You SHOULD Start a Photography Business (5 Reasons Why)

here are five reasons you should consider starting a photography business I I just dropped a video called five reasons you should not start a photography business I wanted to look at things from the other side as well and present with five reasons why you would consider starting a photography business the first one is the biggest one for me and that's uh flexibility of being able to set your own schedule when I was working as a brand photographer at the local University here um I was making the same amount per month that I do now doing a couple of shoots a month as opposed to working 8 30 a.m to 4 30 P.M every single day Monday through Friday now I have a lot more flexibility in my schedule and I make the same amount of money and while I was at the University on contract I made it clear to them that I would need to continue to take days off unpaid of course uh to do other work because there's no way I'm turning down uh seven thousand dollar job or a ten thousand dollar job for that day's work there was no way I was going to not take that job when that one job would make me more money for that one day than I would be making in the entire month at that job I took that job because I wanted to be involved in that project but once it was done I I laughed and I was done with that with that project and that contract and and that position flexibility is a big thing I also personally find that I don't work well for others I have a very low tolerance for and I have had a few bosses in my life who were wonderful and I've had a few bosses in my life who are just absolutely horrible human beings I just don't tolerate it and so I don't put up with it and I don't stick around very long and so I've decided that for me the best thing to do is to work for myself and then the only ego that I have to worry about is my own so I can take a vacation whenever I want to I can go to going to Costa Rica in July completely paid for I'm going down to shoot a wedding but then I'm also staying for four days on either side of that wedding as well and that's a benefit like I can go to an amusement park on a Tuesday afternoon when it's not busy because I have the flexibility and schedule to just go to an amusement park which I love roller coasters so that's a big thing so flexibility is a big issue and a big reason why you might consider becoming a professional photographer is being able to set your own schedule determine who your clients are and determine the people that you want to work for reason number two is creativity I'm a creative being I feel a need and an urge to express myself prior to photography that was through improvisation and prior to that it was through writing and design I've always been a creative person but I've been exploring and pursuing creative Pursuits for you know the majority of my life at this point and I cannot see a way forward in my life in which I am not creative my primary draw to photography actually is not necessarily creativity it's problem solving I like to figure things out I'm a very keen and constant learner so that's a big thing for me and uh if you decide to start a photography business you have a lot of opportunity to continue learning and grow your skills and and become better and better and better photographer there's a great quote from Bjork who from an interview she did many years ago for a magazine and she was asked by the interviewer at the time she was generally consider one of the best singers in the world and the interviewer said given that you are considered one of the best singers in the world how does that affect you and her response was brilliant she said I feel like if I keep doing this for another 20 years I'll be somewhere close to getting it right and that's how I feel about not only photography but improvisation about design and all the other things that I do I feel like there's an urge and a need in me to constantly create and evolve and learn and develop new skills and grow and grow and grow so that's something that you feel this is a great way to continue to learn and grow and explore and express your creative self next up there is opportunity for financial success you can make a lot of money as professional photographer that depends on a number of factors it depends on your Market depends on the skills that you have as a photographer greatly depends on those skills if you want to be the top one percent of photographers the top one percent of the one percent of photographers you need to be very very good but you not only need to be good because a lot of people are good need to be great and outstanding but you need to be saying something unique and that's true to you and only you other people can try to imitate it and copy it they will just come off as imitations and and copies they won't have the spirit and soul and the process of the thing that is uniquely you that goes into your images so that's another another great reason when you have those skills and you're able to put that into your work people will seek that out and people will be willing to pay good money for that reason number four is that you have an opportunity and this is something that I've been exploring now for the last few years to create meaning and impact to leave an impact and Lasting Impression on people's lives as a portrait photographer that tends to be pretty inherent with the job you are creating a visual memory of someone of a family unit of a grandparent of a child and and the photographs become a representations of your memories of those people but you can use your photography to create more meaningful work to become of an artist and to say something and have a voice and an opinion about the world and to document that voice and opinion through uh still images um that is up to you this is a great having you within which to explore that it's very important for me to figure out how I want to have an impact on the world I don't just want to be that a guy who took some photos I want my photos to have my meaning and I want the things that I do to have a lasting impression and it's one of the reasons why I've started exploring more artistics aside of what I do and as a photographer and why I'm doing my first gallery show in three weeks which is uh nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time and it's a very important part of who I foresee myself to be as a photographer over the next 20 to 30 years and the final reason is you're able to explore your entrepreneurial spirit I touched on this a bit briefly earlier and that I can't work for anyone else so I'm kind of forced to be an entrepreneur but I actually went to school for entrepreneurship I when I first went to University I went into the business administration program specifically in the entrepreneurial stream because I wanted to start a hip-hop record label that never panned out obviously I became a writer and that and then an actor well got back into acting and improv and that that just changed the direction of my life completely starting a business requires very entrepreneurial Spirit if that's something that you feel that you have as well this is a great way to explore there are other businesses that you can explore as well but this is a great way to get into it part-time while you're doing your own thing and to be flexible with your schedule so that you can build up a business but maybe build up a clientele and build up a body of work and a portfolio that you can Market to people so photography is a great business that allows you to develop your business slowly over time as a side hustle you do need to be able to be self-motivated and willing to take risks without the motivation to put yourself to work every day and the discipline you are you're not going to be able to run a very successful business you're just not to sell it up like if you enjoy being your own boss and uh taking charge of your career and putting your career in your own hands this is uh it's a great business to start those are five reasons that you should start a professional photography business and you'll notice that I did not say you should start a business to pursue your passion of Photography if you want to hear about that check out this video which is five reasons not to start a professional production business thanks a lot take care