Make Money as a Stay-at-home Mom With a Photography Business
I started my photography business before I was a mom, but the reason I started it was because I was looking ahead to starting my family, and I wanted a job that was flexible enough for me to still contribute to my family’s finances, while being able to stay home and be present with my kids the majority of the time. I have found that photography is the perfect home based business that allows me to be a stay-at-home mom and still make an income.
If you have a creative eye, strong attention to detail and are a good communicator, then photography might be a good fit for you too! Today I wanted to talk about why I think photography is such a great job for moms as well as some pros and cons of being a mom and a photographer.
The Flexible Schedule
First off, as a photographer, you can set your own schedule and primarily work from home. You can determine when you want to schedule shoots and how many shoots you want to take on. Photography can also be somewhat seasonal, with more shoots in the summer and fall and less in the winter. I take this into consideration when planning my schedule. I usually set ahead of time how many shoots I want to do per month and per week and then I schedule those around my husband’s work schedule as well as any activities or family events that we have planned.
When I do schedule a shoot, because I am not doing wedding photography, I am typically blocking off only 2 to 3 hours that I have to be out of the house for that shoot, including the driving time to and from the location. Because I am only leaving my house for 2 to 3 hours per shoot I have found this schedule to be super doable even in really demanding family stages, such as shortly after having a new baby.
I was able to quit my full time job and stay home with my son after 2 years in business. In my sixth year in business I added our third baby. I took a short maternity leave before sneaking away a couple times per week for a couple of hours to do a shoot.
While being a mom is my highest priority, photography is a job that I have been able to seamlessly integrate into my life at home as a mom.
You also set your own schedule for when you are going to edit and work on the back end of your business like client communication, marketing and updating your website. I have found that I am able to typically complete these tasks in the two hours or so I have in the afternoon when my kids are napping or doing quiet time and occasionally after they go to bed in the evenings. My husband also works shifts, and has four days off in a row, so I can usually have longer blocks of time to work on one or two of the days that he is off.
Being Close to your Target Audience
I am able to put my mom skills to work when interacting with clients’ kids and being good with kids enables me to connect with them and get them engaged in the shoot.
One benefit of being a mom and a family or portrait photographer is that you are often in the same stage of life as your target audience. Young couples in the midst of growing their families are often those looking to hire a photographer. My business started out photographing a few of my friends’ families as well as families I met through my church. By being in a similar life stage to my clients, I am also able to easily interact with and relate to them.
A Mother’s Unique Perspective
Another reason I think that photography is a great job for moms is that it provides an avenue for moms to use what I believe is our God given creativity. I think women see the world and beauty differently than men and that makes us especially gifted in creating photography that is powerfully emotive. Of course men can be excellent photographers as well, but I think this is one area where we can lean into a feminine strength. As mothers, there is something deeply intuitive about the way we see and hold space for families. We understand, from the inside out, how fleeting and meaningful these everyday moments are. We’re naturally tuned in to emotion and catch an intimate look, a tender touch, and the unspoken stories happening between the photographs. We know the weight of a newborn on your chest, the beauty (and chaos) of life with toddlers, and the way your heart stretches as your babies grow.
Not only that, but we have personal experience with kids that allows us to captivate and befriend even the most unruly of toddlers and surprise their parents with pictures they love despite a melt down or two during the session.
Capturing the little details matter.
Low barrier to entry
Running a photography business doesn’t require a college degree, or any specialty training, however, it does require some knowledge and skill in understanding how to use a camera and how to run a business. While I do have a degree in business, I don’t have any formal photography education. There are so many articles, youtube videos, and online courses you can take that will teach you how to do photography. Alternatively, you can reach out to a photographer (like me!) who offers mentorships and coaching and will help walk you through the steps needed to start or grow your business.
While photography does require an initial one time investment of a camera and lenses, you don’t have to pay tens of thousands of dollars right off the bat to start your business. You can even start out renting gear from companies like lensrentals or finding used gear. If you’d like a starting point, you can check out what’s in my camera bag.
If all of this is sounding great to you and you are reading to get start your photography business, I created a step by step guide to help you. You can check it out here: “How to start a photography business”.
Pros and Cons of Owning a Photography Business as a Mom
Pros:
This is a set your own schedule job where you are not limited by vacation days or sick days and can choose when you do or don’t want to work
Work hours are flexible and can be worked around your family‘s day-to-day schedule
With some established business backend strategies as well as fine tuned editing workflow, the hours to income ratio can be great if you are pricing yourself right.
A photography business can be a creative outlet for moms and a way to use your strengths in an area outside the home
You have a unique perspective as a mom that can enable you to create more emotive imagery
You have experience with kids that can aid with photographing families
You don’t have to have formal education to get started
Cons:
One con is that shoots typically take place in the evenings at sunset which means that you might be missing dinner or bedtime with your family depending on the time of year. However, this doesn’t have to be the case if you choose a niche like brand, product or newborn photography or run a studio where you can have shoots inside.
Another con is that because you are working the schedule around your family schedule. It makes it so that the times you might usually have to rest or spend time with your spouse instead spent editing or working on the business. At times, it can be hard to have boundaries and make sure you are putting the work down to rest and recharge.
Sometimes I feel pulled in two different directions. There are times in the day when my kids need or want my presence, and at the same time there are tasks that I need to get done or emails that need to be responded to. I have found some routines and systems that work for me, but it’s not always easy.
Additionally, it can be challenging to find time to do all of the tasks required of a mom, homemaker, and business owner and sometimes you have to prioritize by what is most urgent and let things be left for another time.
Despite these things, I still absolutely love my job. There are so many more positive things I could say about it and I am so grateful that I made the choice to start my photography business and stay home with my kids. If you are ready to start your photography business, check out the resources I offer for photographers here.