Learn Before You Earn: How to Start a Photography Business Without Embarrassing Yourself or Alienating Everyone You Know

If you're just starting out in photography, let me give you some real-world advice before you slap your logo on a Facebook page and announce you’re “Now Booking!”

Photograph your family. Your friends. Your dog. Just don’t photograph strangers for money if you don’t know what you’re doing.

I know, I know — that sounds harsh. But trust me, the world doesn’t need another photographer who doesn’t know how to work a camera in anything but "Auto" mode. And you don’t want your friend’s cousin’s engagement photos forever enshrined as “the blurry ones we don’t talk about.”

The Free Phase is Not Failure — It’s Foundation

You don’t start lifting weights by entering a powerlifting meet. You start with the bar. You build muscle, technique, and confidence. Photography is the same way. You need reps before revenue. I took a full year of learning about cameras, glass, and light before even considering responding to a Facebook group post about a session. Even after Laughlin Photography was launched, I did TONS of free sessions — Our time is valuable, but the foundational experience we gain by dealing with other humans is important. And we, as photographers, should strive to ensure we’re always learning and expanding our competencies and artistic vision.

Start by offering free sessions to family and friends. Get comfortable. Get messy. Try things. Fail safely. Learn lighting, posing, editing, and managing actual human beings who blink and squint and don’t know what to do with their hands.

It’s your no-pressure, hands-on education — and it’ll save you (and your future clients) a lot of frustration.

Compare — Carefully

I know, we’re all told “Comparison is the thief of joy.” But sometimes it’s also the instructor of humility.

Scroll through the work of other photographers in your area. Notice their posing, editing, light control, location choices, and color grading. You’re not comparing to beat yourself up — you’re comparing to level yourself up.

If your portfolio doesn’t look like the ones people are paying for… maybe you’re not quite ready to charge. And that’s OK. Don’t rush it. Photography isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme — it’s a get-good-slowly craft.

The Market Is Saturated — But You’re Still Invited

Yes, the photography market is saturated. That’s not an insult — that’s a reality. There are a lot of people with cameras and Canva logos calling themselves photographers.

If you want to stand out, don’t be the cheapest. Be the best (or at least getting there).

Cheap work might get you busy, but it won’t keep you booked. And it certainly won’t build trust, referrals, or a brand with staying power. The photographers who last are the ones who put in the time to become excellent. Not excellent at marketing. Not excellent at “vibes.” Just excellent at photography.

Take Your Time. It’s Worth It.

You’re not late. You’re not behind. You’re building something real.

Shoot for free while you find your footing. Study. Practice. Improve. And when it’s time to start charging, do it with confidence — not just because you want to, but because you should.

The people you photograph will thank you. Your future self will thank you. And the rest of us? We’ll thank you for not adding to the pile of “well, they tried” Facebook photo dumps.