As I’m finishing up my fourth full wedding season it’s fun to look back at when this journey started.  If you had told me while I was in college that one day I would be a full time wedding photographer I wouldn’t have believed you!  I had no idea I would find myself starting my own business in wedding photography.

Photography began as a hobby for me.  With one of my first paychecks out of college I purchased a DSLR camera.  I simply wanted a good camera to help me learn how to take nice pictures.  I started practicing and really enjoyed taking pictures!  After some time passed I got engaged.  It was during the season of my engagement that I fell in love with wedding photography.

Katelyn James Photography was one of my biggest online influences as I began my journey into photographing weddings.  Each day I checked her blog to make sure I didn’t miss a single post, particularly  her wedding day stories. I fell in love with her images and especially the photos showcasing beautiful details.  I couldn’t believe this woman had grown such an incredibly profitable business shooting weddings!  That’s when the idea was planted that maybe I could do this too.

From that point on I devoured any online photography posts I could find.  The internet is FULL of education and I was able to teach myself everything from Photoshop, how to shoot in manual, lighting techniques, etc.  I would eat, sleep, and breathe photography.  It literally became an obsession (which I know annoyed Dustin at times because it is all I talked about) and I eventually became a self-taught photographer.

I began shooting sessions for free with all the family and friends I could convince to get in front of my camera.  I am so grateful for those who were patient enough for me to practice on them.

At one point I distinctly remember receiving the most exciting Facebook message from a friend asking if I’d be willing to shoot one of their family members weddings who had a smaller budget.  At that point I’d never shot a wedding and didn’t even think I was ready to shoot an entire wedding!  I mustered up the confidence and said yes knowing this would throw me outside my comfort zone but would ultimately lead me toward my dream.

I woke up the morning of that wedding beyond excited and was thankful that Dustin was willing to second shoot with me.  He was such a trooper considering this wedding was on the date of our one-year anniversary as well.  The wedding went well and I knew then that this is what I wanted to do for my job!  I have always loved the quote, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life,” and that’s what I wanted for my own life.

From that point on more inquiries started rolling in and I was able to book more weddings.  I invested all the money I made from photography back into the business, built up my equipment arsenal and created a website.  Since I was still working full time I’d wake up and start editing at 6AM before work started and worked late into the evenings as well.  It was a season of hustle, long hours, and sacrifice but it surprisingly wasn’t that difficult because I was driven toward my goal.

Eventually, photography provided me with enough income to allow me to leave my full time job and fully invest in my business. I am so grateful to be running my own business and am excited for how it will evolve in the future.

If you’re on a journey of building your own business or have dreams to start a business I’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment or shoot me an email and I’d love to give you any advice and encouragement as you pursue your own dreams!