Can YOU Leave a 9-5 job for Photography in 2024?

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares his journey from a 9-to-5 job as a project manager to becoming a professional photographer. He candidly discusses the financial struggles and stress of making the transition, emphasizing the importance of saving a year's salary and operational costs before quitting a stable job. He advises cutting overheads, investing in essential gear, and building a portfolio with a basic kit. The speaker also recommends starting a part-time job to support oneself during the transition and stresses the need for continuous savings to buffer against unforeseen events, reflecting on the lessons he learned the hard way.

Takeaways

• 📈 Prioritize saving a year's salary and operational costs before making the transition to a photography career.
• 💸 Reduce overheads by eliminating unnecessary expenses like car payments and credit card debts.
• 📷 Invest in essential camera gear, focusing on 'need' over 'want' to build a functional and cost-effective kit.
• 🔧 Start with a basic kit to establish your photography business, avoiding the temptation to buy high-end equipment initially.
• 💼 Maintain a part-time job to supplement income and reduce financial stress during the early stages of your photography career.
• 📚 Learn from the speaker's mistakes, such as not saving enough and spending recklessly, to avoid similar pitfalls.
• 🏆 Build a strong portfolio with your basic kit to showcase your skills and attract clients.
• 🚫 Avoid the trap of constantly upgrading equipment; focus on improving your photography skills instead.
• 💪 Be prepared for long working hours and a lifestyle change, as building a photography business requires dedication and hard work.
• 💰 Continuously save and build a financial buffer to protect against unforeseen circumstances like a pandemic or personal crisis.

Q & A

What initial steps did the speaker take when transitioning from a 9-to-5 job to a photography career?

The speaker left his professional job, rented a cheap studio, and started working as a photographer, despite the initial stress and financial challenges.

What was one major mistake the speaker made during the transition to a photography career?

The speaker did not save enough money beforehand and jumped into the new career without sufficient financial preparation, leading to significant stress and financial instability.

What would the speaker do differently if given another chance to transition to a photography career?

The speaker would save a year's salary and operational costs, reduce overheads, and ensure they had all necessary photography gear before leaving their job.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of saving money before transitioning careers?

Saving money provides a financial buffer to cover living and operational costs during the initial, often unstable, phase of a new career, reducing stress and allowing for better focus on building the business.

What type of photography gear does the speaker recommend starting with?

The speaker recommends starting with essential gear: two identical camera bodies, three lenses, necessary lights plus one spare, light stands, tripods, and basic modifiers.

What is the speaker's view on purchasing high-end photography equipment when starting out?

The speaker advises against buying high-end equipment initially, suggesting instead to invest in necessary, reliable gear to prove the business concept before upgrading.

What additional job strategy does the speaker recommend while transitioning to a photography career?

The speaker recommends taking on a part-time job during evenings and weekends to ensure a steady income while building the photography business.

How does the speaker suggest managing overhead costs when starting a photography career?

The speaker suggests minimizing overhead costs by eliminating unnecessary expenses like expensive car payments and credit card debt, and living frugally.

What long-term financial strategy does the speaker advocate for sustaining a photography business?

The speaker advocates for continually saving money to build a financial buffer, aiming for up to three years' worth of savings to safeguard against unforeseen events.

What lifestyle changes does the speaker mention as necessary when starting a photography career?

The speaker highlights the need to work long hours, reduce social activities, and live frugally to successfully transition and sustain a career in photography.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Transitioning to Photography: Lessons Learned

In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on their journey of transitioning from a dull 9-to-5 job as a project manager to pursuing a career in photography. They admit that their transition was chaotic and filled with mistakes, such as leaving their stable job too early. They explain the initial struggles, including financial stress, managing overheads, and the pressure to make ends meet while starting as a photographer. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of financial preparedness, suggesting that saving up a year's worth of salary and operational costs would have been a wiser approach. They learned the hard way, losing relationships and experiencing immense stress, but eventually made the career shift work.

05:00

💼 Financial Planning and Gear Essentials for New Photographers

This paragraph focuses on practical advice for anyone transitioning from a regular job to a photography career. The speaker advises cutting down unnecessary overheads like expensive cars and getting rid of debts. They stress the importance of saving money and lowering living costs before pursuing photography full-time. Regarding equipment, the speaker warns against overinvesting in gear at the start. They suggest acquiring the necessary camera bodies, lenses, and lights—just enough to get the job done. They describe a minimalist kit that includes two camera bodies, three essential lenses, and a few lights. The speaker highlights that starting small and gradually upgrading gear as income increases is a more sustainable approach, as photography is a snowballing business.

Keywords

💡9-to-5 Job

A 9-to-5 job refers to the traditional full-time employment schedule where one works from 9 AM to 5 PM, typically in an office setting. In the video, the speaker contrasts this stable yet uninspiring lifestyle with the more risky, but fulfilling, career path of becoming a professional photographer. The speaker discusses how they were dissatisfied with their 9-to-5 job as a project manager before transitioning into photography.

💡Photography Transition

The transition into photography refers to the speaker’s journey from a secure job in project management to the uncertain and challenging profession of being a photographer. The video focuses on the difficulties of this transition, such as financial instability and the long learning curve, and provides advice on how to make the shift more successfully.

💡Financial Preparation

Financial preparation involves saving a year's worth of salary and operational costs before transitioning into a new career, in this case, photography. The speaker emphasizes how critical it is to be financially prepared for the uncertainty and overheads in the early stages of running a photography business. They regret not having done this before leaving their previous job.

💡Overheads

Overheads are the ongoing expenses required to run a business, such as rent, equipment, and utilities. In the video, the speaker advises minimizing overheads before transitioning to photography by paying off debts, reducing expenses like car payments, and adopting a frugal lifestyle to reduce financial strain while building a new career.

💡Essential Equipment

Essential equipment refers to the basic tools necessary for a professional photographer to perform their job, including camera bodies, lenses, and lights. The speaker highlights the importance of acquiring only the essential gear at first, rather than expensive or luxury items, and mentions specific equipment like two Canon 5D Mark 3 cameras and a set of lights as examples of a functional starting kit.

💡Portfolio Building

Portfolio building is the process of creating a collection of work that demonstrates a photographer's skills and style. The speaker advises new photographers to focus on building a strong portfolio using the basic equipment they have, showing potential clients their capability before investing in higher-end gear. This is crucial for establishing credibility in the early stages of a photography career.

💡Part-Time Job

The speaker suggests maintaining a part-time job while starting a photography business to ensure a steady income stream. This helps to ease the financial burden during the transition and provides some stability while the photography business grows. The speaker recommends working evenings or weekends to make up for any income shortfalls.

💡Sacrifices

Sacrifices refer to the lifestyle changes and personal hardships one must endure when pursuing a new career, especially in a creative field like photography. The speaker discusses giving up luxuries like going out with friends or buying expensive items in favor of working long hours and living frugally, as necessary sacrifices to succeed in the photography business.

💡Long-Term Planning

Long-term planning involves setting goals and preparing for potential setbacks, like economic downturns or personal crises, that could impact business success. The speaker stresses the importance of building financial buffers, such as saving for multiple years of operational costs, to ensure that the business can survive unforeseen circumstances like a pandemic or a personal emergency.

💡Networking

Networking is building professional relationships to create business opportunities. The speaker mentions attending networking events as a key part of growing a photography business. By interacting with potential clients and peers, photographers can generate work, gain referrals, and expand their professional presence.

Highlights

The speaker transitioned from a project manager to a professional photographer.

They warn that their experience is not financial advice.

The move into professional photography was described as a 'train crash' due to the stress and financial instability.

The speaker lived paycheck to paycheck and had £2,000 in the bank when they started.

They took on a studio and faced 30 days to cover rent and overheads.

The speaker advises saving a year's salary and operational costs before making the transition.

Cutting down on overheads is crucial, such as getting rid of a car payment or credit card debts.

Having the necessary camera gear is emphasized over wanting the latest equipment.

The speaker suggests starting with two identical camera bodies and essential lenses.

They recommend buying four lights if three are needed for work, as a spare is always useful.

Creating a portfolio with a basic kit is advised to prove one's capability as a photographer.

The speaker shares their early struggles with a single speed light and an 85mm lens for all portrait work.

They caution against buying unnecessary equipment and focus on what is needed for the job.

The speaker suggests getting a part-time job to supplement income while building the photography business.

Working long hours and making sacrifices is necessary to succeed as a photographer.

The importance of continuous savings and building a financial buffer is highlighted.

The speaker regrets not having saved more and having lived extravagantly early in their career.

They emphasize the need to be prepared for unexpected events that can disrupt income.

Transcripts

you sat there in your 9 to5 wishing you

could be a photographer well I was there

too I have been there I was a project

manager it was dull as but I made the

transition I'm going to tell you what I

did why it was horrifically wrong and

what I would do given my time again now

first up disclaimer this is not

Financial advice let's dive

in so first of all let me tell you about

the train crash which was my move into

Prof Prof photography so there I was

I've got my professional job I had a

suit a tie freshly shaved I've not

shaved since I left the job as you can

probably

tell I was there living paycheck to

paycheck and I went you know what I want

to be a photographer so I left the job

and I said I am a photographer I'd

probably got £2,000 paycheck in my bank

account left over at the point of doing

this having I recogniz was about it I

took on a studio very cheap Studio but I

took on a studio and we dived into the

world of photography and it was

stressful for years because I had 30

days to make enough money to pay my

house rent my studio rent and all of my

overheads and I'd never done it before I

made it happen I made it work it was

stressful my hair fell out to some stage

I went gray I lost many many

relationships but we made it work now

here's what I would do given my time

again in the order that I would do it if

I want to go from 9: to 5 to

photographer for life for the Long Haul

not being a 20-year-old you know just

getting by eating baked beans out of a

tin cold because I can't afford to turn

the Hobs on they were not good days the

first thing I would do prioritized over

everything is save a year's salary and a

Year's operational costs two different

things I'd save a Year's worth of my

salary and a Year's worth of my

operational costs and I'd also begin

cutting down all of my overheads if

you've got a car note is what I believe

they call it in the states or a car

payment plan I'd get rid of that if I

had credit card debts they've all got to

go whatever it is I would lose all of

that and I would get my overheads down

to as little as possible you're going to

have to slum it for a little bit you

can't be driving around in a £400 a

month car you need to go and buy a cheap

car I still drive cheap cars to this day

I have had nice cars in interims and

previous Parts but I realize that the

novity wears off after about a month and

I don't care what people think about me

so if someone's like always

is driven in in a 25y old ragged out car

it doesn't bother me but watch this

channel again when I turn 40 and I buy a

red Ferrari because that midlife crisis

is definitely in the post that's step

one step two I would make sure I have

all of the camera gear that I need

notice the last bit I need not I want

nobody needs mirrorless nobody needs

bronol I would make sure I have what I

need to be a jobbing photographer two

identical camera bodies the lenses that

I need which is probably not many for

most people it's three get at me in the

comments if you believe you need more

than three lenses the lights you need

plus one additional spare so say you

need three lights for a lot of your work

by four the light stands the tripods all

of that stuff do not go crazy this is

not your Forever kit this is your making

proof of PR you know proof of concept

kit this is me going yes I can work if

it was me I'd probably get two 5D Mark

3s 24 70 70 to2 00 something like that

that would be my cameras I'd buy four

godocs 500 W lights couple of soft boxes

octabox and a load of reflectors stands

tripod Bosch done if I was doing video

i' get a black magic like this because

these are brilliant for grading um and

yeah all in few grand good to go I would

then create my portfolio with this kit I

would hone it in I would make sure I

could absolutely nail it now when I was

at jobbing photographer at the start I

had a Canon 580 ex2 speed light on a

pocket with through a shoot through

umbrella and an 85 1.8 lens I shot all

of my portrait work on that all of it I

then did add to it as I started making

money and of course I bought things

before I should have financially done so

because I'm an idiot learn from me don't

copy me but that's how I moved along now

you look here there's loads of Kit in

here photography is a snowballing

business if you go back 5 years I had a

5D Mark II with 100 Mil Prime and some

Bowen lenses and I was making good money

but as the money snowballs and the the

Investments work and all the rest of it

it allows you and it affords you the

luxury of buying fancy kits so instead

of using God dos video lights we use

aperture lights instead of using Bowen's

heads we use bronol heads you do not

need this I made good money with Bowen's

heads which are God dos

rebranded and the rest of it it's don't

fixate on the kids the next thing and

the final thing I would do is then leave

my job but before doing so I would pick

up a parttime job evenings and or

weekends

you're about to do some serious

hours you can easily work 70 hours a

week easily being a bit of a you'll have

to make sacrifices you will not be down

the pub with your mates if you want to

be a photographer you will not be out

drinking you probably can't afford beer

you will be working a lot you'll be

working 9: to 5 as a photographer Monday

to Friday you'll be going to networking

events you'll be doing portfolio work

you'll be doing client work you'll be

doing a lot of marketing I've got a

whole workshop on it I'll try remember

to link it below it is my best Workshop

um if you know out of all of them do

that one it'll have the biggest impact

on your

career make sure you're still keeping

that money coming in Squirrel it away

live a Frugal life what I did what I did

was I got a 20 grand paycheck in and

went let's go party and then two months

later we going can't afford rent I I

wish somebody had told me this I did not

have this sort of information when I was

starting a phography my family aren't

self-employed people they all have

jobs it's a very different world start

off with that part-time job once you are

making good money for a long period of

time and you feel like you might die

from fatigue cut down the part-time job

and eventually leave it but build that

buffer that one year should become two

years should become three years you

don't want to hit a pandemic and go oh

my word my life is over I going to have

to close the business down be prepared

for that there's always something well

if it's not a pandemic it's a broken leg

it's an illness it's a family

bereavement there is always something

Round the Corner to ruin your income so

keep saving keep building that buffer

and keep your overheads low that is what

I wish I did that is not what I did yes

it was thundering what I did at times

but I really paid for it later in my

career when I then had to wait and save

and save and scrimp and save and you

know it's only in recent years I've been

able to go back to living like a normal

human being and if I'd have just done it

the right way the first time I'd I'd

have been much further ahead in my

career I hope it's been a view to let me

know in the comments below what else

you'd like to learn about I'll speak to

you soon bye-bye