It’s easy to look at a photographer from the outside and think, “She’s got her act together,” or “Can I ever give up wedding photography to shoot what I really want?” 

I’ve been a professional photographer for 13 years, and believe it or not, there were times I wanted to give up. Wondered what I’d gotten myself into. Felt so tired of my work and wanted to change, but didn’t know how.

I started in portrait photography, but after a few years, that felt stale…uninspiring. Since that was my bread & butter at the time, I was scared to switch to what really lit me up, architectural and product photography. I needed to change, but didn’t know how.

Bottom line, I wanted a photography mentor! As I grew in my profession, I promised myself that, someday, I’d mentor other photographers, regardless of where they are in their career. More about that in a bit!

Here are six things I wish a photography mentor would have told me way back when:

1. Shift your mindset. In the beginning, I felt like I couldn’t make a living unless I stuck with photographing weddings and portraits. But that grew stale, and I needed a change. So I started telling myself that I CAN make a living doing what I love. Be willing to do the hard work of developing your skills, believe that your value equals a fair market price, and above all, believe that it CAN happen.

2. Create an entrepreneur tribe. It’s super important to have friends who do what you do, but it’s also important to seek other business owners. Bounce ideas off them, vent occasionally, and build a supportive network. Along the way, I’ve made friends with a web/brand designer, other photographers, an event planner, an artist, and even a health coach! You never know how you can help each other.

3. Who’s your ideal client? Who you want to work for is just as important as what you want to photograph. My vision is: “I want to photograph beautifully designed interiors for local interior designers who place a high value on professional photography to advance their marketing goals.” My ideal client is kind, trusts me to get the job done, is knowledgeable in their field, generous, and grateful. This vision has saved me from taking on projects that don’t fuel my creativity or align with my business practices. 

4. Care for yourself. Photographers can quickly burn through their creativity, along with feeling drained, both mentally & physically. I now set aside one day/week for rest. No work, no social media, nothing. Instead, I do hobbies, take naps, spend time with family & friends, and recharge. And guess what? I come back recharged and ready to go! When I’ve really felt burned-out and wanted to quit, I’ve given myself the gift of a longer break to re-assess. It’s the pause I need to continue creatively.

5. Welcome feedback. I’ll admit, I’m not always super welcoming of feedback. Sometimes it takes me a few days to accept it. But I’ve learned that when I accept feedback from clients or my entrepreneur tribe, I keep growing. And that keeps me going. 

6. Ditch the pressure. I got to a point where portrait photography wasn’t giving me the juice I needed. Around that time, a friend asked me to photograph the cookies he had just baked for his business. The timing was great, because this turned out to be the creative project I needed to start me in commercial photography. 

Since learning these tips, I’ve branched out to follow my true passion of architectural and brand photography, along with building clients in the food photography industry. And like I said above, I promised myself that I’d mentor other photographers and small business owners who, like me, feel like they need a change but aren’t sure what to do next.

If this is you, I’d love to help! My new photography mentoring program launches September 25, 2024 and I designed it to help you and encourage you to make the most of your passion in photography. To sign up or to learn more, email me at caitlinantje@gmail.com. 

And one final tip – along the way, make sure to take time to admire your progress and skills. You’ve come a long way and there’s so much more to discover!