How One Photographer’s Side Hustle Became a $330K a Year Business

Trying to make the most of one photographer side hustle? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.

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A photography side hustle is a realistic gig for those already intent on capturing life's best moments. See how one man turned a childhood interest into a thriving business.

Written by Ben Huber Last Updated: April 1, 2025

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Christopher Todd Studios

In the heart of Orange County, Christopher Todd’s transformation from a freelance photographer capturing life’s fleeting moments to leading a business that grosses over $300,000 a year embodies the essence of a side hustle success story.

With a background that spans from psychology to the corporate world, and finally to photography, Christopher’s narrative is not just about following one’s passion but strategically turning it into a profitable venture.

To that end, we asked Todd to share a bit about how story, how exactly he got started, and his best tips for emulating his success. 

Meet Christopher Todd

An Orange County, California native, Todd grew up like numerous kids in the area: getting humbled on the regular by thunderous waves [at the beach] with friends and family.

Christopher Todd Studios

It was the magnificence of those same waves that Todd sought to capture as he began to dabble in photography during his junior high years.

Surfer friends getting swallowed by waves, only to emerge unscathed.

Skateboard buddies mastering the ollie and then moving on to whatever trick came next.

Unforgettable moments in time, captured at the click of a button.

Soon after shooting a few rolls, he was hooked. He started learning how to develop film and make prints himself.

While Todd continued to learn about the art and science of photography throughout high school and college, he never considered it to be career-worthy. After getting his BA in Psychology from UCLA, he entered the workforce as a corporate recruiter.

Like numerous graduates in their first post-grad job, he was less than enthused about the route he had chosen. “It was a terrible fit for me, which I realized almost immediately. I decided almost immediately to pursue photography, and so I went back to school [to pursue that] and graphic design,” reflected Todd. 

“I started working in a restaurant to pay rent.” 

To scale, Todd later expanded beyond wedding photography to include headshots, event photography, and more. Christopher Todd Studios

Once school started, Todd began freelancing at weddings and took portraits for people he would meet. “To describe that work as a side hustle would be very generous…I was paid almost nothing,” he joked. 

Persistence in perfecting his craft , through copious amounts of trial and error , combined with what he was learning in school began to move the needle in terms of learning what it took to become a professional.

Higher quality showcases led to better-paying jobs. “It became clear when I made a month’s worth of restaurant wages in a single day as a photographer that was time to exchange my full-time job for my photography side hustle.”

Related: 20 Low-Cost Business Ideas (with High Profit Potential) 

From Then to Now 

Todd was sure to highlight that like numerous interested in photography, his initial investment was that of only his camera [and film]. 

“That’s the beauty of photography. You don’t need much to get started. I spent very little in the beginning and invested in more equipment as my business grew.”

During his first year as a freelancer during school, Todd earned a modest $10,000. Not a living wage, but enough to supplement the income he was earning at the restaurant. Fast forward to now and his business , Christopher Todd Studios , eclipsed $330k in revenue last year.  

“It’s hard for me to tell you what you could expect to make, but I think the sky is really the limit. In my opinion, there is more opportunity now for photographers than there has ever been,” suggested Todd. 

While Todd recognizes that not everyone’s circumstances are the same, he implores people to just start. “I got pretty lucky and had the good fortune to have a lot of opportunities come my way [early on]. I was young and I knew a lot of people getting married, so it was an simple side hustle to slide into photographing weddings.” 

Christopher Todd Studios

While Todd appreciated any opportunity that came his way in the beginning, he acknowledged that even within photography, certain niches interest him more. 

“These days I barely photograph weddings. Sometimes the stars just align and you end up working in a niche you like. However, I’ve heard lots of photographers say that they want to do something different in photography. My advice is to think about what type of photography suits you while you’re side hustling.”

Once you’ve found what [gigs] you like most and who you enjoy working with, start being more intentional about the direction you move and the opportunities you seek. 

“I probably wouldn’t change a thing,” mulled Todd, who reflected that the time spent in various niches helped make him a more well-rounded photographer. 

Getting Clients 

The seemingly most difficult part of any freelance gig is finding consistent work. Todd echoed that sentiment. “After working as a photographer for numerous years I can clearly say the most difficult part of the job is getting new clients. If you can figure out a way to get consistent work, you will have a excellent business.”

While word of mouth alone may be enough to land meaningful, high-paying work, he suggests digital marketing skills are essential to reaching your income goals. 

“In our experience, SEO has been the most effective area to focus on and the most key factor in reaching our revenue goals,” said Todd. 

The second most key thing he focuses on is frequently overlooked by numerous photographers. “Customer service is an frequently underutilized aspect of marketing your business to more people. We get tons of leads from organic search (through SEO best practices) but we also get tons of referral clients that come through our website [via word-of-mouth references].” 

He added that the beauty of SEO is how long [the content] lasts. Articles on their website have pulled in traffic from people interested in their service for years on end.  “When compared to social media’s need to keep posting to feed the algorithm, it makes sense to commit more resources to SEO.” 

Related: Should You Work for Free? 5 Scenarios You’ll Be Tempted To

Advice for a Photography Side Hustle 

Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Whether you’re side hustling on top of your nine-to-five or scaling your side gig to a full-time business, Todd recommends , broadly speaking , finding a side hustle you can wake up and do every day. 

“Picking a side hustle you’re passionate about. Then pursue it relentlessly. Meet everyone you can in the niche. Tell all your friends what you do. Commit to being a lifelong learner.”

Todd added that it doesn’t hurt to think about future goals even early on. “I found that I spent much more time learning about photography in the beginning, but our needs transitioned much more to business education. I think a more balanced focus…might have gotten the business on its feet faster than we were able to.” 

To that end, he said he made a concerted effort to diversify their service offerings in light of lessons learned when the real estate market started to collapse in 2007. 

“The first few years of our business took place during an incredible stock run and robust real estate market. People were taking second mortgages on their houses to fund incredible weddings. Being the benefactor of that situation helped our business in the beginning. However, when the real estate market collapsed, our wedding business was cut by 60%. The same thing happened during Covid in 2020.”

Christopher Todd Studios

Fortunately, Todd had employed lessons learned during the

Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check one photographer side hustle against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at dollarsprout.com.