Making Money with Photography — Part 1: The Mindset That Matters
Forget the fluff. Here’s how I built a six-figure photography career—without weddings, gimmicks, or waiting for permission.
You probably won’t like this post. But if you’re serious about photography—not just as an art, but as a career—you need to read it anyway.
This isn’t another shallow listicle about “selling presets” or becoming an influencer. I’m going to break down how photographers actually make money. Consistently. At scale.
We’ll be blunt. We’ll be controversial. We’ll step on toes. And we’ll start with the part most photographers never want to hear:
You’ve been sold a dream. And if you keep chasing it, you’ll stay broke.
🧠 The Photographer’s Mentality (And Why It’s Killing Your Career)
Let me guess.
You still believe that good work gets discovered. That an editor will “see your potential.” That someday, someone will find your Instagram, email you out of nowhere, and give you your big break.
That world is dead.
Twenty years ago? Sure. You walked into a newsroom, the photo editor handed you assignments, and you went out and shot. End of the month? A salary in your account, enough for a lovely house, a decent car, and maybe a holiday or two. You were a working photographer and took pride in it.
Now?
That newsroom doesn’t exist. The photo editor manages TikTok Reels. And that steady income? Replaced by endless speculation, scraps of “exposure,” and micro-payments that barely cover a cappuccino.
But I’m not here to mourn it. I’m here to say: that’s freedom.
You no longer have to wait for permission. You don’t need a gatekeeper. You need a strategy. You need resilience. You need to start thinking like a business owner, not a hobbyist waiting to be discovered.
✅ “Here’s the raw truth: If you’re still sitting around hoping someone will give you a job in photography, you're already ten years behind.”
I’ve seen talented photographers self-sabotage for decades—hiding in WhatsApp groups with other under-earning peers, complaining about the industry, the agencies, the prices, the clients.
Please stop it.
Surround yourself with winners. Don’t take advice from anyone who isn’t making real money in this field. Stop aiming for a rental in the suburbs. Start aiming for a house in the hills. Then aim for the country estate.
Don’t settle for the Mazda when you could be driving the Range Rover.
Meet entrepreneurs. Learn how they think. Study pricing, marketing, and systems. Photography isn’t just a craft—it’s a business. And like any business, it demands clarity, scale, and speed.
💼 Why Listen to Me?
Because I’ve done the work. I never lived in the suburbs, and I’ve never driven a Fiat. That is for sure. I’ve collaborated with top UK and international agencies—Retna, Rex, Getty, Corbis, and more. I even co-founded a photographer-run agency distributed by Getty. It had a lot of potential. It failed. I learned. And I rebuilt.
Today, I split my time between Venice, Ljubljana, and Hungary. My Company is based in Monaco. I work with a network of talented photographers and advise agencies trying to stay relevant in a shifting market.
I know how to make photography pay. And I want to teach that—no fluff, no fake promises. Just real talk.
Why? Because when I was starting, senior photographers helped me. All the time. I wouldn’t be here without them. Now it’s my turn.
Portfolio Reviews & Consultancy
Want to tighten your portfolio or figure out how to approach agencies, editors, or news outlets? I offer one-to-one reviews and tailored advice based on 20+ years in editorial photography.
Learn more and book here → https://www.marcosecchi.com/services
And one more thing: don’t be afraid to be bold. Be opinionated. Be a pirate, not a sailor.
🧱 PREVIEW ENDS HERE
If this first part resonated, the real tactics are in the second half.
I break down two of the most crucial income streams that helped me build a sustainable photography business:
📸 1. Editorial, News & Feature Photography — how I stayed afloat when the editorial market collapsed, and what still works today.
📊 2. Stock Photography — how I approached it differently, and why it became a consistent income source, including over £100,000 in licensed images on Alamy alone.
👉 In Making Money with Photography, Part 2: The Work That Pays. I went deep into portraits, clients, and corporate work, how most pros actually earn
In Part 3, Everything Else (That Might Work) I wrapped up the series (for now) by diving into additional income streams: workshops, portfolio reviews, books, educational services, and more. It’s a practical look at what photographers can build beyond assignments and stock — and a setup for the next phase, where we’ll break down each of these activities in detail.
Subscribe here to unlock the full post. No fluff. No presets. Just what actually works — and what doesn’t.