In 2008, I started photography from my dorm room. My goal is to become a professional photographer. It’s not easy, especially at the height of the recession, but I’m glad I never gave up.
Today, at age 35, I am a self-made millionaire and run my wedding photography and education business, Katelyn James Photography. With my husband Michael, who joined us as Chief Financial Officer in 2013, we have helped more than 100,000 people learn photography.
By 2022, we’re making $240,000 a month – 80% of which I put back into the business. About $230,000 of our monthly revenue is passive income from our online courses and training materials.
Now I work only four hours a day and shoot about four weddings a year.
From $750 to $160,000 in one day
In the first year of the side hustle, I was a full-time student, but I still worked 40 or more hours a week.
My rates start low: $750 for six hours of photography and editing. As my skills improved, I started charging more. And in 2013, I made six figures.
I was lucky to have a great mentor, Jasmine Star, who photographed her own wedding. I also took some online courses, attended workshops, and took on free projects to build my portfolio.
But there weren’t many affordable photography trainings, so I started sharing tips on my blog. About eight years ago, I realized that online photography education could be a scalable business.
Through word of mouth and a consistent social media presence, I built an email list of 7,600 photographers who wanted to learn from me. All the while, I developed outlines, designed workbooks through Adobe InDesign, and recorded and edited course content with the help of a videographer friend.
The majority of Katelyn’s income is from photography courses and training materials.
Photo: Abby Grace Branding
In November 2015, Michael and I launched our first online training program to teach photographers how to edit and streamline their workflow. The course costs $397, a more accessible price point than a semester-long college photography class.
The goal is $15,000 in total sales. But the first day, because of the trust we built with our customers over time, we earned more than $160,000.
Bridging the photography knowledge gap
The success of my first course showed that it is more important to make photography education accessible, than to just shoot parties and keep increasing the price.
We have created over a dozen courses, e-books and downloadable templates for various photography skills. Our resources are inspired by questions asked by our online community of over 70,000 people, and cover topics like couple posing and natural light photography.
We also have a membership product, KJ All Access. For $29 a month, photographers of all experience levels can follow me around shooting events and handle all the unpredictable situations – like a wedding dress covered in mud or weather delays.
New videos are shot by my videographer, edited by me, and released monthly. Members also have access to a library of past videos.
Our goal is to change people’s lives
I love my job. Being in full control of our schedule has allowed my husband and I to spend more time with our three children, and to pursue projects we are excited about.
This year, we founded a school geared towards entrepreneurial families called Acton Academy West End. We focus on equipping children ages five to eight with the tools to discover their unique passions through hands-on activities.
Whether we’re creating tools that teach photographers how to build careers that support their families, capture wedding moments, record podcasts, or simply share the ups and downs of our daily lives on social media, we want our lives and our businesses to thrive. life changing.
Katelyn Alsop is a business coach and founder of Katelyn James Photography. More than 100,000 students worldwide use the platform to learn about photography and entrepreneurship. He is also the co-founder of Acton Academy West End. Follow him Facebook, Instagram and Youtubee.
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