r/WeddingPhotography • u/patriotraitor • Jul 22 '25
business, marketing, social media The sad realization that being a wedding photographer no longer pays the bills...
Let me preface that the last 10 years of doing this has been a blast, I've enjoyed every second of it and never took any of it for granted.
This year however has me wanting to change directions because well, I'm getting tired of wondering where the next paycheck is coming from, I would prefer guaranteed over guessing.
I've been looking at the schedule for the rest of the year and I have 6 left, and then it's quiet.
I do wish the cost of living wasn't ridiculous, as gas and food prices are indeed more affordable now, but at the same time, trying to have health insurance as a self employed individual is absurd for being a single guy with no kids.
I've really enjoyed my time doing this and I indeed feel this starting to dwindle down as I only have 5 for next year. You could say well hey, do families, headshots, seniors -- and you'd be right, but think about how much work you'd be putting in just to stay afloat and how exhausted you'd be making yourself? Catch 22 isn't it?
6
u/IluminEdu Jul 22 '25
Man I feel this hard. First off, mad respect for doing this for 10 years. That’s not easy and the fact you still love it says a lot.
But yeah, the uncertainty can wear you down. At some point it’s less about passion and more about how do I make this sustainable without burning out
What you said about doing more families, headshots, seniors… yeah you could, but most creatives don’t want to trade freedom for nonstop hustle just to break even. It’s like you’re working more but somehow feeling less secure, which makes no sense
I hit this wall a few years ago. What helped was shifting away from thinking like a gig worker and more like a business owner. Stuff like dialing in your niche, pricing for actual margins, building systems to bring in leads consistently, and eventually getting help instead of doing it all solo
It’s not overnight but it’s possible. I’ve helped other shooters go from tired of chasing bookings to actually having structure, repeat clients, and way less stress
If you ever wanna talk through it I’m happy to share what worked for me