S2.E6 – From Photos to Profit: David Godinez on Pricing, Video, and the Real Work

In this episode of f/22, Greg Lutze sits down with Bay Area photographer and filmmaker David Godinez in San Francisco to talk about the realities of turning photography into a career.

David shares how he got started, why photography is just his starting point, and how his work has evolved into video and post-production. The conversation focuses on the often-overlooked side of the craft: business. From pricing your work to shifting your mindset, David breaks down what it actually takes to go from hobbyist to professional.

📌 This episode explores:

• The mindset shift from artist to business owner
• Why pricing your work is so difficult (and so important)
• How to approach the transition into video
• When to hire vs. learn new skills
• Building a sustainable creative career

Follow David:

David Godinez
Instagram: instagram.com/davidrgoda
Website: davidgodinez.com

⸻

Chapters:

00:00 “You’re Not an Artist, You’re a Business”
00:23 Introduction in San Francisco
01:02 How David Got Into Photography
02:13 Why Photography Is Just the Starting Point
02:16 Early Days of Video & YouTube
03:26 The Shift from Photo to Video
04:47 Should Photographers Take on Video?
05:40 Learning by Hiring People Better Than You
06:22 The Hard Transition to Going Pro
06:36 Why Most Photographers Undervalue Their Work
07:07 Artist vs. Business Mindset
08:03 Why Business Skills Aren’t Taught
08:30 Learning Through Community
09:08 The Reality of Pricing & Overhead
09:29 Why Pricing Transparency Matters
10:31 The Problem with Undercutting
10:54 The “Oakland Strong” Documentary
12:17 From Local Project to Film Festival Run
13:21 Where to Find David’s Work

⸻

Hashtags:

#PhotographyBusiness #FreelancePhotographer #PhotographyCareer #CreativeEntrepreneur #Videography #F22Series #VSCO #PhotographyCommunity