Turning your passion for photography into a business can be one of life’s most rewarding journeys—bringing creative fulfilment and the chance to live your dream. But the path isn’t always straightforward, especially when financial, work, or family commitments are already in play. With those pressures, you risk entering the “death zone.”

Borrowed from mountaineering, the death zone refers to altitudes above 8,000m, where survival becomes incredibly difficult under extreme conditions. In photography, it’s that point where you’re effectively juggling two full-time jobs—your existing work and your photography business. One impacts the other, leaving you trapped and exhausted. The pressures don’t just affect your success, but also your health and wellbeing—making it critical, just like on the mountain, to minimise the time spent here.

Drawing on my own experience of building businesses (including my own accidental journey into professional photography), this talk provides proven, actionable techniques to help you navigate this challenging stage. You’ll learn how to move through it faster, reduce the strain, and build a sustainable path forward.

This session is suitable for anyone on the journey to full-time photography—even if you don’t realise you’re on it yet. By the end, you’ll walk away with strategies to reach your goals with your health, finances, and relationships intact.

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This session is part of the Business School programme.