How This Home School Mom Uses Food Photography To Work From Home

What if signing up for food photography classes could change your life? Would you go for it?

That was the question that faced Lindsay in the middle of the pandemic in 2020. She was working multiple jobs but still worried if it was enough financially. Then, she found food photography and the Pretty Focused course, and everything changed for the better. Lindsay discovered financial freedom that she never thought possible.

Check out how she did it in her Pretty Focused review below!

Lindsay’s Story: Discovering Financial Freedom Through Food Photography

Lindsay went from a busy working mom who was barely surviving to a financially comfortable food photographer with total control over her work/life balance. Here’s how she did it.

• Lindsay had multiple jobs to make ends meet and take care of her family, but she didn’t love all the odd jobs she was forced to accept for the money.
• Then, one day, she found food blogging and signed up for Pretty Focused’s food photography classes with the goal of changing her life for the better. It worked!
• Within days of graduating, she had paid off the course and started on her journey to complete financial and time freedom.
• Now, Lindsay earns more than she ever imagined and loves her free lifestyle as a food photographer. In fact, she loves it so much she’s become a Pretty Focused coach just to help more people like herself!

Watch her full story now.

02:20 What did you do before Pretty Focused?
11:59 How did you feel when your whole shop sold out?
15:27 What has life been like for you since you graduated?
17:00 How many clients are you working with?
20:01 What is some advice that you would give to people who are thinking about joining?
24:14 If someone has never picked up a camera before is this something that they can do?
28:32 What sealed the deal for you purchasing Pretty Focused?
29:51 How many recipes are you doing a week?
37:08 When you joined did you think that where you are at now was possible?
38:10 So now what is happening in your career?
46:47 Do you shoot with artificial or natural light?
47:58 What equipment do you use?

Working Odd Jobs While Homeschooling and Struggling to Make Ends Meet

Lindsay has always enjoyed being busy and doing lots of different things. “I’ve always been that kind of person to do a lot of little jobs.” It seemed to work well for her, especially when it came to having time to work and homeschool her girls. But when 2020 happened, “the year of everything cray cray,” things began to shift. Suddenly, everything became too much.

At the time, Lindsay was dabbling in a range of gigs. She was working part-time for Pure One while also doing some product and real estate photography on the side. And she felt stuck because she had to take jobs that earned her a lot of money in a short amount of time—not necessarily the jobs she enjoyed. Then, the pandemic shut down a lot of her opportunities, “my gigs started taking a nosedive,” and Lindsay had to figure out what to do. 

“So, I started a recipe blog…because it required two things that I’m good at: taking pictures and cooking.” And that’s when she found Pretty Focused.

Find more Pretty Focused graduate stories here!

Launching a Blog and Joining Pretty Focused’s Food Photography Classes

Lindsay soon discovered that creating recipes and blogging was tough. She had hoped to start making money immediately, but it wasn’t that simple. Although Lindsay had jumped right into being a blogger, she struggled with the “technical stuff.” It was so much work behind the scenes when all she really wanted was to “cook the food and take the photos.” 

Thankfully, the stars aligned, and Lindsay found a Pretty Focused ad on Facebook and realized that she only had to do the food blog photography she enjoyed. It was a revelation.

But that doesn’t mean Pretty Focused was easy for Lindsay. In fact, it was one of the most difficult things she had ever done. She joined the course in early 2021, and while things went well for a little bit, “towards the end, everything came crashing in on me.” Lindsay had two very serious health scares that completely derailed her.

Finishing Pretty Focused While Dealing with Health Emergencies

“I got hit in the face with a firework and it caused a concussion on the right side of my brain. Then, a couple of weeks after that, I thought it would be a good idea to go horseback riding, but I didn’t have my balance yet. I took a really bad fall and broke a vertebra in my neck and got another concussion—a double concussion.” And this all happened at the start of Lindsay’s portfolio work for Pretty Focused.

 So, “I’m in full-blown panic mode, wondering how I’m going to afford groceries and take care of my girls.” She needed to get through her Pretty Focused portfolio and start earning an income fast, but it was a serious struggle. In the end, she pushed hard for about three months, while eating “a lot of ramen noodles” until she built her portfolio.

Selling Out Her Entire Food Photography Shop in 24 Hours

The moment Lindsay finished her portfolio and graduated from Pretty Focused was life-changing. Her family was in a dire financial situation and she needed to be successful fast. She was! As soon as Lindsay was introduced to the Buyer’s Club, she started getting blogger interest within hours. The next day, she launched her shop and sold out of everything within a day.

 “I went from, ‘How am I going to feed my family with a couple 100 bucks?’ to ‘Now, I've just made $1,600 in 45 minutes!’” Within 24 hours, Lindsay made enough to pay off the entire cost of the Pretty Focused course and take care of her family. “I literally struggled until the day I graduated Pretty Focused. It was life-changing for me!”

Read more Pretty Focused reviews and stories here!

8 Lessons Learned From Pretty Focused’s Food Photography Classes

So, what advice does Lindsay have for future students as a graduate and a coach of Pretty Focused’s food photography classes? She has some incredible insight and takeaways below.

1. Pretty Focused Can Be Tough, but the Community Makes it Possible!

How difficult Pretty Focused is can be different for every student. If you already have photography experience, you might pick up some concepts quickly. Or if life gives you the time and energy you need to get through the course, then you could have smooth sailing. But for many students, Pretty Focused can be a challenge for one reason or another. Just remember: you’re not alone!

When Lindsay has students tell her that they’re struggling, “I can tell them I really and truly get it.” Lindsay made it through the end of Pretty Focused with a double concussion and doctor recommendations to limit screen time. Still, “I made it through alive! I made it and everything is great.” So, though it can be tough, it’s always possible, especially with the Pretty Focused community behind you, helping and cheering you on.

2. Pretty Focused is for Experienced Photographers, Too!

So often, we talk about how Pretty Focused is the ideal course for students who’ve never touched a camera before and have never even considered food photography. And that’s true, but that doesn’t mean it’s only good for beginners. Lindsay “already knew how to use my camera. I was good.” But that didn’t mean she got no benefit from the food photography classes.

In fact, she had to learn how to “humble herself and just absorb everything. It’s the hardest thing you’re going to have to do is let your guard down.” But when you do, and you take the opportunity to learn from the professionals in the trenches, and you “just soak it in,” it’s an entirely different experience. You will learn so much. “Yes, it’s mind-blowing.”

3. You Can Quickly Make Money if You Plan and Prepare!

For Lindsay, making money as soon as possible after graduating from Pretty Focused was a priority. When her health emergencies happened during her portfolio, her family was in dire financial straits. “I needed to make money as soon as I graduated; that was non-negotiable.” So, she developed her entire portfolio with that end goal in mind.

This meant she focused on developing exclusive recipes that she could immediately sell. “I needed to hit the ground running in order to feed my family, so I did.” As soon as Lindsay was announced in the Buyer’s Club, clients reached out. “I don’t remember exactly how soon, but it was like the same day or the next day.”

Then, she launched her shop, and “I sold everything within 24 hours—the entire shop. In fact, most of it went within 45 minutes and I had paid off the Pretty Focused course. Every time something would sell, I would take a screenshot and send it to my husband. I choke up thinking about it right now.”

Check out Gavin’s story to learn how he started making 6 figures with food photography!

4. Pretty Focused Offers Both Financial and Time Freedom.

Until Pretty Focused, Lindsay’s career was always a struggle. While she enjoyed doing a variety of odd jobs, her income was never steady or reliable. It was only after starting food photography that she found financial freedom. Now, Lindsay wants “other women to feel that freedom that I feel and that relief.”

But it’s not just financial freedom that you gain from Pretty Focused’s food photography classes. Sure, owning a six-figure business is amazing, but food photography also offers freedom in your schedule, flexibility in your life, and so much more. You can choose your hours, your clients, your vacation, your workload, and everything in between. You’re the boss, and that means you can make your life what you want it to be.

5. Pretty Focused Offers Career Security.

Lindsay graduated in August 2021, and for the last two years, life has been so much better. “It’s absolutely night and day. I feel a relief that I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I’ve never felt so secure.” 

While Linsday has an amazing and supportive husband, it’s an incredible feeling to know that if anything bad happened, “I could scale up my business and take care of us and fill that role. That is just the coolest feeling. I know that I wouldn’t struggle like my mom did, just trying to get us through—not having electricity, a phone, or food sometimes. I know my kids are not ever going to have to feel that, no matter what.”

Discover how much you can make as a food photographer.

6. There is a Ton of Work Available for Food Blog Photographers

During the last two years of working as a food blog photographer, Lindsay has had “the terrible misfortune of needing to pare down because I had too many clients. What a problem to have, right?” At one point, her work was so in demand that she was working with 11 different bloggers at once, which was just too much.

Now, she feels comfortable working with five to six bloggers at a time—consistent clients who she’s worked with for more than a year. “I love my clients so much, and I am so grateful for them.” It’s the ideal amount of work to keep her busy and with the salary she wants without being overwhelmed. The key is that there’s enough work to turn down jobs!

7 reasons bloggers love to hire food photographers!

7. Pretty Focused Coaching is All About Your Success.

Not only is Lindsay a Pretty Focused graduate, but she is also a coach. “I wanted to be a coach because it is my way of contributing and giving back to something that’s given me so much peace, happiness, and freedom: financially and emotionally.” Lindsay coaches students through their portfolios, which gives her incredible insight into the coaching process.

“I genuinely love and care for every single student, and I want to know your story and all about you. I want to know how I can support you better and how I can be a better mentor to you and get you through this.” So, when you receive feedback from a coach, even if it seems harsh, know that it comes from a place of caring for you and wanting you to succeed. “I will push you to challenge yourself to reach your potential. That’s my goal: to max you out so you can hit the ground running.”

8. Yes, Pretty Focused is Worth the Price!

“My one regret is hemming and hawing over the price of Pretty Focused. I ended up having to do a payment plan, but I was able to pay that back pretty darn quick.” So, if Lindsay could give any advice, it would be to not hesitate. “Because when you go for it, you’re one step ahead of somebody who hasn’t even started yet. Just jump in and do it if your heart is telling you that this is what’s right for you.”

And if you need one last incentive to help you seal the deal on the price: “It’s the Buyer’s Club!” Because, for almost everyone, their biggest when signing up for food photography classes is earning money afterward. Lindsay didn’t fear learning how to do food photography, but “getting clients, that panicked me.” The Buyer’s Club means that there is one less thing you have to worry about because once you graduate, you become part of a community of bloggers who want exactly what you have to offer.

Find 11 more reasons to become a food photographer here!

Sign Up for Pretty Focused Today and Launch Your Food Photography Career!

When Lindsay first signed up for Pretty Focused, her only goal was to graduate and start making $1,000 a month. A few years later, her goals are so much bigger. She just finished shooting a cookbook, “which was one of my lofty business goals,” and “I booked us a cruise for January that I paid for myself.” It’s such a big change from her financial struggles of the past, and Lindsay wants others to know they can experience the same.

So, if you’re curious about Pretty Focused, there is no better time to check us out. Sign up today for our food photography classes and start your journey to a better life!