I’ve been asked before how exactly I make a living as a photographer, especially since I apparently spend so much time doing urban or street photography. To answer that question, I made a vlog: How I Make a Living as a Street Photographer. The gist of it is that I don’t really make a living directly from street photography, but I have plenty of work that’s closely related. Although I like the casual conversational style of the vlog, I felt it wasn’t quite comprehensive enough, so here is a concise and precise summary of how I turned my love of street photography into a living.
1. EYExplore Photography Workshops
First and foremost, I spend plenty of time running my business, along with my co-founder, Axel. We first got together in 2014 and established the company in late 2015. We provide what we call ‘Photo Adventures’ which are a mix between a city tour and a photography workshop. We go heavy on the coaching and teaching but the sessions last only between 3-6 hours, making them a bite-size learning experience well-suited for travelers.
This venture has become my full-time job, though it’s much more flexible than a typical job while at the same time requiring my full commitment during the busy seasons in spring and fall. I love being an educator in photography, and I get to explore the city and do street photography for a living! Of course, the global crisis has put a complete stop to international tourism. Since nearly all of our clients were traveling to Japan, business is at a standstill. But I’m confident it will pick up eventually. It’s only a matter of when, not if.
Shot for Nikon: pure street photography.
2. Freelance Photography Related to Street Photography
My second occupation is as a freelance photographer working for commercial clients and magazines doing what I would consider editorial or commercial work. This includes articles for travel and lifestyle magazines, which tend to be about documenting something or someone in Tokyo. This also includes editorial photos used in campaigns by various brands, such as the projects I’ve done for Nikon, Toshiba, Van Moof, etc. For all of these jobs I was hired partially based on the strength and style of my personal work, mostly street and urban photography. In many cases the creative directors who I worked with would include some of the photos from my site in the brief and more or less say to me, “we want this style but…” and then explain how it should fit into their vision.
A planned shot for Van Moof, but shot very much in a candid street style.
Everything that I learned by doing street photography is also applicable to these projects. I have to think and see like a street photographer even though technically I’m doing something much more controlled and less candid. The only exception was the Nikon project, in which I had to go out and do real candid street photography all around the city. Basically, had free reign creatively as long I used the gear that was featured in the campaign, and as long as the photos fit the theme: Cutting through the Chaos. This was an amazing opportunity, and I was extremely lucky to get this gig!
A moment during a corporate presentation, but shot with a street photography approach.
3. Event Photography
Sometimes I shoot business events and the like. I treat these assignments very much like street photography. I’m looking for candid expressions, decisive moments, creative compositions, and clean framing, all with the goal of telling the story and capturing the mood or energy of the event. This is a lot like street photography, except the major difference is the venue. Also, longer lenses tend to be at play and there is some additional pressure to get the shot, but I still find this kind of photography related to street photography when it comes to the skills that I use and the enjoyment that I get from the work.
A true street photograph shot in the context of an editorial project with largely planned photos.
Another pure street shot for Nikon: Cutting through the Chaos. Quite proud of this one.
4. Photo Licensing
Over the years I’ve licensed photos that I’ve previously taken. They were used for a number of purposes from magazine articles to music album art to product promotional art. Generally, clients will license a photo as a one off and that’s that. But once in a while a recurring licensing agreement comes up. For example, I had the pleasure of working with a Swedish fashion brand for about one year on an ongoing basis. They licensed my photos for their social media, purchasing about 4-5 photos a month either from my archive or fresh images that I shot that month with their art direction in mind. I also employ copyright protection services to go after companies who use my work without authorization. I’ve even used legal services to seek compensation. Protect your copyright! All in all, licensing is a small part of my photography business.
One of my latest prints now available on my site!
5. Fine Art Prints
Finally, I’m just getting into it, but I am selling prints of my work. I’ve sold quite a few prints over the years using online fulfillment services, but only recently did I prepare and procure custom prints from a local print studio here in Tokyo. I can’t say I make a living selling prints just yet, but it is my goal for the future. If you’re interested in a print, please check out my print studio!
So that about covers it! As I said, no one hires me directly for street photography, but all of the above work is in some way related to street photography, some more closely than others. In any case, I’m incredibly lucky to be able to spend the bulk of my time on endeavors that so closely relate to something I’m extremely passionate about. And in some ways, it might be a good thing that my job is only related to my passion, as for many people passion can wane when the thing they love becomes a mere job.