"Becoming a Professional Photographer: The Truth Behind the Lens" -By MikeCon Photography
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone that I’ve worked with over the years!! When people scroll through my work today, they see the polished final product, the beautiful lighting, the sharp focus, the natural expressions. What they don’t see is the sacrifice, the endless hours, and the relentless hustle it took to get here.
Becoming a professional photographer wasn’t something that just happened overnight. It was years of grit, trial and error, rejection, and constant learning. Photography, like any business, isn’t glamorous behind the scenes. It’s late nights, early mornings, and being your own harshest critic.
I want to share my journey so you can understand what it really took to build MikeCon Photography, and why photographers are some of the best problem solvers out there.
Starting From Scratch: In 2012, I moved from San Diego to Colorado. I didn’t know a single soul. If I was going to make it as a photographer, I had to start from zero.
I passed out business cards to strangers everywhere…in malls, churches, grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, anywhere I went. But it wasn’t just about handing someone a card; it was about sharing my passion. Every conversation I had was about photography, because I wanted people to know how much I loved what I did.
Most people would take the card, nod politely, and walk away without saying a word. Some would respond, but only to ask for free shoots. And in the beginning, I did A LOT of free shoots. I worked for exposure, for experience, and to get my name out there. Exposure is all that people would offer me because when you’re on the bottom, that’s exactly how they see you.
But over time, I realized that giving away my work for free wasn’t sustainable. I started turning down free shoots, set real prices, and shifted my mindset from hobbyist to entrepreneur. That was the turning point when I truly began to build MikeCon Photography into a true business, not just a passion project.
Mastering My Craft (And the Business)
Being a photographer is only about 25% taking pictures. The rest? Learning to run a business and solving constant problems.
Here’s what I had to teach myself:
Lighting: Indoors, outdoors, golden hour, harsh noon sun…you name it.
Angles: Finding the most flattering look for each person, every time. Trust me…it varies!!
Editing: Mastering photo editing software that’s always changing.
Gear Knowledge: Knowing every button, dial, and setting on my camera.
Website Development: I built my own website from scratch, due to necessity.
SEO & Metadata: I learned how to get found online.
Social Media: Staying on top of Instagram, Facebook, and whatever new app shows up.
Marketing & Branding: Learning how to promote myself without sounding like a desperate salesman.
Building a Client Base: Turning strangers into clients and clients into loyal supporters.
All while learning how to talk and listen (listening is key!) like a civilian again after years in the military. That transition alone was a learning curve most people can’t imagine.
The Reality of the Industry
Photography is a highly competitive field. Let’s be honest…photographers are everywhere, and many will work for next to nothing just to book a shoot.
To stand out, I had to be relentless. I spent countless hours scouting locations across Colorado, Virginia, and overseas in places like Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and France to give my clients something special.
I had to hustle for every publication, working my way into magazines you’ll find on real shelves in real stores. None of it was handed to me.
And the hardest part? Staying mentally strong through it all. There were days when the rejection, the negativity, and even my own doubts tried to get the best of me. But I kept pushing because this wasn’t just a job…it was my calling.
Finding the Beauty in People
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned? Every person has something beautiful about them. Part of my job as a photographer is to find it , even when they don’t see it themselves. That’s the secret behind my style of photography.
Whether someone is shy, uncomfortable, or feels they aren’t photogenic, I work to bring out the side of them they didn’t even know was there. Understanding and respecting other people’s vulnerability and boundaries is key!
The Entrepreneurial Grind
Behind every great photo is a photographer who:
Worked long, non-stop hours.
Stayed positive in the face of negativity…even their own.
Managed clients, marketing, finances, and creative work.
Learned to adapt to people from all cultures and languages.
Solved problems under pressure.
If there’s one thing I want people to understand, it’s this: photographers are natural problem solvers.
Bad lighting? We fix it. Last-minute location change? We pivot. Camera glitch? We troubleshoot. Nervous clients? We coach and encourage.
Photographers wear a hundred hats at once. We’re artists, tech experts, marketers, editors, and business owners.
And through it all, we still have to bring a positive attitude and connect with people from all backgrounds, cultures, and languages. Diversity is a beautiful thing. Look at my portfolio and you’ll see!!
Final thoughts Being an entrepreneur and a professional photographer is not for the faint of heart. It’s a wild adventure filled with highs and lows, constant learning, and nonstop hustle. Every day brings a new challenge to solve, whether it’s unpredictable weather during a shoot, last-minute client changes, or learning the latest editing software update overnight. The competition is fierce, and the hours are long. You don’t just clock in and out; you live and breathe your craft. But that’s exactly what makes this journey exciting. There’s no roadmap, no guaranteed path to success, just your determination, grit, and passion to carve out your own lane in a crowded industry.
Yet, despite all the long nights and the rejection, the reward is priceless. There’s nothing like the moment when a client sees their photos for the first time and realizes how beautiful, strong, or joyful they truly are. That moment when their eyes light up and they say, “Wow, that’s really me?”; it makes every setback, every struggle, every sleepless night worth it. Photography is more than pictures; it’s helping people see themselves in a whole new way. And to be trusted with capturing those moments, whether it’s a portrait, a milestone, or a magazine cover, is something I’ll never take for granted.
This is MikeCon Photography, born from starting over with nothing, fueled by a relentless passion for storytelling, and built on the mindset of a problem solver who never gives up. My journey has taken me from the streets of Colorado to the mountains of Europe, and the Appalachian area of Virginia, from military discipline to creative freedom. And through it all, the mission stays the same: create something meaningful, inspire confidence in every person I photograph, and solve the challenges no one else sees coming. This is the heart of my work. This is the adventure I live every single day. Here’s a small challenge…If you see and know folks in the images in this blog…feel free to tag them, and share this post to help me reach a larger audience!