After 38 years of making a living in photography—either behind the camera or directing other photographers—I’ve come to the conclusion that, for many, it might be best to keep photography as a hobby. It’s something I’ve been thinking about of late because photography in recent years has been elevated to such a glamorous career choice. Now it seems everyone wants to be a pro photographer and turn their hobby into a career. So allow me to share a few thoughts about this.
The first thing that struck me after giving this some thought was this: When I look at my favorite photos from the past four decades, the ones that tend to stand out and mean the most to me are the ones I shot for myself, to satisfy my own creative vision and idea exploration.
Don’t get me wrong, making income from photography is fantastic. I’d much rather be loading up the car or jumping on a plane to go to a location for a client to capture images to meet their communication objectives than be sitting in a beige corporate cubicle. Or talking about photography on YouTube. It’s incredibly exciting, even now, to be faced with challenges that must be overcome to get the best images for the job at hand.
But the thing is, even though I’m bringing my ideas, vision, creativity, unique approach, and problem-solving skills to the table, it’s all to meet someone else’s needs and expectations. Often the results are very rewarding and creatively satisfying. Often I’m given total creative freedom to do things my way. To be honest, I’m very fortunate in this regard, but it took many years to get to that position. Yet still, I find when I go out to shoot for myself, it’s a whole other level of creative satisfaction. Why is that?
Here are three thoughts:
Creative Freedom
I believe I have more creative freedom than most photographers, from the relatively unique way I’ve built my business over the years—a topic for another article—but I still crave MORE creative freedom.
When you shoot for yourself, as a hobby, it’s fun to experiment with new techniques, explore different styles, and really push the status quo without the underlying pressure of meeting someone else’s expectations.
There is one genre of photography I’ve tried to keep as a hobby, so I can maintain the joy, freedom, and personal fulfillment it provides. And that’s landscape photography.
In my late twenties, I was given a dream assignment: to produce a 12-month calendar for one of Canada’s largest banks. Every month had a double-page spread, and I proposed a series of Rocky Mountain landscape photos, one for each month. At the time, I was traveling to the Rockies often to pursue my love of mountain photography as a hobby and had a good stock library of images. As I worked on this project, I realized there were certain images I needed to complete the set, and more traveling was required to get them. Suddenly, I went from traveling to shoot landscapes without any pressure to traveling to get specific images within a limited timeframe. Now, casually exploring my artistic expression was out the window. Traveling around looking for good compositions was less relaxing and fun. I had to find and deliver the right images for a job, with the clock ticking—and hope the weather cooperated.
Even though the calendar was a huge deal, and millions were printed and distributed across the country, I decided I didn’t want to turn landscape photography into a business moving forward. This genre was going to be reserved for me for unwinding and relaxation, free from timelines and pressure. It was reserved for my own creative freedom and enjoyment.
Financial Pressure
When photography becomes a business, financial pressure steps in. You now start worrying about making a profit to pay the bills, finding clients, and meeting deadlines.
When photographing as a hobby, there is none of that. You can focus entirely on pursuing your passion without the pressure of monetization. Bliss.
Making art to make ends meet is rarely a good proposition. Selling prints or books isn’t sustainable—you need clients. In my case, corporate clients, brands, and tourism organizations.
Hobby Versus Work, Amateur Versus Pro
If you go from amateur to professional, your source of relaxation and enjoyment is no more. Your hobby was your break from your professional life. Your “me time.”
Photography as a hobby is a form of stress release. Photography as a profession can be a source of stress.
Of course, you can shoot for clients and for yourself. I know many photographers who shoot a few genres professionally and a few purely for fun. I keep landscapes and street photography as my hobby and travel, lifestyle, food, and environmental portraits as my work. I must admit, though, the lines are often blurred. It’s hard to get out of work mode sometimes.
The best thing about photography being a hobby is you can dedicate your time to personal projects that genuinely interest and inspire you. The intrinsic joy of creating something purely for yourself can be incredibly fulfilling. Professional photographers have to prioritize client assignments and are often left little time for personal projects.
Professionals spend most of their time doing non-creative things like marketing, meeting with clients, and administrative tasks. Amateurs can spend all their time being creative with their camera.
Conclusion
Keeping photography as a hobby preserves the joy, creativity, and freedom that drew you to photography in the first place. Without the pressures of income generation and business tasks, you can focus on exploring your passion and creativity, creating a body of work that is meaningful to you.
Being a professional photographer can be a wonderful career if you’re willing to work harder than the next guy and have some entrepreneurial flair. You need to understand, and enjoy, business. It’s highly competitive, so you need to work hard and smart. You need to put in the hours, and for many, this can be tricky if you have a family. Maintaining a work-life balance and avoiding burnout can be a big issue. And here’s the thing with burnout: It simply means you’re doing something you don’t enjoy.
I love earning a living from my camera and have found that carving out time for personal projects works well. I should state, though, I don’t need to work as hard as when I started; I have more time now for personal projects. It took a long time to get there!
For many, the benefits of maintaining photography as a hobby far outweigh the potential financial rewards of turning it into a profession.
Photography, I believe, ultimately should be something you enjoy.
Have you turned your hobby into a business? Are you considering doing so? Let’s continue the discussion in the comments.
I turned it to a part-time business and happy to leave it at that! The more of the business tasks I do, the least I like photography.
A sensible solution. 🙂
That’s very true. I found myself at this crossroads (pro vs. amateur) about 15 years ago and decided to stay an amateur for many of the reasons you mention in your article.
The only part I slightly disagree with is when you say, “Amateurs can spend all their time being creative with their camera.” Staying an amateur also means living with the frustration of not having enough time for photography. All those valuable instincts and the trained eye that come from shooting all day long are harder, in my opinion, to develop as an amateur.
Thanks for your input Patrick. Yes, those with a 9-5 job, and a family too, do have the challenge of finding time to pursue photography. You are correct, as a pro, constantly composing images and lighting subjects does give an advantage in terms of developing skills faster. I think I take that for granted. For most, I'm sure retirement is when photography skills jump forward a few levels, and people improve their craft.
I completely agree! I make my living in a different creative area, the written word, and when people pay you to create you owe them a consistent standard of quality. You either have to be the best at what you do or bring the swagger that comes with acting as if you are.
What I like most about my photography hobby is how much headroom remains above my present ability. I'm not good enough to be a pro, and I know it, and that isn't merely okay -- it's part of the point. The effort to learn and improve is as engaging as the activity itself.
I can experiment, fail, and mess around without worrying that I'm doing so on someone else's dime. Because there isn't any dime.
Ah, there's the secret, "experiment, fail, and mess around without worrying that I'm doing so on someone else's dime".
I wouldn't trade being self-employed for working a job for someone else in a million years. Of course there are deadlines and expectations in what we do, but probably no more than as an employee. And, of course, there's marketing and taxes and all the other necessities of running a business. But it's not prohibitively difficult. And at the end of the day, we always have the choice of whether or not to continue working for a particular client who seems to be unreasonable. I'll never be the road kill of some corporate cost cutting decision. Haven't had to wonder why the guy in the other cubicle got a raise and I didn't. And if I want to take Wednesday afternoon off to go play golf, I don't have to answer to anyone.
Lovely comment Ed. I'm always grateful, and wake up excited about the creative challenges ahead on most mornings. I just wish I more photography me time. :)
I'm sure you'll find a way to make that happen.
Photography is a hobby. But I have never been happier and less stressed than when I set up my own Engineering practice. Sometimes I work long hours. Sometimes I can have an afternoon off to do something else.
It helps if you have learnt PR skills and you can avoid debt.
Written by a photographer who has both. Like me 🕶️
What do you have both of? I tried to figure it out but your comment was not entered as a reply to another comment, so I could not determine what things you were referring to when you wrote "has both".
When asked whether he would start a landscape photography business in 2018, the late John Fielder said to me: "Where there's a will, there's a way."
Landscape is certainly the hardest genre to make a living from that's why most teach it, because they can't sell it. It is possible though, I have one friend who does very well selling to corporations, for their lobbies and boardrooms. You need to think outside the box and be a really good marketer though.
Your last sentence is so true. Nothing comes knocking on our door. That's pretty much the same for any genre of photography.
Actually, if I were much younger and starting out, I think I would choose portrait photography. Not a formal studio with a gazillion bucks invested in lighting, but environmental and workplace photography. I can become totally engrossed in a good portrait photo, and the genre might survive replacement by AI technology. Despite selling mostly landscape photos, I get a call here and there asking to do a headshot or family portrait. I've done a few... successfully too, to my own amazement. It couldn't be nearly so hard to sell as selling landscapes. Good portrait photographers charge handsomely for their services. I'd draw the line on weddings... that would be more craziness than even I could stand.
You're not too old to launch a new business Ed. When I started out in photography I preferred not to photograph people, certainly not portraits anyway. Now I prefer shooting people, particularly portraits. I actually thought about starting to promote portrait sessions at the stat of the year, and build a bit of a business around that.
I have always been extremely satisfied to have my profession as a professional photographer. It has given me the flexibility and opportunities that just would not be available in a 9-5 job. I have been very fortunate to make a comfortable living with my photography. I do have my professional side of photography and my personal side of photography as well.
To me it's a hobby and always will be, because I know I won't survive the pressure it would put on me, shall I turn this into business. My friend who's a professional photographer likes to say that I'm only dating the photography but never intend to marry it, hahaha! Well, it's true, we're keeping things fresh and who knows what I'm doing tomorrow. Trying a new bokeh effect? Go on a hair color changing spree with Photodiva? Take a 6 months break? We'll never know.
Was talking to my sister on this topic - from an artist point of view. She is a professional artist and she has a teenager artist who is gonna be with her for a week of "work experience". My sisters comment was - most of what I do is running the business side of things, the art is almost secondary. I suspect its the same with photography. I see my sister working really heavy hours, pretty much 7 days a week. Its not easy going pro, also then it changes your creative focus, to whatever sells, and for me I took the decision years ago - its best to keep my painting and photography to the hobby side of things.
I feel what you say holds true for many creative vocations.
If you want to pursue your hobby as a living, you have to love it.
If you want to pursue both - as a living and as a hobby, you have to really, really love it.
I'm a graphic designer by trade. I like my job and am proud of the work I produce. But, honestly, when it comes to self-initiated work I lack motivation. I think people need to seriously consider the impact on their love of photography if they choose to make it their job.
That said, at least I have a couple of other creative outlets as hobbies, such as photography and music.
Good comment. It's the creative challenge and the process I really love, regardless of if it's client work or personal project. I'm starting to think that's the secret.
I am the hobbyist with the calling somewhat. I started in the 70's with film and carried my Canon Ftb in a gym bag on every liberty call all over Europe and in the states. I was lucky to have a job being in the US Navy and having a complete 24 year career and after retired pay + VA compensation but also married but no children so things were not as tight as most. I think the digital age came in the mid 2000-10 but 2010 the Canon T2i but then the Sony in the magazines really got the juices cooking.
I would advise a Job and photography as a hobby. Photography cost a lot over the years with Camera and its lenses and then again when you change brands. If you capture RAW then Software. PS and Lr cost for years $800+ each and each full update so it was the maker of the cameras software. The silver lining was some $80 dollar programs. But there was always Auto mode that was like the film days.
What calls someone to capture light and time, I have no idea, but there is a pull to experiment to see if you can i guess. Getting up for sunrises and going out during dinner for a sunset with places already laid out in plans. Also tracking the sun from the longest days to the shortest as it goes from north to south and back with a eclipse maybe. Also the moon and eclipses. Ah, the one you loose sleep over Astro Milky Way's form February early morning to October all nighters.
My dream vehicle is a Humvee with a turret under a bubble with a driver, this way I would not have to stop and can go most anywhere instead of stopping every few miles. All because you see the perfect capture while on a trip and can not stop because you need to get somewhere. Do you spend hours on a stormy day/night checking out views on Google maps, it also does trails! It is not to copy what others have but it is the unseen by others, like asking a patrol officer where he thinks the place for a sunset/rise while traveling. Lastly your imagination of what you think an area would look like. Mainly you just capture near the area you happen to be with scouting around as you drive or walk.
I am the most lucky man with a wife who will wait in the car while I stop to get out and disappear to get a capture while driving to or from and always late to a place.
Lastly Do not watch the TV but editing on your computer that needs to be replaced every 3 years for program upgrades.
A little secret is to buy your gear with points and from a place that gives points also so you make a little also. My Sony and several lenses I used points I never knew about that had been building for 10 years! It is not the best of the best camera but functions you can use. The A7SM1 had Bracketing 5 at +/- 3EV (HDR days), Capture One for just $30, Adapters for using other makers lenses and old film lenses for low $20, A7SM2/ A7RM2 IBIS and Bright monitoring, A7M3 added ISO Invariance for night shot at lower ISO's etc.. Also waiting till a new lens/camera comes out to buy the reduced price of the one you want.
All this the big photo paper, magazine, sport companies do not apply to for they get the best and a good place to gut your teeth I guess.
I would love to have a real job doing photography. I lack discipline and self-motivation, so doing photography in a self-employed or freelance manner will never provide enough income for me to live on. I need someone over me that I am accountable to - that is the only thing that will actually get me to do the work that needs to be done.
Sadly, I have never been able to find any kind of photography job that I am qualified for where I can just work as an employee. So I have had to do other kinds of work to make ends meet. Construction laborer, funeral home grunt, pickup truck driver ...... whatever I can find.
These part-time and seasonal gigs provide a little income so that I have money to do the wildlife photography that I want to do. The whole point of life, of my existence, is to photograph wildlife across the U.S. So when I find some work, the whole reason for doing the work is so that I can earn a little more money for wildlife photography. Gasoline. Hotel rooms. Campground fees. Tolls. Car insurance. Meals on the road. And photo gear. Those are the things I need money for, and I will do whatever I can to earn money for those things, so that I can continue to roam around the country in search of animals to photograph.
I wish someone would just pay me to photograph the wildlife, then I could earn the money I need while doing what I am called and driven to do. But life just hasn't worked out that way for me. I'm doing the best I can with the botched-up opportunities life has presented to me, but it is far from ideal.
Have you considered offering bird/wildlife photo tours of the Pacific Northwest? Not every workshop is designed to teach camera and computer skills. Many are just guides into areas for outsiders that prefer the guidance of a local person. I have friends who regularly go on bird photo tours to Central and South America.
Google "bird photo tours pacific northwest" and see what kind of prices and services are being offered. Your knowledge of birds would be of great value to a fellow photographer who has never traveled to your area.
Yes, I have actually given that a lot of thought. But I have encountered some roadblocks that I have not yet figured out how to overcome. First of all, most of the tours being offered are actually being conducted illegally. I mean you need a permit for any location in which you conduct tours or offer guide services. Want to show someone where a certain bird is on National Forest land, and charge them for that service? Better get a permit from that particular National Forest, and getting the permit is not easy because they require proof that you are a business registered as such with the state and also proof of liability insurance that covers your client(s). And National Forests are the easy ones! Getting such permits for state land is even more difficult, and getting permits for National Parks is practically impossible.
I can easily show people where birds are and I can also show them where Pika and Marmots are in my area. But registering a business? Setting up a sales tax thing with my state? Getting insurance? Getting permits? YIKES!
I did some of that in 2015 when I tried to do construction legally, licensed and on the books, and it was a nightmare. Cost me over $2,000, which was literally 3 years of savings, and then I only grossed $1,500 that year. So just doing the business stuff cost more than the total I was able to bring in that year. I was $500 in the hole, and that is almost an entire year's worth of savings just gone. I simply cannot allow anything like that to ever happen to me again. I mean what if I pay for 6 months of liability insurance for being a photo guide, and then nobody hires me at all the first year? That is actually a very likely scenario, and I must take that possibility into account when trying to plan for future income-generating endeavors.
At 65 photography is a hobby that gives me joy personal satisfaction. It gives me a chance to escape the cares of the world. When I look through the view finder, I'm in my own world.
I am now into my 70's and still have photography as a hobby and still love it. I have tried different things such a shooting a couple of weddings, enough to let me know that was no way for me to make a living. It's just more fun for me to have a nice distraction enjoy life through the lens.
Your point is well taken. Running a bike shop for 3 years ruined the joy of cycling for me. I've learned my lesson. So I remain an amateur while others encourage me to take up landscape and cityscape photography as a profession.
But I won't make that mistake again, so I fund my hobby--in a beige corporate cubicle--enlivened with a rotating display of my photos and allow this job to rob me of the joy of...data analysis.
Me? I wouldn't even call myself an amateur. Camera owner who exercises the shutter semi regularly is probably more apt!
Simon, it's a very thoughtful article. I have been a freelancer since the mid 1980s and I realized long time ago that going pro full time would be a stress. As a freelancer I have been able to do all my assignments with a good amount of relaxation and creative freedom and was able to turn down deals that were totally exploitative. With the advent of the internet, most of my business is gone but I still enjoy photographing my beautiful wife and her daughter. Nevertheless, I still managed to send my agency 600 images from our recent travels. The gear is also strongly downsized, only one camera with one 16/350 lens. Thank you again for sharing your insights.
I really appreciate the comment Sergio, and for you to share your experience and perspective. Thank you.
I am glad I never tried to became a professional. I figured out early enough that I have no understanding of business, that I avoid thinking about finances - it gives me anxiety too easily and high pressure deadlines make me want to runaway and find a cave to hide in.
I agree completely. When I retired I discovered how much I enjoy photography. Mostly I shoot with either my iPhone or my RX 100. It's fine for my age and I love taking pictures again.
Exactly! I learned to believe the opposite of that age old saying, "If you do something you love you will never work a day in your life." - BS - I grew up playing music, all sorts of instruments and singing. Loved it. Until I made it my business. Having to play for other people and what they wanted quickly sucked all joy out of me. Made me realize I was not a performer. I liked it and that was enough - not enough to get paid though. Always being asked to play some "Skynard" or some other over played songs that bored the hell out of me and the entire band to play - a dancing monkey for pay. That's when I learned to keep what I love separate from anything transactional with the general public. I play with friends and family and photograph what I want, when I want, and how I want - unafraid to make mistakes to push my limits because I don't have to answer to anyone. Best decision of my life.
That's one reason why I keep my musical endeavours as a hobby, separate from my career. Sometimes it feels like work, doing the grunt work that keeping a covers band going requires, and yes it frequently means playing "those songs" ad nauseam, but it's all worth it in the end for the high you get from playing a great gig and getting people up singing and dancing.
FWIW, I used to play the clarinet as a kid from about the age of 8. I was self-taught and got quite good (around grade 5-6 standard). But when to my A-levels, I was told I needed lessons to raise my game. The instructor ripped me and my technique to shreds leaving me feeling utterly destroyed and inadequate. That experience killed any joy I had left in the instrument. The last day of my A-level music exam around 30 years ago was the last time I played the clarinet.
It's not all bad though. Around the same time, I started learning guitar and fell in love with the bass guitar. In that, I found "my instrument" and my voice and I've been loving it ever since.
Simon, I really appreciate this reflection on the balance between photography as a profession and a passion. It resonates with me as someone who navigates both worlds—working professionally in fashion and editorial photography while still carving out space for creative projects that are purely for me. Striking that balance is crucial.
Your point about financial pressure changing the experience is spot on. Some of my most fulfilling images have come from personal projects where I had full creative freedom, much like your approach to photography. At the same time, I love collaborating with brands and creatives in my professional work, but I’m mindful of not letting client demands consume all my artistic energy.
One perspective I’d add is that maintaining a sense of play and curiosity, even in professional work, helps keep the creative spark alive. Cheers!
Paul Tocatlian
Kisau Photography
www.kisau.com
I appreciate the great comment Paul, thank you. Yes, a sense of play and curiosity should is essential!
Just want to preface my comment by saying that I am playing devil's advocate a little bit here - please humor me and let me know your thoughts, and please know that I don't intend this to sound aggressive or rude haha. playing it up a bit for sake of conversation. Really appreciated your article and sharing your valuable perspective that obviously comes from a place of experience.
Here's my thing about this kind of narrative that feels like a warning to young photographers like myself: shouldn't you feel so lucky that you get to make ANY money from photography? let alone to get to do it full-time and make a living. don't complaints & issues & headache-type-tasks come with ANY job? Unfortunately we live in a capitalist society and have to do something to make money. We should all be so lucky as to make a living from something as cool and fun as photography. I understand your perspective "it's not all it's cracked up to be; it has changed how I used to do photography as a thing outside of work" yeah. and that's frickin awesome. you get PAID to go on these travels and produce DOPE imagery that people like and respect enough to use as their marketing and PAY you for. Talk about a cool job. The fact that you had a deadline gave some stress to the absolutely epic work trip you got to go on to snap epic pictures of the Rocky Mountains? boo hoo. I'd take that over an office job or any other kind of job any day. even if it does come with headaches. Don't they all?
All of the issues that you outlined here and that I hear from other professional photographers, all sound a hell of a lot more interesting and fun and challenging and independent than the challenges I faced as a corporate employee. and a hell of a lot more interesting than if I were doing any business other than something I love as much as photography and working with people to create cool things like calendars, or commercial work, or whatever.
Sure they sound "hard" I guess....but not as hard as doing all the same level of problem solving for something you're less enthusiastic about for some large company or boss that doesn't care about you, ultimately to create some product or whatever that YOU don't really care about as much as photography.
You choose your "hard"
"You choose your 'hard', I like that."
I totally agree, the stress of deadlines etc while up a mountain, is way better than in a beige cubicle.
But the fact does remain, that many people go into photography because they love taking photos, and because they've seen YouTubers run around with a glamorous lifestyle. That life doesn't really exist, and you quickly find being in photography as a business, there's very little photography involved. Business and sales skills are the most important aspect. It's a tough hustle, and if a consistent income is your objective, that beige cubicle could well be the better option.
Those guys on YouTube are making their money from talking about photography and selling gear on commission, for the most part. They are not making a sustainable living from taking photos for clients and getting paid for those photos. This is a topic for a whole separate article!
The point of this article was I enjoy shooting for myself more than I do most client projects, even though client assignments can be amazing, in great locations with great people. That's a fact, and I'm simply sharing it.
You choose your hard... at the expensive of the reasons you enjoyed photography in the first place.
Yep, as I said I do appreciate the perspective and that obviously it is a bit of a reality check from an experienced professional photographer. And I also acknowledge that it's just the starting point of this conversation that we're having now. I think I always just get a little disheartened reading/hearing opinions like this as a young photographer myself who is wanting to get into the industry. It feels like a "don't do it" message which I guess simply just bums me out.
so let me ask you directly...is it a "don't do it" message? after being a professional photographer for 38 years, you really have regrets about it? if your career had gone differently do you think maybe you'd have a different perspective? If so, how could you have done things differently to maintain the joy while still being a working professional?
Cheers man.
It's not a don't do it message. I don't regret a thing, it's been a great ride, and still is. I've been very successful. You need to look beyond being a photographer though in my opinion, in terms of the value you offer. That was my secret. I don't sell cool-looking photos, I sell marketing solutions that help businesses make money. How you position yourself is crucial.
All the cool influencers don't talk about this, they focus on gear and colour presets, which is BS. They don't know what being a pro photographer is, yet they are the ones people turn to for guidance. That's a problem.
Here's another thought: Building a career in photography, and having a family, don't go together very well, because your income can be all over the place, and if you really enjoy what you do, you tend to spend a lot of hours doing it. I chose to spend my twenties and thirties 100% immersed into my photography, without the distraction of a family and dependents, and I believe that was huge part of my success. A photography career isn't a job, its a way of life.
You don't pursue photography for the money, certainly not travel and lifestyle photography which I enjoy. Being a professional photographer is like being a musician. Only 1% fill stadiums and make a fortune, the rest play small gigs, and often need other ways of topping up their income. For many these days, that means a YouTube channel.
I wouldn't change a thing though, I love it.