One Year as a Full-Time Photographer: What I've Learned

In April of last year, I made the leap and went full-time with photography after nearly a decade of shooting on the side.

Since then, this journey as a full-time lifestyle photographer in Atlanta and Savannah has brought incredible opportunities and a fair share of messy, exhilarating, exhausting and empowering moments (sometimes all at once). Working for yourself and turning a creative passion into a business isn’t linear. There are setbacks, learning curves and days where it feels like nothing is happening. But then you zoom out and realize just how far you’ve come.

Since going full-time, I’ve taken over 100,000 photos and worked with dream clients like Mellow Mushroom, St. Regis, Garden & Gun, Hotel Bardo and Anne Barge. I’ve traveled, created, refined my systems and defined a version of success that feels honest and aligned.

But none of it happened overnight. This path took 10 years of picking up my camera, five years of treating it seriously and countless quiet days that didn’t feel “productive” at all. Growth rarely feels like a big breakthrough. Often, it’s just showing up consistently over time.

One of the things I didn’t fully expect as a full-time photographer?

How different it feels to hold the creative and business sides at the same time. It’s a constant dance — between art and strategy, vision and execution. I’ve learned that succeeding as a lifestyle photographer isn’t just about taking beautiful images. It’s also about client experience, communication, process, follow-through and knowing how to market your work.

I’ve had to build workflows from scratch, design proposals, onboard clients, edit galleries at 2 a.m., and figure out how to price my services in a way that’s both sustainable and reflective of the value I bring. And while none of that is what made me fall in love with photography, all of it has helped me build a business for myself that I'm proud of.

One of the most significant shifts this year was stepping away from weddings. It wasn’t easy — emotionally or financially. I had spent years building a strong portfolio as a wedding photographer.

But deep down, I knew my work was evolving. I still shoot select weddings that feel aligned, but I’m proud to have transitioned into lifestyle and hospitality photography — and to step confidently into spaces that once intimidated me.

What’s helped me grow?

Two things: curiosity and authenticity.

Curiosity keeps me exploring — light, people, locations, new ways of storytelling. And authenticity keeps me grounded — to myself, my clients, my collaborators and the creative process.

I’ve also learned the importance of personal projects. Client work fuels the business, but passion projects feed the creativity. And when you're a creative entrepreneur, you need both.

There are busy seasons and slow ones. But I’ve stopped viewing quiet weeks as failures. Instead, I’ve started seeing them as space: to rest, reflect, reset or create something just for me. When the inbox slows down, I say thank you. Thank you for the margin.

So, what happens when you do what you love for a year?

You gain confidence — not from feeling like you’ve “made it,” but from proving you can keep going even when things feel uncertain. You trust your gut more. You stop waiting for permission. You start hearing your own voice in your work.

You also figure out what doesn’t work — which clients drain your energy, which projects don’t spark creativity and which processes weigh you down. Those insights are just as valuable as the wins. Every no, every misstep, every pivot helps point you toward the work you were meant to do.

You also start noticing patterns — what lights you up, when you do your best work and how to structure your days so that creativity doesn’t get squeezed out by admin tasks. I’ve learned that I shoot better when I build in time to rest. I connect more deeply with clients when I’m not rushing to the next thing. And I produce my best work when I make space for experimentation.

You let go of what no longer fits. You refine. You evolve.

And if you’re in the creative space, whether you’re a lifestyle photographer, designer, strategist or storyteller, your version of success doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It might be fewer clients, more travel. Or deeper projects with more intention. Or simply having the freedom to choose. \

If you’re a photographer or creative wondering when things will click, hear this: it takes time. It takes reps. It takes courage. But that steady momentum builds something powerful — belief in yourself and your craft.

Thanks for following along. I’m just getting started. If you want to follow or connect, you can find me on Instagram and Substack!