A career in photography can take countless paths. For photographer Joy Aleman that meant nearly switching fields entirely. Aleman ran a successful wedding and portrait photography business for nearly a decade before moving full-time toward her ultimate dream: being a photography teacher.
Aleman now coaches thousands of budding photographers on how to build their own thriving businesses. Her comprehensive education curriculum includes digital courses, coaching services, a YouTube channel, Facebook group, and a newly launched podcast — adding to that, she’s also a mother. Talk about doing it all.
I chatted with Aleman about her impressive lineup of education offerings, plus how she made this leap into full-time education after years as a wedding photographer. If you’re considering breaking into the world of photography education — or looking for a coach yourself — read on!
Launching a Photography Business
When Aleman started her photography business, she was still in college. After graduating, she dedicated herself to a year of entrepreneurship. In that first year as a full-time photographer, she sent proposal after proposal to potential clients, but continuously faced frustration when they ghosted her or went with a lower-priced option.
Instead of giving up, Aleman doubled down. She learned how to craft a powerful brand and marketing plan that would soon bring in big-ticket bookings. In her second full year as a photographer, she shot 15 solo weddings and was able to increase her rates significantly. Slowly but surely, her business plan was working.
Starting a YouTube Channel
She continued building her company, and shooting weddings and engagements, for two more years before posting her first YouTube tutorial video in 2017. Her first video, titled “What’s In My Camera Bag?” may have been short, but it had a big impact. That behind-the-scenes snippet of the life of a photographer has since racked up over 43,000 views and paved the path for Aleman’s new journey.
She began uploading videos on a consistent weekly basis in 2018 and steadily grew her audience. By the end of that year, Aleman had launched her first beta marketing course, which eventually evolved into her signature Hook and Book Brides program. This is still her flagship product today.
At this point, key inspiration struck at an unconventional moment — while on the elliptical at the gym. She saw the need to create a community space to connect with other photographers.
Aleman launched a Facebook Group, Photoboss with Joy Michelle, with the intent to create a place where “photographers could chat openly about their businesses without judgment or criticism.” The group has since grown to over 10,000 members. This helps her not only connect with potential photographer clients, but also creates a safe space for information sharing and community. The group is still free to join, and members now call themselves “Photobosses.”
If you’re looking to start your own channel, check out 10 Tips for Starting a YouTube Channel.
Finding Creative Inspiration
Before deciding to create her first videos, Aleman had no experience with video creation or editing. She dove in and taught herself along the way, using each video as a learning experience and opportunity to hone her craft.
“There’s nothing like doing something 175+ times to become better and better at it,” she said. “I had many videos completely flop and not reach the audience I expected. That made me reach for more creative concepts, ideas, and topics.”
She gained traction as she started creating videos that pulled back the curtain to explain her reasoning for certain business approaches. She provided the step-by-step processes she used to handle various aspects of the business side of photography. This practical knowledge and instruction resonated with viewers, providing them with actionable steps to build their own businesses.
Transitioning to Education
Even with the success of the YouTube channel and the growth of the Facebook group, the transition from photographer to educator was no walk in the park. Aleman had been running her photography business for eight years when she finally decided to take the leap to working full-time in photography education.
“The decision to go full-time into education was one of those situations where you let go of something good to make room for something great,” she said. “I couldn’t do what I do now as a coach, course creator, and educator if I didn’t have the eight years of weddings and portraits to show me the ropes of what it takes to run a business, grow a team, and build a brand.”
She says taking a slower, more organic approach to building up her offerings gave her the freedom to scale the business mindfully. It also ensured the direction of the program could grow and adapt to the needs of her audience.
Considering a Pivot?
Some top photographers might think transitioning to teaching is a natural progression. Although, Aleman cautions that stepping into photography education is not for everyone. It can be easy to underestimate the amount of work that goes into running a business focused on teaching other photographers.
You have to love teaching and explaining concepts so much that you’d be doing it either way.
She believes you have to love teaching and explaining concepts so much that you’d be doing it either way. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into developing and creating courses and finding the teaching style that works best for you. Some people may find that they simply enjoy being behind the lens more than in front of the camera, she said.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment. In fact, Aleman firmly believes there is always room for more passionate educators in the industry.
From her perspective, “If someone is going to thrive in education, they will need two things. First, they must have a true desire to see others succeed at what [they’re] teaching because it is rooted [in] something deeper than money. Secondly, they must be someone who can adjust their teaching and communication according to the needs of the people they are teaching.”
Building an Audience
It can be tempting to jump straight into launching your own paid course and waiting for sales to roll in. Although, Aleman suggests that providing free resources to establish yourself as a community builder is a great way to cultivate your audience authentically.
She also embraces a comprehensive content strategy by repurposing her weekly YouTube videos into blog posts for her site. This allows her to increase the reach of her efforts and leverage the power of SEO to bring in potential new customers.
Just this year, Aleman also launched a podcast, Called to Both, which provides advice on balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood for women juggling ambitious business dreams and raising a family. The podcast features practical guidance on avoiding burnout, productivity hacks, reframing your mindset, and building a business. The podcast is the next step in Aleman’s mission to help make growing a thriving business less overwhelming and more accessible.
“I truly believe that when we share information like best practices and marketing tips, we help develop our industry for the better,” she emphasized. “Ultimately, when I help photographers build their businesses, I’m getting them closer to the life they love and spending more time with the people they love.”
For more on balancing full-time content creation and motherhood, read The Age of the Mommy Vlogger.
Advice for Aspiring Pros
If you’re an entrepreneur looking to grow your own photography business, Aleman leaves us with this important tip:
“Treat the business and marketing side of your photography business with as much time and attention as you do the artistic side,” she said. “I’ve seen so many talented photographers get passed over for lesser photographers simply because they refuse to learn the business piece.”
Go-To Gear
To see all of Aleman’s favorite gear, check out her YouTube channel where content includes everything from what’s in her bag (such as the Nikon D610 and the Nikon 60mm f/2.8 Micro lens) to her favorite Nikon portrait lens, the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G IF AFS NIKKOR Lens.
You can find more information on Aleman’s coaching programs at joymichelle.co, follow her YoTube channel at Joy Michelle Photography or tune in to her podcast, Called to Both.
