The Future of Andy Nguyen Photography
Sometimes, I too wonder what the future of Andy Nguyen Photography looks like haha. There’s so many things that I want to do and explore. Four years into my business, although I’ve grown tremendously from where I started, I still have so much left to learn and grow.
I’m about to finish school in December of 2022 and I’m wondering if I should take the leap and pursue this passion of mine full-time, or if I should work a regular job for a few years to be safe.
My heart tells me to take the leap but my brain tells me to play it safe.
My plan right now is to really push myself this year and see if I could potentially make enough to support myself. I am so thankful to everyone who has seen my work and has decided to work with me. I hope that I can provide a joyful experience and beautiful images to everyone I work with.
With that being said, I do have other goals and aspirations for my business, for the long-term, that I want to share with you guys.
CREATE MY OWN PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
I’m not sure how far in the future this would be haha, but I plan to have my own studio!
Studios are amazing. They give you the flexibility to do so many different styles of shoots, you don’t have to worry about the weather, and it’s even air conditioned!
I think at first, I would have a smaller studio just for myself and my clients. Then once I learn more about how to manage a studio and what it costs, I’ll open up a studio for the public!
I think it would be great to have a studio to share with other like-minded creatives and their clients. This would also give me the space to hold workshops, mini sessions, and other events throughout the year!
Overall, I think owning a studio is a well-worth-it investment not just for myself, but for other creatives who want to use the space as well.
HOST MY OWN WORKSHOP
Speaking of workshops … I want to eventually host my own workshop! I don’t think I’m at the point in my career where I have the credentials to host workshops BUT, I will eventually get to that point. And when I do, I want to host my own workshops for growing photographers.
It would be great if I could host a workshop in person but, if I must, I would also love hosting a workshop online. This could hopefully let me expand my reach to photographers who are not located in the same city as me.
I hope to spread my knowledge, not only about running a sustainable business, but my photography philosophy and how I’ve grown my business to where it is then. I hope to spread information so that other creatives can be successful in their own businesses.
There’s this old thought process where you shouldn’t share your secrets to others because in reality, they’re your competition. And I think that’s such an old way of thinking. I want everyone to succeed! There is enough demand that everyone can win. There’s this saying in the photography community … “Community over Competition”.
I want to be known as a mentor, someone who helps others. Not someone who is overly selfish and greedy. Therefore, I hope to host a workshop in the near future, even if it’s a small one, to help other like-minded creatives in their photography businesses.
DESTINATION WEDDINGS
My selfish want is that I want to travel more. And if there’s a chance that I get to photograph a wedding somewhere else in the world, even if I don’t make any money, I won’t be afraid to reach out at the opportunity.
I would absolutely love to go photograph an engagement session in the desert, or the mountains, or even in downtown New York. As a creative, I want to explore and diversify my portfolio.
This year, there are so many different styled shoots that I want to plan. Everything from downtown engagement sessions, retro hotel vibes, and sunset rooftop sessions.
Conclusion
Having accomplished a lot of things this year despite the pandemic, I’m super grateful for everyone that has helped pushed me and supported me to where I am today. I have a lot of things planned for the rest of 2022 that I’m super excited about. I want to push out A LOT more content especially on Instagram and my website. I’m planning on making Instagram guides, reels, with daily stories and more consistent posting.
This is still in the works but I’m also planning out potential “content days” where I plan and schedule back to back styled shoots in a single day in collaboration with other photographers and models. This would allow me to have consistent content for the whole month without having to spend several days doing photoshoots and creating content.
And last but not least, I plan to blog more often and begin documenting my journey as a growing photographer! Blogging was something that I always wanted to do but never ended up achieving but after reading Austin Kleon’s book “Show Your Work” it inspired me to begin documenting more of my process and my craft.