Late bloomers: Finding photography success later in life

Photography is becoming a popular choice for young creatives just starting out in life.

I am in awe at the young photographers starting off their careers at 18, 19 and 20 years old. They are jumping in with both feet and running very successful businesses. They have the energy, the social media know-how, the age connection and the youthful optimism to do so.

But what about the “late bloomers”?

You know who you are! We are the ones in our middle years of life. I am talking about the parent who has put their career aside to stay at home and raise their kids, the men and women who are tired of going to work everyday and dreading it, the ones who are ready for a second career that is their passion. We are a rapidly growing population in the photography world.

As a late bloomer myself, I had tons of doubt, questions and concerns. I started my photography business at age 44, a little over five years ago, and I wondered… Would people think I’m crazy? Did I wait too long to start? Will I be able to connect with the senior market? Am I good enough? We also have more risk involved than the young business owners. We have kids, bills to pay, college tuition to consider, a safe job, a retirement fund, the list goes on. What should a 40-something do if they are thinking about taking the plunge?

Get a support system in place.

I cannot stress this first step enough. Without a support system I can’t imagine having taken my business to where it is today. My husband gently told me after my 2nd year that I either learn how to run a business or get out. I needed to hear that. I have since opened my first studio at the age of 48! I have a very successful senior rep team and I am starting to mentor other photographers and create online courses. There were lots of fears, tears and frustrations. Without the constant support of my husband and three sons, I would have caved more than a few times.

Building a business is tough! Did you know only about 10% of small businesses succeed in the first year or so? That is a 90% failure rate. The rate goes to a 50% success rate at five years in business. Why do I give you those numbers? To scare you off? Absolutely not! I say that to show you the truth and the hard work and commitment that lies ahead.

It is going to take blood, sweat and tears so you had better have a great support system behind you. If you don’t have a supportive spouse then find a like-minded late bloomer that has successfully built their business, or a friend who will always have your back. Join photography groups online that build up and support each other. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and learn from other people. Post positive sayings where you see them everyday to give you encouragement! Make this step a serious priority!

Be willing to leave your comfort zone.

Shoot. Change is scary! Most of us like our safe, predictable daily life. Sadly, staying in this zone will not help you build a business.  You are going to have to take risks that are truly frightening.

You may have to have a tough conversation with an unsupportive spouse. You may have to change your lifestyle in order to afford starting a business. Your free time will be impacted. You will be putting yourself out there for people to judge you and see your work. Eventually, you may resign from a safe and secure job that you have had for most of your adult life.

You will be vulnerable in all areas of your life. But, the good news is, it’s worth it! The hard work and sacrifice will pay off. Dreams will be reached. There is nothing better than having a job that you love and look forward to doing every day. I’m sure you have heard the saying “Outside of your comfort zone is where the magic happens.” All you have to do is take that first step!

Be realistic.

When I first started photography I thought “All I have to do is take pictures and learn to edit.” Um…no. Just no. Taking photographs is such a small part of owning a successful photography business. I spend most of my time on the business side of photography. I market, learn social media strategies, network, plan, attend workshops and seminars, practice, spend time with my senior reps and so much more.

Be realistic when thinking about the amount of time you will be spending on your business. You cannot build a business working once a week for a couple of hours. You will be spending some very long days in the beginning. Your end goal should be to build your business to where you CAN choose your hours and how many sessions you shoot, but that takes a lot of time and effort in the beginning.

You need to have a realistic view of how much money you are going to make per session. Don’t fall into the misconception that if you charge $200 for a session, with 30 edited photos on a disc and 10 gift prints, you are receiving $200 for your work. And yes, that is what I did my first two years. I wasn’t taking into account my gas, editing software, camera gear, time spent editing, driving, shooting, ect. In all honesty, I was making well below minimum wage… WELL BELOW. Remember how I mentioned that my husband told me to learn how to run a business or get out? This is exactly why. I was robbing my family of my time and my sanity for pennies on the dollar.

To piggyback on the lesson learned about the $200 session that included photos and product, be realistic in how to charge in order to make a profit. Finding what you should charge is a method. You need to decide what you want to earn per month, how many shoots you are willing to do, and the time it takes to do a session from start to finish. You will have to choose the product you want to carry and how much you need to charge in order to make your amount needed. I look back now at how I ran my first 2 years of “business” and wonder what in the world was I thinking. I remember being ecstatic if I ever sold the $300 package. Now, my top package is $3,200 (my cost of goods are lower than ¼ of this amount) and I slowly raise that every year.

Set boundaries.

If you are a parent you know it is necessary to set boundaries for your kids. Without boundaries they suffer. When they have boundaries they know what to expect, they know what you consider important and it gives them a feeling of safety. We need the same in our businesses. If you don’t set boundaries it will affect you, your family and your business.

First, make it clear what days you will not work. I personally do not schedule client shoots on the weekend. Of course, there is always the client that says their senior is too busy during the week and has to have a weekend shoot. If this happens I simply say I save the weekend for my family. Clients have a very hard time arguing with that and I am very faithful in protecting my weekends. And, they always seem to find a time during the week that works!

Set daily hours. This will help you walk away from your business to spend time with family. It is very easy in the beginning stages to get lost in all of the work you have to do. Make sure your family comes first.

Another “boundary” I have set for my business is that I have a minimum order requirement. I have decided that the work, time, time away from family and effort I put into each of my senior sessions isn’t worth less than my minimum. Some may find that crazy. However, I value my time and family too much to walk away with a $400 order at this point in my business. Some people feel bad for not catering to everyone’s budget, but as I’ve told them, low budget clients are not my target client and they WILL find a photographer to fit their budget… just not me!

Make a plan.

Please, for the love of all things photography, don’t just quit your day job and think you can replace your income right out of the starting block. It’s so important to write up a plan that has executable steps.

First of all, know your why! Why are you pursuing photography as a business? My why, besides the love of photography, is that I needed to support three sons attending college. I knew what I needed to contribute and I had to price myself accordingly. Ask yourself important questions. What income are you hoping to attain? How many hours are you willing to work a week? Do you have support at home? Are you willing to invest financially and emotionally in this business? Do you have the time and means to attend workshops, classes and learning opportunities? What are your goals for this business? Do you have proper camera gear?

You NEED to have a solid business plan. This will be your road map to attaining your goals. Know how much it will cost to start. Make sure you know the cost of doing business, include your gear, marketing, overhead of space/office and your time.

Learn your local tax rules, how to mark-up product, how to design your packages or price list with a profit in mind. Know the difference in licensing your business. Talk to a lawyer about the different ways to do that and research state and city/town requirements.

It is also important to have a separate business account. This will help in getting ready for year-end taxes. Keeping your business expenses and earnings separate from your personal life will hopefully stop you from using your business card for a Wal-Mart grocery trip!

Execute the plan.

After you decide the what, why and how of your business plan, you will need to follow through with it. That sounds easy, doesn’t it? It’s not! Especially if you are continuing to work full or part time while achieving this transition. It helps to have daily, monthly, quarterly and yearly goals.

Buy yourself a year-at-a-glance wall calendar and write in your weekly, quarterly and yearly goals. Purchase a workflow book or a digital program to enter your daily to-do list. These tools will help break goals down into bite size chunks that you can check off and see your progress.

Set aside uninterrupted time (turn off all social media) everyday to accomplish your goals. Distractions are such a thief of productivity. You can purchase a desk timer to set 30-45 minutes at a time where you will work without moving on to something else. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish when you are not web surfing, checking Facebook to see if anything life changing happened within the last four minutes of checking, or starting another project that just popped into your head.

Starting a business at any age is difficult and takes lots of dedication and work, but starting late in life brings its own set of challenges. So, get out of your comfort zone, learn your craft, know your camera, practice and make and execute your plan! Have your systems in place before you take the leap. Once you take the leap there is no looking back, you don’t want lack of planning slowing you down! I’ll leave you with one of my favorite sayings from an unknown source,

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.

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