Five years ago I fell in love with portrait photography, and over that time I built (and then walked away from) a profitable business so I could chase the kind of portraiture I actually want to shoot. In this video I break down the biggest lessons I’ve learned from shooting weddings, working with agencies and boutique brands, and creating portraits in studios and on location across all sorts of lighting conditions. The first big one is: specialize or die. Not “pick portraits” as a genre—develop a bold, intentional style that people can’t scroll past. For me that meant leaning into mixed, unconventional, high-contrast light, embracing imperfection (grain, motion blur, even blown highlights), and making creative choices on purpose. Planning is the other half of consistency: nail the concept first (outfit, lighting, vibe), build an inspiration bank daily, and use tools like Milanote to turn ideas into a shoot that actually has direction. I also talk about becoming an expert in your niche (wardrobe, makeup, color palette decisions), owning less gear and shooting more (rent before you buy), and why marketing beats talent—because getting your work in front of the right people is what separates a talented hobbyist from a working pro.