[AMA] I Quit My IT Job of 16 Years to Follow My Passion and Become Wedding Photographer

itstuan on 11/09/2019 - 21:46

I worked in the IT industry (network & system support role) for about 16 years. I completed my master degree in 2007 while working full time. But in the end I threw it all away to follow my passion for photography and became a full time wedding photographer.
I shot my first wedding in 2011 when opportunity came knocking, and fell in love with it. The satisfaction I get from capturing a beautiful photo and see the happy reaction from the newlyweds is far more than what working in IT had ever given me. So I spent the next few years learning about photography (mostly self taught, workshops and watching online tutorials). I started shooting more and more weddings while working full time in IT and quite enjoyed doing that. Until I became working long hours 6-7 days a week and got no more time left for family.
In 2018, I took the plunge and became full time wedding photographer.

Ask me anything :)

Introduce Yourself

closed Comments

  • moar bargains on 12/09/2019 - 22:34

    Good for you OP!

    What's the most challenging part of your new career/profession (other than the business management side of it)?

    What do you do for a hobby now?

    • itstuan on 12/09/2019 - 23:30
      +1

      You put me on the spot there. I haven’t thought about having another hobby apart from photography. Does shooting models count? I love Peter Coulson works and always want to do that in my spare time.
      The biggest challenge for me now is to manage the time right & be more productive, I seem to get distracted easily

  • [Deactivated] on 12/09/2019 - 22:37

    Refer to username

  • TimApple on 12/09/2019 - 22:41

    how much do you make as a wedding photographer?

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 01:05

      My first year being full time photographer made me around 50k. But I reinvested most of it back into the business. I’m planning to double that by next year.

  • cheng2008 on 12/09/2019 - 23:03
    +1

    Hey Tuan, I've been thinking about getting a side gig as a photographer. I was wondering how you got started? Did you start with friends or colleagues or strangers, for cash, fun, etc? How did you get your word out there in the beginning and after you started getting some jobs?

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 01:02
      +13

      Back in 2011 when i was taking pics for fun, a friend was getting married & asked if I’m interested to shoot her wed. There was only little pay but I did it anyway for experience. The pics turned out good.
      Then I got some more candid shots from attending friend’s weddings & put together a portfolio with Wix website & FB page. Then I listed it on easyweddings directory & got few jobs out of it. Then came client referrals and google seo, FB ads etc…
      If you want to start it as a side gig (wedding?) try build up portfolio by
      1. taking shots from friends weddings (as a guest)
      2. contact them and ask if you could tag along to their shoot to get some shots, with the ok from the main photographer too of course.
      3. Organise some TFP style shoot
      4. Make a decent website and try learn as much as you can about google seo
      5. List your website on every free directory
      6. Contact other photographers in your area and ask to assist them. It might just be low pay or even free too if there’s a great photographer. The experience you get from watching other established photographers working is priceless.
      7. Networking with a lot of people from same or different industries
      8. Be patience

      Hope that helps

      • cheng2008 on 14/09/2019 - 02:54

        That's very helpful, thanks.

        Yes I've been thinking about getting into weddings/portraits/family/lifestyle/modelling photography, just something to do with people I guess. I've done a bit of 1 and 2 previously, helping friends out by taking photos at their weddings as secondary photographer, I've also done some baby photos. I'm trying to do step 3 at the moment, contacting friends/acquaintances and seeing if they want their photo taken. If that works out maybe I'll move onto steps 4 and beyond.

        I've been using a lot of film cameras lately and I'm thinking of specialising and differentiating myself by going exclusively film from day 1, assuming I start a business. What do you think?

        • itstuan on 14/09/2019 - 21:57

          I think you should stick to a particular niche and focus all your energy in, will it be wedding? or portrait? or family/newborn? or event & lifestyle? You will do much better that way.
          About film photography, I think it has very small selective audience. Image quality comparing to digital is huge. Not sure if you can find a market? What about establish yourself using digital photography first, and when you got your name out there, start film as a project? Just a thought.

          • cheng2008 on 15/09/2019 - 18:56

            @itstuan: Yep, I think I'll try shooting more and consolidating on a certain area, thanks.

  • CVonC on 13/09/2019 - 03:14
    +1

    slight deja vu

    Although it seems like he's no longer a wedding photographer…

  • TheBird on 13/09/2019 - 08:22
    -1

    I have a wedding you could shoot for free.. It'll be great exposure for you ;)

    I'm going the other direction to you. From film to software development.

    How often are you getting people trying to get you to work for peanuts/free?

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 09:35
      +1

      Hahah I’d take it if I was to put a foot in the industry 8 yrs ago. If it was your wedding coming up, congrats!
      Interesting, did you always dream of becoming a software developer?
      Every now and then there are couples who spend so much on everything else except photography which is the most important thing, the only thing will last years after the wedding day. But somehow they got a very small budget for it. People often don’t see the value of precious lifetime memory when comparing to a fancy cake or bouquet.
      Not to mention countless hours of post production & editing we’re putting into it
      Being a software developer, you probably experiencing the same?

      • TheBird on 15/09/2019 - 00:22

        Hahah I’d take it if I was to put a foot in the industry 8 yrs ago. If it was your wedding coming up, congrats!

        Soz, sarcasm doesn't convey well on the net sometimes. It was the old exposure joke I'd hear all the time. Married a long time back. I used to get asked fairly often to accept exposure dollars when I started getting back into film.

        did you always dream of becoming a software developer?

        Not overly. I've always dabbled in software development since I was a kid but never took it seriously. I picked a couple of industries that collapsed (internet cafe, event management), and I'm starting over again.

        Being a software developer, you probably experiencing the same?

        I'm kind of in an unusual spot. I'm sure if I was freelancing I might be having those issues. For the most part, work lets me pick and choose what I want to work on (it was film based, but it's now shifted over to software and web) but I'm really early in the experience cycle for software development. The pay isn't great, but the freedom of direction has a lot of value for me right now. In all honesty, I haven't had anyone ask me to work for free in software. Maybe I'm just not good enough for anyone to want yet.

  • JuryWheel on 13/09/2019 - 08:25

    Congrats, but I would hate to be a wedding photographer judging on some of the bridezillas I've met…

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 08:30
      +2

      On the contrary, most of my brides has been wonderful and we even become friends & keep in touch. Sure there are a few more difficult but its part of what we do. I don’t know of any job that is all sweet & rainbow?

  • centrelink on 13/09/2019 - 09:00

    Consider this, you can either:

    A) stop the world from human extinction, but to do that you have to torture all your loved ones in a brutal death.

    B) human extinction but you saved your most loved one. Can not reproduce ever again.

    Which would you choose?

    centrelink on 13/09/2019 - 09:00 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
  • John on 13/09/2019 - 10:17

    Well done! Hope you don't mind me asking :) (it is an AMA after all)

    Do you have kids? How many and are they at school? Plus how much less are you taking home now compared to IT job? Do you contract your editing to others?

    Reason I ask was I'm a wedding videographer. I know how much faith it took to do what you did, so I applauded you! I was gonna take the plunge 7 years ago, but we were expecting a kid (unplanned) and with mortgage to pay & a high paying engineering job, I decided against it and instead slow down on wedding gradually because kids demanding more time (used to take clients, now I just shoot for other studio). But I do agree, its a rewarding career, though its definitely a lot harder work than 9-5 jobs.. I get you, all those extra work that is not really photography related (I hope your studio gets big enough to hire staff to do all the running around)

    On different note, I know one IT friend who is also a top photographer in WA (was gold medalist in recent AIPP). He also owns a wedding video studio and edits it during weeknights. And he got kids too.. Not sure how he juggle his time, I still find it hard to believe he does all that!

    So if I may, probably my suggestion to you, don't throw your IT skill completely.. its an industry where you could get some really chill job to do as a second career. Engineering is different because I have to go to sites and that has clashed with my weddings schedules in the past. So I had to choose one or the other

    Wish you the best!

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 21:28

      Hi John, thank you for taking the time to write this. Your advice is very true and valuable. Its always good to have something to fall back to.
      I got 2 kids, one is in prep and one is just turned 1. I only make half of what I did in IT, being so many business expenditures as Im trying many things atm. Hopefully by next year I will break even with IT salary.
      I'm still editing myself. But when it gets busier. I will outsource some of the tasks for others. You're right, its a lot harder than working 9-5 but can be very rewarding. For me, to be able to spend time with the family any time I want and only work 2,3 times a month is the dream (Of course it takes time to build up the system for this to work).
      Your friend may have a wife who looking after the kids while he's working at night? Or he may be working late hours when all the kids go to bed. Dunno. But everyone is different.
      Thanks again for your input John. Really appreciate it :)

  • payless69 on 13/09/2019 - 10:31
    +1

    I have had over 50 engaged women ask me how married life was going. Over a hug and close talk none of them proceeded with their plans. Do you hate me?

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 12:43
      +1

      No but I know 50 angry men who does 😉

  • Seni0r El Cheapo on 13/09/2019 - 11:01

    Too bad you were not a programmer. Nothing in the world gives more pleasure than humming error-free build and successful unit-test check and bug-free build… ah.. already feeling orgasmatic..

    nonetheless, good luck with your decision.

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 12:41
      +1

      Come on, we all know that there’s no such thing as bug-free software. But I get the feeling. Almost like seeing the successful pings & green light on the port switch in my old world :)

      • Seni0r El Cheapo on 13/09/2019 - 14:04

        damn. I was in 'the' zone and you are rude.

        well, yes, you are right.

        • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 23:08

          hahaha sorry, my bad

  • nickxau on 13/09/2019 - 11:13

    Samples of your work please? :)

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 12:39

      There’s a website link in my profile, but if you wanna look it up on google, it is twenty one studio. Cheers :)

  • Taro Milk Tea on 13/09/2019 - 11:41

    How do I contact you?

    • rave75 on 13/09/2019 - 12:15
      +1

      I think his business is called Studio 21, google it.

      You made me want to have some taro milk tea for lunch.

      • Taro Milk Tea on 13/09/2019 - 12:21

        cool thanks

        You made me want to have some taro milk tea for lunch.

        get it man, YOLO

      • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 12:42

        Its actually twenty one studio :)

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 12:37

      Hey theres a link in my profile should you want to reach out :)
      Brw, it is twenty one studio if you look up on google.

  • mrdunu on 13/09/2019 - 13:31

    How do you ensure a consistent white balance across an entire set shot at night?

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 16:24
      +1

      I use flash & shoot in raw with AWB. Then within Lightroom, I select a patch of similar lighting images and adjust in one go. I don’t muck around with white balance during reception.

      • mrdunu on 16/09/2019 - 14:51

        I didn't realise people shot in any other outputs but RAW. I find it difficult ensuring white balance is consistent across the set even in photoshop! You have different lighting scenes/downlights with different temperatures, and I can never seem to get it right/consistent tones across an entire set. Any tips?

    • Hamlet on 13/09/2019 - 18:41

      Things happen too fast in weddings to set the correct white balance. RAW is the way to go.

      • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 20:08

        Yeah wedding is very fast pace. You rather focus on capturing the right moments than looking through the back of your camera and choose correct WB. They all can be post.
        Unless you're shooting in the studio where the light does not change.

  • xabiso on 13/09/2019 - 13:50

    How much do easy weddings charge you to promote your services in their blogs? My celebrant uses them too. Apparently, they help make and manage her website too. I feel that they are just an added layer making cost of advertising more expensive for your industry.

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 16:31

      A lot. Most expensive in the industry. But they do generate more traffic & enquiry than any other directory I tried.
      Is it a good return of investment? It depends how well you market yourself in general. Easyweddings alone won’t help you much.
      Yes you’re absolutely right. If majority of my clients coming from referrals. I’m happy to pass the saving to the couples. But the cost of obtaining each wed is quite high in this digital world.

  • No ONE on 13/09/2019 - 14:15

    Good on ya. Do you own a house, fully paid off?

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 16:32

      I do own a house. Nowhere nearly paid off but one can dream :)

  • Thazza on 13/09/2019 - 14:57

    If you need an assistant and are in Sydney, I'd be quite interested. :) (albeit - i have a full time management role in tax.. haha)

    I'm quite passionate with photography and have had some small paid gigs by friends.

    Few questions.

    1. How, and when did you get the confidence to start pursuing this?

    2. What are your words of wisdom for someone who wants to do what you're doing?

    3. How did you get your name out there/client base?

    I look at my photos, and feel like I'm nowhere near good enough.

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 21:00

      I haven't shot a wedding in sydney, but will keep you in mind if I do :)
      As someone previously asked your questions, I will just copy and paste if thats ok :)

      Back in 2011 when i was taking pics for fun, a friend was getting married & asked if I’m interested to shoot her wed. There was only little pay but I did it anyway for experience. The pics turned out good.
      Then I got some more candid shots from attending friend’s weddings & put together a portfolio with Wix website & FB page. Then I listed it on easy weddings directory & got few jobs out of it. Then came client referrals and google seo, FB ads etc…
      If you want to start it as a side gig, try build up portfolio by
      1. taking shots from friends weddings (as a guest)
      2. contact them and ask if you could tag along to their shoot to get some shots, with the ok from the main photographer too of course.
      3. Organise some TFP style shoot
      4. Make a decent website and try learn as much as you can about google seo
      5. List your website on every free directory
      6. Contact other photographers in your area and ask to assist them. It might just be low pay or even free too if there’s a great photographer. The experience you get from watching other established photographers working is priceless.
      7. Networking with a lot of people from same or different industries
      8. Be patience

      Your image quality can be subjective and usually you're the biggest critic . But if you want to have my input on which you should improve on, pm me a link to your work. I'm happy to help.

  • boostpak on 13/09/2019 - 15:20

    what was your salary and age in your last year of IT?

    • itstuan on 14/09/2019 - 11:01
      +1

      I was 38 and making only around 75K with IT.

  • dufflover on 13/09/2019 - 15:52

    Were you ever worried about actually being able to make a living from it?
    I'm only into the whole camera thing as a hobby but seen enough to know there is that whole aspect of "everyone" thinking they are a pro photographer with the whole "Firstname Lastname Photography" (kudos for having a "proper" business name!). And that whether you get a job or not is often just who you know or how well you market, not whether your pics are actually any good. I'm sure yours are, but that's the competition nonetheless.

    Or is that actually all incorrect and the market is not as saturated as it seems?

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 18:04

      Yes I’m of course worried that my best efforts won’t pay off. Only time will tell.
      It is true, the photo quality is only a small thing. It is not enough for the client to pay the price you’re asking. There’s always someone willing to work for peanuts. I learned that when you compete on price, you’re racing to the bottom.
      But if you market your brand well enough. You win the business. Apple products are not the best nor cheap, but you only see ppl line up outside their stores and not others.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/09/2019 - 16:07
    +1

    s/keyboard/camera/g;

  • Stopback on 13/09/2019 - 17:08

    What was the biggest mistake you made during a wedding? Or your worst experience during a shoot.

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 22:21
      +3

      I was once shooting a wedding in Tassie. Got to the bride hotel room but she werent there, so I ended up shooting the bridesmaids first. Half way through I got impatient and asked one of the bridesmaid where was the bride, only to realise I was looking at her.
      They can be very different with and without make up

  • Panatomic on 13/09/2019 - 17:30

    Well done! Not a lot of people get to do that, so I wish you all the best. :-)

    I'm a photographer myself although I usually don't do weddings (I prefer to shoot actors working). I'm also not good at business so I don't get much work these days. :-P

    You certainly got there the best way. The idea of going to school to learn photography always repelled me. Photography degree? No, thanks. Even film school is no longer necessary or even beneficial, thanks to the democratization of the tools and methods which began around 2000.

    I like to quote a famous cinematographer, Roger Deakins: "I genuinely feel that cinematography, like photography in general, is not something that can be learned but, pretentious as it may sound, can only be discovered.”

    While I'm here I may as well ask: is it a good idea to get a personal ABN, or should you only do that once you start earning above a threshold?

    • No ONE on 13/09/2019 - 17:41
      +1

      is it a good idea to get a personal ABN, or should you only do that once you start earning above a threshold?

      This is more like a tax advise question. If you're doing photography as a hobby, then not really needed, but if more for income earning purpose, then do register for ABN. It is the GST that you have to be worried about when you reach $75k threshold.

      From ATO:

      How do I know if it's a business or a hobby?

      Key questions to consider:

      • Is the activity being undertaken for commercial reasons?
      • Is your main intention, purpose or prospect to make a profit?
      • Do you regularly and repeatedly undertake your activity?
      • Is your activity planned, organised and carried out in a businesslike manner?

      If you answered yes to most of these questions, you're likely to be running a business, although it depends on your individual circumstances.

    • itstuan on 14/09/2019 - 00:34
      +1

      I didn’t do a degree but mostly self taught. But that doesn’t mean its a waste of time. I feel like it can teach you lots of different technical aspects of things and the reason behind what we do. But yeah no bride ever asking if I got a degree nor do they care.
      Its a good idea to get a ABN if you ever do paid work. If you plan on deduct expenses & claim tax on your photography. Sole trader is all you need.

  • Hamlet on 13/09/2019 - 18:39

    Do you have bad days? If you do, do they cast some doubts on your decision to go into wedding photography full time? Asking as it seems like people who 'pursue their passions' always sound so rosy all the time and I'm wondering if the reality is like that.

    Also, do you have a goal — artistically, financially, logistically, etc.?

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 20:29

      Yeah of course. I'm just human. Some days I wake up and doesn't feel like being artistic and all. Some days I have to think hard about how to pay the next bills. It's not all sweet and rainbow.
      When your passion becomes a full time income. It does change every thing. The business side of it is a killer.
      But I believe if you're not giving it your best shot, you will sit in your rocking chair one day and wondering what's its like if you took the chance? Would you stuck in a job you hate for the rest of your life?
      It took 15 years for me working in IT to get to the salary level I was at before I quit. And I'm sure I can achieve that with wedding business within 2-3 years.
      My goal is one day I can comfortably choose the brides I love to work with and not worrying about the income. People who appreciate arts & precious memory.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 13/09/2019 - 19:35

    I think the bravest part is advertising the career as an option to the masses. If the hordes switched to photography then I imagine the available jobs per person would dwindle. A lot of lucrative trades of the past maintained their profitability by creating barriers to entry, namely lengthy expensive courses and mandatory apprenticeships. Good luck!

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 23:17
      +1

      It's actually inevitable. The grow of social media & youtube makes everything is so accessible than it was many years ago. High end wedding photographers now have to start teaching their trades instead of hiding.
      You need to work a lot harder to stand out from the crowd.

  • TEER3X on 13/09/2019 - 21:31

    Just want to say congrats on following your passion and thanks for sharing your story.

    • itstuan on 13/09/2019 - 22:22

      Thank you @teer3x for taking the time just to say this. You are a good soul.

  • DBBROS on 14/09/2019 - 02:06

    Did you save up before you decided to pursue your passion ?

    • itstuan on 14/09/2019 - 11:00
      +1

      I did have some saving and plus the wife is also working to sustain the level of income to help me with the transition. We do have kids & mortgage after all.

  • AlienC on 14/09/2019 - 05:05

    How much were you making in IT annually before and which part of IT were you in (what did your job entail)?

    I am really curious about working in IT part time then maybe try full time if my health and other commitments can handle it (I have no certification or formal training everything is self taught and just general know how.. I am a little bit google fu savvy and a computer honestly feels like an extension of my own mind and body sometimes because of how much I troubleshoot and diagnose it every single day)

    What kind of duties were you apart of and how much managing or responsibility did you have or were given?

    What is IT like now in 2019 or when you last did it?

    And basically of course remuneration details if possible.

    I did half a computer course nearly a decade ago now but dropped out halfway didn't finish it.

    It was mainly database mysql and java stuff along with basic year 1 and year 2 comp sci generic stuff.

    Honestly didn't feel like anything I learnt was going to be useful in a real life situation besides the introduction to programming and database concepts everything else was kind of self explanatory.

    • itstuan on 17/09/2019 - 13:25

      Hey @AlienC
      Sorry for the late response, I was a little overwhelmed with many questions.
      I was network & system admin and on 75K before quitting. Pretty much looking after the whole network connectivity & switches and share managing servers/software with another sys admin. I knew I would not go any further than that with my current role & work place. They were not very keen on giving me a pay raise even though I asked for years.
      It's a little difficult if you got no cert & relevant experience. You could start with some support role and go from there? Last time I checked, cloud based services like amazon web services were very high demand. You could do a course about it?
      It sounds like you're not sure what you wanna do and IT is the only thing I think you're good at?

      • AlienC on 17/09/2019 - 20:47

        Well IT or data entry or office admin realistically is something I could do day after day as sales or customer rep only some days I feel my speaking voice comes out it is hit and miss.

        I am above average I would say at generic IT stuff and honestly wouldn't mind studying for it again.

        I did have a chance to get a job at a IBM kind of server building role but turned it down when I got a bit of stage fright and the whole reality of the role came to me but each time I try I say I get better so yeah might give it another shot because living on 16k to 18k is not the greatest even though it is tax free so definitely always looking at other options to get me out of the house and maybe earn more also.

        Nice btw how long did it take to get to that 75k and what did you start out with.

        I am curious what kind of qualifications and certificates you started out with when you were in my position first trying to enter the industry and how often you had to skill up and licence up along the way.

        I know the job entails some extra stuff I will have to study for along the way but I feel like out of all the other options I can do it the most besides maybe choosing a physical labour dependent kind of career like offsider removalist, cleaner or gardener / handyman.

        Realistically I would probably try get a job that was maybe 75% full time or part time as I know my health means I can't go hard 24/7 I need to maintain a good 60% to 70% pace to last a good long time with some 100% burst periods otherwise I will burn out and have to leave the job for my own health and reduced performance issues.

  • blackorange on 14/09/2019 - 07:04

    Congratulations on pursuing your dream!! I'm glad to read you are happy with your choice. I've been trying to balance my work & passion for a while now (medicine & music) and my questions for you are:
    1. Did you think about what would happen in the future if you wanted to go back to IT field how you would stay current & employable? Or was it like, that's it I'm never going back
    2. What did you plan out for yourself for disasters since you're now self employed eg. Workers comp / sick leave equivalent? (don't mean to curse you or anything hope you don't mind me asking)

    • itstuan on 14/09/2019 - 10:58

      Thank you @blackorange
      I hope to never go back to IT. I no longer see myself working in the industry and I have nothing left for it. All I can do now is to push forward & give it my best chance.
      What you asked is very valid. One needs to plan ahead in case of rainy day. It's not if but when. At the moment I haven't got that far but when the business works out and I can comfortably pay myself stable & predictable income. I'll put small amount aside for super and insurance.
      Good luck with your passion for music (I assumed). Having something to do to take your mind off the normal 9-5 making life much more interesting. Cheers

  • CharityCase on 14/09/2019 - 07:44

    Congrats OP you've done well! I do admire people who make such dramatic career switch

    • itstuan on 14/09/2019 - 10:47

      Thank you @Artofbargain
      I do hope to give it my best shot and make it work. Cheers

  • BuDWiZe on 14/09/2019 - 14:41

    I did a few weddings and get asked now and then but not my thing. Much power to you for following the dreams of doing weddings I hope you are really successful

    • itstuan on 14/09/2019 - 19:44

      Thanks @budwize
      Why is it not your thing? What type of photography do you enjoy shooting?

      • BuDWiZe on 14/09/2019 - 21:23

        Mostly portrait work. I just like to have full co trip of the setup with my light/environment and posing

        • itstuan on 15/09/2019 - 09:32

          Good stuff, I love Peter Coulson works, and sometimes do portraits in the studio between weddings.

  • THICKnSLOW on 14/09/2019 - 14:57

    Made any money from Ozb yet?

    • itstuan on 22/09/2019 - 01:19

      If you count all the money saved from OZb, then yes!

  • Cynicaloflife on 14/09/2019 - 17:51

    Interesting. I did the opposite. Left my healthcare profession to follow my passion into IT.

    • itstuan on 14/09/2019 - 19:18

      Whats your story? Why did you make the switch?

      • Cynicaloflife on 15/09/2019 - 09:14
        +1

        Interesting work, Excellent work culture (I have great colleagues), Fairly relaxed and plenty of job opportunities available in IT. I didn't have these benefits in my health profession.

        I had to take a 50-70% pay-cut to make the switch but you only live your life once…

        • itstuan on 17/09/2019 - 13:10

          Some times we made choice for the best, whatever that is. I also have heard of story ppl who take the cut to save themselves from the stressful job. It may kill you in the long run.
          Good luck with the career choice

  • bokchoy on 14/09/2019 - 20:28

    Could you give an approximate number of hours you would spend on average a week? I understand there is the wedding day but of course there is the business side of it, chasing leads, marketing, editing etc etc

    Basically 50k p.a. but working say 3 days a week is equivalent to 83k full time / 2 days a week = 125k p.a

    But a great start in taking the plunge on doing what you enjoy and also factoring in that balance of family time, props to you!

    • itstuan on 17/09/2019 - 13:08

      The business side of it is what taking most of my time atm. But my hours are spread out throughout the day. It's really hard to sit down 8 hours straight to do work like full time. So realistically I only spend around 4-5hrs a week day for these business side tasks & editing. Hopefully one day I can outsource all the extra junks to focus on just shooting.
      Thank you for the encouragement.

  • Buy2Much on 14/09/2019 - 23:22

    Funny that a lot of technology workers (IT, software engineers/developers, systems engineers, database admin etc), myself included, have a creative passion in photography as I personally know a few like that, several do paid photography as a side business. I also know a chemical engineer who left his career to do full time photography (and earning less).
    My question for you, do you use drone for wedding photos/videos, which one, how much percentage of your total shoots? Best wishes with your pursuit.

    • itstuan on 15/09/2019 - 09:28

      Thanks OzTom.
      I think deep down inside we all have a creative side. If money does not get in the way, we would choose arts instead?
      We got drone but my assistant flies it, I have yet to learn. It's DJI Mavic Pro. Though right now we just include when see fit. But in future will add it as extra option.

  • mauricem on 15/09/2019 - 09:51

    Ha! I did the opposite, quit/transitioned from wedding photography to IT! But this was back in 2000 when things were going nuts in IT. Part of the reason was the wedding market in my region was saturated by part time IT workers;)

    • itstuan on 17/09/2019 - 13:03

      I would have thought 2000 would be a great year to do wedding photography too. Not a lot of competition back then and so you could build & establish your brand than now.
      But both IT & photography market aren't so great now
      Good luck with your career choice :)

  • sillyguy on 15/09/2019 - 10:21

    Cool! Good on ya!

    What did u do in ur previous IT life?

    • itstuan on 15/09/2019 - 13:41

      I was network & system admin. Cheers

  • frostman on 15/09/2019 - 19:49
    -2

    Boring AMA

    Would you guys all line up and ask someone down the road questions they just told you "Hey I quit my job as an Engineer, now I work at EB Games"?

    I'm waiting for things like:

    • Im a Brain Surgeon AMA
    • I did 2 Tours in Afghanistan and Syria and recently received a Purple Heart
    • I'm a deep sea scientist and recently witnesses the Colossal Squid

    WTF are these AMAs? I work at KFC AMA,

    • itstuan on 15/09/2019 - 22:42

      Recipes for the wicked wings please!

    • Buy2Much on 16/09/2019 - 00:08

      On average, a person go through 3 careers in his/her life (part time school/uni jobs not included). I myself gone through 2 already.

      • itstuan on 17/09/2019 - 13:02

        I too wish to stop at 2 :)

  • Anders2 on 15/09/2019 - 21:54

    You mentioned you shoot with flash and AWB. Which mode do you use (M/A/S/P)? Do you bounce/adjust the flash head? Which is your favourite flash?

    • itstuan on 15/09/2019 - 22:40
      +1

      M all the way. I like to be in full control :)
      I bounce it mostly, if not the ceiling then I use the bounce card that built in. I got the canon ex600-rt but only use the 2 godox tt685. They are quite reliable.

      • Anders2 on 17/09/2019 - 15:53

        Thanks… The flashes are also Manual or TTL?

        • itstuan on 17/09/2019 - 16:36
          +1

          The Godox TT685 can do TTL, I use both manual & TTL depends but find that TTL can be so unreliable at times. It fires full power occasionally and leaves me in the dark for few seconds during critical moments. So I tend to use manual to make sure this doesn't happen.

    • Buy2Much on 16/09/2019 - 00:05
      +1

      I find that all the pros and most of the serious prosumers (at least the ones I know) shoot with M.

  • jedimaster on 16/09/2019 - 15:16

    Thank you for this AMA.

    I am also working in IT since 2009 and now want to transition to Travel Photography and Landscape. Currently working on building some following on Instagram.

    • itstuan on 17/09/2019 - 13:01

      Awesome. all the best with the transition. Let me know your ig handler & I'll follow you :)
      Cheers

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