How to become a professional photographer: Turning passion into profit

Photographer Beth Moseley shares her journey from training to be a chef to running her own successful photography business. She gives advice on pricing, mistakes, flexibility, and evolving creatively after 14 years in the industry

Participants

• Emily Slade - podcast producer and host, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ
• Beth Moseley - photographer

Transcript

Emily Slade: Hello and welcome back to Future You. The podcast brought to you by graduate careers experts, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ. I'm your host, Emily Slade, and in this episode I chat to Beth about being a photographer.

Beth Moseley: OK. My name is Beth Moseley, and I am a photographer and I run my own business.

Emily Slade: Amazing. So how long have you been a photographer?

Beth Moseley: I was thinking about this. I think I started my business in 2011. So yeah, it will be 14 years. 

Emily Slade: Wow. Yeah. Yeah. So let's go right back to the beginning. What does your educational journey look like? 

Beth Moseley: Right. So I come from quite an academic background, so I'm one of four. And my dad was a university professor, and all my siblings were academic and went to university and I am not. I'm dyslexic. So while they kind of flew through A Level's and GCSE's, I got to GCSE's and realised I didn't want to go any further at that point. So I went off and joined college because I also didn't want to not do anything. I did an NVQ in catering. Because I just love cooking, so I did something that I was passionate about but didn't really know if it would end up in a career. Had a really good time, learned a lot and it gave me the opportunity to study or not study but work abroad for a year and a half. So that opened up that door and I lived in America and worked in beach clubs and golf clubs, so that was incredible. I did it enough to realise that I didn't want to have it as a career, so when I came back from America, I was like I'd like to study photography. So I did a BTEC in photography. At Brighton College, that was two years and that was the days where it wasn't digital but film cameras. So I spent a lot of time in the dark room and learning about well, how to use a camera and how to tell a story and how to communicate a message. And and that was really interesting. I and then that just I think that took me on to university, so unfortunately I've later realised you don't necessarily have to do a degree to be a photographer. It was also it was the path that my siblings all did, so it kind of seemed like a natural progression. So I went to university and did photography at Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University. Which was a really good experience because at university, not only do you learn the subject, there's loads of opportunities to do extra career building activities. If you're proactive, which I was because I was joining university a couple of years older than everybody else. So I was on the committee to organise the end of year show and I was the chair of that and did loads of extra stuff that kind of added to my CV and gave me an opportunity to kind of really explore where my skills. Were and and the other thing about the degree was it gave me my second year in Prague in the Czech Republic, so it was through the Erasmus scheme. So first year was in Nottingham, second year in Prague and 3rd year back in Nottingham. And that second year was really important because it gave me an experience. Of living in a different country again and learning a very different style of photography cause in the Czech Republic it was more black and white. Very documentary based. They took it incredibly seriously which was lovely, whereas my experience of the university and photography. It's all about the partying and the social scene and the the actual degree was maybe secondary, whereas in in Prague, FAMU, which was the university's name, it was really everyone took it very earnestly and that was really refreshing to see. But once graduating, I realised maybe. I couldn't. No, not that I realised I couldn't be a photographer or didn't want to be one, but I couldn't foresee how I could carve out a career. So university taught me maybe their skills of how to take photograph, but not necessarily what to do next, and I think was a real short falling of the course and I don't and I think hopefully they've improved it since. 

Emily Slade: Right. 

Beth Moseley: But I think that's what people did. Universities did at the time, which I think is very unhelpful. So I left university and worked in arts and health for a while.

Emily Slade: What's arts and health?

Beth Moseley: So the charity I worked for was called paintings and hospitals. So we lent out. It was like a library scheme of amazing artwork. So we had this incredible art collection by Royal Academy artists and like really incredible artists. And we'd loaned them out to hospitals and surgeries. So when you're sitting in the waiting room. You get to enjoy this lovely artwork. And and then the other job was working as an education coordinator for a housing association, so doing arts activities from people aged 16 to over 100. So that was really fascinating, really varied. 

Emily Slade: Yeah, absolutely. So then, did you wake up one day and just decide right now I'm going to start my own business.

Beth Moseley: No so, my last job, which I had when I was working in London as in the arts and health sector, was at this housing association and it was with just maternity cover and I really it kind of coincided with me realising I didn't want to live in London anymore. My maternity cover came to an end and although they offered to make me permanent, it didn't quite like living in London. I moved back to Norwich and it coincided with a recession and so working in the art field of arts and health is really kind of finding those jobs, particularly in Norwich, is really rare and then mix in a recession when those jobs are the ones that would get all the funding cut. So I was like, I know I'll become a photographer I'll start my own business so. It was really by chance. 

Emily Slade: Yeah. 

Beth Moseley: And like a happy accident, really. 

Emily Slade: OK, so do you specialise in certain types of photography? Are you an all rounder? Do you only do weddings? Only do actors headshots?

Beth Moseley: I describe it as people based photography, so I realised I cannot shoot a landscape and I find product photography really difficult. I've got nothing to engage in, but I love photographing people. So when I started off it was weddings because it's quite an easy formula once you get the hang of it, both in terms of managing clients, attracting a business and also photographing the day. And they really well paid and then now over the years I've kind of evolved to more. Kind of business headshots portrait. It's photographing kind of social media content and a little bit of family photography. 

Emily Slade: Oh, lovely. So what does a typical working day look like for you? 

Beth Moseley: So I it's mainly desk based, so I think the misconception with being a photographer is that you'll be out there taking photographs all the time. But unfortunately probably any type of 10% of your time is taking photographs and the rest is managing a business. So I could be responding to it. Writing A blog post updating my website, doing social. India so trying to attract new business, attending networking events, talking to potential clients. So just the nuts and bolts of keeping the business going. 

Emily Slade: Yeah.

Beth Moseley: Yeah. So half the job is, well, a 1/3 of the job is all the admin 1/3 of the job is taking the photograph and then the last third is editing and delivering them. So I've got quicker overtime and I use things like light blue and then AI has got involved and that's very useful and speed things up. So yeah, it's kind of a little bit of everything.

Emily Slade: So what's been the most challenging part of building your photography business?

Beth Moseley: Yes, for me it's been just learning the mechanics of running a business, running a good business and providing a service that you you're proud of, so that just takes time and and it's it's learning as you go really trial and ever. Luckily I find the business side really interesting but you've got to attend those. In workshops which explain how to do something and you've got to put the time in really into into into learning things. The stages that you need to go through in order to successfully run a business because I wasn't talk about taught at a university so and you don't necessarily know what you need to know when you start your business, which is partly a blessing I think cause I think a big dollop of naivety is very helpful when you run, when you launch your business. Because I think maybe if you knew everything it would be a bit overwhelming. So I guess it's just been figuring out what I need to know and then figuring out. Why? Learn it. Like who? I ask, where I get the knowledge from, and then it, particularly at the very beginning, it's is getting the initial money coming in. So you need a bit of a cash flow. So you can do the workshops, you can buy the equipment just to kind of get you started. 

Emily Slade: Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. So what kind of skill sets do you need to pursue this? 

Beth Moseley: I think we particularly with people sort of like based photography, you need to be a really good people person. Them because I think a big part of my job when I'm taking photographs, making people feel at ease, every. I don't think I've really had anybody, maybe one or two people that have approached me have ever said, oh, I love being photographed. Everybody's like oh, being in front of the cameras, just so cringy. And so my job and why people I think. Make me is because I can help them feel relaxed and get them in the zone, and then you get the best out of them. I've learned over the years when. People approach me to potentially book me like always. Make sure you have a chat with them in advance. If you find that you don't click, then it's best to say I think you need to find another photographer and no offence will be taken because if they don't feel comfortable with me, they're not going to feel comfortable on the day, whether it's portrait, wedding day or in business photographs. So. Connecting with your photographers huge and then they'll feel themselves. 

Emily Slade: Yeah, and what advice would you give to somebody who's looking to enter the industry? 

Beth Moseley: Just. Keep knocking on doors, asking people out for a cup of coffee. Pick their brains in in terms of the actual photography element side, just keep using your camera, but try and find a practical project to. Practise on so whether it's second shooting for someone. If you're interested in weddings and say I'll do it for free for a few times so you've got like a real life experience to practise or or get some friends and ask to photograph their family because when you photograph anything any subject is not just being good at. Know how to use your camera. You need to know how to manage people, and you also need to think about life. Setting and like where the lights falling and is it dark? How to use the flash and so you've got to think really quickly to be able to keep your subjects interested and connected, but also technically make the best photograph. But I think ultimately if you're good people person that will get you really far. 

Emily Slade: Mm-hmm. So do you have your own studio or do you have like portable equipment that you can go and set up in places? 

Beth Moseley: So I personally have portable equipment. So many people do have a studio, but I think as the world's kind of developing studio photographies become less. Popular and actually people prefer more kind of out and about natural photography so I could set up a studio if I need to and someone sitting room, but really I'm a I have two cameras and I go with a portable flash and we we can have have pre chosen a location whether at home or or at the beach or in their office. And I kind of. Took off kind of in a in a location that the client, kind of enjoys, feels comfortable in.

Emily Slade: Yeah. Amazing. So obviously you do this for the love of it that you also have to make money. So how do you decide on prices and how do you dictate your own salary?

Beth Moseley: It's it's been a slow progression I think, although I love running a business, I consider myself quite kind of business savvy. Pricing yourself can be quite what's the word? Just quite nerve wracking because I guess it's a confident thing is linked to pricing and to begin with, when I did start the business, I subsidised my salary by working part time in a gallery so. I was able to kind of price quite sort of more affordably while I learned my craft and and built up a network and then as soon as I didn't have that gallery job, there was something actually really good about. Realising this is my only income and there's nothing like a bit of fear that makes you really price yourself more appropriately, but also. I mean, in every sector has a different way of pricing, but with the wedding world, when I did that, particularly at the beginning, what's lovely and particularly about that sector is it's a really lovely community, particularly in, well actually all around England. And so it's just talking to other photographers and and understanding how they price and where you fit, whether you're like, whether you want to be an affordable photographer, an offer. You can design it depending on what type of client you're trying to attract, so I was aiming or I aim for like the mid the mid client that doesn't have a huge budget but he's willing to spend a little bit of money and and so kind of that's who I later identified as who I wanted to attract. And so I priced accordingly. But obviously you also need to bear in mind. The nuts and bolts are running a business how you want to. What you need to pay yourself. So lots of spreadsheets were involved. Figuring out the cost of running a business. So how much I had to pay to hire my. Risk or I need to pay my mortgage, my bills, spending money, how much I need to invest in my equipment, and then what profit I wanted to make on top of that and that. Guided me to the to the figure and then it also gave me an indication of how many jobs I wanted to do per month or needed to do per month. 

Emily Slade: As well, what happens if you don't hit that target? 

Beth Moseley: So how I like to do it is there's 12 months in a year and I count December and January as being kind of a month not to count on because of Christmas. Everyone's distracted, but people don't tend to book photography so much in those months. So I calculate how much I need to earn over 10 months and then over. What's the word? Make my target bigger than than I might need to do, and it's an average. So you have a target per month, and then you just keep an eye on it per month and some months you'll do better than your target and some months you'll do less. But overall it does tend to average out. And and that does does come from experience. You start seeing the patterns and that's what's nice about experience. So you get a bit scared one month because you're not brought in as much, but then you look back and you're like, well, that's OK you keep putting the effort in. More money will come in the following months, but you just have to keep tapping away, you know? Don't don't rest on your laws, it's the phrases. 

Emily Slade: Any myths about photography that you would like to debunk?

Beth Moseley: Well, I think the main one is what I started off with is that the photographies are actually a small part of what you do and the other thing again. Also touched on, but actually is a lovely community and I really do feel it's community over competition and that's something that I really try to live by. And you know, I I have lots of friends who are photographers in Norfolk and we often go and pitch for the same job, but we never bad mouth each other. We never kind of dismiss each others work. It's like, well, they make the best, best person for that particular job kind of get it. Because your clients choose you. Based on. How you edit your pictures and your style, the price and the individual. So sometimes you don't meet one of those points but not take it personally. But you know, I'm really fortunate with I think the the photography world. It's very I've learned so much from other people. 

Emily Slade: Oh, that's lovely. And what do you wish you'd first known when you started? 

Beth Moseley: I was trying to think about this on the way here, and it's a really difficult one because in a way actually the naivety that I entered when starting my business with really helped me by not knowing. And and sometimes you need to have mistakes in order to learn from them. And I did have some real humdingers at the beginning, which I would rather not repeat, but actually, as an optimist, I managed to get a lot from them and learn a lot from mistakes, so I think. 

Emily Slade: Ah. 

Beth Moseley: Really, mistakes are good. I'm touching wood now no, I. Want to have mistakes, but it really makes you tighten up your your workflow and. The whole working process. I once had an incident where I photographed a bride and groom and it was just a really it was a bad match. They shouldn't have picked me as their photographer. What they wanted from their photography wasn't what I was able to give them and it was at the beginning of my career and they were unhappy with the images and I looked back a few years later. Actually, once the emotion had died down and I was like, actually they're not bad images. What was what went wrong is I didn't clearly explain what I was able to provide them, and so there was a lot of assumptions involved, both from both sides and and to learning from that having kind of resolved the situation. I tightened up my contract and made it really clear what to expect. Always made sure I met with people in advance and ran through. What to expect and made sure that everyone was just really aware of of what I was able to offer. And so there was no misunderstandings. And so that has actually been a really positive mistake. 

Emily Slade: Is there anything else that you want to mention? 

Beth Moseley: I think, well, something that's recently happened to me that's been a really positive. So 1 great thing about I think about running your own business and why I love running my own business is that you're in charge of your destiny. So I looked recently at. A job advertiser, the local art university. I was like, oh, that looked interesting and I was looking at the salary and I was looking at the hours and I was looking at what they expected. I was like, hang on a moment, I get paid more. My time is incredibly flexible. Particularly now I have a child I can pick him up from school and work around it, and I make the decisions. Why would I want to go and work for someone else? So I'm really so it really reinforced that I make I I have made the right decision, that I run my own business. But what you have to be aware of or what I have been aware of is that now I've run the business for 14 years is to keep it exciting. Is you also have to keep evolving. So whereas if you're in employment, you might change jobs every four years just to keep that excitement and career development. I don't want to kind of stop Beth Moseley Photography. But I need to keep it kind of juicy for me, so I start off as a wedding photographer and now I'm moving more into working with businesses and business owners whilst still doing a little bit of wedding photography and that's made it really exciting. Like it's a very different way of advertising because it's a different type of clientele and. They've got different needs and different expectations, so it's trying to figure out how I evolve my business to get that new audience. And I've really enjoyed the challenge. Really. It's a bit like starting a. Whole new business. Again. Otherwise I kind of feel like if you just do the same well for me anyway, you do the same thing. Over it's a bit a waste opportunity. I want to enjoy work. I want to get up and love what I do and so keeping it fresh has enabled me to do that and it's also very yeah, now I'm a parent. It's been incredibly flexible, which has been. Yeah, a lifesaver, really. 

Emily Slade: Amazing. Brilliant. Well, thank you so much for your time today. 

Beth Moseley: No probs. Thanks for having me.  

Emily Slade: Thanks again to Beth for their time. For more information on becoming a photographer, you can head to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ.ac.uk or check out the links in the show notes below for our full length video version of this episode, check out our YouTube channel @futureyoupod. If you enjoyed the episode, do feel free to leave us a review on Apple or Spotify. Otherwise, thank you as always, for listening and good luck on your journey to future you. 

Notes on transcript

This transcript was produced using a combination of automated software and human transcribers and may contain errors. The audio version is definitive and should be checked before quoting.

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