Articles from Lisa Plumb

Spend enough time on Fstoppers and you'll notice a pattern. We talk about gear. I'm here to tell you one thing: gear isn't going to make you a better photographer.

Over the years, I've looked at a ridiculous number of photography websites. Partly because I'm nosy, partly because I do website critiques, and partly because during lockdown, I worked for a marketing agency and did a lot of UX work. After a while, patterns start appearing.

Dear Lisa,

I've loved photography for years and have always treated it as a hobby. Over time, friends, family, and people they know have asked me to photograph birthdays, couples, small events, and the odd portrait session. I never really advertised myself; it just sort of happened.

There is no shortage of talented photographers. Every year, more people buy a camera, launch a website, announce their new business, and genuinely believe they are about to build something sustainable. Many of them never do.

A photographer can shoot 30 weddings a year, stay booked months in advance, and still feel a quiet dread every time an unexpected expense hits the account. This advice-column piece tackles that disconnect — why so many working photographers are fully booked and still broke, and what actually fixes it.