Wow. This past year has been an incredible journey, one that I would have never thought possible. Technically, I’m a few weeks late on this post. It really didn’t even occur to me to make a blog post about it, but then I realized that I probably should make one (-: You only get one first year after all!
A little background story:
Its January 2013. I’d been daydreaming about becoming a full time photographer for 3 years. I was working as a receptionist at a law firm in downtown Tampa, FL and was hating every second of it. I was working 40 hours a week there then coming home and working 50+ hours a week on my business, staying up until 2:00 in the morning most nights. I heard about a tour that Justin & Mary were doing and that they would be in Orlando, which was only an hour away. They were (and still are) a photography team that I really look up to. I toyed with the idea for a few days about going, I didn’t really have a lot of money, but I knew that I needed to start investing in my business.
So I purchased 2 tickets; one for me and one for Jay. Jay hadn’t even shot a wedding yet, that wouldn’t happen until the next month, but I was already training him to be a part of the business and figured he should tag along to this talk thing. So the day comes and we both go. That day changed my life.
No, really, it changed my life.
I didn’t even realize it at the time.
I met my (Tampa) photography idol that I had looked up to since 2010, and he’s actually sent me 3 weddings since then! How awesome! I also met my first photographer friend there, we sat next to each other and found out we both lived in Tampa. That led to the creation a local photographers group that I still help run even though I moved away. I learned a lot about who I was and where I wanted to go, even if I didn’t think I could get there. We had to get in groups and talk about our goals. I lied and said “My goal is to quit my job by this time next year and do this full time”. I say I lied because I had no intention of quitting my job in a year, it didn’t seem possible to me that I could do it. But I wanted to seem ‘cool’ I guess?
Anyway, that job that I had? I hated it. I think I said that already. So I started looking for a new one after the Justin & Mary tour. I found another receptionist position at a Keller Williams realty office 2 miles from where I lived. Another thing that changed my life. I had NEVER worked with people who were so supportive of my dream. It was mind blowing. During my interview, I straight up told my soon-to-be bosses that I had no intention of staying there for more than a year (again, not really meaning it, but wanting to seem like I knew what I was doing with my life). They were fine with that, and I was hired.
I left 5 months later to become a full time photographer.
About two weeks before I put my two weeks notice in (so one month before I actually quit) I basically had a break down at the front desk. Super professional, right?
But I couldn’t help it. I was so tired and beaten at that point that I was ready to give up. I hadn’t had a single serious inquiry in 5 months. Oh, I was getting inquiries, but they were all similar: “you’re out of my budget, can’t you shoot my wedding for $500?” even though at the time I started at $1,500 (as of this writing, we start wedding coverage at $3,000) or they were family shoots, something I really had no desire to do.
So I cried. I held it in for most of the day, but at some point that afternoon I just couldn’t hold the waterworks in anymore and started bawling. I didn’t want to work 40 hours a week for someone else anymore, then go home and neglect my dog and boyfriend, and miss out on life, and miss out on sleep, and STILL not be getting anywhere. I was tired of not making a profit. I was tired of not getting the work I really wanted. I was tired of not being able to be a part of the industry I so loved because the only time I could take part in anything was on the weekends…but everyone in the industry WORKS on the weekends. I was tired of chasing a dream that seemed to me could never pay my bills.
Something had to go. And it looked like it wasn’t going to be the job I wanted to let go of.
My boss consoled me. Well, actually, half the office did! They all told me I wasn’t allowed to give up and that I was a great photographer and I could do it. But I had given in to defeat and was ready to sell my camera and all my lenses, and even my computer because why did I need it anymore?
I went home that day and talked to Jay, who, for the 2nd time in 3 months, told me to quit my receptionist job and pursue photography full time so that I could put all my efforts into it and nothing else. He said I had 6 months, then, IF it didn’t work out, I could get another job and try from square one again.
I argued for 2 weeks before finally giving in. I put my notice in at my job and at the end of July 2013…went off on my own.
What I’ve accomplished in my first year
My first year has been insane and I am 110% grateful to all of our couples and every vendor and photographer who has helped me on my journey.
- I networked like there was no tomorrow. I wasn’t home for the first 2 months of my venture and it was so awesome to meet all these great people!
- I booked 2 amazing weddings my first week working for myself (crazy how that happens, huh?)
- I figured out my niche in the wedding photography world also the first week I was on my own: specializing in outdoor & historic venue weddings. Its a good thing I figured this niche out early on, because we took a 10 day road trip on our way to Lisa & Wes’s Barclay Villa Wedding in NC, making a short pitstop in Charleston, SC
- I made the decision to move to Charleston, SC. This move occurred 7 months later
- My first week living in Charleston, I booked 4 weddings
- I took part in six styled shoots
- I was published multiple times (styled shoots and real weddings)
- I started doing photography mentoring & have helped other photographers with their businesses and mom’s with camera’s start shooting in manual mode
- I went from booking 2 weddings a year to booking 24 weddings my first year full time (my goal was 20! Hollaaaaaaa!)
- In total, we booked 24 weddings and photographed 10 in the first year (we still have more to photograph in 2014 but they fall outside the first year mark)
- I brought on Jay full time as my second shooter and business partner
- I raised my prices like a mo-fo because I finally had the confidence in my work, my products, and my customer service, and now, so do my couples
- I nailed my editing process like a boss. We now have a 24 hour turn around time for engagement shoots and 48 hours for weddings. It used to take me a month or longer to get images out. Don’t even ask me how long it used to take to design and deliver an album! *hides in a hole*
- I taught a Photo 101 course with more set for the future
- I owed Uncle Sam money. Ouch. That means I made a profit in 2013 (-;
Im sure theres more but thats all I can really think of now! I never thought I would have been able to do this full time. To be honest, if it wasn’t for my co-workers at my old job & for Jay, I probably wouldn’t have. Its important to believe in yourself, but surround yourself with others who also believe in you.
Im sure there are more inspiring stories out there but I wanted to share mine. I want other photographers to know that it can be done, that you can live your dream. But know that it takes a LOT of hard work. Im still working late into the night, but I don’t hate it anymore (-: I LOVE my job, so it honestly doesn’t feel like work most of the time!
