“You never know what opportunity will come your way… you have to be willing to market yourself,” says Justin Haugen of his recent move from wedding photography to commercial photography. Haugen worked full-time as a graphic designer for many years and photographed weddings on the side for ten years before switching to wedding photography full-time for another ten years. He began the transition to commercial photography when he saw an opportunity at the same company that had fired him ten years earlier.

Haugen recently appeared on the Portrait System Podcast with Nikki Closser to talk about his career path from wedding to commercial photography. Listen here.

Here are three tips Haugen shared on the podcast for others considering the same transition:

1. Don’t burn your bridges. By remaining friends with his former colleagues, Haugen knew when the time was right to apply for contract work as a commercial photographer.
2. Connect with other photographers. Haugen’s other major client came to him through referral. The offer first came to another photographer who is a member of the Facebook group for local photographers that Haugen runs. He couldn’t accept the job and suggested Haugen.
3. Be prepared to promote yourself. As Haugen says, “Be someone’s solution, because you never know where people are going to need you.” It’s not uncommon for companies to have to cut staff. When this happens, it often opens the door for contract workers. Be prepared to tell them how you can fill the gap.

In the following Q&A, Haugen talks more about his business, including what inspires him most and why photographers need to talk more about the financial side of their business.

Questions and answers about Justin Haugen

How did you overcome fear while building your business?

I don’t know if I ever really got over fear, because it was a major motivator in my life. My entire career as a photographer and its key moments were largely motivated by fear. When I feel fear creeping into my business, it’s time to take action. I think that over time, if you’ve done it long enough, you start to live with fear and recognize it as a healthy part of being an entrepreneur. I can’t even say that fear is unique to being an entrepreneur, because my last full-time job was characterized by fear, which was largely justified, as I ended up getting laid off.

Which fellow artists in the industry inspire you the most?

Creatively, I’m a huge fan of my friend Jason Vinson. Jason has this incredible ability to create absolute magic from any space, no matter how mundane. He’s the true MacGyver of photography. Give this man a closet, a dirty window, and a newly engaged couple and he’ll come up with a Fearless Award-winning image. Some photographers are photojournalists. Jason is an artist. Jason is also very happy to share his methods. There are no secrets to what he does, and all you have to do is head to any of the many free pieces of content he’s shared across the internet, from FStoppers to the Sharpen YouTube channel, where he explains his process.

Lately, as my work shifts toward editorial and commercial photography as well as more sophisticated portrait photography, I’ve been paying particular attention to photographers like Alexis Cuarezma and Felix Kunze.

Most artists come to a point in their lives where they know this is the right thing for them. Did you have that moment?

It’s hard to look back over the last 20 years and remember a defining moment as there have been so many. I remember a time back when I was a photographer in my twenties with a Canon 20D and a 70-200 F4 L and I had made it to the photo booth at a professional racing series at the track. The year before I was a spectator and I remember saying to myself, “One year from now I want to be on the other side of the fence.” That’s what photography has always been for me. A way to find myself on the other side of the fence. It was my passport to life experiences and a different way of looking at the world. The first time I was “on the other side of the fence” was the first time I knew I would do anything to keep that feeling alive and that photography would be a big part of my life.

Do you regret decisions you have made in your company?

I truly regret how I managed my finances. I believe photographers as a community have very little interest in talking about this side of their business. It’s a point of comparison and a shame that few want to compete with established photographers in this industry. Their growth as artists is visible and it’s a badge of honor that many wear proudly (and deservedly) when they master skills that have earned them the admiration of their peers. When you bring up Roth and SEP IRAs in what should be a safe environment, many will shy away from the conversation. I know this because I was that photographer myself. It’s an environment where I felt completely out of place and my anxiety about how I handled money caused me to miss out on years where I could have put my income to better use.

Where do you see your company in the next five years?

I see my business less in my ability to handle a camera and more in how I manage my processes and resources. I envision myself being more established in corporate event photography while managing a team of photographers. I see this as an area that will be less affected by AI disruption because you can’t create documented events using AI.