‘I quit my chef job for a side hustle taking photos of food making £108K a year’

The former chef now makes six-figures as a photographer (Image: GETTY) One side hustler is sharing how he turned his second job in photography into a thriving business worth the equivalent of £108,000. Sean Audet, 30, is from Winnipeg, Canada and quit his role as a chef to work as a food photographer. The young woman has successfully acquired a sizable book of over 200 clients which include McDonald’s. Like many people, Mr. Audet took on a side hustle to supplement his income and pursue a passion project. However, little did he know, that this job would replace his main career and earn him $134,000 (£108,000) a year. Speaking to CNBC , the photographer shared why his current role is a welcome departure from his work in the kitchen. He explained: ‘Working as a freelancer comes with challenges, but for me, it’s mostly benefits. The biggest benefit is really the agency it gives me over my time and the ability to design my lifestyle around my job is invaluable. ‘If you don’t come from a culinary arts background, you may not have the skills to work and style food but having worked in the industry for so long, I was essentially coming into this new career with those skills. ‘Even from the very beginning, I was able to carve out this little place in this niche.’ Young people are turning to online side hustles (Image: Getty) According to the businessman , he usually charges a couple thousand dollars for a photography shoot. This would usually be the levy for new clients, but for more established clients, the charge could be around $17,500 (£14,100). When Mr. Audet first started his side hustle in 2018, he made around $8,403 (£6,785.46) but earnings doubled nearly every year. In terms of business expenses, the entrepreneur spent an estimated $19,000 (£15,300) in 2022. The side hustler added: ‘Mainly, those expenses will be location rentals and hiring other professionals. ‘So models, stylists and sometimes additional help. I worked in culinary arts as a cook and then sous chef in restaurants and pop-ups for five to seven years before I really started working in photography.’ He fell into this creative profession from working in research and development at college, which he did while managing a pop-up restaurant in 2016. Mr Audet said: ‘First, it turned just into a little side gig doing photography for a few clients that I would find. I always really enjoy making really beautiful food in restaurants. I was able to leverage those skills in the kitchen into a successful early career in photography.’