This industry is infamous for having a low average wage, particularly if you're a self-employed photographer or videographer. However, there are plenty of people earning a good wage, and here are 10 ways you can too, with examples of videographers who are already doing it.
I have written about my early experiences in this industry a few times, but it bears repeating. When I first leapt into full-time photography, I had no contacts, no money, and no specific direction for how I would proceed in the industry. It may seem as if I were ill-prepared, and you wouldn't be wrong, but in truth, it was the result of getting a few job offers straight out of university for careers I knew I'd hate. I had to do something immediately, and so I chose my passion and dove in.
Back then, every few hundred dollars I could claw into my pocket was a hard-fought win and I was stressed permanently. I could scarcely imagine how anyone could make $100,000 with their camera let alone more than that, even though I knew people who were. When I saw this video by Parker Walbeck, I suspected I wouldn't want to share it as a lot of similar content is ironically contentless, but this one isn't. Walbeck goes through 10 different niches in which videographers can make good money, and then gives examples of videographers who have succeeded in that area and how.
It is, of course, worth noting that earning $100k per year or more takes a lot of work and know-how, but that it is achievable.
#11
Rent your camera for $274 per day and get 274 x 365 = $100,010 per year.
Haha, I hope you say that in jest. That most likely won't be possible:
1. Due to companies like Lensrentals. Example: You can rent a Sony a1 for $347 for 7 days.
2. Return shipping, which means downtime on rental so you won't actually be renting for 365 days.
Guys... please stop the insanity - we constantly hear about people "making" "x" amount of dollars in business - Other than when being used as a generic statement so to speak, you don't "make" revenue if you're running a business.
Case in point: We're told Danielle will "make" near $400k - That tells us absolutely zero - And only would a non-business oriented individual use that terminology.
In business you would use the word "Gross" and "Net", amongst others of course - In this example is Danielle expecting to Gross $400k or Net $400k? The two results are vastly different - We are told Danielle makes commercials so that implies she is running a business - Telling us how much she is "making" tells us nothing as to how much she is able to pay herself from the business revenue - Even if she is the only employee in her corporation or she is self-employed (sole-proprietor) she would still have the Cost of Doing Business (COB) to contend with.
So, we need to know this: Is she expecting to Gross $400k or Net $400k? The words Gross and Net have definitive meanings; the word "make" when used in a business setting has no definitive meaning.
I realize many people are not familiar with the definition of certain business terminology - But if you are in business or you're reporting a business-oriented story you MUST use the correct terminology when discussing revenue numbers otherwise we gain little to nothing from what is being stated.
Good point. I think she is billing a lot more than $400k considering the brands that the pitch guy in the video mentions. The rule of thumb with commercial photo work is 1/3 fees and 2/3 expenses but I don't know if that correlates to the motion side of things.
I know this to be painfully true. About 20 years ago my two galleries used to sell about $500,000 in prints per year. Sounds good, but when I took out the premium location rents, staff, advertising etc etc, I was left with very little. Everyone ELSE was making money out of me! Needless to say I moved on to other things and wrote it all down to experience!
That’s valid for all kinds of business, unfortunately. If you don’t own the property where you work, the landlord will steal all that you will earn, and even more.
I'm incredibly stupid... I actually anticipated Mr. Baggs would provide some type of response to this comment - After all the story becomes largely useless without providing meaningful financial details.
Here is one more way to make $100,000 with your camera:
1. Insure yourself for $100,000.
2. Arrange your camera to drop on your head from a high vantage point.
3. Collect the insurance, if you are still alive.
At least this scenario is realistic.
The camera will probably be broken too, so set the amount to $110,000 to be sure to also cover the expenses for a new camera.
Are you implying the industries to make money in aren't realistic?
Unrealistic? No, rather highly statistically improbable to earn $100K in today's photo industry.
Couldn't it be any more ridiculous and embarrassing? On Youtube you have to expect everything. But the fact that this is transported here is already a provocation and an insult. It's nothing more than pretentious bragging and chatter that has nothing to do with real business life. I am pissed.
Pretentious, just like this guy from the video.
Why exactly are you pissed? Because there are ways to make money and you're not utilizing them successfully, or what was the issue? Jealousy is a crazy thing in this life.
The feeling you're talking about is envy, not jealousy. Read more!
As a thirty year veteran of this crazy business only shooting commercial stuff, no weddings and retail work, netting 100k per year is not easy. my average net to gross was about 23% which means I kept 23 cents for every dollar earned. While I am sure that there are people grossing 400k plus a year, they are few and far between.
The creative fees and frequency of large projects has been shrinking for years and covid, well covid killed the business for a lot of people.The other issue, is that many of us have a few hot years when we are the new hot kid in town.
Photographers are like actors in many ways, we have a few great years and then we are yesterday's news. Earning that kind of money over a twenty year business life span, even harder to achieve.
I say this with no bitterness. I have had a pretty good run and I still am shooting for clients I have had to diversify my business interests.
You can check out my work just to see if I know what I am talking about here: www.zavesmith.com
It's a transparent sales pitch for his course.
Also, this guy's eyebrows gives me the creeps.