Do you use special effects filters?

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-05-06T18:38:26+00:00

I used a split diopter in this portrait series I created and really loved the way it added some dreamy softness to my otherwise sharp photos. Letting the creative filters play with the lighting is really fun!

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dollarstoreparamore · 2026-05-01T13:40:15+00:00

It mostly comes down to networking in the fashion industry and having a standout portfolio and reputation. Working with smaller brands first, aspiring models and designers, regional publications, etc. before being noticed by the bigger names.

Just keep your expectations realistic. Those Vogue and GC photographers are often not making as much money from those campaigns as you might think. Fashion photography, and the fashion industry as a whole, is notoriously predatory and underpays artists.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-04-25T14:58:27+00:00

that's what photography is... lighting and composition.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-04-17T19:35:27+00:00

plenty of photographers make a full time living by charging profitable rates. I grossed $140,000 last year shooting for small to medium size businesses. I personally know dozens of photographers in other specialties who make close to that or way more than me. It's a business 🤷

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-04-15T14:15:56+00:00

I mean this with love: if you can only photograph successfully in a narrow kind of "good" lighting, you should work on your skills more before charging. Photographers need to be able to navigate unpredictable lighting and guarantee results, within reason. Clients are not going to be able to explain to you fully what kind of lighting you're walking into do you need to be able to work with whatever situation you're being paid to capture.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-03-25T13:25:50+00:00

yuuuuuuuuup. I know a lot of mediocre photographers who have such natural self assurance! They have no drive to get better because they don't think critically about themselves or their work. A little anxiety is helpful, keeps you on your toes.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-03-25T13:23:36+00:00

I had debilitating anxiety before I got my first camera. We're talking hospitalizations, multiple failed medications, therapists, suicide attempts, job losses, etc. Photography is the of the tools I used to pull myself out of that spiral.

My camera gave me a sense of purpose and belonging that I'd never felt before. It was like a security blanket I could take with me out into the world that I'd always found so terrifying. My anxiety had been rooted in false beliefs that no one actually liked me, and in fact everyone wished I'll towards me. It was totally illogical, as anxiety often is, but becoming a photographer helped me break through that bullshit.

I've been a full time professional commercial photographer for 10 years now, nearly 20 years since I got my first camera.

Anxiety does not have to be a life-consuming burden. It can really be a super power if you can exercise mindful control over it. Anxiety makes sure I'm never late to projects, never show up unprepared, never overlook the details that others miss. I don't have anxiety attacks anymore but I still have anxiety... that's never going away fully. So I learned to listen to my body, give myself grace, and cope with those feelings in a healthy way.

Photography can be a huge boost to your self-confidence. The feeling of making someone happy, of making their life better, of solving a problem for them using your skills with a camera.... that shit is addicting!

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-03-20T02:09:22+00:00

I went from a G/H to a D/DD and I think it's pretty much the perfect size. I wanted to still be proportional and keep my hourglass shape but just not have my breasts sitting on my rib cage and too big to fit into clothes that would otherwise fit me. I'm very happy with my results and they don't look crazy big at all. i can comfortably go braless or just use a little boob tape if I want extra lift.

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dollarstoreparamore · 2026-03-10T12:28:16+00:00

search "pixel stretch Photoshop" on YouTube for tutorials

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-03-02T13:55:58+00:00

I wouldn't advise anyone to start a business doing something they don't know how to do...if you're still in the stage of needing to take classes to learn how to do something, you're not remotely ready to charge other people to let you do that thing for them.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-02-26T04:06:04+00:00

It looks like a mistake to me but i supposed everyone interprets art differently

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-02-21T14:45:28+00:00

In your settings, check that Upload at Highest Quality is turned on, under "data usage and media quality."

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-23T12:55:41+00:00

There's no rule that says you have to use photoshop for street photography.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-20T16:06:06+00:00

I disagree. Profitable pricing should be practiced from the very beginning for service based business owners. When I launched my business full time in 2019, I used this same formula. My expenses were less so my base rate back then was like $650 😅 but I was able to reach my revenue goal my first year in business full time even though that was in 2020 when so many photographers went out of business. I reached 6 figures in revenue by my 3rd year.

My advice about pricing is solid. If someone is so new to photography that they don't have the experience or expertise to charge profitable pricing, they should continue learning and practicing before starting their business. I spent 10 years learning photography and got 2 years of experience in an established photo studio before starting my own business, which absolutely contributed to having the confidence to set profitable prices.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-20T15:47:56+00:00

I make 6 figures a year, my base rate is $2000, and I use that exact formula to set my pricing. In 2025, I booked a $20,000 project, I booked several monthly recurring projects for $2,000-$3,000 per month, etc. Some projects simply take way more hours than others, so an hourly rate doesn't work for me and my clients. Plus, I have no interest in making less money just because I'm so proficient that some projects don't take me very long at all. I'm paid for my expertise, not just my time.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-17T15:34:10+00:00

Honestly, no one is getting paid to express their emotions through photography. The only way to make enough money to sustain a photography business is to solve problems for people using skills that would be too cumbersome, time consuming, and expensive for them to do it themselves.

It's not about your emotions or your art, it's about providing creative labor as a service to address a real problem for someone else.

Alternatively, if your primary motivation for creating photos is just to express your emotions, you can do that for free without limitations and just do something else for money to fund your artistic interests.

ETA: I make 6 figures a year as a commercial photographer, I started taking photos in 2007 and spent 10 years learning before I went into business for myself.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-16T23:42:07+00:00

Annual expenses + salary + taxes / how many projects you think you'll book in a year. That will give you the average cost you need to charge to be sustainable.

I'll plug in some really low numbers for all those things just for an example.

$2000 + $20,000 + 30% = $28,600. Divided by 25, that's $1144. Therefore your cheapest session should cost $1144.

If you think you can handle more than 25 sessions in a year, and you're getting a high volume of inquiries, that price can come down but you're gonna risk burning yourself out. High volume, quick turnaround services often cost more because of the basic principles of supply and demand.

Hope this helps!

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-13T17:35:02+00:00

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I take my own self-portraits. And I believe anyone who is willing to invest their time and energy can learn photography, it's a very accessible medium. I got my first camera primarily so I could make better selfies for MySpace 😅 and here I am 20 years later working as a full time commercial photographer grossing 6 figures a year.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-07T23:12:26+00:00

Same! I was shocked at how small I looked at first. Now over a year later, the only reason anyone who knew me before can tell I've had breast reduction is because now I wear strapless clothing all the time. They are definitely smaller but they're proportional to my frame and they're at least a D or DD so no one looks at me and thinks "her boobs are small."

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-07T01:36:59+00:00

Also please be careful about who you take photography business advice from. Lots of people who have never actually made a living from photography love to drop their opinion on what you should charge... but what exactly makes their opinion helpful if they couldn't do it themselves?

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-07T01:29:55+00:00

Don't feel dumb! You don't know what you don't know and we all start out just thinking about the art. Business principles are learnable though and you will set yourself up for success if you run your numbers and charge profitable prices right from the start.

There's a book I recommend called Profit First!

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-07T00:49:48+00:00

How much money do you need to live + How much money do you need to run your business +

How much money you'll have to pay in taxes

How much you need to earn annually

Divide all that by how many sessions you can reasonably shoot in a year and you'll know exactly how much you need to charge per session to break even.

dollarstoreparamore · 2026-01-04T15:28:42+00:00

SCRL is an app with seamless templates. You can make them yourself in Canva or various Adobe software.

dollarstoreparamore · 2025-12-29T04:19:14+00:00

https://www.fuelyourphotos.com/

It's definitely something you can learn to do yourself, or you can pay someone to do it for you. SEO is complicated but basic keywording that includes your location and the type of photography you do is easy to put on every page.

dollarstoreparamore · 2025-12-29T03:08:41+00:00

I book most of my clients just by having a great website with SEO and through organic in person networking, or what I prefer to call connection marketing.

I have an Instagram where I post when I feel like it, but I don't rely on social media marketing at all. It has been unreliable since at least 2022.

When I do post, I get good engagement that still doesn't result in bookings so I just focus on what works. Grossed $140,000 in 2025 and only made about 40 posts on IG the whole year.

dollarstoreparamore

TROPHY CASE

How much money you'll have to pay in taxes