“How long have you been a photographer?” I always struggle to answer this question concisely. I’ve been shooting for more than a decade in various capacities—some years way more than others—whether it was concerts while I was Music Editor at Vue Weekly or for marketing clients during my time in that industry. But I consider mid-2017 to be the true start to my business and when I began to consider making the leap to being a full-time photographer. At the time, I gave myself five years to make that happen. In May 2022, I left my job to become a full-time photographer and celebrated my first year as a full-time business owner last month.

Has it been one of the scariest things I’ve ever done? Absolutely. Do I regret it? Not at all. Sure, there have been rough days and lots of uncertainty (especially when I added becoming a mom to the scenario), but I’ve loved being in charge of my time, saying yes to more opportunities, dedicating more time to honing my craft, and working for myself.

There have been plenty of lessons along the way, but here are six of the key ones I’ve learned during my first year as a full-time photographer and business owner.

 

Lesson One: Set Boundaries

I’m not always the best at setting boundaries and sticking to them. I find it difficult to say no, and I worry about disappointing others if I do. This lesson is an ongoing one, but I’m learning the importance of boundaries and what they do for my overall wellbeing. I can’t show up fully for the people I love or for my clients if I’m burnt out. I’m learning that emails don’t need to be responded to within five minutes, that it’s ok to truly log off at the end of the day, to set realistic turnaround times, and to stand firm when needed.

 

Lesson Two: Create Systems and a Strong Workflow

Having a client management system has been key to staying organized. I use Honeybook, which allows me to keep all the documents and correspondence for each project in one place so I don’t have to frantically search my inbox. I can also track my expenses, payments, and set up automations to send out things like client wedding questionnaires.

I’m also making myself sit down every month to do expenses, just like I used to do at my corporate job, so that tax time isn’t a total nightmare. Speaking of taxes, talk to a pro and get your finances in order so you’re putting away enough money each month for income tax and GST. The CRA also offers a liaison service where you can talk to a specialist. They give great advice about common mistakes to avoid and what you can claim.

 

Lesson Three: Keep Pushing and Growing

Photography definitely comes with its busy seasons, especially if you shoot weddings, and it’s easy to stress during slow months when there isn’t much work coming in. I’ve started using those times to focus on aspects of my business that fall by the wayside when I’m busy, like watching courses, doing admin, writing blog posts, and planning creative shoots to keep myself busy and learning things that will help grow my business.

 

Lesson Four: Be Kind to Myself

Running a business comes with challenges, and mistakes are going to happen. I keep reminding myself I’m only one person and I’m human. I’m going to mess up sometimes, but these mistakes can be a learning opportunity and improve my business in the long run. I also can’t do it all. I was making incredibly long to-do lists for myself and then getting frustrated that I couldn’t get it all done in a day. Instead, I’ve started focusing on priorities every day and things that absolutely need to get done. There are long-term projects I’d like to complete, but many of them aren’t going to happen overnight. Instead, I’ve started chipping away at aspects of them rather than trying to tackle them all at once. It makes them feel more attainable alongside the day-to-day work I need to do for clients.

 

Lesson Five: Stop Comparing Myself to Others

Ok, this is easier said than done. Social media makes it feel impossible sometimes, but I’ve tried very hard to stop comparing my business to others in my area. Everyone is in a different season of their business, and I can’t compare what I’m doing to someone who has been in the industry for double the amount of time. I can aspire to reach their level, but I can’t beat myself up for not having achieved the same things they have after being full-time for one year. I also remind myself that social media is only a snapshot of what’s going on in someone’s life, and I don’t know the challenges they’ve overcome to get to where they are now. I’m focusing on building a community around me rather than seeing others as competition. There’s room for everyone.

 

Lesson Six: Lean on My Community When Needed

I’m lucky to be close friends with several creative entrepreneurs, and they’ve been a huge support through this transition. It’s important to have people in your life who understand the highs and lows of working for yourself—the entrepreneur rollercoaster, as one of my friends calls it. We say we’re each other’s co-workers, and it’s nice to be able to talk things out with someone when you hit a snag or you need recommendations. You don’t have to do everything alone just because you run your own business, and it’s ok to ask for help. You can’t be an expert in everything.