Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow

I am noticing more and more photographers bragging about how money they make. It almost seems like a competition. We are not helping anyone but ourself divulging this information to others. Wedding photography is a great business and you can make a great living doing it but as any other business it takes hard work, patience, and persistence.

I hope the younger photographers starting out in this business realize this and are motivated for the love of their craft, not how much money they can make.

Small steps, day by day, are crucial. One of the hallmarks of self-defeat is to try to do things in a grand manner and show others how great we are (I went down this road and it is filled with frustration and anxiety). People sometimes bite off too much and set themselves up for failure.


Trust yourself and your own ideas first.

Do what works best for you and your lifestyle/business, the money will follow.

Great post, and I can totally confirm. I'm still in start-up mode, and I'm more broke than I've ever been in my life, but it's not stopping me because I love photography!

This seems like some great advice!

I'm mid career shift myself and I'm trying to steer myself over to photography little by little. The thing that keeps me moving is definitely a passion for what I'm doing and learning.

I would hope that anyone doing photography (and particularly weddings) would do it because of a passion. The best photos always seem to radiate with the energy of the photographer who took them. The people who are in it for the money never seem to catch that same sparkle!

Thanks for the reminder

I loved reading what you said...very inspiring, very cool.

Great post Damian! thanks for the wonderful words and it was great shooting with you! ttys Kara

I think moderation is key. If your artistic flare for photography is disproportional to your business sense, then no, I don't think 'the money will follow.' Most businesses that fail (and most do, statistically) do so because of poor business choices on the part of the new entrepreneur...not because they weren't passionate about their business.

Hey there~
I personally love it when the big guys divulge what they are making! Its encouraging, and to be totally honest I do this because I love it (though it is *not* my first and most primary passion. My first passion is people and what makes them tick, their relationships, and .. just .. all of what makes them them) AND because I want to make some money in this lifetime!
I don't want money to buy baubles, or designer clothes , I want money because it allows for experiences that I want for my family...
travel being an experience that springs to mind instantly. I am a woman in my 30's and I have known some really really lean years, and I can say that money makes living to your fullest potential easier bc you are freed up. I digress, sorry!
I liked what you had to say about small steps day by day... I agree with this, but don't always remember to actually take those steps everyday. Thank you for the reminder~

Excellent advise. Thank you kind sir dude.

There will be those who make smarter choices than others but I would argue that a wedding photographer, especially now a days, who truly loves what they do, will be successful. Some photographers may do it quicker than others but if your are truly passionate about being a wedding photographer opportunity will be around every corner.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

Hey Angela,

I totally understand about hearing all the hype. But there is a reality out there that should be heard as well. These big shots are extremely passionate about what they do and their success is a testament to their devotion to their craft. They have learned to make a very good living doing something they truly love. They live to work, not work to live.

If your true passion in life is what makes people tick then I would suggest discovering what makes Mike Colon or DJ tick. You will find these photographers love what they do and are extremely passionate about the wedding industry. They want you to succeed because they know you can succeed.

And although it may make you tingle when hearing how much money these photographers are making you should always look within yourself for reassurance that this is something you are truly passionate about. Then and only then will your wildest dreams of success come knocking at your door.

you know what i am noticing? my new clients are floored by my passion and what i offer them. i am just starting out so i hope the passion keeps flowing (i am sure it will), but one thing i am seeing is how so many people in my area are used to only bog standard photographers who basically run their business as a conveyor belt business. i was visiting a venue a couple weeks ago and what i saw made my jaw drop. the wedding photographer was taking his 'formal' shots of the bride and groom and had them standing in front of a car. not a classy, mercedes or rolls, but a plain ole toyota. - all around us were flower gardens, babbling brooks, weeping willows... but he chose a car as the backdrop? i was horrified. he was obviously someone who had no passion and did not care about his clients. i almost walked up to the bride and handed her my business card.

Hey there Damian,
What excellent advice.. I will keep my eyes peeled for their posts, and blogs to get an inkling of how they think.
And also, what an excellent attitude you have!
Thanks for the thoughtful response.

Passion or enthusiasm are great, but they won't guarantee success in the business...they'll certainly help keep you going though.

I'd be very careful about buying into the hype about some photographers' success stories. There are some very charismatic people who get together and bolster each other's hype. The thing is, much of this back and forth hyping seems to be directed toward other photographers, not so much the wedding/portraiture clients themselves. The most visible and seemingly successful people on these forums seem very adept at selling things to photographers. So, it's important for them to continually "sell" the allure to the rest of us.

I actually have no problem with that. But it's something you should be aware of. There are some things out there that are generally unattainable to most of us (for reasons that have nothing to do with passion and talent). Those things border on myth.

nicely said. all good points. You are dead right about all the hype out there. There is a lot of it. Although I do admit, it is very inspiring to hear all the stories of success and riches. However, in the long run, the greatest satisfaction in this business comes from within and not from listening to others rant about it.

The wedding industry is not going anywhere. There will always be a need for wedding photographers. As a photographer you may be ok shooting 200 weddings a year or just 10 wedding a year. But that is solely your decision and should be decided by you and you alone.

I truly believe, the only way to loose business as a wedding photographer is if your heart is not into it.

Heck I even know of wedding photographers who could care less about shooting weddings and they get a ton of business every year.

Whether your passion is the business side or the artistic side, the goal should be finding what you love to do. The money will follow.

Thanks for sharing!! I was a former wedding singer, turned wedding coordinator, turned (just starting) wedding photographer! I finally found my niche... though I will still sing for a wedding, if I am not shooting it!! Can you say that I love weddings? I love everything about the day and I think that my clients can see that.

It is all about perspective!!

I just love photography. Yeah, I have a full time day job. Photography is an expensive career to start up with all of the equipment. But I sure love taking pictures. I would second shoot whenever I am not doing a wedding. I always feel someday it will pay off and I will get to do it full time. I totally agree with Damin.

QUOTE(damian @ June 11 2007, 02:08 PM)
Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow

I am noticing more and more photographers bragging about how money they make. It almost seems like a competition. We are not helping anyone but ourself divulging this information to others. Wedding photography is a great business and you can make a great living doing it but as any other business it takes hard work, patience, and persistence.


Small steps, day by day, are crucial.

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