How to Know When You’re Ready to Start Your Photography Business

I’m in the process of putting together the Smart Start Intensive Business Workshop and the Photography Business Breakthrough Immersions for people who want to really make their photography business a success from the start. 

One of the common themes I have been seeing from some of my students has been a lack of confidence and worrying about not being good enough to get started. It has made me reflect on how I got started with my photography and what motivated me to get started and what ‘clicked’ in me to move from hobby to business…

So today I thought I would share some images from my first ever “shoot”.

This basically involved me telling my sister I was coming over for one hour to do photos at 8am. I directed the boys and moved furniture around to hide clutter and make use of the best light in their relatively dark house and had props and accessories to get variety… I was pretty nervous (not to mention hot and sweaty haha) before, during and after… worrying I didn’t control the session enough to get great photos (it was absolute chaos if I am honest!) :)

but this day ended up being a pivotal turning point in my life…

It was after this shoot that I decided, despite feeling so incredibly scared to put myself out there as a ‘photographer’, that I was going to give photography a red hot go…

 

So How Do You Know When You Are Ready to Start Your Photography Business?

Watch the video below to hear how I went from hobby to business in just 5 weeks and earned $1700 in my first month working part time.

 

I had this overwhelming feeling inside me…

I definitely didn’t want to look back in five years regretting that I didn’t have the guts to take the step… This session was five years ago this month and I pinch myself sometimes how much my life has changed from this very pivotal moment….

 

 

**Teaching moment!** This is what happens when you ask a three year old to cuddle their baby brother…. First lesson learned, expect strangulation and fighting! (I teach this as something NOT to do in Beginner Bootcamp!!)

 

All of these images were taken using my 350D EOS canon camera (which I bought in 2003 and they don’t even make anymore) and my $150 50mm lens. This was also before I knew how to use Photoshop so they have minimal editing…   I can see flaws and mistakes in these images but I am happy to put my early days on here as I hope it shows other people that we all start somewhere…

 

The truth is…. we all feel like we are not good enough or that we aren’t ready….. But you know the best way to feel ready? To take the plunge, to get out there and do it.

If you have a digital SLR camera (which most people do these days) and you want to learn how to take QUALITY shots of your kids? Beginner Bootcamp is open here.

You, as parents are in the unique position to capture pics of your kids in their natural environment with food on their faces or in their sleep or in the bath… so why not make them the best images they can be? You can get SO MUCH MORE out of your camera once you learn the basics which is what we teach in Beginner Bootcamp!

have a wonderful week my friends!