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Freelance Photography in Vancouver: Shooting Through the Concrete Jungle (Without Either Burying You or Your Gear)

@Iris Vega2/7/2026blog

i could’ve written this exact post about my experience as a freelance photographer in vancouver. it started with a long night editing photos of burbs that were basically like a bad taco truck selfie session. the client wanted ‘authentic vancouver’ shots. guess what? i ended up in a mall parking lot for three hours trying to find a ‘north shore vibe.’ vancouver, right? it’s all neon signs and concrete. but hey, the data backs this up. according to the canucks stats (not the hockey team-this is jobs), photography jobs here are up 23% last year. not because of pickles or something. because everyone and their mom needs headshot serfs. or food photography. or that one weird-internetcat aesthetic. who knows.

let’s talk rent. because your camera gear is already taxed enough by salt air and microplastics. average studio apartment price in gastown? $2,800. that’s like buying a full-frame lens every single month. and safety? vancouver’s like 90% safe. like, i’ve never had someone steal my memory card while i’m mid-selfie with a flock of pigeons. which is a good thing! because i’m not that famous. yet.

here’s the gossip i overheard at a coffee shop where the barista drinks oat milk and smells like a bookstore. some dude in a wedding-photo squad said the real money’s in healthcare photography. patients needing shots for insurance? no kidding. i almost took that job. but then i remembered i once got stuck editing in a windstorm and my laptop batteries died. puh-lease.

but here’s the wild part: vancouver’s job market isn’t just about what’s listed on linkedin. you gotta dance. like, literally. i met a guy at a skate park who’s a drone photographer. he flies over rugby fields at 6am to film for real estate listings. the drone costs $12k, but he charges $500 per shoot. it’s a scam? maybe. but vancouver’s real estate is a scam too. so why not.

whoa, is that a drone? no, that’s my neighbor. he’s just flying his quadcopter to take pics of his yacht. vancouver’s neighbors are either yachties or people who’ve given up on gardening because the rain is a war. speaking of rain: it’s currently drizzling. like, not the ‘wash your soul’ kind. the ‘i need to find a dryer for my dslr right now’ kind. but the good news? victoria, bc is 40 minutes south. less rain, more lanlisa, and cheaper rent. but also more sea lions. don’t ask.

so what’s the takeaway? vancouver’s job market for photographers is like a lounge music vibe. slow, but with weird intensity. you need a mix of skills. like how to shoot in zero light (literally, vancouver’s ‘golden hour’ is a myth) and also how to sell your work when no one’s buying. my last client wanted a ‘sustainable fashion’ shoot. i had to google ‘sustainable fashion’ three times. turns out it’s just people posing in thrift stores. which is fair. because everyone here is into thrift stores. vancouver’s trash is basically a treasure hunt.

here’s a pro tip from a local I overheard in a toasted marshmallow: ‘don’t trust the food photographers. they’ll take your lunch and your job.’ i’m not sure who they were, but i’m warning you now. maybe avoid the yelp reviews for camera rentals? i saw one that said ‘tripod broke during my shoot-highly recommend.’ that’s not a review. that’s a horror story.

outside of vancouver? you’re 45 minutes from whistler. where you can hike and pretend you’re not just avoiding the rain. or وتقريبًا 金山 (gold mountain, lol). but seriously, the job market here is like a group project. everyone’s contributing, but no one knows what they’re doing. photographers are no exception. but hey, at least we get to complain about the weather while doing it.

if you’re thinking of moving here for photography, check out the vancouver photoblog or the r/vancouverjobs subreddit. respectively, they’re a mess. but real. and sometimes they’ll tell you where not to go. like, one guy said avoid downtown coffee shops for client meetings. because the espresso machine is always broken. which is 100% true. i once missed a shot because the barista was mid-tantrum about the steamed milk. prioritiestoohigh.

so yeah. vancouver. data says job market’s good. data also says you’ll regret every purchase of waterproof gear. and data? well, data’s just a word now. like ‘snorkeling’ in this city. you don’t-you just hike through it.

stay dry. stay mad. and keep shooting. even when the clouds are basically a permanent filter.

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About the author: Iris Vega

Believes in the power of well-chosen words.

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