Do you want to learn how to become a photographer?

Many photographers are making $50,000 and over each year.

Today, I have a great interview to share with you. I interviewed my friend Sydney Hampton on how to become a photographer. I actually met her when I hired her to take my maternity photos, and later on my newborn photos. We stayed in touch, and I recently asked her if I could interview her for this article.

Sydney is a photographer who focuses on family, couples, maternity, branding, and newborn photography.

The demand for this kind of photography is high, and many people are looking for quality photographers for these types of photos.

Are you wondering questions such as:

• How much money can a professional photographer earn?
• Is there room for new photographers?
• What equipment does someone need to become a photographer?
• How many hours does it take each week to run a photography business?

If so, these questions, plus more, will be answered in today’s interview about how to become a photographer.

Today’s interview will help you get started and perhaps even introduce you to a new way to work at home.

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Tell me your story. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Sydney Hampton and I am a wife, mom, and photographer. I am the face behind Sydney Hampton Photography. I love being a photographer and helping others figure out their path in the world of photography.

I am also the creator of The Mom Photographers, a group that helps moms who are photographers get more organized, manage their time better, and grow their businesses so that they can grow their business while balancing life as a Mom. The Mom Photographers is a community, educational hub, blog site, and we have a podcast on Spotify that features moms who are photographers and business owners.

What kind of photography do you do?

I do several types of photography, but currently I focus on family, couples, maternity, and newborn. Maternity and newborn have my heart, but I have also done many other types of photography including weddings, senior portraits, and business and branding photography.

This year, I am really focusing on family, maternity, couples beach photography and in-studio sessions such as newborn and business branding. As a photographer in a prime vacation destination, I tend to do a lot of beach mini sessions and have found that men and children are usually not up for full sessions. This has helped to truly launch my business to another level where I am able to do mini sessions weekly.

Why did you decide to become a photographer? How did you get started?

I have always loved photography and really started getting into it in about 2006 when I was in high school. I grew up with photography all around me; my Dad was a professional sports photographer. So from a young age, I learned how to shoot in manual and learned important key things like composition.

Like many though, I really thought of myself as an amateur, especially being around family members like my dad and his brother, my uncle, who also is a photographer but an amazing wildlife photographer. After the first 2 years of college, I put my camera down for a few years. When my father passed, I inherited his camera and really picked it back up as a way to connect with him. 

To be honest, it was my husband who gave me the confidence to become a professional photographer. After watching me for 2 years continuously take photos of landscapes, our van, and dog on road trips and seeing the passion I had for it, he convinced me to take a leap and go for it.

I truly decided to become a photographer as a way to do what I love, and maybe make some money. With my husband’s support, we were prepared for it to make nothing, so the risks were low. 

In the beginning, I attribute all of my success to the military community! As a military spouse, I was able to reach out to the military spouse community and have clients that I still service 5-plus years later and in different states! The support from that community has been ongoing. I was able to grow a following on Instagram and Facebook, which really helped create my business as a Florida Keys vacation photographer. Having followers and clients who shared my work regularly, allowed me to establish credibility and book new clients.

What do you like about having a photography business?

My favorite part about having a photography business is that I get to be with home with my kids all day every day. Having the freedom to create my schedule, be with my family, and to be creative is beyond any financial benefit. While this year has been my busiest and most financially beneficial year thus far, I have made sure to dedicate time to doing things with my kids where I can set my phone aside. I have found that the biggest blessing has been to step away from work and not be worried.

I love how diverse photography as a career is. For example, it can be very simple like just stock photography on the side, or just weddings or you can open a studio and become a portrait and newborn photographer… Or you can do it all! You can photograph events such as weddings for thousands per wedding, do family sessions, maternity, business advertising, even sell products like landscapes, start blogs and podcasts, create courses, write books, and more. Just like with many other opportunities, the sky is the limit – it’s a perfect career for someone creative and driven, yet also great as a side gig.

I have been fortunate to see many sides of photography from just word of mouth within a small community with a few clients to over 400 clients so far this year alone. I have loved that I get to meet new people with each shoot and that I am able to connect with people from all walks of life.

I believe in growing and learning from others, which is part of why I created a community called The Mom Photographers where I host a podcast/blog and talk with other moms who are photographers about all the topics we face. Things like how do you edit with kids, what does workflow look like when you have kids, and ways to get started. Through The Mom Photographers, I will also be releasing educational videos, courses, presets, and doing hands-on/virtual workshops.

How much money can a professional photographer earn?

Again, it’s all flexible. You can do it very part-time and only make a few thousand a year or you can make a million. It truly depends on a few key principles such as the amount of time and effort you want to put in, the quality/ consistency of your work, and the type of photography you choose to do.

On average, most photographers can expect to make about $50,000 in a small town or non-tourist destination.

In a tourist destination or bigger city it is easy for a photographer to make $75,000+ with the right tools in their pocket and a quality consistent product. Now, I’m not saying anyone who just buys a camera can walk out and expect to make $75,000. It takes professionalism, some business knowledge and having a quality product that people want to buy. It also takes time, but working with a mentor or shadowing a photographer are ways to speed that up. I have also found that those who do start with a mentor or who work under an established photographer their first year tend to make more money and be more successful in the end.

I am actually mentoring 5 photographers currently and just hosted a styled shoot with 12 other photographers. To me, connecting with others is key! So to be able to host a shoot that I create and make money is a blessing.

What equipment does someone need to become a photographer? Do they need to spend a lot of money to get started? 

Someone looking to get started will need a camera, a lens, computer and a few programs to help make them successful such as Lightroom. To get started as a family, couples or wedding photographer I definitely suggest having a professional level camera/lens set up.

I always suggest shadowing and making sure it’s what you definitely want to do before you invest in equipment. Knowing that this is the right path for you is step one.

I actually have a free course called: Is Photography Right for you? My goal with this course was to lay out a realistic expectation of what all is involved to start and be successful in the photography industry.

Below is some more in-depth information on what equipment you need to become a photographer:

• Camera – I highly suggest starting with a Professional camera. I suggest going with a mirrorless camera. I am a Nikon user, and I suggest getting the best camera you can within your budget. My top suggestion is the Nikon Z 6II which you can find lightly used for around $1300 or Nikon z6III $2500 which was just released in summer 2024. It’s good in low light, sharp, and easy to use. If it is out of your price range, then go for the Z50 would be my next suggestion (which is $1,000 brand new or used around $750). I currently have 2 cameras, a Nikon Z 6II and a Z8 which is my new camera, I went with the Z8 over the flagship Z9 for 3 reasons.
  • 1.  It’s smaller and lighter
  • 2.  It uses the same batteries as the Z 6II.  
  • 3. It was the same performance but less expensive.   
• Lens – I definitely recommend when you buy your camera to not purchase it with a kit lens. Buy a lens appropriate for the work you would like to do. Example: family, maternity, or portraits – go for a 35mm or 50mm lens with an f-stop of 1.8 or lower, then later add lenses such as 85mm, 50mm, 35mm, and 70-200mm. I like to shoot with a lower f-stop because I like the subject isolation and blurred background. For Family, Maternity and newborn I definitely suggest having a 50mm and a 35 mm. My favorite lens is my 50mm 1.2 this lens gives dreamy background and crisp images. The kit lens often does not hold value for resale well, and it’s better to just buy the camera body without it. Nikon just released a 35mm 1.4 lens which is $599.
• Computer – I use an Apple MacBook to do all of my editing. I edit on Lightroom primarily and also on Photoshop. I also use several other programs to assist me in saving time that I go more in-depth with in a few of my Mom Photographer blog posts (Aftershoot, Portraiture, Imagen AI, and Topaz). For newborns and Portraits, I love Portraiture!
• Website- You can actually start your website for free through Pixieset. I have been using them for 6 years and they are amazing, I love how everything is integrated. It is not only the host site I use now but how I book clients and deliver galleries. Pixieset also has a print store, and is always looking for ways to improve. Once you do get more involved and find yourself needing to upgrade the prices are still reasonable at $19/month and up. You will still need to get your own url from a site like GoDaddy and you can connect that to your Pixieset.

With those things, anyone can start. The list grows with what type of photography, so I suggest starting simple in one type of photography, like aiming for just family or just branding.

Note about the camera purchase: You can start with an older camera or with what ever camera you have. The goal with starting with an older camera would be to learn to shoot in manual, as well as to learn composition. Just definitely plan to set aside money to upgrade to a professional camera as soon as you can so that you can provide clients with a quality product. Also depending on the photography route you choose you could also start with a camera like a good drone! Think landscape, real estate, marketing, weddings or a way to earn income while saving up for your professional camera. Lots of professional photographers love to work with people who can provide drone video and photo images.

What is your typical work schedule? How many hours does it take each week to run a photography business?

My typical work week varies depending on the time of year. I have weeks where I maybe work 5 hours and other weeks where I work 30 plus. But in general, even at my busiest, I still have freedom to do things with my family that matter, like church 2x a week, dance class 2 days, or enjoy time with my family and our little farm.

Each morning, I spend the first 15 minutes checking all emails, scheduling social media posts, and responding to DMs. I often also find that my best editing hours are between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. because I have a two- and four-year-old! Batching content is also a great way that I save some time.

Is there room for new photographers?

Many may say no, but I say Yes!

Lots of room, and there will be room for anyone new. In any industry, there is always someone who is burned out, not driven, not open to changes in the industry. There is always a new style, but even more so, there is simply just a huge range of customers and what they are looking for.

There’s someone who wants a $100 shoot or a $10,000 shoot. So it’s important to know where you want to fall in there and to aim for how to build your business and create the quality product worth what you want your target market to be.

For new photographers, you can be a second shooter or an associate shooter for a well established photographer. This is a great way to start while still working a regular job and never have to edit anything except what you want for your own personal use. This is something most photographers, including myself, don’t know before taking the plunge to be professional.

Looking back, this is the perfect approach for someone with a job or a busy life not wanting to ruin their name doing free shoots and never gaining repeat clients. It’s also a great way to learn and cash flow everything while not taking huge risks.

Also, I am a strong believer in being a business with insurance and everything you need to be legit. You can start as a luxury photographer without having to spend 10 years to get there, but you need to be able to create a luxury product consistently, and that does take some time and guidance from others such as mentors. You will need honest feedback from someone who knows photography well.

Can you list the steps to get started with a photography business?

First make sure its something you want to do, my suggestion is shadow someone, watch Youtube videos or take a course like my free course: Is Photography right for you?

Next is get a camera, or even rent one, to learn how to shoot in manual and to build a portfolio for Instagram and your website. You should have 50-200 unique edited images that you feel, and others honestly feel, show the quality of what you would like to charge for your website. 

I have found that honest criticism is key to success, so being able to hear someone say, “No, I would not pay $350 for your work,” and why is important. All friends and family will always sing your praises, but you need to know what clients or potential clients think when they look at your website. Be open to criticism, and allow it to help you grow, don’t ever let it set you back!

What are your best tips for someone who wants to become a photographer?

Find a prominent photographer in your area to shadow, or mentor under. You can even shadow or mentor under me from anywhere in the world. I also can help you find a reputable photographer in your area. Shadowing is really a great way to start.

My biggest tip, keep learning. The industry is constantly changing, growing with it is key!

Always accept criticism and be open to seeing your work through the eyes of others even if its discouraging at first it will help you to grow in the long run and eventually you will become your harshest critic.

Figure out the style you want to portray and use a preset to create consistency in your work.

Build a website and social media following.

Shoot as much as you can, even if it’s your neighbor or kids.

I do offer a mentorship program with an in-person and a virtual mentorship option. You can find the mentorship program information by clicking here.

What are your goals for your photography business for the future?

My goals for this year, now that I have hit a 6-figure-income photography business, is to create passive income. I would also like to grow and spend more time with my family.

Knowing that our family would like to possibly add another little one in the future and that I tend to take off up to 6 months postpartum, having passive income or finding ways to keep my photography business moving while I am out has been my goal.

With this in mind I created a team this past year, started another blog and a podcast. I also created The Mom Photographers to not only achieve my goals but also to help other moms have a one-stop shop to learn, grow, vent, and connect with other moms who are photographers. The Mom Photographers is a Facebook group as well as a website, blog, podcast, community, and educational hub.

I will be releasing a few courses in the next 6 months: 

• Is Photography Right for You?
• How To Get Started as a Professional Photographer While Being a Mom
• The Mom Photographers Course for Established Professionals Looking To Grow and Dedicate More Time With Their Family
• Kids- College guide to photography as a Job: with a focus on growing wealth at a young age and avoiding debt.

I will also be going more in-depth with the podcast and YouTube, adding free educational information, weekly tips, advice from experiences myself and others have learned, business trends, and ways to grow.

My financial expectation this year is to hit $175,000 and 3-5year goal is $1 million/year. I always aim to set realistic expectations and my goals are higher. Over the last few years my income has grown each year by 50-100 percent, so for me a competitive goal keeps me motivated.

I am fortunate to have my husband, a retired military warrant officer, to be my support system and help me in all aspects. My husband is my rock who not only homeschools our kids while I do shoots but also drives me to each shoot and helps me stay on task. Without him, I would be nowhere near as successful. It is imperative for anyone’s success that they have a good support system if they have kids or a family.

We are also fortunate to have zero debt including our home – our mini modern farm, as we call it! Complete with our 4 dogs, 2 cats, 10 ducks, and 13 chickens.

Photography has very much been a financially freeing stream of income that has allowed us to live in a million-dollar paid-for home on top of my husband’s retirement from the military. It also allows our children to grow up with the unique opportunity of having both parents with them every day. I am 34 and my husband is 45, we believe in being debt free and cash flowing everything. Making Sense of Cents often talks about the many benefits of financial freedom, and how to grow wealth. When I mentor photographers I also make sure to include how important it is to not build a business on debt, and that saving for three categories is imperative- taxes, emergency fund, and equipment upgrades.

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Do you want to become a photographer?

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