The Photography Income Dance
It’s amazing how fast things change or evolve in the photography business. If you aren’t adaptable and cannot change or do not like change, you will be out of this business fast.
Snapshot of my income by percentages and genre.
1999: mid 5 figure gross
30% editorial photography
70% weddings
2002: I probably grossed 6 figures for the first time in my life and for each year after 2002
10% editioral
20% advertising
30% stock image royalities
40% weddings
2005: definitely grossed low 6 figures
60% stock
40% national advertising campaigns and relicensing of campaign images.
2007:
50% stock
20% national advertising campaigns
30% teaching income
2009:
25% stock
20% weddings
5% writing for photography publications
5% national advertising campaigns
15% local advertising and editorial photography jobs
30% teaching
One Response to “The Photography Income Dance”
Chris New says:
July 8, 2010 at 12:41 am
Take what you can get!
I just added some product shots to my site and it’s looking pretty diverse now.
I swore off weddings before I started school. HA! Youthful idealism. Now I’d shoot them every weekend if they were available.
Well, maybe every other weekend.