Money. It’s something we all think about, yet so many of us struggle to talk about it—especially when it comes to pricing our creative work.
For many Black female photographers, conversations around money are often loaded with fear, uncertainty, and inherited beliefs. We’re taught to “be grateful” for opportunities, even when they’re unpaid. We’re told that asking for more might make us seem difficult or “too much.” These deep-rooted blocks can make it incredibly hard to charge our worth—and even harder to build a sustainable career from our craft.
That’s exactly why we hosted our recent Pricing Workshop at Autograph, created specifically for our UKBFTOG community. This wasn’t just about numbers—it was about mindset, healing, and empowerment.
Led by the brilliant Natalie Scott, a money mindset coach and financial wellness expert, the workshop guided us through everything we should’ve been taught about money but weren’t—from the importance of paying ourselves first, to thinking long-term with pensions, and getting real about what we need to earn to thrive—not just survive.
We spent time unpacking the emotional weight we carry around money: the guilt, the shame, the fear of being “too expensive.” Then we got practical. We looked at what it actually takes to run a photography business: time, tools, travel, talent—and how all of that should be reflected in our pricing.
Perhaps most powerful of all was when we sat down, heart-to-heart, and talked honestly about our numbers. What are we charging? What do we want to earn? What’s stopping us?
By the end of the session, something shifted. We left not just with numbers on paper, but with a renewed sense of value and clarity. We were reminded that pricing isn’t just a business decision—it’s a statement of self-worth.
This workshop was just one of many steps we’re taking as a community to empower ourselves financially, creatively, and professionally. Because the truth is: we deserve to be paid well for our work. And we don’t have to figure it all out alone.
Here’s to more money conversations, more confidence, and more creative freedom.
A Big thank you to Autograph for sponsoring our workshop and providing such a great space for us to help our community members grow.
Autograph Established in 1988, our mission is to champion the work of artists who use photography and film to highlight questions of race, representation, human rights and social justice.Through doing so, we invite people to explore the creative and critical power of visual representation in shaping our understanding of ourselves and of others. Every year we engage hundreds of thousands of people locally, nationally and globally at our gallery in London, digitally and through projects taking place in partner spaces
Speakers
Natalie Scott, a Certified Money Coach (CMC)®, works within the three pillars; to educate, elevate and empower millennials and Gen Z’s who have negative beliefs surrounding money, blocking their abilities to save, invest and earn more!