I too would rather work 80+ hours for myself than 40+ hours for someone else. Been there, done that! This article is a great way to show others what many of us do to stay in business. It’s not easy, you need to be dedicated to your craft and most of all be good in sales.

And thanks for not making it sound like a walk in the park. There’s way to much of that going around- I constantly see people twittering about how you can achieve wild success as a photographer in just three or five easy steps. It just irks me that so many people think they can simply fall into success if they have a positive attitude and a slick brand. ;-)

Take care,
=Matt=

If your goal from your business is simply to provide a living, then yes, shooting 10-20 weddings a year and working a 9-5 40 hour work week is very doable. But, if your goal is to grow your studio, your name, and whatever else you have into much more than just a single person business (say perhaps into a recognizable brand). Then, I think you need to invest much more time, and for a much longer period of time.

I know a lot of folks that have been able to start their studio, and make a living working at it full time by their 2-3 year mark. I also know a lot of photographers who are trying to do much more than just make a living and work non-stop over 5-10 years. And lastly, I know a lot of ex-professionals who thought they loved photography until they realized how much work it is to do it as a business. The point is to let people know that regardless of your love for the art, it is going to take a lot of time and commitment to get what you want out of it.

But, it really depends what your goals are and where you want to be. I.E. Do you want photography to be your hobby, a little cash on the side, your full time living, or is your goal to be an industry recognized leader. If you are opting for the 4th option in that list, I would say it will require much more than 40 hours a week.

On a personal note, I would rather work 80+ hours a week for myself, than 40+ hours a week for someone else. =)

Of course I’m not attacking you or anything like that, I’m sure you’d agree with this philosophy and I assume that this 13 hour weekday is just ONE long day out of 7. And yes, running a small business might take 50-60+ hours a week at first for a year or two, but if you’re still putting in 60+ hours a week after year 5, something is wrong.

I just hate to hear about people who have become completely enslaved to their business, and they’re so brainwashed by the perceived glamor of the caree, that they don’t realize they’ve actually sold their soul.

My opinionated opinion and nothing more,
=Matt=