Spending ‘huge’ on machinery, filming 46 weddings/year, earning 10,000 USD/month
Having a deep passion for photography at the age of 13, Torres spent years working for a low salary at Chick-Fil-A buying a $500 camera kit. While attending Southeast University in Lakeland, Florida, thanks to her photography skills, the girl earned a number of clients and income, but did not think that the hobby of photography could help her pay for her living expenses. active after graduating from university.
Don’t be afraid to invest in your passion for photography
She later learned that successful freelance photographers often start with an investment in high-quality equipment. So, after graduating from college in December 2020, Torres invested in new cameras and lenses and gradually dedicated herself full-time to photography.
Torres spent about $45,000 on her passion for beautiful photography, and it paid off: In 2021, Torres earned $177,000.
Currently, the 23-year-old girl earns an average of $10,000 a month.
Torres says being able to do what she loves is truly a rewarding thing.
Torres shared: “I always worked multiple jobs during college. But now I can be independent about my hours and work, make my own plans and work schedules. It’s a blessing. I wake up every morning excited to do what I love with my clients.”
Here’s how Torres turned a hobby into a side job and then into a full-time, six-figure income.
From hobby to side work
Torres bought himself his first camera – the Canon Rebel T3 – in 2012, before a family trip from New Jersey to Colorado. Along the way, the family stopped at several national parks, and Torres was passionate about photographing natural landscapes.
“Even when I was 13, I saw it as an investment. I bought the camera with the money I had saved from birthdays and Christmas,” says Torres.
Originally, she planned to go to college after graduating from high school. So while in high school, the girl turned her focus to her studies, spending her time taking portraits and birthday parties as a leisure activity – sometimes earning $100 for 4 hours of work. .
Then, when she went to college, the side business turned out to be an unexpected success: In 2019, at the age of 20, she made about $2,000 as a freelance photographer and graphic designer. She began to consider what it would be like to work as a photographer full-time.
Invest in passion
At first, according to Torres, the outlook seemed bleak: She worked two or three other jobs during college, mostly to earn enough to pay for camera equipment. But after following other photographers on Instagram, she realized that calculating the cost of buying equipment and using them meant she would have to work full-time as a photographer for the money. too big. So, instead of taking pictures every month, she now looks for clients and works weekly. After graduating from university, Torres went on to work as a paid part-time internship for an NGO. This salary gives her extra backup to become a full-time photographer.
“I’m not much of a risk-taker, especially financially. That part-time job really gave me the stability and confidence I needed to be able to spend more time with my family,” says Torres. photography”.
Torres spent a few months researching the business and how to engage customers through social media. In May 2021, 5 months after graduating from university, she became a full-time photographer.
Allocate work and balance with life
For over a year and a half, Torres has relied on outside resources to make her photography work as effective as possible. She hired a legal service to help sign the contract and teach her how to file taxes. She also asked a unit to help her with photo editing. Most of the time, she says, she feels like she’s living a dream, although being a freelance photographer comes with its own set of challenges. In 2021, she filmed 46 weddings in a year, and there was a month when she had to do 10 photo shoots.
The girl plans to limit the number of photo shoots to balance her private life
To avoid burnout, Torres turned down several orders even though it meant less income. In 2022, the 23-year-old girl plans to limit the number of weddings to 34 and in 2023 there will be only about 27 weddings.
According to Torres, the more work-life balance, the better.
“I want to continue to grow and scale so I have more opportunities to work but still be able to travel to the places I’ve always wanted to go,” she said.
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