July 2025 – Richard Schulz

To monetize or not to monetize.

Instant noodles, curry flavor, topped with chili flakes. — Instant noodles and chili flakes.

Professional.

engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.

Professional photographer.

Over the past month, I’ve been considering the idea of moving from hobby photographer to professional photographer. Initially I’d only do this on a Sunday. You know, do it on the side. Part time. My train of thoughts were mostly along the lines of: Keep doing it until it can pay my rent. Then quit my day job and pursue it full time.

As I thought about this more and more I started wondering – is this a wise decision? Once I start doing this it will become a job. Suddenly the pressure to take photos isn’t only me telling myself to do it – now I have a paying client. Or two. I’m on the clock, have to finish this before this time tomorrow or don’t get paid.

Gone are the carefree times when I went out with my camera because I wanted to. Not because I have to. Gone are the walking slowly into to town and capturing misty mornings. Suddenly your hobby, which you enjoyed, is a job you hate. Or at very least dislike.

Vegetable soup with cauliflower, baby marrows, pumpkin and instant noodles. — Something for the winter evenings.

I think this is where it gets tricky.

If you’re eager to escape the rat race, or just move into a different direction, life as a professional photographer might not be as fun as you think. Once you accept money, it’s not friendly anymore. You create expectations. You tell people “I am good enough at this”. You sell yourself. You sell your work. Perhaps you start to corrupt the thing you enjoyed in the beginning.

This happened to me once before.

In another life I worked in IT. Hardware. Fixed printers, did a little bit of network related stuff, set up emails. Basic stuff. I wasn’t really happy with this. It was mundane. It was repetitive. Some months I had to wait for my salary.

Go into software development. It will be fun they said.

At first I was really excited. I would often think about how a teacher in school failed to teach me about programming yet I taught myself how to program within a few months. At first I did it as a hobby. Then I thought why not find some clients? Easy money. This turned into a full time job for a few years.

Today, even after being gently nudged by friends, I don’t want to see a line of code. I don’t hate it but it doesn’t give me the same amount of joy as it did when I only messed around with it.

It’s not the same anymore.

Chuck, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes on a bed of rice, — Dinner.

I think it will be exactly the same if I started taking money for photography. It will be great for a few months. Then the suck will start. Being told by people who have no idea about my craft how to do it. But I can’t tell them to get buggered because then I might not get more work. And if I don’t get more work I start to worry.

I’d end up in the same position I find myself in now. Not enjoying what I’m doing. With one major difference – now I destroyed the thing which helped me escape these bad times. What will the next stop be?

I recently read two newsletters which capture my thoughts much better. If you’re in two minds about whether you should / should not monetize your hobby give these a read. At very least you’ll walk away with a different perspective.

The first one is by Ali ‘O Keefe and you can find it here. If you’re not familiar with the concept of shit sandwich you will be after this. The next piece is by Razlyn Lysaught and you’ll find it here.

tl;dr

Doing a job which doesn’t fit into the idea of normal seems like a fun thing. You take lots of photos. Shoot with models. Travel to cool places. But it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it will suck. Sometimes you’ll have to eat some shit. Perhaps the same type you’d hope to escape when you embarked on this new journey.

If you’re on this journey I hope you don’t start hating your hobby. I’m still on the fence about taking money for photography. After reading two pieces above my thinking is different. Full time photography isn’t something I’d enjoy. I need to do something different. I get distracted easily. I want the photos I take to reflect something other than “I hate this gig”. I might do it for free, perhaps take a coffee as payment. But I want photography to be part of my journey. Just not as a full time paid up photographer.

Thanks for reading : )

Reset.

This particular draft has been lying in wait for at least four months.

Last edited 4 months ago.

In a way this is a taunt. The backend of a blogging platform mocking me. Showing me how much, or how little, a piece of writing can matter. Showing me how quickly time can go by and we can still hammer on one thing we want to do “one day”.

A key component to the things we do, particularly our hobbies, is time. Without time you can’t to anything. If you’re constantly working then you’re out of luck. Somewhere in the mad dash from 9-5, dealing with life, etc-etc you need to squeeze off some time if you are looking to pursue a hobby.

For the moment, forget about why you want to pursue this hobby. Each person has their own why and the purpose of this isn’t to find your why.

Over the past month I have been in a state of discontent. I won’t lie here – I am just not happy with how my life is proceeding at the moment. I have some of the basics down – job, income. But that’s it. I have nothing challenging me. The job I work is routine. Mundane. And it also occupies large chunks of me time. Too much for me.

For me, or for any creative, the problem is the discontent I feel has spilled into my photography & writing. Photography & writing, or your chosen art / hobby isn’t a standalone component of life. It is part of your life.

So when unhappiness, sadness, boredom, lack of interest drifts into you life it often seeps in. In my case it has seeped into my photos. It is there when I want to go out and take photos. I think “I’m not really in mood this morning” although I haven’t been out with my camera for a proper photography outing in months.

I think “What is the point of this?” when I know what the point is. It isn’t about the accolades, subs, likes, shares, restacks. No. I’ve moved past it, mostly. It doesn’t bother me if no one likes me writing. It doesn’t bother me if no-one likes my photos. If all my work fades into obscurity and you never hear from me again it’s fine.

But it bothers me when I don’t enjoy photography. It bothers me when I cannot find something worthwhile to write about. Writing and photography two of the few things in my life which keeps me going. If I let go of them I give in to the grind. If I snuff out the flames for these two passions, what do I have left?

This morning I sat down, after thinking about this for days on end. This way or that way. What to do. Where to turn.

I need a reset. Start from zero.

A different approach to my life. Because the mindset I have now isn’t good. It’s negative. It is depressing. I look at all the negative shit before I think about all the upsides. This is not a manifesto. It is not a call to arms. Nothing like that.

It’s a man struggling with life. And choices. It’s a person finding themselves in a difficult situation. Uncertainty about the future. Not sure about what will happen in the next month or two or six. We all have these from time to time. No one lives a life without some form of turbulence.

Here’s where the reset aspect is coming in. Take a step away from the rush of my photography and writing. Create a routine which allows me to manage things better.

Focus on my mental health. Crucial. I’ve been depressed for a large part of my adult life and the feeling isn’t anything new. Yet as I grow older I understand how dangerous a depressed mind can be. Soon you find yourself caring about nothing – what then?

Physical health. The last time I visited a gym was in 2024. After I lost my job in January ’24 I cancelled my contract. I loved the gym. The improvement, the people I met, the escape it offered was a huge part of my life. For the first two months after no gym I felt lost. I have some dumbbells at home and I could probably do bodyweight exercises but I don’t always feel like doing it.

tl;dr

It isn’t easy to turn a hobby into a financially viable thing. And if you managed to do it, how long before it becomes just another job to do?

Not everyone who throws their hat into the ring succeeds.

Perhaps the idea of working as a photographer / writer is a bit far fetched. It’s definitely not for everyone. Life doesn’t always work out how we’d like it to. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to do this – congratulations. If you haven’t been able to do this, or perhaps you feel this isn’t the path for you it’s okay.

Do photography as a hobby. Write for yourself. Find something else which holds your interest. Find something which truly makes you feel alive. Take photos on the weekend and enjoy writing whenever you find time.

Thanks for reading : )

A few photos from my morning walk.

Sunday morning.

A walk into town always leaves me feeling ready for the week ahead. It is probably the solitude which makes me enjoy this so much. Recharges my batteries drained by many face-to-face interactions. The birds chirping and cold air letting me know winter isn’t over by a long shot.

Early mornings also allow me to capture some beautiful silhouettes of objects in the neighborhood. A street lamp standing around idly. The palm tree just behind it. I am not 100% sure whether it’s a palm tree.

Street lamp silhouette against the sky. — Street lamp.

On a Sunday morning, this early, you’re hard pressed to find anyone on the street. And when you do find someone you know there is a purpose. To go to work. To head into town. On a Sunday you don’t want to be on the road unless you have to be somewhere. A busy week deserves a quiet ending.

A water tower.

Quiet observer as I walk past. It doesn’t ask any questions as I shoot it from the hip. The small camera struggling to focus but eventually gets there. It really needs the light. I also discovered thick gloves are great for keeping your fingers warm but not so great when operating a camera with tiny buttons.

The apartment complex I pass on my way home. Early morning sun cascading into the windows. It’s still quiet outside and I suspect many residents are still asleep. The church opposite the complex getting ready for the morning’s proceedings.

The last stop before I head to a coffee shop to end my weekly routine. This morning I didn’t find any coffee. Only gospel music played as loudly as possible. While I sat in the sun I thought about the road ahead for my Substack, about the week ahead at work and about my ideas of doing food photography.

I hope you’re having [ or had ] a relaxing Sunday. I’ve moved my computer into a smaller room which I hope will help me with creativity. Let’s called it an office for a lack of a better word.

Thanks for reading : )

Food photography.

Cooking is something I’ve always enjoyed doing.

First as a means to impress someone then moving into a way to improve myself. Having worked in a fast food restaurant for a long time the idea of cooking and taking photos of food is something close to my heart.

If I had the opportunity I’d cook everyday. Curry and rice, chicken and pasta with mushroom sauce. Pot roast with potatoes and carrots. Or a simple chuck stew. Nothing too serious but enough to keep myself fed.

Santoku or chef’s knife used for chopping. Smoked paprika. Chili flakes along with fresh thyme and rosemary from my small herb garden. Or mayonnaise mixed with hot sauce to ease the burn.

I try to make the simple things I cook the more interesting. Soup with a mix of vegetables. Instant noodles and curry vegetables. Or simple a frittata.

One thing about food photography which I still have to manage is the planning. Cooking a large meal for a few photos doesn’t fit into my budget at the moment. I mostly take photos after I’ve cooked something.

The ideal would be planning a meal and then photographing the process. From breaking the eggs to finishing the omelets. Hopefully this is something I’ll do in the not to distant future.

Thanks for reading : )

The power of early mornings.

I love the mornings.

It is the time when I have the most energy. Feel at my most creative. It’s the time [ in my opinion ] when I take the best photos. The streets are empty. No one notices a photographer. The light, or absence thereof, is great.

Orange, light blue, pink. The color swatch of the morning.

Blurry image of a few lights. — Specular.

In the mornings I have the most profound thoughts. Ideas of what to write. What to photograph. How to get out of a bad funk. I remember my ‘happiest’ times were just before work a few years ago – sitting down having a coffee and just scribbling in a notebook for one or two hours at a time.

I capture intimate moments.

A man sitting on the sidewalk, alone with his thoughts. Wondering perhaps where his next meal is coming from. Or the lady and her young daughter sitting on the side of the road – she wonders where life went wrong for her. Maybe someone on their way to an interview or starting a new job.

Or walking past an apartment complex and wonder what is going on behind drawn curtains.

Fog making everything look spooky. A few lone souls on their way somewhere. Just looking at this image takes my mind on a wild journey of exploration.

A photo of traffic lights on a misty morning. — Traffic.

A tree in a misty morning. Behind it a telephone pole and the side of a house. — I like photographing this tree.

Mornings offer great light. Especially winter mornings. The sun rises a lot later than usual which means lights stay on longer. Making eerie scene like the ones below much easier.