Two Years of Full-Time Photography
Time sure does fly when you’re having fun!
In just a few short weeks, two years will have passed since I officially took photography from a hobby/side hustle and turned it into a full-time career. What a crazy time it has been since I made this move!
Despite all the ups and downs that come with running a photography business, I can honestly say I couldn’t be happier with my job and have learned so much from the last two years. Join me on this look back as I compare year one to year two, and share a little bit about what I have planned for the future!
Looking back at when I was getting ready to make this jump, I knew there was a lot of potential. After all, I wasn’t going to rely solely on landscape and wildlife photography - real estate photography was also going to play an integral role in the day-to-day operations of the business. It is a much more steady income stream, which is something I definitely needed (and still do).
To date, since I started this journey, I’ve photographed around 350 properties, been on CoastLife twice, been a finalist in a GLOBAL photo contest, and met several other local photographers who I have looked up to since my time as a hobbyist.
If this blog post does nothing else, hopefully it can help to inspire you to take the leap and start your own business - you never know what will come about from taking the chance on yourself!
If I have only one regret from my business, it is probably the speed at which it has grown. To date, I have done double the amount of business I did last year (thanks in large part to the amazing people at 26 Ocean Gallery in Rehoboth picking up some of my work), and am on pace to shoot at least twice the number of properties I did last year on the real estate side of the business. This rapid growth, while great financially, has been stressful to say the least. I’ve learned how to better manage my schedule as the year has gone on, which has helped, but nonetheless, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed and burnt out at times. Whenever I do, though, I always remind myself that better times are ahead, and this is all part of being an entrepreneur. Plus, there is something to be said about learning on the fly!
I’ve also started to come to terms with the fact that things will not always go my way, but that doesn’t mean I should give up. In year one, I would have gotten overly frustrated and in turn, put more pressure on myself. This year, though, I have learned that there will always be more opportunities to chase, and I just need to be ready to jump on them when they arise. We live in a fast-paced world, and chances will inevitably come up time and time again.
While the bulk of this year has been focused on real estate photography, I am trying to find opportunities to break into the travel photography space in the future to try shaking things up a little and providing you guys with all sorts of new content from wherever those opportunities arise.
Right now, I am working on creating partnerships with local tourism boards since I already have a TON of content they could use, but hope to expand that network to other places in the future. Two that come to mind are the Outer Banks, as I had a great time there in 2023, and also the Port Charlotte area in Florida, as my grandparents spend the winter months there and I have been known to visit from time to time.
As far as other projects and exciting news, one item I’m looking at bringing back are greeting cards - last year I did a limited run of some Assateague Island themed ones with the horses, but this time I’m looking at more of a generic theme to them with beach scenes, etc. I’m working on getting them set up and have a local printer lined up for when they’re ready, so make sure you keep an eye out for them.
Of course, that is only scratching the surface of what I’m currently working on - like I said earlier, I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting opportunities with this career. Photography has ENDLESS possibilities, and I am always finding myself surprised by some of the things I find.
Two years have come and gone in the blink of an eye, but I know that I am only just getting started.
Thank you so much to everyone who had tagged along on the adventures, and I can’t wait to share what the future holds with you as we press on! Have a great rest of your day, and see you next time!
- Tyler
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