at these type of activities as a business investment. Workshops often have education attached to them so you’ll also be getting to network with other photographers and learn along the way. Investing in education as well as marketing for your business to grow. Styled shoots are typically just created for the purpose of networking and getting content, and might be a better option if you already understand your camera and camera’s settings.

Third, if you have a small following on social media already, I’d recommend trying a giveaway. A social media giveaway for a free mini session or whatever type of session you are hoping to book more of. To enter your giveaway, followers must like and tag friends on your post. This is a great way to boost your engagement and get new eyes on your page and business. They can share it to their stories for a bonus entry. Make sure you are tracking these entires and have clear rules on deadlines and expectations.

4: Set up your systems

Have you ever found a business and wanted to book them or inquire but then aren’t sure how? Or have you ever been confused on their pricing so you simply don’t reach out at all? This is totally normal behavior for consumers, and we want to make their decision to book you as easy and clear as possible. Make sure you have a clear way for someone to get in touch with you to book. I recommend at a minimum, a separate gmail account that is your business name as it comes across more professional. As you progress further into this you can look into fancy CRMs (customer relationship management platforms) but in the mean time, a gmail account to keep communication organized is great. I also thing having either a price sheet, a starting price, or a minimal pricing guide available somewhere is helpful. This can be as simple as creating a highlight on Instagram with your current pricing (be sure to keep this updated). Or a page on your website if you have a website (and let’s add a link to this in your Instagram bio). Or maybe you created a small pricing guide in a program like Canva that now you can link to when needed. Having this information out there is one less barrier for people when they are looking to book, and makes your pricing clear so you can feel confident when they ask how much your services are.

5: Build your savings, make that leap

You might be thinking, I’ve gone through 4 steps but still haven’t offered a way for you to finally quit that job. When it comes time to seriously consider leaving your job to pursue photography full time, it’s time to get very serious with your numbers. You need to sit down and get a good and accurate look at your current monthly bills and living expenses. You need to get very clear on how much you need to make to be able to continue to live your life as you are right now. How much do you spend monthly on groceries? What is your rent / utilities / mortgage / etc ? How much do you spend monthly on things like shopping, or eating out, or entertainment? Getting clear on how many sessions you will need to book a month to cover these expenses and how much you have to make each month to make ends meet. Photography can have busy months and it can have slow months, so you need to be prepared for a slow month. While you’re preparing to make this full time leap, you should be building up your savings with a safety net for you to fall back on if needed to cover your living expenses. Id recommend banking up to 3+ months of living expenses.

Depending on what you are making at your current job, you might be able to match that by doing photography on the side, in which case would should feel confident in leaving that role to pursue photography full time. But for a lot of people, it will be hard to match a salary by doing a photography on the side, there simply is not enough time. For me, I was able to move into a part time role where what I made annually decreased, but with more time in my week I was able to build my savings and see what I was capable of bringing in from photography. What’s important is being able to recognize what you are currently making, what you are currently spending, and what you think you can continue to make (or project to make) by quitting your job. These questions are scary and make things real but once you get clear on these, it will give you a great goal to strive for in that journey towards quitting your job, and will eventually make you so confident with your decision to leap into photography full time.

There are so many things that go into making that leap into a full time photography business but I hope these 5 tips gave you some things to focus on to continue to build and grow your business while you prepare to make that leap. Remember that decisions like this shouldn’t be made overnight and often require a lot of time and hard work to make sure you (and your family) are ready for that leap. Entrepreneurship is hard but incredibly rewarding if you can push past those sticky spots and have the determination to continue to push forward and learn and grow. What I can confidently tell you is if you are dreaming about this business when you close your eyes and night and thinking about it nonstop while you’re at your day job, that is a very good sign that you have all the passion needed to make this business everything you imagine. Continue to listen to your heart and show up for yourself and your business, you can do this!