It’s shocking to realize that this year is nearly over. November ended up being my second-least busy month out of the year. This was partially due to a long weekend vacation up north to Whistler, thus becoming a second annual holiday tradition. For the first time in a long time, I left all electronics at home except for my Moto Z cell phone. The fresh air and snowboarding activity were a welcome break away from laptops and cameras and gave me time to do some much-needed reflection about the purpose of Intrepid Freelancer. More on that below!
November 2016 Photography Business Stats
Monthly Highlights Series
11
Photo shoots completed
*6 less than October
55.3
Business miles driven
*78.8 less than October
100.46
Hours worked for the month
*39.61 less than October
75
Miles walked
*43.8 less than October
0
Miles ran
*21.7 less than October
Resources Used for Monthly Stats
QuickBooks Accounting Software
What Went Well
Photography
Based on the stats alone, it looks like November was a total slacker month. In some ways, it was. But I also did my fair share of work in the first half of the month. I had the honor of working with Restoration Hardware to photograph the swankiest party I’ve attended in Seattle in a long time in celebration of their brand new store opening. I also worked with several local restaurants to photograph their grand openings. And honestly, that was about all of the photography excitement that went on in November.
Oh, I also took the plunge and invested in my most expensive lens for my Sony a6300 mirrorless camera: a 24-240mm zoom lens. I got a wicked deal on Craigslist for a heavily discounted, hardly used lens. Although I have yet to use this lens, I’m looking forward to having it in my travel photography gear kit.
Published Writing and Photography Tutorials on DPS
HoldFast Money Maker Leather Camera Strap Review
Snapped one of my all-time favorite photos in November at the grand opening party of RH Seattle.
Intrepid Freelancer Refocusing
The most exciting thing that happened in November, has to do with this blog. You might have noticed some new details on the blog, such as a free download of “10 Ways to Make Money from Photography,” and other things hinting at monetizing photography. It’s all a part of a larger refocusing of content that I am planning for this blog.
This year was a rough one for Intrepid Freelancer, the blog. I took several months off from posting, and when I did publish a post, the topics were all over the place. Intrepid Freelancer has always had a bit of an identity crisis. Is it a personal blog? A business blog? A blog about travel? Or a photographer blog? These were the questions that were running through my head during my Thanksgiving ski vacation.
What I ultimately concluded is this: Intrepid Freelancer aims to help others learn how to make money from photography. It’s the marriage of business and photography, which are two subjects I’m very passionate about and am decently skilled at. In the next few months, I’ll be pumping out quite a bit of new content, all focusing on the theme of monetizing photography and building a photography business. Keep an eye out on the site, particularly the Start Here page, which is in progress to act as a directory for the whole site.
Speaking of new content, I would love your input. If you have a moment, please fill out my reader survey below and tell me what your biggest pain point is when it comes to photography.
A cell phone photo. DId I mention how much I love my Moto Z Force Droid?
24-240 is my main lens, always on my camera. And you don’t have to worry about it not being crisp at full zoom. Maybe the best lens I’ve ever had. Enjoy.
Our last comment conversation totally made me start looking into this lens. Thanks for the suggestion–I can’t wait to start using it 🙂
Yea, I thought we had talked about that lens. I love it, but I miss the 18-300 I used when I didn’t have a full size sensor.