The story continues
Two years ago, I wrote a blog article about how my journey began. It was all about my desire to learn more about photography and at the same time my frustration with it. Today, I want to continue the story. A lot has happened in the meantime, and I feel like it is worth adding an update to this blog. I had to grow, both as an artist but also as a business woman. Running my own photography business has brought me more challenges and joy than I could ever have imagined and it allowed me to grow as a person into someone I have never thought I could be. Let me explain...
When hobby becomes business
This process is a tough one. At first it is fun and games. "Wow - someone wants to pay me for something I love doing!" Until you realize: Yes, but then this person is your client and clients wishes always come first. This is very logic, but especially in a creative profession it can be a tough one. I can say, I am a VERY service minded person and fulfilling my clients wishes gives me as much joy as fulfilling my own artistic vision. But I learned pretty fast, that I have to keep a balance between client work and free projects. It is incredibly important to me to continue growing as an artist and that is simply not possible, without a frame where I am allowed to fail and make mistakes. In a client shoot I have to play safe, and make sure to make the outcome a success. In my projects I dont have that pressure. Working for free, when I actually have the pressure to earn money with my profession is sometimes hard to justify, and more than once I had to stand my ground and just continue my path, because I had the feeling that it will pay off eventually. I'll come to that later.
24/7 instead of 9 to 5
I have always been a person who loves working. When working in marketing agencies, I used to make nightshifts and over hours on a regular base. Now I have my own business, and I understand that every hour I put in will eventually pay off. One way or another. This realization does not really help with a work-life balance, to be honest. But what is that anyway? My work is such a big part of my life - I don't even want to keep them separate. But I do occasionally find a moment to detach. To breathe and find some space. That's what I need my family and the horses for. Having these few hours a day, where I am not allowed to think of my next project or the next newsletter. I am still learning to live with this new reality and I have by far not figured it out yet, but I am on a good way and have amazing help.
Finding new ways
Running a photography business is not easy. There is no book that explains how to do that. While I actually have a bachelor's in business administration, most rules don't seem to apply in a business so driven by passion, purpose, and heart. I overspend and overwork, I offer unprofitable products, and I hate to raise my prices since I want everyone to be able to have this great opportunity. I focus on only horses, even though being recommended to do weddings, for example, because apparently it's so much more profitable. But at the end of the day, I must pay bills and have a plus on the balance sheet. Otherwise, this passion of mine will be a hobby again sooner or later. But I am stubborn, and I know there is a way. So, I am working with everything I have and can find new ways. Ways to keep this business sustainable while following my heart. I am learning about licensing pictures, business commissions, and project work. About pricing theory and productivity methods. I am studiying other branches to find new ways for my horse photography. Most importantly, I am keen on staying myself in the process and making this truly my own way.
Ability becomes security
Over the course of time, I can see that this is the key factor. It does pay off, and I have already gone so many places I never even knew they existed. I am working with great galleries and businesses and am finding the most amazing clients. There are so many voices, telling one what to do and what not to do. "Don't do free projects, you need to charge for your work," "Don't photograph shows, because then people don't want to pay properly for portrait shoots," "Don't do night shifts, you will burn out and not be productive anymore"... And so on. The one thing I learned so far is to follow your gut and trust your abilities. This has brought me so far, and I am sure it will continue bringing me to places I didn't yet dare dreaming of yet.
