Hold on lads, I’ve got an idea

Here it is. In two years time I cash in a pension pot and go full time as a photographer. This is an evolving plan as I was not aware of said pension pot until recently. Its not a huge amount of money but it’s enough to get me set up and give me a chance to finally earn money for myself and more importantly, be my own boss. My working life is dwindling fast and I fully intend for the last 15/20 years of it to be for me and not anyone else. So, how on earth am I going to pull this off? I have experience at being self employed as I was a floor layer for 18 months. This didn’t work out for a number of reasons but mainly because it turned out I was no good at laying floors! This time I am going to be doing something that I enjoy and I am pretty good at (so I am told at least!).

An example of What I do currently. Vegetarians look away now!

I have several key transferable skills already. Customer service knowledge being by far the most important. If you cant talk to potential clients that is a real issue. I have also been a manager so organising a schedule and working under pressure comes naturally to me along with keeping a level head during such times. Self motivation is also vital as you will need that voice in your head to keep you driving forward!

What is the actual plan though? Well, first things first an upgrade in gear will be required. I will most likely buy the Z8 or its equivalent and I know I want to replace my ageing 70-200 AFS F4 lens with the newer 100–400mm Nikon Z lens. Gear wise, this is probably all I will need to upgrade as everything else I have is pretty decently specced and robust enough to survive the rigours of being used more often. This will be a more professional set up than my current battered Z6! Why the new gear though? Well, being self employed as a photographer I can offset business equipment purchases against my taxes so makes sense to spend on gear instead of giving it to the HMRC!

What next though? Well, the website is where I would need to work on the most. Driving more potential clients to here makes sense and adding a place to sell workshops, calendars and prints on the site makes good business sense. Fortunately, Squarespace websites are very easy to work on, even for a tech Neanderthal like me so these things are simple additions and can be implemented between now and 2026 so they are in place and ready to go by the time I go full time as a photographer.

Stormy seas in early morning light.

So I got the gear and I have the place to sell products. What next? Contacts within the industry. The next two years are going to be a constant PR campaign for me and my brand. I will work on building brand connections, collaborations and maybe even sponsorship or ambassadorship. It’s always good to have a number of companies in your corner for mutual promotions/collaborations. Also, getting to know folks who are further along their career paths is key. You can learn so much if you accept you are stupid and are willing to listen, watch and learn!

The last part of the plan at the moment is building my own name as a well known landscape photographer. Promoting my work across several social media platforms such as Instagram, Threads, Flickr and Facebook. No Youtube? No. I tried this and ultimately didn’t enjoy the experience. For me, the filming just gets in the way of my primary passion, photography. Also, I am just not comfortable being in front of the camera, although I can certainly talk into one when needed! The other issue was finding time to edit videos. I have a very basic understanding of film editing and it takes a long time to get videos looking good enough for YT. I fully respect the photographers out there that combine the two, such as Gavin Hardcastle, Thomas Heaton, Nick Page and others. I simply don’t have the time nor the inclination. Is YouTube necessary if I want to go full time? No, just look at the likes of Jack Lodge who is having great success without a YT presence.

Brownsea Red Squirrel. When I used to shoot wildlife!

A nice bonus would be to win a big photography competition. Am I good enough for that though? Maybe, maybe not. I have come close three times now and will be targeting the big ones this such as Natural landscape photographer, British Photography awards and maybe even Landscape Photographer of the year if they can get their act together and sort out their controversies! Getting shortlisted in any of these would be a great addition to the CV for sure.

So, that’s an insight to my next two years. Don’t wish me luck as I think it’s only hard work that gets you results not luck! I will probably still continue to work part time to supplement my income but I will prioritise myself over another employer always after 2026!

Thanks for reading and will see you next week.