How I Transitioned from a Freelance Family Photographer to Full-Time Work in School Communications
and what my job looks like now (hint: I'm actually photographing MORE.)
Last spring, I was hired as a full-time account executive for a public relations firm on Long Island that represents many of the public school districts here on the island. Before that, I had spent years doing photography and video for schools—sometimes as a freelancer, sometimes as a volunteer—and I loved it. When I decided I needed a full-time job to supplement my meager earnings as a freelance family photographer, I naturally started looking into school communications positions.
At first, I assumed private schools were my best bet since I figured public schools didn’t have dedicated communications staff. I sent out letters and portfolios to local private schools but got little response beyond the occasional, “We love your work, but we’re not hiring.” As financial pressure mounted, I enrolled in a number of employment workshops through the Entertainment Fund (an amazing resource for entertainment professionals that provides job search support, health insurance guidance, and more - it is worth the cost of keeping my Actors’ Equity union membership current!). I created a resume for the first time in my life and learned how to navigate job sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
I applied for communications positions across various industries—healthcare, a botanical garden, special needs support—when I stumbled across a job listing for an "account executive" at a PR firm specializing in school communications. It wasn’t a title I had been searching for, but the job description was exactly what I wanted:
Create written content and capture photos for school district websites, social media, newsletters, and press releases.
Attend school events and meetings to gather content.
Manage social media accounts for clients.
Produce video news stories.
It was perfect! I applied immediately and then… nothing.
The advertised pay wasn’t great ($52,000/year), but I knew this was the job I had been looking for. I started worrying that my application had been lost in the abyss of the applicant tracking systems that are now used by most companies in the hiring process. So, I did something unconventional—I bypassed the system and emailed the CEO directly. Uncool, I know - but I didn’t care. I really wanted this job.
This approach has always worked for me in the past, and I knew I needed to give it a shot—like when I was apartment hunting in San Francisco during the late-90s dot-com boom. Rental open houses were packed, so I wrapped my application in bright-colored paper and included a creative “About Me” page. That extra effort helped me stand out and wouldn’t you know it, I got the apartment I wanted.
In this case, my email landed at exactly the right time. The firm had already hired someone for the position, but she quit after a week. They needed a replacement quickly, and my email put me on their radar.
Nine Months In: What I’ve Learned
This is the perfect job for a documentary-style family photographer looking for stability. Our skills—capturing authentic moments and telling visual stories—are exactly what’s needed.
The pay isn't amazing, but I negotiated a higher salary than the one advertised. I also supplement my income with two family photography sessions a month, bringing my total earnings close to six figures.
I have health insurance for the first time in ten years that isn’t Medicaid, and I can’t overstate how good that feels.
I had no idea public schools had PR reps, but most do! Some districts have in-house staff, while others (like mine) contract with an agency.
Public schools rarely hire freelancers for PR work. Occasionally, we contract out event coverage, but the pay isn’t great compared to family photography client work.
What My Job Looks Like Day-to-Day
I represent three school districts, each with different contract terms dictating how often I visit. One district gets ten visits per month, another gets five, and the third gets four. I also attend a board of education meeting for each district every month. My time is split between attending events at schools and working remotely to write stories, edit photos, and manage social media.
My goal is to post one story per weekday for each district. Some are simple social media updates, while others become website articles or press releases sent to local newspapers. I also produce quarterly newsletters and an annual printed calendar for each district. Our firm provides us with a ton of support: we have a web team that posts the content we create, and a graphic design team that handles layouts for newsletters and calendars. Our firm also handles crisis communications, but thankfully that is the responsibility of the senior managers—not me!
A Typical Week
Many people have asked what my job looks like day-to-day, so here’s a glimpse into a typical week (this was last week).
Monday: Attended a 100th Day of School celebration in the morning, then worked from home the rest of the day—editing photos, writing articles, sending out a press release, and posting social media updates for my districts.
Tuesday: No school visits. Worked from home on various stories and on a district’s winter newsletter. Attended a Board of Education meeting in the evening.
Wednesday: Had a morning orthopedist appointment, then visited an elementary school for a heart health presentation by a local hospital. Later, I photographed National Merit finalists at a high school.
Thursday: Covered an elementary school’s "Thoughtful Thursday" event, photographing students making valentines for seniors. Worked from a café before heading to a high school’s “Quiz Bowl” – a trivia contest between the four grades.
Friday (Valentine’s Day!): A whirlwind day with visits to seven schools! The highlights:
P.S. I Love You Day at a middle school
Two 100th Day of School celebrations
A visit from a state senator
A Valentine’s celebration, career fair, and pie-in-the-face fundraiser
I typically pick up my kids at 3 PM and work on stories at home until dinner. This past week, I had help with school pickups on Thursday and Friday due to my long workdays.
Weekends are generally free unless there’s a special event like graduation or homecoming.
How I Stay Organized
At the start of each month, I email district administrators, principals, and department heads, asking for invites to upcoming events I can cover. I include a list of national and cultural observances (e.g., Black History Month, Heart Health Month, Valentine’s Day) to spark ideas for stories that local papers might pick up.
As requests come in, I track them in a spreadsheet, ensuring I cover each school fairly and align my content with the district’s strategic messaging. My primary goal is to highlight the positive work happening in public schools—reminding taxpayers that their money is well spent and encouraging them to support school budgets each year.
Resources for School Communications Professionals
If you’re interested in school PR, here are some great resources I’ve found over the past year:
Organizations:
Long Island School Public Relations Association (most areas have local branches!)
Podcasts:
Training & Education:
Books:
If you want to find out who handles PR for your local district, check your regional BOCES website (or equivalent local office of education). In my area, I found that Nassau BOCES offers PR services to districts, which led me to discover the firms that BOCES contracts to handle school PR—including mine!
Why I Love This Job
Every day is different, and the flexibility allows me to drop my kids off at school and pick them up most days. I get to pretend I’m a photojournalist (minus the war zones!), and I’m constantly engaged in creative storytelling. It brings together all the skills I’ve developed over the years as a freelance photographer—not just photography, but also blogging, social media, and storytelling, especially branding work I did for small businesses. It’s fulfilling, challenging, and—most importantly—makes a real impact.
Surprisingly, I take more photos now than I ever did as a family photographer. Instead of just shooting on weekends, I’m photographing schools every single day. The steady paycheck, benefits, and the ability to truly “clock out” at the end of the workday have been game-changers for me. Plus, I love being around the incredible staff and students in my districts, as well as the support I get from my team working in other districts nearby.
For any documentary family photographers who want to leave the unpredictable gig life behind, this kind of role is a great fit. Public schools need skilled visual storytellers, and our skills make us uniquely suited for this work.
If you have any questions for me about working in school communications, please drop them in the comments below - I’ll answer as best as I can!
A few fun links for you:
Register for a 24-hour Conference-a-thon on International National Women’s Day (March 8, 2025) honoring Women in Photography.
Applications are now open for Alec Soth’s 2025 Little Brown Mushroom Workshop.
A piece on one of my favorite photographers, Rebecca Norris Webb, and her new book “A Difficulty is Light.”
Thanks for sharing all this great info!! :) You are awesome, friend! Miss you ❤️happy for you!
This is so informative! I’m interested in this as well. Great info about BOCES.