The Truth About Being a Photographer in 2025

This year has been unpredictable to say the least. So many economic changes has made me question the sustainability of a photography business in 2025. I think that creative businesses in general have a hard time positioning themselves beyond a luxury service, and when the economy is on the a downtrend, those difficulties can grow.

But as we’re basically halfway through the year, I’ve decided not to allow the trends in the economy deter me from doing what I love, but instead revamp my plan. I believe that there is always a market for what you provide, it’s about positioning, creativity, and confidence in who you are.

If you’re like me, wondering what the rest of the year and beyond will take you, keep reading to see my gameplan for my photography business in 2025.

But first…my hard truths.

1. My clients have reduced this year
2. I haven’t felt inspired in the last few months
3. Posting to social media hasn’t even been at the bottom of my priority list

Although I hate to admit these truths, it’s important to address them so I can hold myself accountable moving forward.

2025 Midyear Photography Gameplan

Alright, let’s jump right into the plan.

1. Commit to posting on social media

Social media has become a vital aspect of our day, and it’s become especially important for creatives running a business. Even so, I have struggled with posting on social platforms lately.

I miss the days where social media was about being expressive and sharing parts of your life with a small online community. Being a part of social media felt authentic and personal — something I strive for in my work.

These days, social media feels draining because it’s become about likes, algorithms, and brand deals. While all that is a great addition, trying to keep up with these new standards takes away from creating art for art’s sake.

Social media gameplan

I’ve come to the conclusion that social media is a necessity in 2025 to increase reach, but that’s it. I don’t want to consume myself with how many likes I’ve received or whether I land a brand deal.

My plan is to post my photography to see my work live in different spaces, with the hopes that it reaches a community that values my work. But my social media platforms don’t define me, so I won’t worry about it beyond that.

2. More cold emailing

I’m pretty certain no photographer prefers the business side of photography. It’s honestly time consuming, tedious, and a bit boring. But, if we are to make a career out of photography, we’ll need a solid plan to bring in clients.

With that said, cold emailing doesn’t get talked about enough. I personally find cold emailing to be effective based on the fact that more often than not, I get a response from a potential client interested in working together.

Now, I do contribute some of that success to other things that go into cold emailing, like getting the best contact person, having quality sample images, having a memorable headline, and a straight-to-the-point but effective body message that adds value.

Client gameplan

The goal with cold emailing is quality over quantity. So, I plan to research 1-2 businesses a week, taking the time to see where I might fit in, preparing my samples, and crafting my message. Ideally, I would like to increase my response rate over time by finding quality leads and ensuring I assert my value.

3. Sell photography prints

One thing that’s really important to me is seeing and experiencing my work outside of digital platforms. The internet is a crowded place and everything is consumed quickly, making it challenging for an artist’s work to truly live.

Physical prints extends the life of artwork and allows the viewer to appreciate work much longer. I’m excited to share a variety of print sizes and see my work exist in various spaces.

Print gameplan

To be honest, I’m still figuring out all of the odds and ends of selling prints. I know I’ll be housing my prints on my website, but I have several things that I want to map out before launching such as:

• Deciding on my first photo series
• Knowing what other marketplaces I plan to use in addition to my website.
• Selecting a print lab service
• Ensuring quality print materials

As I map out my print gameplan, I’ll share my process for any other photographer’s or artists intersted in selling prints.

4. Dedicate more time to my blog

Alright, so in addition to not really being active on social media, I’ve also struggled with consistently posting content to my blog due to my busy schedule. But I have a lot of ideas to share and conversations about navigating life as a photographer.

One of my goals is to build a community for photographers and artists where we can connect, share ideas, learn, and grow in an authentic space. But to do that, that means I have to commit to being consistent.

Blogging gameplan

I’m not too concerned with keeping up with Google’s algorithm (though it’s kind of important these days). I’m moreso interested in building a small community that will grow overtime.

To keep myself accountable, I plan to post at least 3x a week, even if it’s just a short post to drop in and say hello. But of course I’ll also have planned content for those on a journey like myself looking to grow and explore photography.

p.s. You can help keep me accountable by recommending some topics you would like me to talk about

Learning, Growing, and Enjoying Photography in 2025

The truth is that I’ve always been creative growing up and I’ve always been better at expressing myself visually and through written words. Photography has been one of my favorite ways to communicate my perspective of the world, highlight the things that attract me in this world, and inspire others to explore their environment like I strive to do everyday.

Being a successful photographer in 2025 is most certainly possible, regardless of what the market looks like. I encourage everyone to continue creating and find an artist community that is supportive of that journey.