James Patrick spent six days in the hospital and suddenly faced a problem every photographer should think about: when your income depends on you physically showing up with a camera, what happens when you can’t?
Getting sick. Getting injured. Taking care of your kids. Your car breaking down. Taking an actual vacation.
For many professional photographers, time equals money. If you’re not shooting, you’re not earning.
And that’s a dangerous business model.
In this episode of Beyond the Image, James breaks down why photographers need to stop relying exclusively on trading their time for money and start building revenue streams that can continue working when they’re not behind the camera.
James shares the different ways he has diversified his own photography business, including:
- Teaching and online education
- Speaking engagements
- Books and articles
- Image licensing
- Associates shooting under his company
- Content production
- Studio rental
- Magazine revenue
- Podcast advertising
- Sponsored content and brand partnerships
- Paying himself a consistent salary
The goal isn’t to stop shooting.
The goal is to make sure shooting isn’t the only way you get paid.
Because eventually, you will run out of time. And if every dollar your business generates requires you to personally be there to earn it, you’ve built yourself a job with a camera attached to it.
This episode is about building a photography business that can support you even when you’re not holding a camera.
In this episode:
00:00 The problem nobody talks about
02:00 What six days in the hospital taught me about my business
04:00 The danger of trading time for money
06:00 What happens when you get sick, injured, or want a vacation?
08:00 How to diversify your photography income
12:00 Making money without picking up a camera
15:00 Why paying yourself a salary matters
17:00 Protecting your income with disability insurance
19:00 Build a business that supports your life
The big question:
If you couldn’t pick up a camera for the next 30 days, how much money would your business still make?
That’s probably a question worth answering.
