All side businesses
📸
Anyone can start

Event Photography

Income / yr

$3,000-$40,000

Startup cost

$2,000

Time

8 hrs/wk

First dollar

3-6 weeks while you build a portfolio.

Shoot portraits, events, and small weddings on weekends. If you have an eye and a decent camera, people will pay.

Why it fits shift work

Sessions are scheduled, mostly weekends. Editing fits any downtime.

How to launch it

  1. 1Build a portfolio with free or discounted first shoots.
  2. 2Pick a focus (families, newborns, events, real estate).
  3. 3Set package pricing and a simple booking page.
  4. 4Ask every client for a referral and a review.

Where to start

InstagramYour portfolio and your marketing in one
Pixieset / HoneyBookGalleries, contracts, and payments

The tax win

Once this earns 1099 income, these expenses become deductible on Schedule C, lowering the tax on your day-job income too.

Camera & gear
Editing software
Mileage to shoots
Props & backdrops
Marketing
See what that saves you

Honest reality check

Gear and editing time add up. A clear niche and package pricing beat competing as a generalist.

Time to first dollar: 3-6 weeks while you build a portfolio.

Want RyzeFi to set this up for you?

Join the waitlist for the done-for-you version: EIN filing, sole-prop registration, and expense tracking wired to this exact business.

Join the waitlist

Educational starting point, not legal or tax advice. Confirm licensing and scope-of-practice rules for your state and profession before starting.