(This is my fifth post in a series of entries I’m using to participate in Blaugust for 2026.)
Over on DIY Photography, Alysa Gavilan as a good introduction to freelance photography as a career. It’s worth a read if that’s something you or someone you know is seriously thinking about that as a choice.
I’m not summarizing articles here, but I’ve known a few freelancers and photography business owners (Are you a freelancer if you have employees?) and because of that I offer some additional advice:
Get a business degree.
No, seriously. Some of the most talented artists I know don’t have formal degrees in their craft, because it’s already their passion. They live and breathe that stuff, and the knowledge follows experience and sharing with others in the communities that form around their chosen media.
A photographer might not start out strong, but they get that way through trial an error.
You know what field is prohibitively expensive if you try to learn through trial and error? Business.
A 2 year business degree from a community college will give you the basics for how to start a company, handle billing, pay employees (you should be an employee of your business, even if it’s just you), get proper permitting and paperwork, and a bunch of stuff I don’t know because I’m not a freelancer.
I’m not saying a photography degree is worthless, far from it. I would love it if every artist had the time and money to get a degree in the media that is their passion, but that’s not the world we live in right now.
If you only have the finances for one degree, get the one that helps you manage those finances.
Then use it to make your love of photography profitable.
I think this might be a case where language differs across the water, as a business degree from my uni would not teach any of this stuff!
It might not be every business degree in the US, either, but I’m told there is a type of 2 year degree that caters specifically to future small business owners.