I wish someone told me this when I started…
When I was trying to make photography work as a business… I thought I was doing everything right.
I worked hard.
Kept improving my photos.
Said yes to every opportunity.
And showed up on social media, hoping the right client would find me.
But no matter how much effort I put in, things weren’t clicking.
I remember thinking:
“Why is this still not working… even though I’m actually good at this?”
I realized later… It wasn’t about working harder.
It’s that no one ever taught me how to build a freedom-based business as a creative.
These following 5 lessons changed everything for me - and I wish I’d learned them way earlier.
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But before we start, I'm opening the doors for the Photos to Profit Accelerator on Monday, the 31st.
I'll help 5 selected photographers build a freedom-based business so that they can:
land high-paying clients
create income stability, and
focus on what they love.
We already have over 110 people on the waitlist...
So don't hesitate to join too if you're interested at all.
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1) It’s not a photography skill issue
You don't need to be the best photographer in the world to get paid for your work.
"Funnily", you can be the best and struggle to get paid.
Back in the day, I believed it was enough that I had good photos...
But when things weren't working out, I discovered I was wrong.
Photography is less than 50% about succeeding in a photography-related business.
The skill of business is the most important part.
Do you have a no-brainer offer?
Do you have a simple strategy for getting clients?
Do you have a simple sales system to sell effectively?
I didn't have any of these.
No wonder I struggled to get enough gigs...
So ask yourself...
Do you have all those things going extremely well for you?
The answer is yes if you have lots of clients and make great money.
The answer is not yet, if you don't.
2) Taking random gigs is not a business model
I thought relying on random gigs was leading me to success.
The variety of gigs did excite me, and one can have variety, for sure.
But I realized I don't want to rely on random gigs.
When I was doing this part-time, that was fine.
No pressure to get money.
No worries whatsoever.
But to do this full-time... I wanted some predictability.
I know not having any predictability and saying yes to everything has led many photographers to burnout.
I didn't want that... so eventually, I switched up my business model to allow for long-term collabs.
And now, I have full-time income secured until the summer of 2026 WHILE having freedom (unless I make big investments in travels or my education... like I might).
3) Posting on social media without a clear offer isn’t a strategy
When I had my first big breakthrough in 2023... I wasn't making bank with Instagram, to be honest.
Yes, I still had made great money through art on Twitter...
But I didn't have anything I offered through Instagram.
This meant the views and followers didn't lead to money at that moment.
Everything starts with an offer.
Post on social media if you want (and it's GREAT for building long-term predictability)...
But know you must have an offer ALIGNED with what you make content of!
Otherwise, you won't make sales.
There are a lot of people with lots of followers who aren't making any money...
as they know the growth side but not the business side.
So don't blindly think views lead to money, as it doesn't.
But it does if you have a great offer aligned with those views.
4) Talent doesn't matter
Yes, my photos helped me stand out from others when I tried to get clients.
But lots of the time, it didn't matter.
If you show companies pretty photos, it doesn't mean they see the value of spending money on them.
When I switched from showing pretty photos to thinking:
How do I position my no-brainer offer to maximize its value?...
is when everything changed.
Companies don't buy photos because they're pretty.
They buy them when they see how they'll make them more money.
5) No one teaches creatives how to build a freedom-based business
When I started out, I had no guidance on how to build a business.
No wonder I had a hard time succeeding.
Some time after, I bought a course.
It was pretty insightful but still generic, and I was left with many questions, which I didn't get answers for for many years down the line.
Many years later, I got a mentor whose stuff was very good...
But his model felt not aligned with what I want to do.
It felt he wanted to just maximize money - not live a life of freedom.
For me, having freedom has always been incredibly important.
I didn't want to be stuck in a 9-5...
I wanted to travel. Enjoy life. And this led to me starting my business.
But I didn't want my business to become a new 9-5...
Many photographers say:
I quit 9-5 just to work 24/7...
But it doesn't need to be that way.
It doesn't need to make you feel stuck or burned out.
Yes, business isn't easy... but neither is staying stuck in a life you can't enjoy to the fullest.
Having freedom is the priority for my business, and I realized many photographers weren't aware of a path like this.
Personally, all I need is my laptop and wi-fi to get income. That's it.
There are 2 best paths to making a freedom-based business - and these are part of the Freedom Photographer Model™ I've developed:
1) The Freedom Client Path™
You work with selected clients who offer you the freedom and income you desire.
2) The Freedom Coaching Path™
You teach what you know online - and you get to focus on what kind of photos you take on the side.
There's no one best path out of those.
It's about what you prefer.
If you missed last week’s letter, I broke down the Client Path™ vs. Coaching Path™ in more detail here.
The summary & next steps
I wish someone had told me this stuff when I was starting.
It would’ve made things a lot easier.
That’s why I built the system I now teach - to help photographers go full-time, get high-paying clients, and build a business that gives them freedom - without losing the joy of photography.
Now, I spend my days helping photographers make that happen.
Not by spamming 200 cold emails per day or taking every low-paying gig to stay afloat…
But by building a freedom-based business that gives you stability, creative control, and a life you actually love.
It’s called Photos to Profit Accelerator™ - my 1:1 mentorship for photographers who:
are just starting their business journey, or
have been at it for a while, but want more consistency and better clients
On Monday, March 31st, I’m opening only 5 spots.
And I’ll be personally selecting who gets in.
If you want the best chance of being considered...
Click here to join the waitlist.
Till next emails,
Hugo
