We recently connected with Bennie Bates and have shared our conversation below.

Bennie , appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

This is funny actually because I never planned to be a photographer. In fact, I’m the very beginning, probably 6 years ago, I refused to call myself one because I didn’t feel I was worthy of the title. I had bought a friends camera and was simply interested in creating higher quality Instagram content for myself (if you can believe that)..

Fast forward to now, I’ve quit my Full-Time job working on an ambulance to do freelance photography. I’m currently a couple months into this freelance journey, and I’ll be honest, at first I didn’t have the work lined up to pay the bills-and that was terrifying. But, I’ve been really blessed to have people continue to use my skills and give my name to others in need of photo work. I still don’t “feel” like a professional photographer as I compare myself to those I look up to in this industry, but people keep paying me to do it so I guess I’ll stick around for a little while.

Bennie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got my start in photography while I was interning at a church as a production assistant, so I have a small background in that world- lights, stages, big music, etc. and I became known as the in-house camera guy. So I would take staff photos for the website, take peoples’ family photos, and the like. When my internship ended in 2018, I still got requests to take photos, which was nice considering I was a broke college student at the time. Over the next few years, I would use photography as a side gig to bring in spending money, while at the same time improving my skills and developing a love for the art. I began taking it more seriously, saw the events I was shooting become more exciting, and began to really see the potential I had. Maybe 2 years ago was the first time I had toyed with the thought of going full-time doing photography. “Would I get enough business?”, “am I good enough?”, “would I even enjoy doing this full-time?”, were all questions I wrestled with. At that time, I had convinced myself that I enjoyed photography and didn’t want it to lose it’s luster if it became a chore/job. Fast forward to the summer of this year. I found myself working full-time on ambulance, which I loved, but didn’t see anymore growth potential in. I was beginning to experience burn out. I didn’t make good money, more often than not my job bored me more than excited me, and I was working way more than I wanted to and had zero flexibility. I knew it was time to move on but didn’t know what that looked like. Was it in the medical field? Was it in the communication field (I graduated with a communication degree), or was it something else? Then photography popped back into my head. Those same questions I had years ago were still there, but this time I had a different perspective-a perspective that enabled me to want to take a chance. I had to know the answer to all of those questions. And so after having conversations with some trusted friends and mentors, I put in my 2-week notice and began the process of forming my photography business.

Technically I had gotten the LLC back in January but now I actually had the go-ahead to form the company around it. I had a photographer friend take promotional photos of me, I created a website portfolio, and created financial and creative strategies for myself. All of this, to transition seemlessly into the world of freelancing.

It’s been about 2 months since I dove into the deep end with photography. I still have days where I want the security of a salary job with benefits or when I doubt myself as a creative, but then I remind myself why I’m doing it. I’m young and I need to take chances…on myself. I’m now able to charge what I’m worth, make my schedule work for me, and work with incredible people and companies.

If I had to describe my photography in a few words, I would say “lifestyle”, “candid”, and “branding” sum it up well. When I tell people what I do, I often get “oh so you shoot weddings!”, which could not be further from the truth! Some people thrive shooting weddings, elopements, etc…….but I am not one of those people. I love to shoot live events, people on stage, music, and other entertainment. I love candid photos in the lobby at an event center or corporate event. I love to take photos of nature, the food I get to enjoy, and the fun things I get to do with my friends. While that is common in the photography world, that differs from the stereotype (photographers take photos of people). So, if you were to go to my website or Instagram, you won’t find a ton of weddings, elopements, senior photos or family pictures. But, you might stumble across photos of a warm cup of coffee, palm leaves at the beach, a group of middle school kids full of excitement at camp, or some of my friends. It’s a glimpse into the fun I get to have with photography.

I take great pride in delivering unique and high quality, edited photos to clients to provide them with social media and website content that will appeal to and catch the attention of their followers/fans/customers. We live in an age where internet is king. If you present yourself well online, you’ve got a great base for your business or brand. I love that companies and individuals trust me to enhance their online presence in this way.

If I could encourage somebody reading this who is having those same questions I had a few years ago, I want to tell you the same thing I told myself. You’re not getting any younger. Do what you’re passionate about-and heck, if you don’t know what you’re passionate about, go find out. Life is too short to work your life away doing something that doesn’t give you life. Take chances-on yourself. Build and live a life you love.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Something I think a lot of creatives do wrong on social media is to push the business too much. If you’re a creative, people followed you because they like your work. They want to see your work and feel like they know you as a person and not just somebody trying to sell them something. I’ve taken the approach of using my photography account as my personal account. What I mean is you’re not going to find me trying to fill Photoshoot time slots or promoting Christmas Photoshoot opportunities. If people want your work, they’ll ask! But what you will find on my social media is me being silly on my story or a recap of a beach trip some friends and I went on. I post my work and let it speak for itself and then I’m just myself. I like to have fun and be friends with everybody, but also I’m going to put aesthetic photos on your feed. Best of both worlds! I think if more creatives took the approach of not being strictly business, they would see a lot more growth in their audience and success in their business!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society, for whatever reason, is behind the 8-ball when it comes to valuing creativity. Now I’m not saying we need to pay every person who paints a picture $1 million. But, because visual appeal is a huge part of marketing and building your brand, the individuals and teams who create high quality content should be high valued. Pay creatives for the value they bring to you and your business (hint hint: it’s A LOT of value).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.benniebatesphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/benniebatesphoto