When you’re a kid, it’s common to explore new things. Did you ever think that one of those things could turn into your biggest passion, and most valued success?
the initial spark
As you may have seen on the ABOUT page, my initial interest in photography stemmed from the ability to make a background blurry. I had played around with some point-and-shoot cameras for a bit, but it had never really clicked that I was enjoying the art as much as I was. Around 6th grade, I was super into Tumblr, and I kept coming across so many beautiful images that depicted that exact blurry effect, and all I remember thinking was: "I want to take pictures like that". None of my tiny point-and-shoots or my iPod touch could produce that eye-catching effect. Having no understanding of aperture, how a camera works, and countless other things, I saved my pennies to purchase a camera on Black Friday and set out to experiment. I saw a good deal at Best Buy for a Canon Rebel T3i with some kit lenses and other accessories for a couple hundred dollars; sold.
Not long after, I started taking photographs of anything I could. My initial experimentation with photography was rarely ever with portraits. I began taking my camera with me on vacations and really enjoyed capturing moments and nature along the way, but oftentimes my family members asked "can you take a photo of me?" or "can you grab a shot of that with your camera?" That sparked me to take my sister Karina out for impromptu photoshoots to really play with my creativity in portraits.
My first image taken with the Canon Rebel T3i (75-300mm kit lens)
some of my first photos with the new camera...
the first booking
Over the course of several years, I continued to take photos of nature, travel spots, my pup KaraMel, and Karina. I also dabbled in some photography courses in high school, which really allowed me to exercise my creativity and discover what I liked. Every day I shot, it confirmed my love of photography.
In 2015, at the beginning of junior year of high school, we had a family friend that knew a couple who recently got engaged, and they weren't sure where to start in terms of getting photos done. The friend kindly suggested me for the opportunity, and the couple then offered to pay me to shoot their photos. I was in shock - it had never even occurred to me that I could turn this newfound hobby into something that could make me money. At 16, nervous, insecure, and let's face it, probably underprepared, I shot my first ever engagement session.
Afterwards, I continued to photograph friends and family for fun, and my mom suggested I start a Facebook page to market myself as a business, which ended up being a huge success. A few months following the engagement session and creation of my page, the couple had asked me to shoot their wedding. WHAT?! Again, I was in absolute shock and completely honored. I purchased a 50mm 1.8 lens (the nifty fifty) to celebrate. There could probably be an entire blog post just about that first wedding - what I did right and wrong, the experience, the feelings, and so much more. All I can say right now is - I can't thank the two of them enough for being the catalyst to what would turn into my business today.
An image from my first wedding - Canon Rebel T3i (50mm)
going professional
Those initial bookings were the beginning of something truly special. Family friends continued to put trust in my ability to capture memories for them. It wasn’t until 2020 that I really started to get consistent inquiries. Although COVID-19 was problematic for countless reasons, being at home allowed me to dedicate my time to establishing my business through social media, building marketing strategies, and taking any opportunity I could to gain experience.
As each year passed, I grew in skill and confidence, and my business flourished. There are many different influences that allowed me to grow, and again, that could likely be a blog post in and of itself, but to my surprise, my main source of marketing came from word of mouth referrals. I had countless advocates, including my family, friends, and those that gave me opportunities in the beginning to learn. If I look at my records from 2015-today, the number of sessions have grown exponentially - and I chalk that up to all of the referrals and recommendations from the wonderful people who trusted me. That still stands today, as I believe that client recommendations will always be the best form of reference. I learned all over again how much those word of mouth referrals were crucial to success through the experience of moving to a different state, and I essentially had to build from the ground up again.
In doing so, I have been reminded how important it is to be patient and willing to learn. When you're self-taught, you have to do your research and dedicate time, but you also have to be flexible with the changes in the field. I learn something new every day with this business, and it’s part of why I love doing it.
I am eternally grateful for every single person that has had a hand in supporting me. You have helped me build something special that challenges me every day and continues to make me smile from ear to ear. Photography makes me incredibly happy, it’s my passion, and it's so wonderful to have a community of people that have and continue to believe in me. As I say to all of my friends, family, and clients: I’ll do this for as long as I can!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart ♡
Branded photos by Kyle Schaedler, edits by me
